KILLERS AMIDST KILLERS: Hunting Serial Killers Operating Under The Cloak of America’s Opiod Epidemic by BILLY JENSEN is now available to buy and is a Must Read for True Crime Afficianados

Title: KILLERS AMIDST KILLERS

Subtitle: HUNTING SERIAL KILLERS OPERATING UNDER THE CLOAK OF AMERICA’S OPIOD EPIDEMIC

Author: BILLY JENSEN

Release Date: DECEMBER 5, 2023

Genre: NON-FICTION, TRUE CRIME, OPIOD EPIDEMIC

Number Of Pages: 256 Pages

Publisher: POST HILL PRESS

ISBN: 979-8-88845-354-4

Rating: 5 OUT OF 5 STARS  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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DESCRIPTION:

Bestselling author, co-host of the hit podcast The Murder Squad, and true-crime investigative journalist Billy Jensen goes to Columbus, Ohio, where he examines the unsolved cases of eighteen dead and missing women, whom he suspects were the victims of serial killers on the loose and operating under cover of the opioid epidemic in America’s heartland.

In Chase Darkness with Me, readers and listeners learned Billy Jensen’s journalist origin story, his struggles, his call to adventure, and his first successes in solving murders.

In Killers Amidst Killers, readers will ride shotgun with Jensen as he takes on serial killers who are walking among us and planning their next moves in real time. The facts are not in old police reports and faded photos. They unfold before our eyes on the page.

Our story begins in 2017, when two young women, best friends Danielle and Lindsey go missing in Columbus, Ohio, within weeks of each other, and their bodies are found soon thereafter.

As Jensen investigates Danielle and Lindsey’s cases, he comes across other missing and murdered women, and before long, he uncovers eighteen of them. All unsolved. And no one was talking about it.

These are not women who were raised in the street. They got hooked on pills. The pills were taken away. They get hooked on heroin. And when the money is gone, they have to sell themselves. It happens very quick.

Through his investigations and the help of experts, Jensen identifies serial killers in Cleveland and Columbus. Why there? Because it’s easy. Sharks go where the swimmers are. Serial killers go where the easy prey are: Ground zero of the opioid epidemic. The heart of America.

That is what happened to Danielle and Lindsey. But serial killers murdering sex workers in the 21st century will get 45 seconds on the local news, and page 3 in the local paper, and then can disappear in the wind.

Jensen hunts these predators to bring peace to the victims’ suffering families while putting a spotlight on a system that is leaving hundreds of thousands of bodies in its wake.

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SHORT REVIEW:

Billy Jensen’s new book KILLERS AMIDST KILLERS: Hunting Serial Killers Operating Under The Cloak of America’s Opiod Epidemic is truly eye-opening. Every law enforcement officer, and every politician should be required to read this book.

“All these women, missing and murdered within a span of a handful of years and a few highways between them, with the state capital of Columbus at its center. Why was this not a national story? You hear ‘serial killer,’ the public’s ears prick up. You hear ‘heroin’ and ‘sex work,’ they come back down.”

This is inexcusable.

Billy Jensen’s dedication to finding out what happened to: Danielle Greene and Lindsey Maccabee is laudable. At the beginning of his search for the killer of the two women he had absolutely no idea that he would come to learn about so many missing and murdered women in such a small area and that he would discover multiple serial killers all “working” in the same state and during the same time period. Even worse is the fact that no law enforcement agency seemed to notice or care. “… with their inaction, police were ringing the dinner bell for these predators.“

Written in the first person, although this is a true crime book, it is also a memoir. I love the way Billy thinks and the fact that he says exactly what he feels. For example, he writes:

“The men who are murdering these women? … For the most part, they are morons. They are fucked-up little narcissistic men-children.”

Well said Billy. Well said.

KILLERS AMIDST KILLERS is not just a typical “True Crime” book. It is an eye-opening, must read.

I rate this book as 5 out of 5 Stars.

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Billy Jensen is a journalist and author at the top of his game and I am 100 percent a fan of his work.

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MY FULL LENGTH REVIEW:

Duh! I can’t believe I hadn’t thought of the correlation between missing and murdered women and the opioid crisis. Of course I knew that people, especially women, who were addicted to drugs often turned to sex work to survive, which in turn put them at a greater risk of being abducted and/or murdered. But, I hadn’t thought it through to the, now obvious, conclusion that serial killers were able to hide their crimes easier because police were more apt to write off these women due to their addictions. What a horrifying revelation!

Billy Jensen’s new book KILLERS AMIDST KILLERS: Hunting Serial Killers Operating Under The Cloak of America’s Opiod Epidemic is truly eye-opening. Every law enforcement officer, and every politician should be required to read this book.

“All these women, missing and murdered within a span of a handful of years and a few highways between them, with the state capital of Columbus at its center. Why was this not a national story? You hear ‘serial killer,’ the public’s ears prick up. You hear ‘heroin’ and ‘sex work,’ they come back down.”

It is inexcusable that the disappearances of the women highlighted in this book have received barely any publicity. This needs to change.

Billy Jensen’s dedication to finding out what happened to: Danielle Greene and Lindsey Maccabee is laudable. At the beginning of his search for the killer of the two women he had absolutely no idea that he would come to learn about so many missing and murdered women in such a small area and that he would discover multiple serial killers all “working” in the same state and during the same time period. What a terrifying truth. And, even worse, is the fact that no law enforcement agency seemed to notice or care.

“I was not looking for one serial killer stalking the streets of Columbus and Middletown and Dayton. No. But it was three or four or five. Getting the urge every now and then. It was systemic. And with their inaction, police were ringing the dinner bell for these predators.“

Written in the first person, although this is a True Crime book, it is also a memoir. I love the way Billy thinks. I am impressed that he makes sure readers know not to romanticize the killers. He writes:

“The men who are murdering these women? … For the most part, they are morons. They are fucked-up little narcissistic men-children.”

KILLERS AMIDST KILLERS is not just a typical “True Crime” book. It is an eye-opening, must read. The fact is that even though this is a book about serial killers who are currently operating in Ohio, it could just as easily have been about the exact same thing happening in any other state. That is not only terrifying, it is unacceptable.

I rate this book as 5 out of 5 Stars. ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Billy Jensen is a journalist and author at the top of his game.

What comes through quite clearly in his writing is the fact he actually cares about missing and murdered women. He doesn’t see the victims as being worth any more or any less due to their addictions or their occupation of survival sex work. More people, especially law enforcement and journalists need to follow in Billy Jensen’s footsteps. They need to care, and they need to do everything in their power to identify the perpetrators and arrest them as soon as possible.

I truly hope this book opens people’s eyes to the horrific epidemic of missing and murdered women. I hope Billy keeps reporting and working on solving these cases. Now, if we could just clone him and put a clone in every major city, maybe we could get through to the police and force them to care and to do their jobs.

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MAP by NICK SPRINGER of SPRINGER CARTOGRAPHICS LLC
https://springercartographics.com

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR: 

Billy Jensen has solved or helped solve more than a ten homicides.

His true crime memoir, Chase Darkness with Me: How One True Crime Writer Started Solving Murders, was a New York Times bestseller, and he has written crime stories for Rolling Stone, Los Angeles Magazine, Boston Magazine, and Miami New Times, and was a crime stringer for the New York Times.

After his friend Michelle McNamara suddenly passed away, he, her husband, and her researcher helped finish her book, I’ll Be Gone in the Dark, about the hunt for the Golden State Killer, which became a New York Times #1 bestseller, and he was co-executive producer of the subsequent HBO docuseries.

He produced and costarred in the Investigation Discovery series Unraveled, the first season of which focused on the investigation into the Long Island Serial Killer.

To learn more about this author visit the following links:

OFFICIAL WEBSITE 
http://billyjensen.com

GOODREADS

FACEBOOK  

TWITTER  

INSTAGRAM  

LINKEDIN

AMAZON  

AUDIBLE

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ABOUT THE PUBLISHER:

Founded in 2013 by a team of seasoned entrepreneurs and book industry professionals, Post Hill Press has successfully published a wide spectrum of books, with a focus on the categories of pop culture, business, self-help, health, current events, memoirs, and political books. Our entrepreneurial spirit makes Post Hill Press a nimble publisher, willing and able to move quickly and take advantage of opportunities in the marketplace.

Our books have appeared on The New York Times, USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, and Publishers Weekly bestseller lists. A number of our authors have appeared on national media such as CNN, Fox News, Good Morning America, CBS Saturday Morning, notable podcasts including The Joe Rogan Experience, and many others as well as national radio and print outlets.

We publish across all formats and platforms, including eBooks, audiobooks, and print books, which are distributed by Simon and Schuster and available worldwide. We have ongoing collaborative relationships with national television networks as well as a strategic alliance with an innovative global literary agency.

Post Hill Press prides itself on partnering with authors. Publishing with us is a collaborative experience, where an author is included in decision-making throughout the process. We believe this is a key component to their ongoing success.

To learn more about this Publisher visit the following links:

OFFICIAL WEBSITE 
http://www.posthillpress.com

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QUOTES:

“The victims are taking drugs to survive. The killers are hunting them as part of their own addictions.”

UNBROKEN: My Fight for Survival, Hope, and Justice for Indigenous Women and Girls by Angela Sterritt will open reader’s eyes to the ongoing MMIW (Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women) Crisis that has been happening ever since Europeans “discovered the “New World”) and is still ongoing both in Canada and beyond. YOU HAVE TO READ THIS BOOK!!!

FROM WIKIPEDIA:
The Highway of Tears is a 719-kilometre (447 mi) corridor of Highway 16 between Prince George and Prince Rupert in British Columbia, Canada, which has been the location of crimes against many Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW) beginning in 1970. The phrase was coined during a vigil held in Terrace, British Columbia in 1998, by Florence Naziel, who was thinking of the victims’ families crying over their loved ones. There are a disproportionately high number of Indigenous women on the list of victims.

Title: UNBROKEN  

Subtitle: My Fight for Survival, Hope, and Justice for Indigenous Women and Girls   

Author: ANGELA STERRITT  

Release Date: MAY 30, 2023

Genre: NON-FICTION, BIOGRAPHIES AND MEMOIRS, TRUE CRIME, INDIGENOUS PEOPLES

Number Of Pages: 312 Pages

Publisher: GREYSTONE BOOKS  

ISBN: 9781771648165

Rating: 5 OUT OF 5 STARS  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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DESCRIPTION:

Unbroken is a remarkable work of memoir and investigative journalism focusing on missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls, written by an award-winning Gitxsan journalist who survived life on the streets against all odds.

As a Gitxsan teenager navigating life on the streets, Angela Sterritt wrote in her journal to help her survive and find her place in the world. Now an acclaimed journalist, she writes for major news outlets to push for justice and to light a path for Indigenous women, girls, and survivors. In her brilliant debut, Sterritt shares her memoir alongside investigative reporting into cases of missing and murdered Indigenous women in Canada, showing how colonialism and racism led to a society where Sterritt struggled to survive as a young person, and where the lives of Indigenous women and girls are ignored and devalued. 

Growing up, Sterritt was steeped in the stories of her ancestors: grandparents who carried bentwood boxes of berries, hunted and trapped, and later fought for rights and title to that land. But as a vulnerable young woman, kicked out of the family home and living on the street, Sterritt inhabited places that, today, are infamous for being communities where women have gone missing or been murdered: Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, and, later on, Northern BC’s Highway of Tears. Sterritt faced darkness: she experienced violence from partners and strangers and saw friends and community members die or go missing. But she navigated the street, group homes, and SROs to finally find her place in journalism and academic excellence at university, relying entirely on her own strength, resilience, and creativity along with the support of her ancestors and community to find her way.

“She could have been me,” Sterritt acknowledges today, and her empathy for victims, survivors, and families drives her present-day investigations into the lives of missing and murdered Indigenous women. In the end, Sterritt steps into a place of power, demanding accountability from the media and the public, exposing racism, and showing that there is much work to do on the path towards understanding the truth.

But most importantly, she proves that the strength and brilliance of Indigenous women is unbroken, and that together, they can build lives of joy and abundance.  

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MY REVIEW:

Angela Sterritt has written a book that is important in innumerable ways. She writes with unflinching honesty about the trauma she has endured throughout her life as an Indigenous woman.

It is that shared intergenerational trauma that resonates throughout the stories in her memoir/treatise on the MMIW Crisis.

This book is not only a memoir. It is not just “True Crime.” Instead it is both a wake-up call and a call to action.

People need to know more. They need to see the Missing and Murdered women and girls as living, breathing, loving people who had lives and families and not just as a grim statistics.

However, people do need to be made aware of those grim statistics. I believe that many people are unaware of the facts.

The statistics are shocking and horrifying. For example…

“According to statistics gathered by the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, Indigenous women are twelve times as likely to be murdered or missing as any other women in Canada and sixteen times as likely to be murdered as white women… Simply being Indigenous and female is a risk.”

So, if being an Indigenous woman is so risky, what can be done? How can we help? What is the first step that people can take to attempt to make a difference?

Well, if you read this book you will have taken the first step … educating yourself about the realities that Indigenous women and girls face on a daily basis.Congratulations on joining the fight to find the many MMIWG.

This book is unlike any other. Even though it does talk about many MMIW victims, it is the story of Angela Sterritt’s life so far as well as that of people she has met or worked with during her life do far. Writing about her years of homelessness as a teen, she states:

“I was sometimes in survival mode as a child. But as a teenager, surviving the circumstances I’d been placed in gave me a better understanding of the world that was sharply divided by privilege and power on one side and disenfranchisement and exclusion on the other.”

I could go on and on about the abuses she, and other Indigenous youth experienced, but I truly believe that this book is an essential read and you MUST READ it for yourself.

I believe that Canadians are ashamed of the way Indigenous women and girls have been (and often still are) treated and it is that shame that allows the treatment to be continued. THIS MUST STOP.

It would be a crying shame if people were to skip reading this book. It is in incredibly important for every Canadian and US citizen to learn the truth about the systemic and widespread racism that continues to be ongoing in our countries.

If we read about, or watched a documentary film about these same injustices happening in other countries, we, as a society, would be appalled. We would raise up our voices and call for the authorities to put an end to such treatment. So, why is it that many seem to turn a blind eye when it happens here in Canada?

Angela Sterritt’s book is a CALL TO ACTION.

Please, please, please read this book. And once you have, pass it on to someone else, and have them pass it on again. It is up to us to recognize the injustices and to raise up our voices. We MUST demand action – NOW.

I am rating UNBROKEN as 5+ out of 5 Stars.
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR: 

Angela Sterritt is an award-winning journalist, writer, and artist. Sterritt has worked as a journalist for close to twenty years and has been with the CBC since 2003.

She currently works with CBC Vancouver as a host and television, radio, and digital reporter.

She is a proud member of the Gitxsan Nation and lives on Sḵwx̱wú7mesh, Musqueam and Tsleil-Waututh territories, Vancouver, Canada.

To learn more about this author visit the following links:

OFFICIAL WEBSITE 
https://angelasterritt.com/

GOODREADS

CBC MEDIA

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WRITER’S TRUST

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ABOUT THE PUBLISHER:

Greystone Books is a leading independent publisher of books about nature, science, health, and social issues, with a commitment to environmental stewardship.

We are committed to reducing our environmental footprint in our production and supply chain. We print on paper that meets international standards set by globally recognized organizations that certify paper products sourced with socially responsible and environmentally friendly methods.

Founded in Vancouver in 1993 and named after the greystone commonly used in heritage architecture in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, our name reflects both the prairie roots of founding publisher Rob Sanders and a material grounded in the natural world.

We publish books that provide insight into living with a deep connection to nature: books that show readers how we can respect, protect, and care for the species we share this planet with—and how to create a future with them in mind.

As part of our commitment to protecting the environment, we publish a collection of our books in partnership with the David Suzuki Institute (DSI), a non-profit organization that raises public awareness and advances political action in Canada on the climate and biodiversity crisis and their solutions. Proceeds from the books published in partnership with the DSI help fund their organizing and advocacy initiatives.

To learn more about this Publisher visit the following links:

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OUR VOICE OF FIRE: A MEMOIR OF A WARRIOR RISING by Métis/Cree Journalist and Author BRANDI MORIN is Now Available. Not only is this book on bestseller lists worldwide, but it has also won numerous awards. 10 out of 10

Title: OUR VOICE OF FIRE

Subtitle: A MEMOIR OF A WARRIOR RISING

Author: BRANDI MORIN

Release Date: AUGUST 2, 2022

Genre: NON-FICTION, BIOGRAPHIES AND MEMOIRS, INDIGENOUS PEOPLES, MULTICULTURAL INTEREST

Number Of Pages: 232 PAGES

Publisher: HOUSE OF ANANSI PRESS

Received From: EDELWEISS

ISBN: 978-1487010577

Rating: 5 OUT OF 5 STARS  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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DESCRIPTION:

A wildfire of a debut memoir by internationally recognized French/Cree/Iroquois journalist Brandi Morin set to transform the narrative around Indigenous Peoples.

Brandi Morin is known for her clear-eyed and empathetic reporting on Indigenous oppression in North America.

She is also a survivor of the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls crisis and uses her experience to tell the stories of those who did not survive the rampant violence.

From her time as a foster kid and runaway who fell victim to predatory men and an oppressive system to her career as an internationally acclaimed journalist, Our Voice of Fire  chronicles Morin’s journey to overcome enormous adversity and find her purpose, and her power, through journalism.

This compelling, honest book is full of self-compassion and the purifying fire of a pursuit for justice.

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MY REVIEW:

Content warning: rape, child abuse, racism, intergenerational trauma, suicide, and loss of a pregnancy.

Honest, compelling, and
one hundred percent real.

Brandi Morin is my new hero because she tells it like it is. No molly-coddling, no sugar coating, no lies to spare the reader from the ugliness of genuine truth.

Brandi Morin’s bravery is nothing short of inspirational. Her book: OUR VOICE OF FIRE is a memoir of her life. It is also a truthful (and sometimes ugly) look at the effect colonialism has had on Canada’s Indigenous peoples.

When Brandi discovered that her beloved kohkum (grandmother) had kept a journal of sorts, it set her on a new path in life.

“Each small scrap of paper, each page in her journal, fed the spark of curiosity within until it was a roaring fire of need. [Brandi] needed to know more. About Kohkum. About [herself]. About [her] people.” 

Brandi writes:

“Without my even realizing it, my feet were set on a new path. Over the next few years, I began to hunt for the truth…”

That path has led her to become a nationally recognized voice for Indigenous peoples, and ultimately led to the creation of this book.

Honesty is always the best policy in my opinion, however, Canada has continually glossed over the dark parts of its history. Brandi Morin’s journalism career calls the government out on their hypocrisy and on the deeply embedded and systemic racism that exists to this day.

In writing this memoir, Brandi is speaking out for all those women and girls, past and present, who have had their voices silenced in a variety of ways.

She is also speaking out for herself despite the fact that; “Sometimes it feels easier and kinder to just leave those smoking memories alone, protecting myself and my loved ones with silence.”

But, Brandi has learned that

“… silence is a tool of violence used against [her] people for generations in the attempt to erase and eradicate [them].” 

There is a belief held by Indigenous Peoples that trauma is intergenerational and that, on average, it takes seven generations to rid a family of the effects of that trauma. If that family experiences more trauma, such as the Residential School System, the Sixties Scoop, and the ongoing,  deeply ingrained systemic racism of Canada today, those seven generations start all over again.

As heart-wrenching as it must have been for her, Brandi bares her soul in this memoir.

“I endured beatings and verbal abuse from my mother, who was unwittingly passing along her inheritance of trauma and violence to me. There are bloody encounters that I can clearly picture today, but I won’t go into details. My dad would sometimes choke me against the wall until I was close to passing out at the requests from my mother to ‘deal with me’…”

Sadly, Brandi’s experiences are far from unique.

This must stop and it is through the publication of books such as this one that people are able to learn the truth and to actively seek to change things for the better.

OUR VOICE OF FIRE should be required reading for everyone, especially for anyone who doubts the lingering effects of familial trauma.

I rate this book as 7 out of 7 Stars

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

If you are interested in raw, unapologetic honesty, OUR VOICE OF FIRE by Brandi Morin is a Must Read.

*** Thank you to #Edelweiss for providing me with a free copy of this book. ***

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR: 

BRANDI MORIN is an award-winning French/Cree/Iroquois journalist from Treaty 6, Alberta, Canada.

For the last ten years Brandi has specialized in sharing Indigenous stories, which have influenced reconciliation in Canada’s political, cultural, and social environments.

She is one of Canada’s most prominent voices on Indigenous issues.

Brandi has published or broadcasted with the New York Times, National Geographic, the Guardian, the Toronto Star, Al Jazeera English, Vice, Elle Canada, CBC’s Power & Politics , and the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network National News, among many other outlets.

Brandi won a Human Rights Reporting award from the Canadian Association of Journalists for her work with the CBC’s Beyond 94 project tracking the progress of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action.

To learn more about this author visit the following links:

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GOOGLE BOOKS

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TORONTO STAR

CBC

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CANADA’S NATIONAL OBSERVER

ALJAZEERA CANADA

MUCKRACK

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ABOUT THE PUBLISHER:

Before there was a literary scene in Canada, writers Dennis Lee and David Godfrey founded House of Anansi Press to publish poetry. It was the heyday of hippie Yorkville, when Toronto teemed with draft dodgers and their youthful American energy, and Canada was celebrating Expo 67 and its 100th anniversary.

Change was in the air, and Canadians wanted to read books written by Canadians. Anansi expanded to publish authors such as Michael Ondaatje, Matt Cohen, Northrop Frye, Erín Moure, and Margaret Atwood (who worked here as an editor).

Now under the ownership of Scott Griffin, House of Anansi Press is Canada’s leading independent publisher. We continue to break new ground with award-winning and bestselling books that reflect the changing nature of the world and the country, and we help shape the national conversation with the publication of the annual CBC Massey Lectures (in conjunction with University of Toronto’s Massey College and CBC Ideas) with contributors like Martin Luther King, Jr., Ursula Franklin, and Tanya Talaga. Anansi continues to publish poetry, as well as fiction, nonfiction, drama, French-Canadian writers in translation, lifestyle, and authors from around the world. We take pride in finding and developing talent, publishing Indigenous, Black, and less mainstream writers, and firing up the imagination with Very Good Books.

House of Anansi Press respectfully acknowledges that the land on which we operate is the Traditional Territory of many Nations, including the Anishinabeg, the Wendat and the Haudenosaunee. It is also the Treaty Lands of the Mississaugas of the Credit.

To learn more about this Publisher visit the following links:

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FLOWERS OF FIRE: The Inside Story of South Korea’s Feminist Movement and What It Means for Women’s Rights Worldwide by HAWON JUNG is a book that needs to be read and discussed and passed on to every woman in every country in the world ***TODAY IS RELEASE DAY ***

Title: FLOWERS OF FIRE

Subtitle: THE INSIDE STORY OF SOUTH KOREA’S FEMINIST MOVEMENT AND WHAT IT MEANS FOR WOMEN’ S RIGHTS WORLDWIDE 

Author: HAWON JUNG  

Release Date: MARCH 7, 2023

Genre: NON-FICTION, WOMEN’S ISSUES, MULTICULTURAL INTEREST

Number Of Pages: 304 Pages

Publisher: BEN BELLA BOOKS

Received From: EDELWEISS

ISBN: 978-1637742419 

Rating: 5 OUT OF 5 STARS  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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DESCRIPTION:

An eye-opening firsthand account of the ongoing and trailblazing feminist movement in South Korea—one that the world should be watching.

Since the beginning of the #MeToo movement, tens of thousands of women and girls in South Korea have taken to the street, and many more brave individuals took a stand, to end a decades-long abortion ban and bring down powerful sexual abusers—including a popular presidential contender. South Korean feminists know that the revolution has been a long time coming, between battles against its own deeply patriarchal society as well as combating stereotypes of docile Asian women in the Western imagination.

Now, author Hawon Jung will show the rest of the world that these women are no delicate flowers—they are trailblazing flames. 

Flowers of Fire takes the reader into the trenches of this fight for equality, following along as South Korean activists march on the streets, navigate public and private spaces full of spycams, and share tips and tricks with each other as they learn how to protect themselves from criminals and authorities alike.

Jung, the former Seoul correspondent for the AFP, draws on her on-the-ground reporting and interviews with many women who became activists and leaders, from the elite prosecutor who ignited the country’s #MeToo movement to the young women who led the war against non-consensual photography and revenge porn. Their stories, though long overlooked in the West, mirror realities that women across the world are all too familiar with: threats of defamation lawsuits to silence victims of assault, tech-based sexual abuse of women and girls, and criminal justice systems where victims’ voices are often met with suspicion and predators’ downfalls are met with sympathy. These are the issues at the heart of their #MeToo movement, and South Korean women have fought against them vigorously—and with extraordinary success. In Flowers of Fire, Jung illuminates the strength and tenacity of these women, too often sidelined in global conversations about feminism and gender equality.

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https://www.washingtonpost.com/video/c/embed/1b45c0e7-1f51-4e36-ac5b-03b9decf32af

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MY REVIEW:

When I think of South Korea, the farthest thing from my mind is women’s rights. Women are treated as delicate flowers.

Found this quote online.
Click on it to be taken to the original post.

Maya Angelou said:

The women written about in FLOWERS OF FIRE embody this quote.

Maya Angelou once said: “Develop enough courage to stand up for yourself and then stand up for somebody else.” The women whose stories are highlighted in this book are the living embodiments of that famous quote.

I don’t think any of us who were born in Canada and who have grown up with the knowledge that we are valuable and that we can be, and do anything, could possibly understand the world of misogyny that is the norm in South Korea. Yes, the patriarchy exists in North America, but not to the extent that it exists in Asian countries.

When the #MeToo movement swept through the United States and Canada, women felt empowered to stand up for themselves and to say “NO MORE.” But, what about women in other countries? What about women who, because of government censorship, had no idea what was happening around the world?

Who was brave enough to stand up and to be the very first woman to tell her story? And, what would happen to her after she came forward? The fear would have been crippling. There was a very real chance that those women would be shunned, shamed, and would be branded as sluts and liars.

I am in awe of the women in this book. They are BRAVE … truly brave in a way that transcends time. Their stories are IMPORTANT.

FLOWERS OF FIRE – The Inside Story of South Korea’s Feminist Movement And What It Means For Women’s Rights Worldwide is not only an enthralling read, but also an extremely important one.

If you think of yourself as a feminist, or even if you don’t, if you care about human rights at all, then you simply MUST Read this book.

FLOWERS OF FIRE  is being released on March 7th, 2023 and can be pre-ordered now. I have a feeling that this book will sell out quickly, so I suggest that you preorder it to avoid being disappointed.

I would love to hear back from people after they read this book to discuss the details. I did not want to include any spoilers in my review, but I am dying to discuss it.

5 out of 5 Stars ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 
5 out of 5 Flames     

*** Thank you to #Edelweiss for providing me with a free advance review copy of this book. ***

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More than 200 female protesters gather in central Seoul on Feb. 27, calling for women’s representation in South Korea’s presidential election.
(Min Joo Kim/The Washington Post)

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR: 

Hawon Jung is a journalist and former Seoul correspondent for the AFP news agency with more than a decade of experience writing about the two Koreas.

She covered the 2011 death of then-North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, the rise to power of his son, Kim Jong-un, the junior Kim’s first summit with Donald Trump, South Korea’s historic presidential impeachment, and K-pop’s rise on the world stage.

Her coverage of South Korea’s #MeToo movement was shortlisted in the 2019 Awards for Editorial Excellence by the Society of Publishers in Asia.

Born and raised in South Korea, she currently lives in Germany with family.

To learn more about this author visit the following links:

GOODREADS

TWITTER    

INSTAGRAM  

LINKEDIN

PUBLISHER’S WEBSITE

THE NATION

AMAZON  

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Kim Ju-hee protests in August 2021 in front of the National Assembly in Seoul with a sign that reads “Democracy without woman is not a democracy.” ( Min Joo Kim/The Washington Post)

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ABOUT THE PUBLISHER:

BenBella is a marketing-focused, author-friendly publishing house whose success is based on a few simple principles. We select our titles with care. We provide authors with first-class service and genuine partnership. And we provide aggressive, creative marketing for each title we publish.

To learn more about this Publisher visit the following links:

OFFICIAL WEBSITE   

BLOG

PODCAST

FACEBOOK  

TWITTER  

INSTAGRAM  

****************************

<blockquote class=”twitter-tweet”><p lang=”en” dir=”ltr”>Leader of South Korea, which has one of the world’s worst gender gaps, argues that eliminating the ministry set up to protect women would actually help them <a href=”https://t.co/VGNGi9zeOt”>https://t.co/VGNGi9zeOt</a></p>&mdash; Bloomberg (@business) <a href=”https://twitter.com/business/status/1578269652618199041?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>October 7, 2022</a></blockquote> https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

GOING TO TRINIDAD has absolutely nothing to do with the country of Trinidad. Instead, this superbly researched and written book with the subtitle: A DOCTOR, A COLORADO TOWN, and STORIES FROM AN UNLIKELY GENDER CROSSROADS informs readers of the town of Trinidad, Colorado and it’s unlikely history as THE hub for gender reassignment surgery.

Title: GOING TO TRINIDAD

Subtitle: A DOCTOR, A COLORADO TOWN, and STORIES FROM AN UNLIKELY GENDER CROSSROADS

Author: MARTIN J. SMITH

Genre: NON-FICTION, LGBTQIA2S, SOCIAL ISSUES

Length:  248 PAGES

Publisher: BOWER HOUSE

Received From: NETGALLEY 

Release Date: APRIL 15, 2021

ISBN: 9781917895101 (Hardcover)

Price: $27.99 USD (Hardcover)

Rating: 5 OUT OF 5 STARS ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Hollywood style sign above Trinidad, Colorado.
Photo By: Matt Lemmon

DESCRIPTION:

For more than four decades, between 1969 and 2010, the remote former mining town of Trinidad, Colorado was the unlikely crossroads for approximately six thousand medical pilgrims who came looking for relief from the pain of gender dysphoria. The surgical skill and nonjudgmental compassion of surgeons Stanley Biber and his transgender protege Marci Bowers not only made the phrase “GOING TO TRINIDAD” a euphemism for gender confirmation surgery in the worldwide transgender community, but also turned the small outpost near the New Mexico border into what The New York Times once called “the sex-change capital of the world.”

Publisher: New Orleans Times-Picayune 
Date Issued: Jan. 27, 1985                                      These articles are no longer available on the newspaper’s websites. They would probably have been lost to time if not for the amazing work of the ‘Digital Transgender Archive’ website. Click on the above article to be taken to the archive site.

Publisher: Mobile Register
         Date Issued: Jan. 27, 1985                                               These articles are no longer available on the newspaper’s websites. They would probably have been lost to time if not for the amazing work of the ‘Digital Transgender Archive’ website. Click on the above article to be taken to the archive site.

The full story of that nearly forgotten chapter in gender and medical history has never been told―until now.

Award-winning writer Martin J. Smith spent two years researching not only the stories of Trinidad, Biber, and Bowers, but also tracking the lives of many transgender men and women who sought their services. The result is “Going to Trinidad,” which focuses on the complicated pre- and post-surgery lives of two Biber patients―Claudine Griggs and Walt Heyer―who experienced very different outcomes. Through them, Smith takes readers deep into the often-mystifying world of gender, genitalia, and sexuality, and chronicles a fascinating segment of the human species that’s often misunderstood by those for whom gender remains a mostly binary male-or-female equation.

The stories of Trinidad’s surgeons and transgender pilgrims provide an important opportunity to better understand the millions of complex individuals whose personal struggle is complicated by today’s quicksand of cultural pressures and prejudices. More than six thousand transgender men and women left Trinidad hoping that hormone therapy and surgical relief was the right prescription for their pain. For most it was, but not for all, and their experiences offer important and timely insights for those struggling to understand this sometimes confounding human condition.

Trinidad Brick Collage – Photograph by Sarah Page

MY REVIEW:

“For generations of transgender people, ‘Trinidad, Colorado’ was code for ‘sex-change capital of the world.’ Martin J. Smith brings this somewhat secret history to a wider audience, in an expansive, entertaining narrative chock full of interesting people and previously untold stories.”
— Susan Stryker, author of Transgender History: The Roots of Today’s Revolution

GOING TO TRINIDAD is an intricately researched history of gender reassignment surgery and the surgical pioneers who, despite the opinions of others, cared deeply about the suffering of those who had to live in the body that felt alien to them. This empathy drove Dr. Stanley Biber to become the go-to, preeminent surgeon for gender reassignment surgery.

Dr. Stanley Biber, right, with one of his patients, Marsha Botzer, as seen in a 2020 Legacy Project interview. YouTube

Instead of opening his clinic in an urban city, Dr. Biber established his clinic in an unlikely location – a small town in Colorado close to New Mexico that had previously been a hub for the mining industry; that town was named Trinidad.

This book tells the story of two patients who underwent gender reassignment surgery in Trinidad, Colorado. Both had very different experiences. One was thrilled to finally have the inside match the outside whereas the other patient ended up with very different results.

This book is not a “how to guide,” nor is it advocating either for or against the surgery. Instead, it is a work of nonfiction of a snapshot in time. I think this book is important. I have to say that I learned quite a bit about the details of the procedure itself, as well as about the prevailing attitudes at the time.

I found the empathy and compassion of Dr. Biber for his patients inspiring. Dr. Marci Bowers was his transgender protege who has since taken over his medical practice and has moved its location.

Anyone who is interested in, an ally of, or a member themselves of the LGBTQIA2S+ community should read this book.

I am rating it as 5 out of 5 Stars ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️  because once I started reading, I was unable to put it down.

You can watch an interview with Dr. Marci Bowers here: 

https://cdnapisec.kaltura.com/index.php/extwidget/preview/partner_id/1369852/uiconf_id/42156071/entry_id/1_eip5ucc7/embed/dynamic

*** Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this book. ***

Click HERE to read a FREE PREVIEW of the book!

*

*

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Martin J. Smith, a veteran journalist and former senior editor of the Los Angeles Times Magazine, is the author of five crime novels and four previous nonfiction books.

He has won more than fifty newspaper and magazine writing awards, and his novels have been nominated for three of the publishing industry’s most prestigious honors, including the Edgar Award, the Anthony Award, and the Barry Award.

To learn more about this author, visit the following links:

OFFICIAL WEBSITE
https://martinjsmith.com

GOODREADS

FACEBOOK  

TWITTER

PINTEREST

AMAZON  

CHAPTERS  

********************

LISTEN TO THE AUTHOR SPEAK ON THE PODCAST:

LOST HIGHWAYS: DISPATCHES FROM THE SHADOWS OF THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS:

//html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/17536730/height/450/theme/custom/thumbnail/yes/direction/backward/render-playlist/no/custom-color/ef8200/

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ABOUT THE PUBLISHER:

To learn more about this Publisher visit the following links:

OFFICIAL WEBSITE

INSTAGRAM

TWITTER

FACEBOOK

JOKES TO OFFEND MEN – AUDIOBOOK REVIEW – Irreverent, Biting, Sarcastic, and Witty – I loved this audiobook

Title: JOKES TO OFFEND MEN

Authors: ALLISON KELLEY, DANIELLE KRAESE, KATE HERZLIN and YSABEL YATES

Illustrator: MILLIE von PLATEN

Release Date: OCTOBER 25, 2022

Genre: HUMOR, FEMINISM

Publisher: ANDREWS McMEEL AUDIO

Received From: NETGALLEY

Rating: 5 OUT OF 5 STARS  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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DESCRIPTION:

A modern, feminist take on the classic joke book to amuse and empower readers who are tired of being the punchline.

A man walks into a bar. It’s a low one, so he gets a promotion within his first six months on the job.

Four comedy writers transform classic joke setups into sharp commentary about the everyday and structural sexism that pervades all facets of life. 

Jokes to Offend Men arms readers with humorous quips to shut down workplace underminers, condescending uncles, and dismissive doctors, or to share with their exhausted friends at the end of a long day.

A cutting, cathartic spin on the old-fashioned joke book, Jokes to Offend Men is a refreshing reclamation of a tired form for anyone who’s ever been told to “lighten up, it’s just a joke!”

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MY REVIEW:

The four women who created this book, “… wrote this book because [they] were tired of watching countless men excuse their bad behavior by insisting that the real problem is [women’s] stunning inability to ‘take a joke’.”

As someone who has spent the last 25 years working in an automotive factory building cars, I have heard hundreds, if not thousands, of sexist jokes that the men I work with (and my area is almost exclusively men) seem to think are hilarious. It is for that reason I requested an ARC (Advance Review Copy) of this audiobook.

The authors grew up in the same era that I did. During that time, the comedy circuit was mostly men and many of the jokes they told relied on “… making people with less power the butt of the joke.”

In the introduction, the comedians state that:

“We believe that comedy should empower rather than cause harm. And that there’s still a lot of ground to cover when it comes to why that chicken crossed the road.”

The book is divided into eleven sections with awesome titles. They are: 

1. Jokes to Offend Men at Work Who Don’t Actually Do Their Own Work

2. Jokes To Offend Men Who Won’t Contribute to Housework Because You’re ‘Sooo Much Better at It’

3. Jokes To Offend Men You’re Expected to Spend the Holidays With, Unfortunately:

4. Jokes To Offend Men Who Are Currently Explaining Quentin Tarantino to You

5. Jokes To Offend Men Who Disrespect Mother Nature 

6. Jokes To Offend Men You Definitely Didn’t Vote For 

7. Jokes To Offend Men Who Think the #MeToo Movement Has Gone Too Far 

8. Jokes To Offend Men Who Have A Medical Degree in Dismissing Your Pain 

9. Jokes To Offend Men Whose Grandfather Founded This School 

10. Jokes To Offend Men Who Refuse to Believe You’re Not Interested in The

11. Jokes To Offend Even More Men: You can keep these in your back pocket (unless it’s purely decorative).

I am in love with this book.

Snarky.

Sarcastic.

Irreverent

You could even say Bitchy, and I’m sure many men will say exactly that.

As far as I am concerned, this joke book is SHEER PERFECTION.

Every woman needs to either read this book, or listen to the audiobook. I am sure readers will be able to recognize some of the men they have had to deal with over the years. I know I definitely did.

I cannot recommend JOKES TO OFFEND MEN any higher than the highest available option.

I literally laughed out loud many times while listening to this audiobook, and I am sure you will too.

I rate this audiobook as 10 out of 10 ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

5 out of 5 Stars ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

*** Thank you to #NetGalley for providing me with a free advance copy of this book. ***

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About the Authors:

Allison Kelley is a Brooklyn-based humor writer and essayist with work featured in The New Yorker, The Washington Post, Slate, McSweeney’s and more. Since childhood, she’s been using comedy to cope with the terror and wonder of being a woman in the world. An alleged grown-up, Allison writes frequently on the topics of ‘90s pop culture, teen angst and growing up in the suburbs.

Danielle Kraese is a writer, editor, and occasional performer based in the spidery suburbs of New York. Her humor writing has been published by The New Yorker, McSweeney’s, Reductress, The Belladonna Comedy, and more. She’s an editor at BDG, where she writes and edits affiliate content across sites like Bustle, Elite Daily, Romper, Mic, and Inverse (she can tell you everything you never wanted to know about socks, sheets, and meat thermometers). 

Kate Herzlin is a New York-based screenwriter, playwright, and humor writer who overuses the rule of three. Her humor writing has been featured in McSweeney’s, Points in Case, The Belladonna Comedy, and more. Kate is a writer for the BoogieManja Sketch Comedy team, Evil Twin—though she promises she isn’t one. As a childhood cancer survivor, she learned to use comedy to cope; now that she’s all grown up, she hopes her jokes might help other people do the same.

Ysabel Yates is a comedy writer and freelance copywriter in New York City. You can find her work in publications including the New Yorker, the New York Times, McSweeney’s, and Reductress. 

FLOWERS OF FIRE: The Inside Story of South Korea’s Feminist Movement and What It Means for Women’s Rights Worldwide by HAWON JUNG is a book that needs to be read and discussed and passed on to every woman in every country in the world

Title: FLOWERS OF FIRE

Subtitle: THE INSIDE STORY OF SOUTH KOREA’S FEMINIST MOVEMENT AND WHAT IT MEANS FOR WOMEN’ S RIGHTS WORLDWIDE 

Author: HAWON JUNG  

Release Date: MARCH 7, 2023

Genre: NON-FICTION, WOMEN’S ISSUES, MULTICULTURAL INTEREST

Number Of Pages: 304 Pages

Publisher: BEN BELLA BOOKS

Received From: EDELWEISS

ISBN: 978-1637742419 

Rating: 5 OUT OF 5 STARS  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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DESCRIPTION:

An eye-opening firsthand account of the ongoing and trailblazing feminist movement in South Korea—one that the world should be watching.

Since the beginning of the #MeToo movement, tens of thousands of women and girls in South Korea have taken to the street, and many more brave individuals took a stand, to end a decades-long abortion ban and bring down powerful sexual abusers—including a popular presidential contender. South Korean feminists know that the revolution has been a long time coming, between battles against its own deeply patriarchal society as well as combating stereotypes of docile Asian women in the Western imagination.

Now, author Hawon Jung will show the rest of the world that these women are no delicate flowers—they are trailblazing flames. 

Flowers of Fire takes the reader into the trenches of this fight for equality, following along as South Korean activists march on the streets, navigate public and private spaces full of spycams, and share tips and tricks with each other as they learn how to protect themselves from criminals and authorities alike.

Jung, the former Seoul correspondent for the AFP, draws on her on-the-ground reporting and interviews with many women who became activists and leaders, from the elite prosecutor who ignited the country’s #MeToo movement to the young women who led the war against non-consensual photography and revenge porn. Their stories, though long overlooked in the West, mirror realities that women across the world are all too familiar with: threats of defamation lawsuits to silence victims of assault, tech-based sexual abuse of women and girls, and criminal justice systems where victims’ voices are often met with suspicion and predators’ downfalls are met with sympathy. These are the issues at the heart of their #MeToo movement, and South Korean women have fought against them vigorously—and with extraordinary success. In Flowers of Fire, Jung illuminates the strength and tenacity of these women, too often sidelined in global conversations about feminism and gender equality.

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https://www.washingtonpost.com/video/c/embed/1b45c0e7-1f51-4e36-ac5b-03b9decf32af

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MY REVIEW:

When I think of South Korea, the farthest thing from my mind is women’s rights. Women are treated as delicate flowers.

Found this quote online.
Click on it to be taken to the original post.

Maya Angelou said:

The women written about in FLOWERS OF FIRE embody this quote.

Maya Angelou once said: “Develop enough courage to stand up for yourself and then stand up for somebody else.” The women whose stories are highlighted in this book are the living embodiments of that famous quote.

I don’t think any of us who were born in Canada and who have grown up with the knowledge that we are valuable and that we can be, and do anything, could possibly understand the world of misogyny that is the norm in South Korea. Yes, the patriarchy exists in North America, but not to the extent that it exists in Asian countries.

When the #MeToo movement swept through the United States and Canada, women felt empowered to stand up for themselves and to say “NO MORE.” But, what about women in other countries? What about women who, because of government censorship, had no idea what was happening around the world?

Who was brave enough to stand up and to be the very first woman to tell her story? And, what would happen to her after she came forward? The fear would have been crippling. There was a very real chance that those women would be shunned, shamed, and would be branded as sluts and liars.

I am in awe of the women in this book. They are BRAVE … truly brave in a way that transcends time. Their stories are IMPORTANT.

FLOWERS OF FIRE – The Inside Story of South Korea’s Feminist Movement And What It Means For Women’s Rights Worldwide is not only an enthralling read, but also an extremely important one.

If you think of yourself as a feminist, or even if you don’t, if you care about human rights at all, then you simply MUST Read this book.

FLOWERS OF FIRE  is being released on March 7th, 2023 and can be pre-ordered now. I have a feeling that this book will sell out quickly, so I suggest that you preorder it to avoid being disappointed.

I would love to hear back from people after they read this book to discuss the details. I did not want to include any spoilers in my review, but I am dying to discuss it.

5 out of 5 Stars ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 
5 out of 5 Flames     

*** Thank you to #Edelweiss for providing me with a free advance review copy of this book. ***

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More than 200 female protesters gather in central Seoul on Feb. 27, calling for women’s representation in South Korea’s presidential election.
(Min Joo Kim/The Washington Post)

****************************

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: 

Hawon Jung is a journalist and former Seoul correspondent for the AFP news agency with more than a decade of experience writing about the two Koreas.

She covered the 2011 death of then-North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, the rise to power of his son, Kim Jong-un, the junior Kim’s first summit with Donald Trump, South Korea’s historic presidential impeachment, and K-pop’s rise on the world stage.

Her coverage of South Korea’s #MeToo movement was shortlisted in the 2019 Awards for Editorial Excellence by the Society of Publishers in Asia.

Born and raised in South Korea, she currently lives in Germany with family.

To learn more about this author visit the following links:

GOODREADS

TWITTER    

INSTAGRAM  

LINKEDIN

PUBLISHER’S WEBSITE

THE NATION

AMAZON  

****************************

Kim Ju-hee protests in August 2021 in front of the National Assembly in Seoul with a sign that reads “Democracy without woman is not a democracy.” ( Min Joo Kim/The Washington Post)

****************************

ABOUT THE PUBLISHER:

BenBella is a marketing-focused, author-friendly publishing house whose success is based on a few simple principles. We select our titles with care. We provide authors with first-class service and genuine partnership. And we provide aggressive, creative marketing for each title we publish.

To learn more about this Publisher visit the following links:

OFFICIAL WEBSITE   

BLOG

PODCAST

FACEBOOK  

TWITTER  

INSTAGRAM  

****************************

<blockquote class=”twitter-tweet”><p lang=”en” dir=”ltr”>Leader of South Korea, which has one of the world’s worst gender gaps, argues that eliminating the ministry set up to protect women would actually help them <a href=”https://t.co/VGNGi9zeOt”>https://t.co/VGNGi9zeOt</a></p>&mdash; Bloomberg (@business) <a href=”https://twitter.com/business/status/1578269652618199041?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>October 7, 2022</a></blockquote> https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

THE MOONSTONE GIRLS is destined to be One of the Best Books of 2022 – RELEASES TODAY – Get Your Copy Today – You’ll be glad you did

Title: THE MOONSTONE GIRLS

Author: BROOKE SKIPSTONE

Release Date: FEBRUARY 14, 2022

Genre: YOUNG ADULT FICTION, LGBTQ

Number Of Pages: 397

Publisher: SKIPSTONE PUBLISHING

Received From: NETGALLEY

ISBN: 978-1-73700643-5

Rating: 5 OUT OF 5 STARS  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

********************************************

Mount McKinley in Alaska – the name was changed and it is now called Mount Denali – Notice the digging bear on the left side of the photo Photographer Daniel Leifheit

DESCRIPTION:

1968, a seventeen-year-old queer girl traveled to Alaska disguised as a boy.

Tracy should have been a boy. Even her older brother Spencer says so, though he wouldn’t finish the thought with, “And I should have been a girl.”

Though both feel awkward in their own skin, they have to face who they are—queers in the late 60s.

When both are caught with gay partners, their lives and futures are endangered by their homophobic father as their mother struggles to defend them.

While the Vietnam War threatens to take Spencer away, Tracy and her father wage a war of their own, each trying to save the sweet, talented pianist.

At seventeen, Tracy dresses as a boy and leaves her parents in turmoil, with only the slimmest hope of finding peace within herself. She journeys to a girl with a guitar, calling to her from a photo, “Come to Alaska. We’d be great friends.”

Maybe even The MoonStone Girls.

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MY REVIEW:

My first thought after reading THE MOONSTONE GIRLS is that it must be somewhat autobiographical. Author Brooke Skipstone has written with such depth of emotion that it is difficult to believe the story is fictional.

Before I get too far into my review I wanted to be sure to mention just how gorgeous the cover of this book is. It is the perfect blend of colors to bring the 1960s to mind. And, the choice to just use silhouettes is 100% inspired. 5 Stars for the cover. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I love that this #book is set in the late #1960s – an era much different than today’s world. So much was different at that time for anyone who was gay, and as hard as it is to fathom, being gay was considered to be against the laws of both God and men. This just highlights how far LBGTQ rights have come (even though society still has a ways to go.)

I cannot fathom the fear and pain experienced by LGBTQ youth at that time in history, especially for men whose arousal is much harder to hide. In the book, both Tracy and her brother Spencer are queer. The good thing is that they have each other to lean on and they have a mother who loves them just the way they are. This is much more than most #queer #youth had in their lives during that period in #history

This book delves into not just LGBTQ history, but also into the #draft and the #VietnamWar #WomensRights #RockAndRoll and the #SexualRevolution

There are some extremely #emotional scenes in The Moonstone Girls and at one point during reading I was literally in tears. It takes a truly talented #writer to be able to evoke so much #empathy and #emotion in their readers. Kudos to Brooke Skipstone for writing such an important and believable book.

Ultimately, this is a tale about hope and about having the courage to fight back in the best way you can against those who would try to stop you from living life on your own terms. It will encourage readers to never settle for second best and to keep trying until they find a place where they belong and where they can live a life of hope and honesty. It also reminds us that there is a person out there for everyone and that everyone has the right to live a happy life on their own terms.

Tracy is a fiery, take-no-prisoners type of young woman. This is the face she shows to the world, but inside, she is suffering and full of shame. This reminds readers that the persona people present to the world is not always accurate and that everyone has an inner world that is invisible. Never judge a book by its cover is a great lesson and one that we often forget.

Although not specifically stated, I get the feeling that the author also wants readers to think about mental health and to realize the depths of despair that people can feel when forced to live a lie just to be “normal.”

All in all I have to say that this book should be on everyone’s Must Read list for 2022 and although it is labeled as Young Adult fiction, this book will appeal to readers of all ages.

I am rating THE MOONSTONE GIRLS by Brooke Skipstone as 5 out of 5 Stars ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ and I highly recommend this book … just make sure you have a box of tissues nearby when you read it.

*** Thank you to #NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this book. ***

BELOW IS THE MOONSTONE GIRLS PLAYLIST

https://open.spotify.com/embed?uri=spotify%3Aplaylist%3A3FHQ6I55MRmqkIuFhA2mvD

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR: 

Brooke Skipstone lives in Alaska, where she watches the mountains change colors with the seasons from her balcony.

Where she feels the constant rush toward winter as the sunlight wanes for six months of the year, seven minutes each day, bringing crushing cold that lingers even as the sun climbs again.

Where the burst of life during summer is urgent under twenty-four-hour daylight, lush and decadent. Where fish swim hundreds of miles up rivers past bear claws and nets and wheels and lines of rubber-clad combat fishers, arriving humped and ragged, dying as they spawn.

Where danger from the land and its animals exhilarates the senses, forcing her to appreciate the difference between life and death. Where the edge between is sometimes too alluring.

To learn more about this author visit the following links:

OFFICIAL WEBSITE 

GOODREADS

AMAZON  

OFFICIAL WEBSITE 
https://www.ibpa-online.org/

#NetGalley #AmiesBookReviews #BookReview #tbr #BookReviewer  #ReadAndReview #bibliophile #bookstagram #bookstagrammers #AuthorsOfInstagram #author #NewBook #MustRead #BookNerd #book #books #reading #yalit #ya #instagramhub #YoungAdultFiction
#TheMoonstoneGirls #BrookeSkipstone #LGBTQ #DiverseBooks #1968 #Vietnam #DraftCards #Equity #Equality #LoveIsLove

THE MOONSTONE GIRLS is destined to be One of the Best Books of 2022 – Pre-order Now to avoid missing out

Title: THE MOONSTONE GIRLS

Author: BROOKE SKIPSTONE

Release Date: FEBRUARY 14, 2022

Genre: YOUNG ADULT FICTION, LGBTQ

Number Of Pages: 397

Publisher: SKIPSTONE PUBLISHING

Received From: NETGALLEY

ISBN: 978-1-73700643-5

Rating: 5 OUT OF 5 STARS  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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Mount McKinley in Alaska – the name was changed and it is now called Mount Denali – Notice the digging bear on the left side of the photo Photographer Daniel Leifheit

DESCRIPTION:

1968, a seventeen-year-old queer girl traveled to Alaska disguised as a boy.

Tracy should have been a boy. Even her older brother Spencer says so, though he wouldn’t finish the thought with, “And I should have been a girl.”

Though both feel awkward in their own skin, they have to face who they are—queers in the late 60s.

When both are caught with gay partners, their lives and futures are endangered by their homophobic father as their mother struggles to defend them.

While the Vietnam War threatens to take Spencer away, Tracy and her father wage a war of their own, each trying to save the sweet, talented pianist.

At seventeen, Tracy dresses as a boy and leaves her parents in turmoil, with only the slimmest hope of finding peace within herself. She journeys to a girl with a guitar, calling to her from a photo, “Come to Alaska. We’d be great friends.”

Maybe even The MoonStone Girls.

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MY REVIEW:

My first thought after reading THE MOONSTONE GIRLS is that it must be somewhat autobiographical. Author Brooke Skipstone has written with such depth of emotion that it is difficult to believe the story is fictional.

Before I get too far into my review I wanted to be sure to mention just how gorgeous the cover of this book is. It is the perfect blend of colors to bring the 1960s to mind. And, the choice to just use silhouettes is 100% inspired. 5 Stars for the cover. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I love that this #book is set in the late #1960s – an era much different than today’s world. So much was different at that time for anyone who was gay, and as hard as it is to fathom, being gay was considered to be against the laws of both God and men. This just highlights how far LBGTQ rights have come (even though society still has a ways to go.)

I cannot fathom the fear and pain experienced by LGBTQ youth at that time in history, especially for men whose arousal is much harder to hide. In the book, both Tracy and her brother Spencer are queer. The good thing is that they have each other to lean on and they have a mother who loves them just the way they are. This is much more than most #queer #youth had in their lives during that period in #history

This book delves into not just LGBTQ history, but also into the #draft and the #VietnamWar #WomensRights #RockAndRoll and the #SexualRevolution

There are some extremely #emotional scenes in The Moonstone Girls and at one point during reading I was literally in tears. It takes a truly talented #writer to be able to evoke so much #empathy and #emotion in their readers. Kudos to Brooke Skipstone for writing such an important and believable book.

Ultimately, this is a tale about hope and about having the courage to fight back in the best way you can against those who would try to stop you from living life on your own terms. It will encourage readers to never settle for second best and to keep trying until they find a place where they belong and where they can live a life of hope and honesty. It also reminds us that there is a person out there for everyone and that everyone has the right to live a happy life on their own terms.

Tracy is a fiery, take-no-prisoners type of young woman. This is the face she shows to the world, but inside, she is suffering and full of shame. This reminds readers that the persona people present to the world is not always accurate and that everyone has an inner world that is invisible. Never judge a book by its cover is a great lesson and one that we often forget.

Although not specifically stated, I get the feeling that the author also wants readers to think about mental health and to realize the depths of despair that people can feel when forced to live a lie just to be “normal.”

All in all I have to say that this book should be on everyone’s Must Read list for 2022 and although it is labeled as Young Adult fiction, this book will appeal to readers of all ages.

I am rating THE MOONSTONE GIRLS by Brooke Skipstone as 5 out of 5 Stars ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ and I highly recommend this book … just make sure you have a box of tissues nearby when you read it.

*** Thank you to #NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this book. ***

BELOW IS THE MOONSTONE GIRLS PLAYLIST

https://open.spotify.com/embed?uri=spotify%3Aplaylist%3A3FHQ6I55MRmqkIuFhA2mvD

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR: 

Brooke Skipstone lives in Alaska, where she watches the mountains change colors with the seasons from her balcony.

Where she feels the constant rush toward winter as the sunlight wanes for six months of the year, seven minutes each day, bringing crushing cold that lingers even as the sun climbs again.

Where the burst of life during summer is urgent under twenty-four-hour daylight, lush and decadent. Where fish swim hundreds of miles up rivers past bear claws and nets and wheels and lines of rubber-clad combat fishers, arriving humped and ragged, dying as they spawn.

Where danger from the land and its animals exhilarates the senses, forcing her to appreciate the difference between life and death. Where the edge between is sometimes too alluring.

To learn more about this author visit the following links:

OFFICIAL WEBSITE 

GOODREADS

AMAZON  

OFFICIAL WEBSITE 
https://www.ibpa-online.org/

#NetGalley #AmiesBookReviews #BookReview #tbr #BookReviewer  #ReadAndReview #bibliophile #bookstagram #bookstagrammers #AuthorsOfInstagram #author #NewBook #MustRead #BookNerd #book #books #reading #yalit #ya #instagramhub #YoungAdultFiction
#TheMoonstoneGirls #BrookeSkipstone #LGBTQ #DiverseBooks #1968 #Vietnam #DraftCards #Equity #Equality #LoveIsLove

BLOODSUCKER CITY RELEASES TODAY!!! Get your copy now

Title: BLOODSUCKER CITY 

Author: JIM TOWNS

Genre: FICTION, HORROR, SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASY, MYSTERIES AND THRILLERS

Length: 121 PAGES

Publisher: CASTLE BRIDGE MEDIA

Received From: NETGALLEY

Release Date: NOVEMBER 2, 2021

ISBN: 978-17364726-7-5

Rating: 4 OUT OF 5 STARS ⭐⭐⭐⭐

DESCRIPTION:

Like a female Shawshank Redemption — with vampires.

1933

Falsely convicted of murdering her own boy, Lena—a poor young widow—is sentenced to life imprisonment in the infamous Steelgate Women’s Prison: an ancient stone fortress perched atop a jagged mountain in the middle of nowhere.

Abused by guards and her fellow prisoners alike, Lena is soon introduced to the Wardens of Steelgate. Strange and aloof, these seven men control everything and everybody within the prison. To break their rules brings severe punishment, as Lena soon learns when a misunderstanding sends her to the Hole for three days. There, in the darkness under the prison, she learns the true horror of Steelgate: the Wardens are all vampires, feeding off their women prisoners one by one: forgotten women, whom no one will ever miss.

Aware now that doing life in Steelgate is actually a death sentence, Lena decides she must form a plan to not only escape the prison, but to also bring down the evil that dwells there.

Obtained from the Author’s Facebook Page

MY REVIEW:

I’ll admit I was a bit hesitant to read another story with vampires as the central theme. However, I am VERY HAPPY I decided to go ahead and read BLOODSUCKER CITY by Jim Towns. The fact that he is a horror movie director definitely swayed my interest. The first line of the book’s synopsis also grabbed my attention and piqued my interest. It reads:

“Like a female Shawshank Redemption— with vampires.”

What self-respecting horror fan could pass up a book with that plot?

100% I was in!!!!

I was not disappointed. Jim Towns has crafted a fabulous story of risk, reward, and redemption. This novella has everything required of a great story. There is a gutsy heroine who has been trampled on simply by virtue of being a woman in 1933. There is a story of deep familial bonds, ones that transcend death. There is a women’s prison where those who could not (or would not) conform to society’s expectations of who and what and how a woman should behave.

I don’t want to ruin the story for any potential readers, but if you are a fan of horror and/or historical fiction, this is one book that you should pre-order now. It will be officially released on November 2, 2021 and I predict that it will obtain a dedicated cult following. I can’t wait to see how people react to BLOODSUCKER CITY.

I rate this book as a solid 4 OUT OF 5 STARS ⭐⭐⭐⭐

*** Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this novella. ***

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Jim Towns is a writer, director and visual artist. His films include the silent expressionist feature Prometheus Triumphant: a Fugue in the Key of Flesh, the award-winning haunted heist film House of Bad, the post-apocalyptic drama State of Desolation, and the streaming series Immortal Hands.

His short fiction has been published in print and online by Burial Day, Switchblade Magazine, Pulp Modern, Castle of Horror, and many more. He is the author of the non-fiction book American Cryptic, and his collection of poems, writings and photographs, Whiskey Stories, was recently released by Uncle B Publications.

His paintings and mixed media artwork have been exhibited in galleries in Pittsburgh, New York and Los Angeles.

He currently lives in San Pedro, CA with his wife and two mysterious cats.

To learn more about this author, visit the following links:

WEBSITE

GOODREADS

FACEBOOK

INSTAGRAM

YOUTUBE

LINKEDIN

TWITTER

AMAZON