Micheal RiversRezensionen

Really enjoyed this book, its pace and the twists and turns. It was edgy, atmospheric and engaging. The only negative for me (and it's a personal preference) was the short, punchy sentences which are employed throughout. I found that I wanted the narrative mixed up more, to read some longer sentences in with the snappy ones. It's a small point but one I couldn't move away from despite the excellent story. Four stars and well worth a read. :-)

The lush forests surrounding the Nantahala River in North Carolina serve as the backdrop for this sweet and multifaceted tale. This book is many things. It is a ghost story, a romance, a tale of friendship, an examination of the ways in which we deal with adversity, a chronicle of how the world you know slowly disappears with the passage of time, and a celebration of the things that never change (and should never change).

I loved the complexity of the character of Edward Caulfield. Sitting on the porch of his home, Edward is often swept away by whirlwinds of memories that take him back to happier times. He has many things to think about, and one of them is why he is the only one who cannot see the Lady of Nantahala; the specter of a woman waltzing alone over the dark waters of the river under the moonlight. Edward in his old age is assisted by his trusty house help Betty, who is quick with her wit and doesn't think twice about speaking her mind. They have a relationship where both support each other, but Edward's and Betty's world is changed when Lena, a young woman with a troubled life, walks into their midst.

There are other things I liked about the book such as the way the author presents the wisdom of both a people and a generation through the comments and thoughts of Edward, and the superb descriptions of the landscape both natural and man-made. The only thing I didn't like was the villain who was a bit too perfect for my taste. But this detail did not detract from my overall enjoyment of the book. The heart and soul of the narrative is the interaction between Edward and Lena and how it affects each other, because ultimately Moonlight on the Nantahala is a story about finding the perfect rose, but you are going to have to read the book to figure that one out!

I couldn't finish this book. Maybe I don't like books about the sea or sailing but this book just could not hold my attention.

Edward Caulfield lost his love and soulmate, Celia, early in his life; however, he is sure that the womanly spirit that many have seen over the Nantahala River next to their house is Celia, looking over him from the beyond. As he has aged into his eighties, he has moved into a bungalow in town near his doctor and hired a housekeeper to take care of it and him, but he has kept the original house as somewhat of a memorial to Celia which he visits regularly. When a young woman, Lena, begins to spend time meditating on the yard of the old house, looking out over the river, and finally decides to strike up a conversation with Edward, the budding friendship reenergizes Edward, and he begins to look upon her as the daughter he never had. The woman, Lena, has lived a life of privileged dysfunctionality that is falling apart around her, but her discussions with Edward becomes the inspiration and path out of the social prison she has found herself in. Although this is not a Christmas story, having read this a week before Christmas, I found this wonderfully inspiring, romantic, and well-written novel touching nearly all of the holiday themes of love, giving and redemption. My one reservation in the story was the subtle, yet unnecessary act of vengeful witchcraft that pushed the paranormal element from plausible to fantasy. However, it did not detract from the tone of the tale and will be acceptable to many readers.

Dr. James Pellitere, a well-respected criminal psychiatrist, is directed to a secret prison for wealthy convicted felons in order to assess one of the inmates, Adrian Bolt, who was convicted of chopping up his wife, Alicia, in a German castle they had acquired overlooking the town of Verliege. Adrian has not said a word for over two years since he was found next to his wife's body holding a bloody sword, so Dr. James is surprised when Adrian suddenly begins to calmly tell him about the castle and the ghostly residents he and his wife discovered and interacted with right up to the time of his wife's murder, for which Adrian proclaims he was not responsible. A shocking event soon forces Dr. James to recruit a team of investigators to move into the castle to discover the truth about Alicia's murder and Adrian's claims. It doesn't take long for the spectral denizens to make themselves known, disrupting the team's skepticism and confidence in whether they will make it out of the castle alive. This was a very well-written ghost tale that grabbed my interest and pushed my fear buttons with the deadly twists and turns, bringing back memories of another classic novel, "Hell House" by Richard Matheson. I did find the thematic foundation of the ending to be controversial, but acceptable for paranormal fiction.

While the story was a good idea and the setting was well established, the writing in this book was incredibly poor and hard to read. I did read it though because I wanted to know what would happen. Great book idea, poorly executed.

The Black Witch is the tale of a haunted ship and the harrowing tale of its passengers on the high seas without radio communication. Rich with nautical and historical detail, The Black Witch makes you feel you are there on board the doomed vessel, and will have you wondering at every turn. Just when you think the hapless sailors and passengers have escaped, hold your breath again, for it's not a safe harbor they've found.
I recommend this book for any lover of the paranormal and/or fan of seafaring tales.

Ghosts of the North Carolina Shores is a 160 page book authored by Micheal Rivers and published by Schiffer Publishing in 2010. Micheal is one of the founding members of the Smoky Mountain Ghost Trackers Society located in Western North Carolina. The book contains eleven chapters of a wide variety of paranormal reports in various counties throughout North Carolina. Stories include wartime ghosts, nighttime ghosts, lingering spirits, mysterious lights, cemetery ghosts, watery ghosts, and more. The book has a brief introduction and a concise appendix as well. Rivers’ writing style is smooth and it makes for an easy read. He brings each account to life with his in depth description of reported occurrences. The included illustrations also bring the book to life for the reader. Rivers’ shares paranormal accounts from everyday people.

Fantastic stories include reports of what was first believed to be a reenactment of a battle in Bentonville that later proved to be an actually ghostly sighting, people discovering that their new homes are inhabited by some unexpected paranormal guests, sightings of long dead sentries from the past, sightings of ghostly soldiers, and repeated sightings of mysterious balls of fire seemingly rising up out of a local cemetery and bouncing of a nearby home, leaving nothing in its wake but some ash as evidence of its presence. Definitely and intriguing read and highly recommended.