reviews
contemporary | romance | mainstream
God’s Naked Will
Gingerbread Wishes
Selected as a “Top 10 fall New Book Release” by theyoungfolks. com, God’s Naked Will and other Sacrilege is an absorbing debut collection of stories, bold, risky, and entertaining--at turns erotic and hysterical, and anchored in blue-collar life in the south. Within these pages faith collides with schizophrenia and demon possession, incest and deformity, devoted virgins and hired studs, masturbation and voyeurism, cock-fights and executions, ministers and deacons.
All Tora’s known is Dorado, Texas and as soon as the familyrun bakery sells, she’s headed for life outside the city limits. When widower Jordan Dawson shows interest, she suddenly wonders about getting better acquainted. In town to open a sporting goods store, Jordan wants to provide his daughter with life in a close-knit community. When the friendly baker sparks his interest, he campaigns to keep her in town. Will Tora give him a chance?
C.D. Mitchell Contemporary Heat Rating: 4
Review: Whether we live in East or West or whether we are theist or atheist, religion is an undeniable part of our lives. We may not believe, we may not practice, but it’s always there in the backdrop. C.D. Mitchell’s God’s Naked Will and other Sacrilege presents religion intertwined with our conscience, our actions and our reactions in the collection of short stories set in Delbert, Arkansas. Sacrilege is defined as violation of a sacred object or person. It’s transgression against religion, holy place, etc. The characters in the stories are “Good, God fearing Folks” who believe in Christ and rapture, in hell and damnation but when push comes to shove and the mask of “propriety” is removed, the depth of a person’s morality and principles are on display. The stories are neither completely exclusive nor completely inclusive. In ‘Execution’ we again meet Delilah and Mooney of ‘God’s Naked Will’ and are informed of Clovis’ aunt’s fate (‘Clovis Clementine’). Even though the story deals with taboo topics, there is nothing revolting in the writing. The characters and the plot itself are a banquet of perversions, hypocrisy and bloodlust which as a society we condemn. The detachment with which the stories are presented illustrates that even when we don’t like to talk about these subjects or act as if these things do not happen or we are pure and innocent, we all know that like religion the sins are a part of our life.
Linda Carroll-Bradd Small Town Romance Heat Rating: 2
Review: Sweet, adorable and charming, Jordan and Tora’s romance will capture your heart. Looking for a fresh start, neither one of them expect to find comfort and a new beginning in each other. It’s a clean, refreshing love between two people and the little girl that helps bring them together. A very well-written short story and an enchanting little town to serve as the perfect backdrop to a happilyever-after. It is the kind of love story you don’t want to miss! | Reviewer: Marie Haney |
| Reviewer: Arushi Raj | May/June 2014 | 29