Bob's 4th Quarter Newsletter

Bob Avey’s 4th Quarter 2018

Newsletter

 

Christmas is almost here and books make wonderful gifts. For more information, click one of the links below.

www.bobavey.com

https://www.amazon.com/Bob-Avey/e/B002BM2VJ8

 

Once again I want to express my heartfelt thanks to my loyal readers, and to everyone, who has signed up for this crazy newsletter. The growth of the list continues to amaze me. 31 new readers have signed up since my last newsletter. I truly hope that you find enjoyment and entertainment from my books and newsletters. In appreciation, instead of the usual drawing-one-name-from-the-hopper thing for the free autographed copy, I will give the first three respondents an autographed copy of their choice – Chosen from one of my books of course – and all you have to do is send me an email at bob@bobavey.com

I don’t think I’ve put this in previous newsletters, but if I have please just skim over. I had something rather unusual happen to me a few months ago. Here at work, we get a printout calendar that shows this and that. Anyway, I was attempting to take down the July 2018 calendar when it fell behind my cubicle wall. When I crawled beneath the desk to retrieve it, I found a July 2017 calendar in the same spot. Odd enough that an old calendar would be there, but for it to be the same month, exactly one year apart seemed almost spooky.

I know it’s been a long time coming, but I am finally finished with the 4^th book in the Detective Elliot series, which will be titled Identity Theft. It is now in the editing stages, so it will be a few months before it is ready for publication. Now, I have to decide if I want to self-publish, or go with a publisher. Such decisions used to be a no-brainer; self-publishing was a dirty word. That’s no longer the case. Now, at least with me, it’s a decision of economics verses technological ability.

After Identity Theft, I plan to go in a whole new direction, writing the kind of books I originally wanted to write. Stay tuned and together we’ll see where it goes.

Speaking of writing, most of you know if you’ve written anything from a letter to a grocery list and then had someone else look it over, how easy it is to make mistakes, misspellings, and especially grammar errors. Try it with a 300 to 400 page novel. Anyway, I was browsing the internet when I came across an advertisement for Editing Services. Editing is an important and necessary part of writing, but finding a good editor is not as easy as it seems. For example, the ad I mentioned earlier read like this:

Want to publish a book? Don’t know where to start?

Stare Here:

I stared for fifteen minutes but nothing happened.

Actually, the ad meant to read: Start Here.

Could you imagine hiring those editors to fine- tune your 300 page manuscript?

May everyone reading this have a happy Thanksgiving and a blessed and merry Christmas.

Please check out my writing at the link below:

https://www.amazon.com/Bob-Avey/e/B002BM2VJ8

Twisted Perception is now out in audiobook. Please click the link below:

https://www.amazon.com/Twisted-Perception-Detective-Elliot-Mystery/dp/B00XZKFWDM/ref=la_B002BM2VJ8_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1502197925&sr=1-3

I want to thank everyone who signed up for my Reader List. I hope you enjoy the newsletters and special mailings. If you know of anyone who might be interested, please forward this newsletter to them. We give away prizes on occasion, so stay tuned. Signing up is easy – just email your request to:

bob@bobavey.com

Or click here: http://www.bobavey.com/

On the right side of any webpage, or the bottom if on a smart phone, you will find a notation that reads: Sign Up For Bob’s Newsletter. Put your email address in the box and hit subscribe. Not only will you be directed to a link for a free e-book, but will also be entered into a contest to win a free paperback copy.

I also give programs for writing clubs, reading groups, or any group that’s interested. If you belong to a club that needs a program speaker, keep me in mind.

You have permission to reprint, forward, or use the contents of this newsletter in your newsletter, blog, or e-zine. The only requirement is the inclusion of the following footer:

This article was written by Bob Avey, author of Twisted Perception, Beneath a Buried House, and Footprints of a Dancer. http://www.bobavey.com

 

 

Bob Avey’s 3rd Quarter 2018

Newsletter

 

Once again I want to express my heartfelt thanks to my loyal readers, and to everyone, who has signed up for this crazy newsletter. The growth of the list continues to amaze me. 23 new readers have signed up since my last newsletter. I truly hope that you find enjoyment and entertainment from my books and newsletters. In appreciation, instead of the usual drawing-one-name-from-the-hopper thing for the free autographed copy, I will give the first five respondents an autographed copy of their choice – Chosen from one of my books of course – and all you have to do is answer a question correctly. What’s the question? I’m still thinking.

And now for something completely different:

It’s all about perception, isn’t it? One of the first things we learn – well some of us anyway – is that not everyone – nobody really – processes information the same way that we do. If you doubt that premise, engage someone in a conversation about politics. I can hear the groans already. Fear not, this has nothing to do with politics. Allow me to lead in a different direction. The theme of my first novel, Twisted Perception, is all about perception. Imagine that. The title didn’t just fall out of my head. On second thought, perhaps it did. However, I promised myself I wouldn’t ramble on with this, so let us dive in:

A few days ago, my wife and I pulled into the parking lot of a convenience store – too convenient actually – to do whatever it was, for which we pulled in, and while we were doing this, a pickup truck parked beside us. Stay with me, it’s good. The driver of the pickup was a somewhat normal male. However, the passenger was a deer, an actual deer with antlers and everything. We both laughed about the incident. However, while Kathi maintained that it was nothing more than a victim of taxidermy, and just the head, I saw it quite differently. There was an entire deer in that truck, legs, hooves, antlers, and all. I couldn’t tell if the deer was wearing his seatbelt or not, but he didn’t appear to be conscious, a victim of foul play at any rate.

Perhaps this will serve as a better example. A few nights ago, Kathi and I arrived home from work ready to settle in for an evening of rest and recuperation only to have it eventually disrupted. It shouldn’t surprise me. It seems to be one crises – of some magnitude – after another at our house. After dinner, I attempted to settle into my recliner, only to be reminded by our son David that the lawn needed to be mowed. He was right of course. While pulling from the garage that morning, I’d thought I’d seen someone traversing the front yard with a machete. I relented, but on the way out the front door, I tripped over a small, brown object. Upon further examination, I found the obstruction to be a box of coffee, which I’d ordered just that morning. Worrying about Amazons and drones, and after pushing a lawn mower in the Oklahoma heat for thirty or forty minutes, I crawled into the house to take a shower.

 “I’m out of Doctor Pooper,” David said.

 “Can’t we get it tomorrow?” I asked.

Kathi quickly drew me aside. “It can’t wait,” she said. “If David is left here all day tomorrow with no Doctor Pooper, he will drink all of my Poopsie. And let’s not forget about tonight. Without Doctor Pooper, he’ll demand watching Highway through Purgatory as retribution.”

“I see your point,” I said. Not being able to bear the thought of having to watch back-to-back episodes of Canadians, dragging busted trucks through the snow, I drove my sweaty self to the Dollar Shack to get the needed supplies. I love Canada, and the people there are beautiful, but a person can only take so much of that, eh?

Having successfully maneuvered the exhausting trip, I walked into the house and plopped my prize down upon the kitchen island, only to be greeted by Kathi frowning and shaking her head. I whipped my attention around and observed the packaged soft drinks: sitting on the counter was the familiar reddish-brown carton with the same stylish lettering written across it. There was only one glaring problem. Instead of Doctor Pooper, it read, Doctor Popper. In my haste to finish the chore and return home, I’d mistakenly purchased a cheap knockoff. Fearing the wrath of Dave, and being quick on her feet, Kathi quickly stated, “I’ve heard about this. It’s brand new on the market. Everyone at work is talking about it.” 

David eagerly guzzled down a can of the Popper. “Hey, this is pretty good,” He said.

That weekend, during our weekly Mega Mart shopping spree, David, looking rather haggard and frazzled, met us at the checkout. “I can’t find the Doctor Popper,” he said.

“That’s okay,” I said. “We’ll swing by the Dollar Shack on our way home and stock up.”

As it turned out, my daughter, Karen, had ordered the coffee for me as a Father’s Day gift, so I guess we’re safe from immediate drone-danger.

And by the way, if you’re out and about and run across any Doctor Popper, please send it to us. It seems the Dollar Shack is the only store that stocks it. I’m just kidding. Not about the stuff being rare and hard to find, but about sending it to us.

Oh yes, the question is: At the beginning of chapter two of Twisted Perception, what does Detective Elliot perceive to be the problem?

Just email your answer to bob@bobavey.com

Thanks and good luck.

Please check out my writing at the link below:

https://www.amazon.com/Bob-Avey/e/B002BM2VJ8

Twisted Perception is now out in audiobook. Please click the link below:

https://www.amazon.com/Twisted-Perception-Detective-Elliot-Mystery/dp/B00XZKFWDM/ref=la_B002BM2VJ8_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1502197925&sr=1-3

I want to thank everyone who signed up for my Reader List. I hope you enjoy the newsletters and special mailings. If you know of anyone who might be interested, please forward this newsletter to them. We give away prizes on occasion, so stay tuned. Signing up is easy – just email your request to:

bob@bobavey.com

Or click here: http://www.bobavey.com/

On the right side of any webpage, or the bottom if on a smart phone, you will find a notation that reads: Sign Up For Bob’s Newsletter. Put your email address in the box and hit subscribe. Not only will you be directed to a link for a free e-book, but will also be entered into a contest to win a free paperback copy.

The winner of the free autographed book has not responded to my email. I’ll put the names back in the hat and draw for another one.

I also give programs for writing clubs, reading groups, or any group that’s interested. If you belong to a club that needs a program speaker, keep me in mind.

You have permission to reprint, forward, or use the contents of this newsletter in your newsletter, blog, or e-zine. The only requirement is the inclusion of the following footer:

This article was written by Bob Avey, author of Twisted Perception, Beneath a Buried House, and Footprints of a Dancer. http://www.bobavey.com

 

 

Christmas with the Avey Family

The first day of the year holds mixed emotions for me. It’s the beginning of a new year, but it’s also the day that my family and I traditionally take down the Christmas decorations. That always makes me a little sad.

Doesn’t it seem that all the buildup and hype for Christmas sometimes leaves the actual event a little flat? You work hard to get everyone the right gift and then the presents are ripped open and it’s over.

Well actually it isn’t. And if you celebrate the true meaning, it won’t be flat at all. During the New Year’s Eve service at church -- Asbury United Methodist Church https://asburytulsa.org Pastor Jay Henderson reminded us that December 25^th isn’t the end of the Christmas celebration, but the beginning. The Twelve Days of Christmas, also known as Christmastide and Twelvetide, begins on December 25 and ends January 5. This is followed by the festival of Epiphany – also Theophany, or Three Kings’ Day, which celebrates the manifestation of God incarnate as Jesus Christ to the Gentiles as represented by the Magi. The four Sundays before Christmas, the buildup, is called Advent, a season of prayer and fasting to thank God for Christ’s first coming, His presence among us today through the Holy Spirit, and to prepare for His second coming at the end of time.

On the other end of the spectrum, while driving to the bowling alley one night during the buildup, my son, David and I drove past a house that had a reindeer in the front yard. Not an actual reindeer, but one of those wire/plastic, kind that are popular during Christmas. And that was it. No other animals graced the artificial herd, no lights clung to the house, no decorations laced the trees or shrubs, no inflatable Santa climbing into a hot tub with Rudolf or waving to the crowd while piloting a tractor; just a lonely reindeer, its tiny, white lights casting a soft glow across the lawn.

In keeping with the spirit, my sweet wife, Kathi, schemed up an idea to liven up the season by making our own Christmas cards.

“I’m going to buy Christmas shirts,” she explained, “and we’ll stand in front of the tree and take selfies with my I-phone.” 

With good reason, I expressed skepticism for the outcome of such a plan, but finally relented and agreed to go along with it. It won’t be so bad, I thought, imagining Kathi would procure sweaters created in somewhat tacky but tolerable Christmas motifs. However, upon completion of her limited-use clothing expedition, she further dampened my already unenthusiastic expectations by proudly presenting David and me with green, elf t-shirts. All was not lost. The menagerie of photographic selfies that ensued confirmed a suspicion I had been harboring: I-phones, and probably other smart phones as well, collect images and later use them against you. In trying to impose a timer upon the phone, we angered it into producing unimaginable shots in rapid bursts of ten, depicting us in awkward poses that could not have been of our own doing. In one, my head appeared to be spinning like Linda Blair’s exorcism, in another I was hunched over with arms dangling like Cornelius in Planet of the Apes. It was all good. I hadn’t laughed that hard in years.

Please check out my writing at the link below:

https://www.amazon.com/Bob-Avey/e/B002BM2VJ8

Twisted Perception is now out in audiobook. Please click the link below:

https://www.amazon.com/Twisted-Perception-Detective-Elliot-Mystery/dp/B00XZKFWDM/ref=la_B002BM2VJ8_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1502197925&sr=1-3

I want to thank everyone who signed up for my Reader List. I hope you enjoy the newsletters and special mailings. If you know of anyone who might be interested, please forward this newsletter to them. We give away prizes on occasion, so stay tuned. Signing up is easy – just email your request to:

bob@bobavey.com

Or click here: http://www.bobavey.com/

On the right side of any webpage, you will find a notation that reads: Sign Up For Bob’s Newsletter. Put your email address in the box and hit subscribe. Not only will you be directed to a link for a free e-book, but will also be entered into a contest to win a free paperback copy.

The winner of the free autographed book has not responded to my email. I’ll put the names back in the hat and draw for another one.

I also give programs for writing clubs, reading groups, or any group that’s interested. If you belong to a club that needs a program speaker, keep me in mind.

You have permission to reprint, forward, or use the contents of this newsletter in your newsletter, blog, or e-zine. The only requirement is the inclusion of the following footer:

This article was written by Bob Avey, author of Twisted Perception, Beneath a Buried House, and Footprints of a Dancer. http://www.bobavey.com

 

 

A Walk in the Park

Bob Avey’s 4th Quarter 2017

Newsletter

Search for the positive.

It seems a lot of bad things are happening in the world. However, your outlook can easily be improved through shifting your focus.

My wife, Kathi, and I have been brown-bagging our lunch lately in a small park located near our work site. Being keen on observation, I noticed early on the abundance of imaginative fodder available there. We wisely choose to concentrate on simple things like grass, trees, birds, and animals. Occasionally we take the short hike to one of the ponds in the area where we see the handy work of beavers, though we’ve yet to actually see the critters. Every now and then, we glimpse a rabbit. However, we typically watch squirrels – the small, four legged kind. I specify because there are quite a few human species of squirrel out and about. To clarify any confusion that might erupt, I offer the following:

While eating at the park recently, Kathi and I watched as a large, white van pulled into the driveway of one of the houses directly across from us. Three men climbed out of the van, walked to the curbside near the mailbox, and turned in unison to face the house. Like some comedy trio, they studied the house and lawn, each taking a turn at removing their hat and scratching their head, as if whatever they were observing presented a near insurmountable problem. After a few minutes of this – it seemed a lot longer – one of the men went to the van and pulled out an extension cord. After – with some difficulty I might add – finding an outside electrical outlet, he plugged in the cord. Again the three aligned themselves and stared at the house. Finally one of them pulled a hedge trimmer from the van, plugged it to the cord, and began trimming a rather large bush near the garage. The other two did nothing but watch. It took the poor guy about ten minutes to make the bush look worse than it had before the trimming. After that, they all climbed back in the van and drove away, leaving several other bushes and the lawn, which needed attention as well, untouched. Hmm...

It has certainly been a long, circuitous route, but I am finally seeing light at the end of the tunnel with my 4^th Elliot novel. I hope to have it completed soon. Now comes the fun part: Editing and rewriting. If anyone would be interested in being a beta reader, please let me know.

Please check out my writing at the link below:

https://www.amazon.com/Bob-Avey/e/B002BM2VJ8

Twisted Perception is now out in audiobook. Please click the link below:

https://www.amazon.com/Twisted-Perception-Detective-Elliot-Mystery/dp/B00XZKFWDM/ref=la_B002BM2VJ8_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1502197925&sr=1-3

I want to thank everyone who signed up for my Reader List. I hope you enjoy the newsletters and special mailings. If you know of someone who might be interested, please forward this newsletter to them. We give away prizes on occasion, so stay tuned. Signing up is easy – just email your request to:

bob@bobavey.com

Or click here: http://www.bobavey.com/

On the right side of any webpage, you will find a notation that reads: Sign Up For Bob’s Newsletter. Put your email address in the box and hit subscribe. You will automatically be entered into a monthly contest to win free books.

Gray from Puerto Rico won the autographed book this quarter. Congratulations Gray.

I also give programs for writing clubs, reading groups, or any group that’s interested. If you belong to a club that needs a program speaker, keep me in mind.

You have permission to reprint, forward, or use the contents of this newsletter in your newsletter, blog, or e-zine. The only requirement is the inclusion of the following footer:

This article was written by Bob Avey, author of Twisted Perception, Beneath a Buried House, and Footprints of a Dancer. http://www.bobavey.com

Back in the Game

A large eagle glided silently over my path as I crossed the bridge, spanning the Arkansas River near Jenks, Oklahoma. It was going to be a good day.

On the third day of August 2017, I rolled out of bed with a different agenda in mind. I had unfinished business. The email I’d received the previous day was sent as a reminder, but I had not forgotten. I was, in fact, looking forward to it.

I backed the BMW from the garage and set a course for Woodward, Oklahoma, not the office as usual. The decision was neither spontaneous nor poorly thought out, though somewhere west of Enid I began to question the integrity of the satellite feeding information to my phone. I halfway expected the face of Rod Serling to appear in my rearview mirror. A signpost just ahead came into view.

Thankfully, the signpost made no mention of the Twilight Zone but indicated instead that Woodward was eighteen miles away. A few months earlier, the Woodward Library System had contacted me and asked me to be a part of their Summer Adult reading program. I am happy that I accepted the request, and thankful that I was able to make the trip. I truly hope all of the wonderful people, who attended the event, enjoyed the experience as much as I did.

Okay, let’s try this again:

About a month ago, I was sitting in a hospital lab, waiting to get… well, you know, stabbed or jabbed in one way or the other. I’ve been doing way too much of that lately.  Thankfully it has been on an outpatient basis. Anyway, I’d showed up two days earlier, like the endocrinologist had instructed me to do, only to be sent home, after having fasted – that means skipping midnight snacks, breakfast, and coffee – to return a few days later. It seems the doctor had requested the test, but had not scheduled it.

Am I missing something here? If a doctor requests a test be done on a certain day, isn’t that technically the same as scheduling it? And I used to think the accounting profession was convoluted.

To cut to the chase, while I was sitting in the waiting room, a young lady dressed in hospital attire came into the room, dragged up a chair, and sat beside the other young lady, who was already behind the desk and also dressed for the occasion. The young lady, who had already been behind the desk, acknowledged the presence of the later arrival with a curt nod, but for a few minutes, neither of them spoke, neither to me nor to each other. Yeah I’m liking neither, nor today. To compound the puzzle, the second young lady did absolutely nothing constructive or otherwise that I could ascertain, but simply sat there, perhaps conducting mind over matter exercises. The silence was finally broken when the later arrival began to complain about her hours. 

From the conversation that I could not help but overhear, I determined that the second young lady was there as some sort of disciplinary action. I didn’t pick up on what she might have done to earn the detainment, but what cruel form of punishment would give you a twenty minute break from work while still being paid for it?

It gets worse. Her complaining amounted to protests for having had to take off an extra half hour for lunch due to her working  a half hour overtime. I’m no Einstein but, relatively speaking, a negative half hour coupled with a positive one equals zero. And I’d be willing to bet she was paid for the overtime. No wonder the cost of medical care is soaring at a rate nearing the speed of light.

Please check out my writing at the link below:

https://www.amazon.com/Bob-Avey/e/B002BM2VJ8

Twisted Perception is now out in audiobook. Please click the link below:

 

https://www.amazon.com/Twisted-Perception-Detective-Elliot-Mystery/dp/B00XZKFWDM/ref=la_B002BM2VJ8_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1502197925&sr=1-3

I want to thank everyone who signed up for my Reader List. I hope you enjoy the newsletters and special mailings. If you know of someone who might be interested, please forward this newsletter to them. We give away prizes on occasion, so stay tuned. Signing up is easy – just email your request to:

bob@bobavey.com

Or click here: http://www.bobavey.com/

On the right side of any webpage, you will find a notation that reads: Sign Up For Bob’s Newsletter. Put your email address in the box and hit subscribe. You will automatically be entered into a monthly contest to win free books.

I also give programs for writing clubs, reading groups, or any group that’s interested. If you belong to a club that needs a program speaker, keep me in mind.

You have permission to reprint, forward, or use the contents of this newsletter in your newsletter, blog, or e-zine. The only requirement is the inclusion of the following footer:

This article was written by Bob Avey, author of Twisted Perception, Beneath a Buried House, and Footprints of a Dancer. http://www.bobavey.com

 

 

The Joker - Part II

September 10, 2015 – Blog Post

The Joker – Part II

I left you hanging last time in the midst of my ramblings about criticism. Let me pick up where we left off.

A few days after having perceived my writing as being trashed – actually, while containing hints of inspiration, those early short stories were pretty bad – I was sitting home one night, watching television and feeling sorry for myself when something rather strange happened. An internal voice, which I realized as being a fictional character, actually told me how to pick up the pieces and proceed with my writing. You probably paused after reading that, and perhaps entertained certain doubts. I won’t go so far as to say there’s nothing to worry about, but having characters, which are actually part of the subconscious, pop into my thoughts with tidbits of story is now a common occurrence. However, with this being the first time I’d become aware of it, it was mildly unnerving.

This is how it happened: Halfway through some now forgotten television program, the internal voice, a character, said: You can’t fill out a homicide report, indicating the suspect to be a ghost.

The enigmatic phrase might seem like gibberish, but I immediately recognized it as a possible answer to my current dilemma. The character’s reference to a homicide report indicated he was involved with law enforcement, which meant, if he hung around, he would lead me toward some type of crime story that would be conservative enough to satisfy the critique group. At the same time, there was this ghost thing thrown in, which could offer substance, if you will, to satisfy my leanings toward the not-so-conventional. In short, it was perfect.

I immediately went to my office, which consisted of a cheap desk crowed into a corner of the master bedroom of our rented house, and began banging out what would eventually become a mystery novel. Unfortunately, or fortunately, depending on how you look at it, the bruised feelings I’d erroneously nurtured due to my misunderstanding of constructive criticism resurfaced and planted the seeds of mild revenge. 

To be continued.

Please check out the results of my quasi insane writing with the links below:

http://www.amazon.com/Bob-Avey/e/B002BM2VJ8

For an audio version of Twisted Perception:

http://www.amazon.com/Twisted-Perception-Detective-Elliot-Mystery/dp/B00XZKFWDM/ref=la_B002BM2VJ8_1_2_title_2_audd?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1441901683&sr=1-2

With the help of my publisher, I’m putting together a program we are calling: Bob’s Reader List. With the list, I hope to offer true value to those who subscribe. Check it out by clicking the link below:

http://awoc.com/BobAvey-TwistedPerception/

Where do those Characters Come From?

Round and Round We Go

Picking up where we left off in the last post, what was it, exactly, that urged me off the sofa and into the writing chair?

As is often the case, the answer to the question is a bit complicated or perhaps multifaceted might be more descriptive. I’ll try to explain. Some of you might remember the cartoon character, Droopy. Those who don’t can easily look it up. Anyway, the animated pooch was famous for his droopy face, which intentionally defied and hid the emotion going on inside the character. I used to be a lot like that. However, most of us reach a point in our lives, typically around the middle-age mark, where we become disillusioned with the way things have turned out. Never being one to under emphasize things, I rode the disappointment wave with a zeal that would have made old Droopy crack a smile. Stephen King summed it up quite well when he wrote: Creative people tend to have creative breakdowns. I believe the phrase showed up in his novel, Duma Key, but I could be wrong about that.

But that’s enough of that. Long story short, Kathi and I lost everything we had and moved back to Tulsa to start over. It’s turned out all right. Rather than give in to self-pity, I directed my frustration and poured my anger into my characters, especially the villains, cathartically cleansing my soul in the process. I know, but I have to get expressive now and then.  The writing has been good for me. Through my characters and the stories they populate I’ve learned a lot about them, and about myself.

I hope my emotionally charged characters and unusual stories have, and will continue to entertain you.

 http://www.amazon.com/Bob-Avey/e/B002BM2VJ8

Reality Check - A Book Review of Eyes Wide Open

Through the exploits of Christy Snow and Austin Hartt, the heroes of Eyes Wide Open, Ted Dekker explores the nature of reality as defined by individual or personal experience.

Diving quickly into the story with an informal but engaging style, Ted Dekker immediately pulls the reader into wondering what will happen to Christy Snow, a likeable but somewhat naïve character. Eyes Wide Open was my first reading experience with author, Ted Dekker, who is not only known as a Christian author, but a New York Times best-selling author as well. After reading his work, I am not surprised. While the book contained numerous metaphors of good and evil, Dekker’s style is certainly not heavy-handed. I could imagine someone, who had not heard of Mr. Dekker, reading Eyes Wide Open without realizing they were experiencing Christian fiction. And I mean that as a compliment. Ted Dekker’s books are described as thrillers, but Eyes Wide Open had a fair amount of dark fantasy woven into the story. 

I was a bit disappointed in the way the story ended, but I would highly recommend the book to preteens through adult readers who love a good story.

                                                                                       – Bob Avey , author of Footprints of a Dancer