Amazon blindsided me a couple of days ago. I got a message that because of “irregularities,” they were taking away my ability to review on Amazon and deleting ALL of my reviews. That is at least 15 years of reviews. I have tried to appeal, but there has been no response yet.
Basically, in this era of scams against authors, I was out there trying to provide free and honest reviews, and Amazon’s AI somehow found something suspicious, and now I can’t review on Amazon anymore.
For anyone I have promised a review, I can still review the book, but I cannot put the review on Amazon. I can put it on Goodreads, Bookbub, Instagram, Audible, and wherever else you want, but Amazon has blocked me and has not given me a reason.
I used to pick up your books on Kindle Unlimited when possible, because it helped you out, but I am cancelling my Kindle Unlimited because I can’t review the books I borrow there, so why pay for it?
Basically, my good deeds have been punished. I will still continue to try to do them, but I can’t do them on Amazon.
Sorry for the rant! Let me know if you no longer want me to review your book, knowing the review won’t be on Amazon.
Indie Spotlight is my attempt to help Indie authors with marketing. It is a daunting task, and if I can help even a little, I’m glad to do it. You can help too by sharing this post with all the readers you know. Below is a review of Pon My Puff by Peter Stark Lansley. It was discovered, edited, and published by his son, Dr. Charles Morris Lansley.
Book Review
This is an autobiographical novel by Peter Stark Lansley about his childhood on the Isle of Wight in the 1920s. It was discovered 60 years later and edited by his son, Dr. Charles Morris Lansley, who also provides notes about the history and background of the era, the location, and the family.
We watch young Peter living an everyday life and celebrating big moments. Peter fondly remembers starting “morning school,” a crush on his teacher, attending horse races, meeting his friend Vicki, and more. I loved the Christmas traditions portrayed, including “stirring the pudding.” There are notes from the editor describing this Victorian tradition and its deep spiritual meaning.
One of my favorite parts of the book was when Peter asked his Gramp what would happen to him when he died. He said, “When I die I’m going to Mount Joy,” and went on to explain that “It’s the Down overlooking Newport…” And on a clear day, …you can hear the angels playing their silver whistle-pipes if you stop and listen.” This appears to be the name of a cemetery, but it became Peter’s euphemism for going to heaven, and he was quite glad when he was told his Aunt Emily had gone to Mount Joy.
“Pon my Puff,” was Gramp’s favorite saying, and is used as an exclamation throughout the book. “Pon my puff,” said Gramp, “You do ask some questions. Now, where do I begin?”
This book reads like a big hug, a look at an idyllic childhood that will put a smile on anyone’s face. It hearkens back to a simpler time, and Peter’s relationship with Gramp is truly a joy. This is a fun, special, well-written, and well-researched autobiographical novel/history.
About the Author
Peter Stark Lansley was born in Portsmouth and died in 1999 on the Isle of Wight after 80 years of a varied and interesting life at sea and in aviation. Between 1938 and 1939 Peter was a radio engineering student at the Municipal College Portsmouth, now the University of Portsmouth. His course was interrupted by the outbreak of war, so Peter joined the Merchant Navy on the staff of the Marconi International Marine Communications Company as Radio Officer and went to sea on board M.V. Port Hobart.
While serving on MV Wandby as Second Radio Officer, his ship was sunk by a German U-boat off the coast of Iceland after being torpedoed on 19 October 1940. He survived and served as a radio officer aboard various ships until being released from the Merchant Navy in 1946 on medical grounds. After this, he worked for the Ministry of Aviation as a telecommunications officer based at Eastleigh Airport, now Southampton Airport, completing his aviation career at Heathrow Airport before retiring to the Isle of Wight in 1981.
Peter loved writing and was a member of the Southampton Writers Circle in the 1950s, during which time he wrote numerous short stories and the notes that were to form his book Pon My Puff!
About the Editor
Dr Charles Morris Lansley has strong connections to the Isle of Wight through his father’s side of the family, who lived on the Island, his Stark and Morris ancestors having had grazing rights in 1425 in the reign of Henry VI. He still maintains his connection to the Island through his home in Shanklin and his interest in Island family and social history.
After discovering his late father’s manuscript of his autobiographical novel forgotten in a trunk for almost 60 years, Charles Lansley edited the notebooks by piecing together the stories and by providing annotations to give background information on the villages and villagers in the 1920s.
Charles Morris Lansley’s other research interests are in 18th and 19th-century natural history, science, and literature. He was awarded his PhD by the University of Winchester in 2016 for research into Charles Darwin. His book, ‘Charles Darwin’s Debt to the Romantics: How Alexander von Humboldt, Goethe and Wordsworth Helped Shape Darwin’s View of Nature’ was published in 2018 by Peter Lang. Prior to his research on Darwin, he worked in education and training before retiring. He is a Fellow of The Linnean Society of London.
** The UK version is the current version from Austin MacAuley Publishers. The US version appears to be an older issue.
Before You Go
If you read this book, remember to post a review on Amazon, Goodreads, and anywhere else you review books. Your review does not have to be a masterpiece. Just a couple of sentences about how the book made you feel will make the author’s day and help them immensely.
I usually write a book review of between 200 – 300 words, because I have been reviewing for The Historical Novel Society for about six years, and their word limit is usually 200 – 300. It works well for me. I see a lot of really long reviews on Goodreads and I usually quit reading halfway through, because they are just too long. I don’t find mine either quick or very long.
Death at King”s Cross is the second book in the Four Queens of Crime trilogy by Roseanne Limoncelli. It will be published on July 21st. In the midst of war, the Four Queens of Crime, Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, Margery Allingham, and Ngaio Marsh, help DCI Lillian Wiles solve the murder of a young woman at King’s Cross Station.
What Did You Recently Finish Reading?
Black Thursday is the third book in the When Heroes Flew series by H.W. “Buzz” Bernard. Starring a different WWII flier each time, this one is the story of a deadly day when the U.S. 8th Air Force suffered catastrophic losses during a bombing raid in Germany.
What Do You Think You’ll Read Next
1905. A young suffragist fleeing a deadly Atlanta rally ends up in the hills of Tennessee.
Blog Update
It has been a while since I’ve posted, which I am trying to correct. I have been editing and writing reviews for The Historical Novel Society, starting a garden, and easing into the writing phase of a book with Doug. It is as yet untitled, but will, of course, be historical time travel, my favorite genre mashup.
My garden has tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, and herbs. I planted okra seeds, but they are apparently not coming up. I’m in the process of ordering okra plants online.
I have decided to pause review requests until November 1st, and I’m a bit overwhelmed with everything, but I will start writing Indie reviews again on the requests I have received prior to the pause. However, if I have reviewed your book before and you have a new one coming out, the pause does not apply to your book.
I hope you all have been doing well!
What About You?
What Are you reading right now, and what summer activities do you have planned?
What an interesting topic! Below is a list of authors I wish were still writing today. Most of them have passed away, and all are missed.
Jimmy Buffett: Jimmy was an accomplished singer and songwriter, but he also wrote several books. He passed away on September 1, 2023. I wish he was still writing and singing.
Grace Livingston Hill: A Christian author of over 100 books in the early to mid 20th Century, I often wonder what Grace would think of the world as it is now.
C.S. Lewis: A brilliant Christian author of The Chronicles of Narnia and many other other books, both fiction and nonfiction, his voice would be much appreciated now in these times.
J.R.R. Tolkien: Author of The Lord of the Rings Trilogy and many other books, his creativity and world-building skills are missed.
Lewis Grizzard: An author and columnist who celebrated Southern life, his humor and wit are greatly missed. He passed away in 1994.
Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain): His ability to combine humor with social criticism would be welcome today.
Mary Higgins Clark: The Queen of Suspense passed away in 2020.
Robert Heinlein: He had a unique ability to imagine the future, some of which came true. He’s the author of my favorite book, The Door Into Summer.
Lawanna Blackwell: A writer of Christian Historical Romances, including The Gresham Chronicles, she is still living, but took a long break in 2016. I hear she may publish a new novel soon, but haven’t seen anything yet.
Virginia Rich: She is the first author I remember writing culinary based mystery novels with recipes. She was followed by Diane Mott Davidson and others. Virginia Rich passed away in 1985. Her character, Eugenia Potter, was a sleuth, an elderly widow, and a great cook!
I reviewed this one for the Historical Novel Society’s May issue. Absolutely loved it, and it was selected as an Editor’s Choice. It’s set in my favorite place–Appalachia.
Book Description
In late 1960s Appalachia, many things loom darkly over June Branham. The Vietnam War is dividing the country, and a strip mine is eating away the mountain at the head of the holler where she lives, threatening the natural landscape and the only way of life she has ever known. While still in high school, June has fallen in love. She is pregnant, and the father may be Ellis Akers. Ellis is the son of Solomon, a mortal enemy of June’s stepfather, Isom. The feud is so old it fuels two vengeful men with the power of long animosity between rival families.
June’s brother, Tom, leaves to enlist in the war, and so does Ellis. Suddenly, June is on her own, at sixteen with a newborn, and is a mother unable to protect her daughter from the wrath of Isom. Without warning, her baby is kidnapped. Guided by her love for the generations of women before her, but now desperately alone, June must carefully navigate the search for her child alongside family and strangers in a wild and disappearing landscape.
In the Fields of the Fatherless Children is a powerful story of love and perseverance, masterfully told by a writer of exquisite care who intimately knows the rural people of this time and place.
Book Review
Appalachia, 1960s. June is pregnant and sixteen, and that is just the beginning of her problems. The young man she loves, Ellis, is of mixed race and is the son of her racist stepfather’s enemy, escalating a longtime feud. Then Ellis and June’s brother Tom are sent to Vietnam, and she just tries to survive. But her infant daughter is taken away right after birth by her stepfather, who will not allow a child with dark skin in his house. With help from this world, and the next, June leaves her small town in order to find her child. She begins a long and difficult journey, pursued by someone who cares little for her life and wants to take her daughter for themselves.
Gorgeous, lyrical writing and authentic Appalachian dialect make the culture of a 1960s coal mining town come alive. Impressive writing intertwines life in a coal mining town with the faraway war. For example: “Up on the mountain, another explosion. June pictured tree roots wrenched from the earth, dirt and rock bursting up from the ridge, peppering back to the ground, the same way the muted explosions of Vietnam came across Rena’s TV.” As June sets out with her own life on the line in pursuit of her child, other mothers are losing theirs to a war in another land.
The story is told mostly from the points of view of June, her mother, Bethel, and Granny Justice, who has passed away, but cannot move on due to “unfinished business.” This bit of magical realism ties into the spiritual side of Appalachian culture. Nuggets of folklore are also woven into the story, making it even more authentic. Compelling and moving, this novel captures the soul of Appalachia. Highly recommended.
About the Author
Pamela Steele received her MFA in Poetry from Spalding University, and her poetry collection Paper Bird (Wordcraft Oregon 2007) was nominated for an Oregon Book Award. Steele is the author of two novels: Greasewood Creek (Counterpoint 2011) and In the Fields of Fatherless Children (Counterpoint 2026). Although she is a native-born Appalachian, she now lives and writes on a ranch in northeastern Oregon.
Wishing you the happiest Easter/Resurrection Day, as we celebrate Christ laying down His life, so that we might live.
We are celebrating by going to church. Then later for dinner ,we will have deviled eggs, ham, scalloped potatoes, and corn casserole. No Easter baskets for us old folks.
But the message of the day is this:
Have a Blessed Easter!
I’m also celebrating the fact that our missing pilot (SWO Officer) was rescued early on Easter Morning! A true answer to prayer. Here is a link some great reporting of the whole story by Author M.A. Rothman:
It’s Release Day for HELLCAT, Book 9 of the Jax Diamond Mysteries series. I’ve read it already, and it’s the twistiest one yet! Click the image below for the Amazon link.
Book Description (Hellcat)
New York City, 1923. PI Jax Diamond and his trusted partner, Ace, are having a hell of a day. It starts with the suspicious death of a salesman and a family’s pleas to find their missing father. It ends with a murdered mob leader marked with red lipstick, proving they have a female killer on their hands.
While Jax works around the clock, Laura, his new bride and Broadway star, helps him on one of the cases. She and her friends try to find the owner of a gold locket found at the crime scene and uncover shocking evidence that points to Jax’s mother as the prime murder suspect.
Jax, Laura, and Ace frantically search for the truth, only to become trapped in a maze of misleading facts, twisted timelines, and dangerous assumptions. All the while, the body count is rising, and time is running out to stop Death Row Dotty before she delivers her final act of ‘justice’.
My Review will come later.
But I urge you to check out Hellcat at a great price right now for release day! Like all the Jax Diamond series, it can be read as a standalone. If you love historical mysteries, you’ll love this one!
I have been taking an unplanned hiatus! It’s been two weeks since I posted anything. I guess I needed a break, but it wasn’t a conscious decision. The last two weeks I’ve been dealing with my injured knee, which turned out to be a torn meniscus, with moderate arthritis thrown into the mix. The ortho doc wanted me to talk to the knee replacement specialist, but I’ve started physical therapy, and I’ve decided to put the knee replacement off as long as possible. (Sunday Post, Sunday Salon)
In book news, I’m finishing up my reviews and editing for the next issue of Historical Novels Review in May. I need to post some of my reviews from the February issue, which I should have done already.
Last week was fairly uneventful except for going to PT. Good news is my walking is improving already.
Need Your Advice
I came across a problem when taking an Indie Spotlight submission. I asked for an Epub or PDF, and I was sent a Word doc. I didn’t notice at first, but when I started to download it, it was marked as SUSPICIOUS. Then when I replied to them, they asked me a question I had already answered in the previous email, making me think they might be a bot. Maybe I’m wrong and this person wasn’t a bot or a scammer, but I can’t take the chance. If scammers are going to target me that way, I may have to stop taking submissions of documents completely, and only take books that are available on Kindle Unlimited or Book Sirens, or from someone I have dealt with in the past and trust. Please tell me what you think in the comments.
Upcoming Posts
I have a lot of reviews to post, and I won’t list them here right now because I need to get organized, but they are going to start coming this week! (Sunday Post, Sunday Salon)
Book Haul
Midnight Patriots
Blending fact and fiction, Midnight Patriots follows real-life friends Albert Einstein and Charlie Chaplin as they confront powerful enemies threatening America.
It’s 1940. Europe is in flames. Germany occupies much of the continent, and the Blitz rains terror on London. Fritz Duquesne, a German spy straight from the history books, plots to kidnap Einstein and steal America’s nuclear secrets. Enraged by Chaplin’s mockery in The Great Dictator, Adolf Hitler dispatches an SS assassin to silence the man who ridiculed him. The story features Charles Lindbergh, Lena Horne, and J. Robert Oppenheimer—along with a beautiful German spy on a mission of her own. As Nazi agents and FBI operatives close in, all roads lead Einstein and Chaplin to a deadly showdown aboard the Santa Fe Super Chief as it races from Chicago to Los Angeles.
Midnight Patriots is the second novel in the Einstein-Chaplin Series. The first entry, Midnight Burning, was named “Historical Thriller of the Year” by Best Thrillers Book Review and one of the “Favorite Books of 2025″ by Bookreporter. The books stand alone and may be read in any order. The novels are the first works of historical fiction by Paul Levine, best known for his “Jake Lassiter” and “Solomon vs. Lord” series of legal thrillers.
The Windsor Affair
Feuding Windsor brothers and their wives—some things, it seems, never change. The Windsor Affair recreates the cataclysmic events that nearly toppled the monarchy and incited the power struggle between Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon and Wallis Simpson. Told from the perspective of both women, the novel propels readers into the fabulous world of the debonair Prince of Wales, café society of the 1930s, and the glittering private lives of the Windsors. The first novel to be dedicated to this infamous rivalry, The Windsor Affair brings us all the gossip and intrigue between the two very different—yet perhaps more similar than they would admit—wives of royals.
As Queen, Elizabeth would become the symbol of British pluck and courage during World War II and remain a British institution the rest of her long life. Wallis would be forever forced to enact the World’s Greatest Love Story even after it sours, as she goes from being admired to vilified and, ultimately, pitied. Against the backdrop of the Abdication Crisis, World War II, coronations, funerals, births, and deaths, these two women maintain a biting, sharp-tongued feud—until age and the long arm of history bring about a kind of understanding. For the last communication between these bitter rivals was a simple, surprising message: “In friendship, Elizabeth.”
An Infinite Love Story
When Joe Mitchell launches into space, the world is watching. It’s 1968, and the country waits with anticipation and excitement for another successful mission, another celebration as America sets its sights on the Moon. And then comes the knock at the door.
Joe Mitchell’s spacecraft has lost contact. He and his fellow astronauts onboard are feared to be dead. It’s his wife Vivian’s worst nightmare come to life, her grief suddenly taking center stage as the nation waits and mourns. In her quiet moments, Vivian relives their memorable story, unable to accept that this is the end to a love that felt as though it was written in the stars.
As the investigation surrounding Joe’s lost spacecraft intensifies and the mishap is written off as an operator error, Vivian is determined to clear her husband’s name and uncover the mystery of what happened in space. When someone starts sending Vivian messages—messages she believes only Joe could send—she begins to wonder if their love is stronger than space and time, and she’ll do whatever it takes to bring her husband back to her.
Eleanor Fan is completely alone after the death of her mother, Lele. Lele had controlled everything, from doing Eleanor’s taxes to even hand-feeding her when she was studying. Lele even controlled her own death. After Lele’s death, Eleanor is drifting in a sea of grief. The only thing she knows to do is what her mother told her last: Use her inheritance to buy a house. She finds herself following the instructions of a realtor who takes care of everything, much as her mother did. As a result, she ends up alone in a model home of an abandoned housing project. And Lele’s ghost is everywhere.
Vivid descriptive writing enables the reader to instantly picture the scene. For example, the description of the realtor, Matt, tells you his personality: “His thick hair was slicked back, coiffed high off his forehead. He smiled toothily as she approached. He held his hand out for a shake, and a large watch slid out of his jacket sleeve, the band and bezel the same chrome brightness as his car.”
The aftermath of the COVID pandemic is portrayed so well by Eleanor, a mental health counselor, who is still doing her appointments by video long after the pandemic has ended. The house is so vividly described that it takes on a character of its own. Eleanor appears almost locked inside it with her own ghosts. The house’s bright façade and crumbling infrastructure remind the reader of Eleanor, who is slowly unraveling. As the secrets of the house unfold, so do Eleanor’s secrets, and she ultimately has to face them or let them destroy her.
Conclusion
Literary fiction and magical realism combine to paint a portrait of a woman who is lost, alone, and haunted by the past. Highly recommended.
Acknowledgements
I received a free copy of The Valley of Vengeful Ghosts from the publisher, Tin House. My review is voluntary, and the opinions expressed are my own.
Kim Fu is the author of five books, including the 2026 novel The Valley of Vengeful Ghosts, a New York Times notable book for March. This novel received starred reviews from Kirkus and Foreward, and was most anticipated by TIME, Book Riot, and the Chicago Review of Books.
Fu’s story collection Lesser Known Monsters of the 21st Century (2022) won the Washington State Book Award, the Pacific Northwest Book Award, and the Danuta Gleed Literary Award. It was also a finalist for the Giller Prize, the Ignyte Awards, the Shirley Jackson Awards, and the Saroyan International Prize. Stories in this collection have been selected for Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy and Best of the Net, featured on Levar Burton Reads and Selected Shorts, and optioned for television and film.
Fu lives in Seattle, Washington.
Purchase Link
**Click on the cover below to purchase on Amazon;
My Reviews of Other Books Featuring Magical Realism
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