Book Review: Powerless, By: Vicky Ball

           I finished this book, what seems like, months ago.  I’ve had a lot of things come up within the time since finishing it, (See my most recent blogpost if you’re curious) and writing this review had unfortunately been pushed to the back burner.  However, the plot of a book like this is not easily forgettable.  It’s one of those that you keep thinking about over and over.  I had no trouble recalling the way this book made me feel.

What a terrifying thriller of exploitation and deceit.  Vicky Ball knocked it out the park with her debut novel, Powerless—a dark glimpse into a world that some may want to pretend doesn’t exist.  With every page, I cringed at the way each character was manipulated with promises of a life that was sure to never come.  I felt deeply for each one of them and squirmed at the thought of how easily something like this could happen in real life—and surely has.  Connecting with characters on this kind of level isn't easy, but Ball pulled it off with ease.  

The plot tackles a delicate topic for some, but one that needs to be talked about all the same.  Ball chose to tell the story from different points of view (love this by the way), so I got a clear perspective of why Beth and Abby reacted to certain situations the way they did, and their counteractions as well.  These characters didn’t make choices just to move the story along, they took actions that coincided with the nature of who they were and the life which they had been dealt.  It made them more real, and more believable.  Well done!

When you pick up this book, you’re going to have a hard time putting it down.  The flow kept my interest piqued the whole way through, and I wasn’t ready for the twist ending.  Suspense, thrills, mystery, tragedy—what more could you ask for?  I’ll be one of the first to grab a copy of Vicky Ball’s next book!

Powerless is enrolled in the Kindle Unlimited program, so if you’re a member, you can read it for free!  Available now on Amazon!       

"Mike! Where've You Been??"

I feel like I have been on hiatus from reading and writing for weeks now.  My presence of social media has even waned so far that I’ve had a friend on twitter reach out via DM to make sure I was okay.  The truth is, I have been on hiatus.  There has been a lot of things going on in my personal life and I’m finding it extremely difficult to focus on writing.  Therefore, I decided it best to set my creative endeavors aside for a month or so till things level out.  I know I’m not the only would-be author out there who has had to take a break for real world priorities—but knowing that hasn’t exactly made this any easier. 

Warning:  **This next paragraph is going to sound like a long-winded rant**

So, what’s been going on?  You mean besides having to take care of my dad’s farm while he was hospitalized with Covid, (Thank God he’s home now and doing fine) and my wife’s grandparents who have unfortunately reached a point in their lives where they need extra care and can no longer take care of themselves?  Well, just before Thanksgiving, I made the decision to close my construction company that I’ve owned and operated over the past fifteen years.  I’ve done very well with my business, but I believe the past two years have convinced me that it’s time to do something different.  Afterall, though I’ve only owned my own business for the past fifteen years, I’ve been doing this work for twenty-two years.  I think in a lot of ways, I’m just burned out with it.  I’ve unfortunately caught a lot of flack from my regular customers, and suppliers about my decision.  My quitting, though I’ve not left anyone suddenly hanging, or any unfinished projects—it’s causing an awkward amount of disappointment.  I won’t lie, their words have been weighing on me and affecting my mood some days—I don’t like this feeling that I’m letting people down.  They of course don’t see the constant stress and frustrations that I deal with every day, not to mention the taxing effects that the manual labor has had on my body.  I’ve spoken with several close friends who all agree that I should try to ignore those hurtful words as those people aren’t looking out for my best interests, but their own.  There are other people out there who are willing and qualified to fill in for my absence, it’s just that none of these people want to be bothered with having to replace me.    

**End of Rant Paragraph**

Well, never mind all of that.  So, what am I going to be doing with myself?  Well, one of the tipping point reasons for my decision to close up shop was because I was offered a very nice salaried position with a safety training company that is literally two minutes down the road from my house!  The pay won’t be as lucrative as owning my own business was, but it will be more than enough for my family and I to get by on and put back some money as well.  Not to mention this new job is far less stressful.

I started my new job only three days ago.  So far, I love it, and I don’t see any reason why I won’t just retire from this position one day. (That is, unless I write a best seller that sells millions of copies!)  As I’m finding my new stride at my new job, so will I find my new time to read and write.  Stay tuned.  I’ve got more stories to fill your head with!

Thanks for reading!