(1888PressRelease)
April 23, 2007 - In today's world, not many things are left from childhood. Computers have replaced encyclopedias. Ebooks and the media have tried to replace books and let's not even consider the musical revolution that has seen cassettes go to CD's with the promise of something new on the horizon very soon. Even finding a battered up Hardy Boys Book or Nancy Drew novel in good condition is a challenge even with Ebay. In the wake of modern day life, sometimes we want to look back to find a memory we can hold onto. And for many of us, it was reading.
And reading everywhere...buses, bicycles (if you were that talented), airplanes, behind pickups, under beds, in closets, never mind in the back of the car that made just about everybody's stomach turn with motion sickness. Where do we find something to remind us of where we were and who we were? What if we want a piece of nostalgia that doesn't cost a pile of money? Would we reach out and grab it, try to reconnect for a moment? These are the questions that we think on as we read through V.B. Rosendahl's new novel ‘Bitter Tastes’.
In January of 2007, it was such a relief for V.B. Rosendahl to hold her newly published juvenile mystery in her hands. She wanted to write a series of books that adults would find reminiscent of their Nancy Drew days. At the same time, she wanted to give new juvenile readers a chance to connect with some real preteen heroes who are courageous and human. As V.B. Rosendahl writes on her website, “there's no greater escape than into a novel. Fiction is a great equalizer. It's where the meek become bold and everyone has a chance to be someone new. Historical fiction lets you walk backward in time, science fiction rockets you to another world, and juvenile fiction gives kids permission to think big. Fiction lets you be a filmmaker ... even if it's just in your head. So, who do you want to be? And where would you like to go today?”
Rosendahl, an attorney in the State of Virginia is now a copy editor and full-time writer. Her first novel 'Uneven Advantage' is an adult suspense novel. Her new novel is published by Stargazer Press, an independent press upstart in Barrie, Ontario.
Her new book, (Stargazer Press, January 2007, $15 U.S., 16 Canadian for a soft cover) is the story about two preteens who become caught up in who murdered Janine. When Kathy shows up in town with her newly rich parents, she is put into a local restaurant owner's class. She comes to know Janine very well so when she turns up murdered, Kathy is told dismissively by many people that it's such a shame. For Kathy, she wants to find out who did it. As school starts, she makes friends with Martha who has one foot stuck in the sixties. She has her uncle's dog tags from Nam. They mean everything to her, despite the poverty that grips her and her mother. These two encounter clues and set out to solve this crime on their bikes. The two heroines are completely real. Will the two find the murderer? Are their lives in danger? Should they just drop it? Will Kathy reveal her disability to her new friends? Will the law shut down these two sleuths or will the situation spin out of control?
Bitter Tastes is bold, courageous and ultimately pulls one back in time. This novel is nostalgia, written like a book ought to be and adults and children alike love this new novel. It reminds us that circumstances can pull character out of a stone and all manner of inescapable truths shine through this work of fiction.
V.B. Rosendahl's novel is available at www.amazon.com, www.stargazerpress.com and www.vbrosendahl.com to name a few, as well as fine book retailers in Canada and the U.S.. Ask for it at Borders!
Stargazer Press, January 2007, Soft Cover, $15 U.S., ISBN-13: 0-9734940-7-7
Libraries can pick this book up through S and R Books in Mississagua, Ontario...a library distributor.
Booksellers discounts for bookstores available from www.stargazerpress.com.
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