Sunflowers
 
No one has to teach a field
of sunflowers how to worship.
Before dawn in high summer
 
their necks are bent
in silent prayer like monks.
But as the sun comes up
 
sunflowers rise as well.
At noon they adore the sun
the way monks in pews 
 
adore the Host at elevation.
Listen and you may hear 
sunflowers sing Alleluia!
 
 
Donal Mahoney

The Boy Who Wouldn’t Dance
By Dianne Lowe-Breakfield
If my aging memory serves me correctly, he was about five or six years old.  He was such a beautiful boy, with the sweetest personality.   Saying I was, am, a very proud grandmother is, was, an understatement. I was never one of those people who thought Barbie dolls and dancing was just for girls, so when my daughter told me she had enrolled my oldest grandson in dance, I was excited for both of them.

When the recital came, I was there right beside his mom, ready to enjoy all that he had learned that year in dance.  Before he took the stage, he asked her and me to bend over and listen to him.  We exchanged bemused looks and bent over as the child had requested.  He tenderly, yet purposefully, placed one hand on his mother’s cheek and the other on mine. Then, he looked us both deeply in the eyes and said, "I promise I will dance if both of you shut your eyes and don't watch."

Both my daughter and I looked him in the eye, and promised not to watch him dance.  We then exchanged amused looks and giggled all the way to our seats.

The curtain came up, the lights shined down on the dance group and glinted off of their matching dance outfits, and then the music began.  The children were all just so cute.  You could hear the oohs and aahs from all over the theater as they twirled and whirled around the stage, some losing step, some falling down, some hitting every step like a pro.  All that is, except for one small, blonde haired boy who stood perfectly still in the same place his teacher told him to be when his class took the stage.  He didn't take a single step left or right, nor did his gaze leave his shoes until the routine was complete.  He then took his place in line and walked off the stage with the rest of his group.

My daughter and I looked at each other and laughed harder than I can remember us laughing together in a long time.  We barely caught our breath when he came running out of the back and down the aisle toward us, looking so proud.  For the life of me I cannot remember if it was her or me who said to him, "You didn't even dance.  You just stood there."

Without even missing a beat, he looked at us both with total disapproval and simply stated, "You looked."
 
Edited by Melissa Brooks

Hair Power
By Piers Anthony
Published by Dreaming Big Publications
Reviewed by Laura M.

ABOUT THE BOOK
Terminal cancer patient, Quiti, walks into an abandoned building planning on taking her life. Instead, she encounters a telepathic ball of hair that insists it is an alien seeking to facilitate diplomatic communication on Earth. Quiti assumes it is all a hallucination conjured up by her brain tumor. Because of this assumption, when she saves the alien’s life and it insists on doing Quiti a favor in return, she only asks for her hair back. She soon discovers, however, that the creature’s gift extends much further than her new locks that can change color with a thought. As her powers grow and her deadly illness goes into remission, Quiti quickly realizes that there are those that would want to use her for her abilities and is forced to leave behind everything that she knew. Will this blessing curse her to a life on the run, or does the mysterious hairball have more in store for her? Piers Anthony, critically acclaimed author of the New York Times bestselling Xanth series, brings together humor and adventure in this original story of loyalty, friendship, extraordinary powers, and hair.
Genre: Fantasy/Sci-Fi
128 pages

MY REVIEW
4 out of 5 stars
This is my first time reading anything by Piers Anthony so I honestly was not sure what to expect with this novella. And although sci-fi isn’t my cup of tea, I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this. Anthony’s idea of a hairball alien is a bit ridiculous but a creative and refreshing addition to the genre. Quiti’s hair and watching its abilities develop over the course of the story was by far one of my favorite parts. There were times where the writing seemed a bit choppy and parts where it didn’t flow well. Quiti is a likeable enough character but the only issue I had with her was that her manner of speaking was very stiff and didn’t seem appropriate for a 20 year old. Overall I thought this novella was a comical and entertaining read and I look forward to reading other books by Piers Anthony.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Piers Anthony is one of the world's most popular fantasy authors, and a New York Times bestseller twenty-one times over. His Xanth novels have been read and loved by millions of readers around the world, and he daily receives hundreds of letters from his devoted fans. In addition to the Xanth series, Anthony is the author of many other best-selling works. Piers Anthony lives in Inverness, Florida.

DISCLAIMER
I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for writing a review. I was not obligated to give a positive review, and all thoughts are my own.
https://www.amazon.com/Hair-Power-Piers-Anthony/dp/1534919147/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1469069053&sr=8-3&keywords=Hair+Power
 

A World Too Dark Too Often
 
Julie owns a cat that roams.
Recently he's been stopping at
Jack and Brenda's house where 
Brenda's mourning her cat’s death.
Brenda cries except when Julie’s cat
comes around. Tuffy is his name
 
When Tuffy visits Brenda’s house
he never wants to leave.
He thinks he’s gone to heaven.
He gets tuna, milk and a
forever petting that turns his
purring up full throttle.
Brenda loves to hear it.
 
Jack finally tells Julie her cat's  
bonded with his wife and
he doesn’t know what to do.
He takes Tuffy home and the cat
comes back again the next day.
But Julie isn’t disturbed at all.
She visits Brenda and tells her
Tuffy’s your cat from now on,
 
a gift from one heart to another.
Brenda weeps with joy and starts
petting Tuffy who drools and purrs
like a train coming out of a tunnel.
Jack’s amazed to see the light
one act of kindness can shine
on a world too dark too often.
 
 
Donal Mahoney

Hair Power Review by Ally Barber
By Piers Anthony
Published by Dreaming Big Publications
 
ABOUT THE BOOK
 
Terminal cancer patient, Quiti, walks into an abandoned building planning on taking her life. Instead, she encounters a telepathic ball of hair that insists it is an alien seeking to facilitate diplomatic communication on Earth. Quiti assumes it is all a hallucination conjured up by her brain tumor. Because of this assumption, when she saves the alien’s life and it insists on doing Quiti a favor in return, she only asks for her hair back. She soon discovers, however, that the creature’s gift extends much further than her new locks that can change color with a thought. As her powers grow and her deadly illness goes into remission, Quiti quickly realizes that there are those that would want to use her for her abilities and is forced to leave behind everything that she knew. Will this blessing curse her to a life on the run, or does the mysterious hairball have more in store for her? Piers Anthony, critically acclaimed author of the New York Times bestselling Xanth series, brings together humor and adventure in this original story of loyalty, friendship, extraordinary powers, and hair.
 
Genre: Science Fiction
128 Pages
 
MY REVIEW
4.5 out of 5 stars
 
Quiti is at the end of her rope. Not one for optimism, she has accepted that no matter what, she will die within the year of cancer. In a last attempt to seize control of her fate in some way, she resolves to end her life herself, freeing herself of the pain and suffering that is sure to come. Everything changes, however, when a telepathic ball of hair asks for her help and launches her into unexpected and uncharted territory.
 
Hair Power, acclaimed and prolific fantasy author Piers Anthony’s most recent work, is an exciting and vastly entertaining novella. From the outset of the work, Anthony’s writing style is upfront and appealing, pulling the reader into Quiti’s world. The plot is immediately interesting and unique, continually encouraging the audience to keep reading in order to find out what happens next. One can’t help but feel for Quiti and her situation as her shock at her newfound positivity and happiness following her encounter with the hairball truly showcases the dark emotional place she was in previously. With the new hair given to her by the alien visitor, Quiti finds herself possessing newfound positivity, strength, and even intelligence, each of which in a way reveal some of Quiti’s personality given they are so different from her prior state. Parts of the plot are pretty weird, but this doesn’t diminish the value of the plot or the work. Instead, this simply increases the entertainment value of the novella.
 
My only issue with Hair Power is at that at times the dialogue and bits of prose can seem a bit stilted or contrived. However, this is not a big issue and doesn’t detract from the work. Overall, I really enjoyed Piers Anthony’s Hair Power. It is a wonderful and delightful addition to the abundance of works in the science fiction/fantasy genre and is sure to appeal to any reader with its enjoyable plot and characters. Personally, I plan on looking into the rest of Anthony’s impressive and imaginative corpus.
 
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
 
Piers Anthony is one of the world's most popular fantasy authors, and a New York Times bestseller twenty-one times over. His Xanth novels have been read and loved by millions of readers around the world, and he daily receives hundreds of letters from his devoted fans. In addition to the Xanth series, Anthony is the author of many other best-selling works. Piers Anthony lives in Inverness, Florida.
 
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for writing a review. I was not required to write a positive review, and all opinions are my own.
 
https://www.amazon.com/Hair-Power-Piers-Anthony/dp/1534919147/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1468852209&sr=8-3&keywords=%22hair+power%22
 
 
 
 

Beyond the Milkweed
 
It was her birthday.
She was only five
the dawn we went out
to look at roses
in Grandma's garden
while everyone else
was sleeping.
She loved them all
every color
but stooped the way
little girls do
and pointed to
wings of a Monarch
on the ground
splayed by death
fresh with dew
underneath milkweed
Grandma planted
just last Spring
for Monarchs
to lay their eggs.
She asked if
it would fly away
and I said no.  
Monarch mothers
I explained
lay their eggs
in milkweed
and then sleep.
That’s why
she and I
must be careful
not to make a sound
as we tip-toe
over there to the roses
Grandma planted
beyond the milkweed
just last Spring
just for her.
 
 
Donal Mahoney

Nitwits Like You
 
She was old already
when you had her in 8th grade
and she said you should sit
in the first seat third row
right in front of her for
the rest of the year.
 
That was half of your sentence
for getting caught rolling
marbles down the aisle
and disturbing the class.
 
She gave you a choice about
the rest of your sentence.
You could diagram 30 sentences
a night for the rest of the year.
Or she could call your father
and tell him what happened.
Diagramming sounded
very good to you.
 
Ten years later you finished
a master’s in English and
wanted to thank this nun
who had turned a gutter ball
into a strike but she was
no longer at the school.
 
Another nun told you she was
in a rest home out of state
and you couldn’t call her or visit.
You could write but you shouldn't
expect an answer.
She was not doing well.
 
Turning gutter balls into strikes
for more than 30 years
with nitwits like you
had taken its toll.
 
 
Donal Mahoney

The Bacchanal and Other Horrific Tales
By Teel James Glenn, Joe DiCicco, John Kaniecki, Donald McCarthy, T.S. Hall, Lorraine Nelson, Kathryn Hearst, Shannon Hollinger, Ray Dean, John Robinson, Thomas Kleaton, Sean Taylor
Published by Dreaming Big Publications
Reviewed by Laura Martinez
ABOUT THE BOOK
An artist whose love for his wife has horrific results. A babysitting job gone horribly wrong. A talent agency that promises success no matter what; even if you are the one standing in the way. This chilling collection of modern horror stories is sure to have you peeking warily around corners and walking just a bit faster down dark streets. Full of both creepy events and morbid humor, The Bacchanal stands as a testament to humanity’s love of being afraid and of frightening others. Humanity’s fear of the unknown and fascination with the supernatural are masterfully depicted in these eleven stories. Though the supernatural elements are the centerpiece of the collection, it is the believable actions of the ordinary humans, both evil and well-meaning, that will send shivers down readers’ spines.
Genre: Horror/Suspense
168 pages
MY REVIEW
4 out of 5 stars
This anthology is an entertaining read for any horror fan. The stories are exciting and suspenseful, keeping readers hooked until the end. Each author does a fantastic job of lending their voice to this collection of horror stories with everything from murderers to ghosts to terrifying supernatural creatures. While some stories were definitely scarier than others, I did enjoy the fact that the horror element to some of these stories was human nature itself demonstrating that horror comes in many shapes and forms.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Teel James Glenn. Winner of the 2012 Pulp Ark ‘Best Author of the Year.’ Epic ebook award finalist. P&E winner ‘Best Thriller Novel’, “Best Steampunk Short”, Multiple finalist “Best Fantasy short stories,” Collection” Author of the bestselling Exceptionals Series, The Maxi/Moxie Series, The Dr. Shadows Series, The Renfairies series and others. Visit him at www.theurbanswashbuckler.com
Joe DiCicco is a 31 year old author from New York, who writes horror, thriller, and dark fantasy and sci-fi. He has a degree in environmental conservation and is an avid nature and animal lover. When not writing he enjoys music, cooking, astronomy, and spending time outdoors. His story, Feed My Queen, was previously published in 2013 by Vamptasy Publishing. He also has a fantasy short, The Last Druid, published in the Mystical Bites anthology by Crushing Hearts and Black Butterfly Publishing, as well as a horror short Her Nook, published at innersins.com. He has another horror short, Amped, that will be published in Death Wound Zine in April of 2016.
John Kaniecki resides in Montclair, New Jersey with his wife Sylvia of over eleven years. John volunteers as a missionary at the Church of Christ at Chancellor Avenue which is in the inner city of Newark, New Jersey. John is a writer and poet. He has two poetry books “Murmurings of a Mad Man” published by eLectio Publishing and “Poet to the Poor, Poems of Hope to the Bottom One Percent” by Dreaming Big Publications. In addition he has a science fiction collection entitled “Words of the Future” published by Witty Bard and a horror novella “Scarecrow, Scarecrow” published by Fat-Lip Press.
Donald McCarthy is a writer and a teacher. He has published in anthologies and magazines, his work ranging from horror to articles on the economy. He is afraid of cheese. His website is www.donaldmccarthy.com
TS Hall was born in 1979 in the deepest, darkest parts of Appalachia. He currently lives in Florence, KY with his wife and three daughters, where he is an avid Magic: The Gathering player.
Lorraine Nelson: Global citizen. Lifelong writer. Voracious reader. Frequent traveler. Avid moviegoer. Geeky sci-fi fanatic. Lover of cupcakes.
Kathryn M. Hearst is a southern girl with a love of the dark and strange. Besides writing, she has a passion for shoes, vintage clothing, antique British cars, music, musicians and all things musical (including theatre). Kate lives in central Florida with her chocolate lab, Jolene; and two rescue pups, Jagger and Roxanne. Her short stories have been published in various anthologies. Her debut novel, Feast of the Epiphany, will be out in June 2016, followed by The Spirit Tree and Feast of Mercy Fall 2016. www.kathrynmhearst.com
Shannon Hollinger: With degrees in Crime Scene Technology and Physical Anthropology, Shannon Hollinger hasn’t just seen the dark side of humanity – she’s been elbow deep inside of it! She currently lives in New Hampshire where she is owned by two terriers and, when allowed, spends her free time writing and climbing mountains. To see where you can find more of her work, check out www.shannonhollinger.com.
Ray Dean was born and raised in Hawaii where she spent many a quiet hour reading and writing stories. Performing in theater and working backstage lead her into the delights of Living History, creating her own worlds through writing seemed the next logical step. Historical settings are her first love, but there is something heady about twisting the threads of time into little knots and creating new timelines to explore. There are endless possibilities that she is just beginning to discover.
John Robinson is a dad and author living in Middle Tennessee. His work has been published by Crowded Quarantine, Zimbell House, and Jitter. He can be contacted at his Facebook page John Robinson/Literal Remains. (https://www.facebook.com/literal.remains)
Thomas Kleaton is a freelance horror writer. He has had stories published in The Horror ’Zine, and several anthologies including Cellar Door: Words of Beauty, Tales of Terror; The Horror Zine Magazine Summer 2014; Spooky Halloween Drabbles 2014 and 2015; and What Has Two Heads, Ten Eyes, and Terrifying Table Manners? He lives in the woods near Auburn University, AL, with his wife, Sheila.
Sean Taylor is an award-winning writer of stories. He grew up telling lies, and he got pretty good at it, so now he writes them into full-blown adventures for comic books, graphic novels, magazines, book anthologies and novels. He makes stuff up for money, and he writes it down for fun. He’s a lucky fellow that way.
DISCLAIMER
I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for writing a review. I was not obligated to give a positive review, and all thoughts are my own.
https://www.amazon.com/Bacchanal-Other-Horrific-Tales/dp/0692740589/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1468473594&sr=8-1&keywords=the+bacchanal+and+other+horrific+tales
 

Coming Home at Midnight to the Farm
 
Driving down the hill I see the same bend in the road the school bus took me around for years. I can see in the headlights the wildflowers ringing the curve like a necklace--goldenrod, cornflower, Queen Anne's Lace, God's gift to country roads in the fall. You don't see anything like that in the city but I'm getting used to living there.
 
I see the house ahead, one light on, upstairs. It's midnight and my father's dead and my mother's in that room praying and maybe crying, waiting for me to pull in. She knows it's a six-hour drive from the city.
 
The wake will be tomorrow night at Egan's mortuary. There will be 15 decades of the rosary to say and I still have trouble getting through five. Then there will be three hours of listening to my mother's friends console her, ancient ladies all, many of them widowed long before her.
 
Many times my mother has been in their place so she knows what they will say but she will find some comfort in it anyway. The old farmers still alive will simply say "sorry for your troubles" which serves as both a condolence and a prayer.
 
Mass will be at 10 in the morning with Father Murphy in the pulpit sounding like Bishop Sheen. My dad told me long ago that when he finally died Father Murphy would confer sainthood on him at the funeral, no need for any miracles. Father Murphy has a long history of canonizing every farmer who dies unless he committed one of the seven deadly sins in public. My father said he hoped Father Murphy would talk loud enough for God to hear.
 
After the procession to the graveyard and the consignment of the casket, everyone will drive back to the church hall for the funeral meal--wonderful food prepared by good women and arranged in a long buffet.
 
The farmers will assure my mother they will be out to her place tomorrow and the next day to put up the hay. After the hay is taken care of, they will take turns coming to feed the cattle and they'll go to town to pick up whatever she needs. Things will work out, they will tell her. Not to worry.
 
After everyone has eaten, the ladies, one by one, will rise and bow to my mother and tell her to go home now and get some rest.
 
The men will shake hands with me and ask how long before I have to go back to the city. I'll say I have a week, maybe two, uncertain as to what night I'll have to leave. I know it will be around midnight. And the same light will be on, upstairs.
 
 
Donal Mahoney

At the Grocery Store
 
We’re troubled by the very rich
we see only on TV and worry
about the poor who sleep at night
 
in doorways and in parks, the truly poor
with little more than the clothes they wear
and things they carry around in blue
 
Walmart shopping sacks, stuff that proves
who they are and hope to be again.
But we seldom see the retired poor
 
unless we shop at dawn in an 
all-night grocery store and watch  
them slowly navigate the aisles.
 
They see a banquet on the shelves,
food they cannot buy, and put little cans 
in carts after checking every price
 
and hoping they will find something 
at a price they can now afford,
something they loved eating years ago.
 
 
Donal Mahoney