Monday, July 12, 2010

Review: The Change Artist

the change artist

The Change Artist

By Carla Rieger

Published by Anand Publishing

ISBN: 9780968827284

456 Pages

Received a review copy from www.indiereader.com

 

Product Description (from the back of the book): The Change Artist is a compelling suspense novel that provided a subtle, yet pervasive message of acceptance, growth and hope. Written by creativity catalyst, Carla Rieger, The Change Artist takes you on a gripping and unpredictable adventure. Set to inherit millions, a young accountant named Fran discovers, upon her father’s death, that nothing in her life is what it seems - including her father’s true identity.

From Vancouver to Vienna of today and through the Sahara desert and carnival entertainers of the past, we take the emotional journey along with Fran as she discovers a sister that she never knew existed, uncovers her father’s two hidden lives, and frantically searches for the truth - and herself.

The Change Artist blends Rieger’s powerful recipe for mastering self-change with compelling storytelling, all the more potent because it is inspired by true events from the author’s life. If you have ever searched for more meaning in life, this book will seize your interest from the first chapter. Be prepared for a very personal and thought-provoking voyage into what it means to be a Change Artist.

The General Review: The Change Artist is an inspiring, intriguing story that will take you on an adventure around the world and back in time with the protagonist as she discovers her father’s hidden past by piecing together cryptic hints. Mysterious and captivating, this book will hold your attention until the last page is turned.

Likes: I’m a fan of World War II historical fiction and I thought Carla Rieger did an excellent job researching the life and times of the Romani culture before and during the Holocaust.

Dislikes: I thought that this book was well-researched and well-written. There is nothing I dislike about The Change Artist.

Closing Comments: I recommend The Change Artist to those who are a fan of World War II fiction. This book was so mesmerizing, I could not put it down!

If you’re interested in purchasing The Change Artist, here’s the link to buy it from indiereader.com (I don’t receive compensation from indiereader.com)

Below is the book trailer for The Change Artist

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Half of 2010 is already gone!

Have you ever had a month fly by, but looking back, you didn’t really do anything eventful? That’s how June felt to me.

I’ve been geocaching every weekend. This past weekend I tried to introduce my 10 year old niece to the wonderful world of geocaching, but we went 0 for 6. My niece wasn’t too discouraged, since I let her play at the parks we visited. Two of the caches were stolen, one we couldn’t figure out how to get on the trail without cutting though someone’s yard (later we learned that you have to go though the cemetery to get to the trailhead). Another trail had a group of teenage boys smoking and drinking at the trailhead. One needed an extraction tool (tweezers or needle nose pliers), which I did not have on hand. The last one was in a rock wall and we just couldn’t find it.

To date I have logged 18 finds! Here are a few pictures of the more fascinating geocaches I’ve found.

002 - CopyA toy rat hanging out in a shrub. I actually screamed when I spotted it because I am VERY afraid of rats.

027  028

A plastic rock underneath landscaping at a local clock shop. The owner of the store caught me poking around and kindly gave me a hint to the cache whereabouts.

033 035 - Copy

The cache was actually hanging off the back leg of whatever this interesting creature is.

I’ve also been playing pool a lot lately. A few of my friends are on a pool league, so I’ve been hanging out with them, trying to learn a thing or two. I don’t plan on joining any pool leagues in the future, but I do enjoy playing and have even noticed improvement in my game.

That’s about it for my month of June. I’ll try to make July a little more exciting. Watch for book reviews sometime near the end of the week.