Gwendolyn WomackReseñas

Fun read.

This book had such an interesting plot. I think this is the author's first book, and you could tell in the writing style, but overall I enjoyed it.

Romance.

The Fortune Teller is the story of Semele, an antiques translator and assessor who has been sent to appraise a manuscript collection to prepare for auction. Semele however whilst translating the manuscript discovers her name mentioned in the script which is supposedly from the age of Cleopatra. The premise sounds intriguing, but for me the book is disappointing. The events throughout history are interesting to note, as was the history of tarot cards. but the story itself is farfetched , and the writing, colourless. Semele, who is supposedly an educated professional in her work, seemed to me , shallow, petulant and self absorbed, in fact none of the other characters had much depth. I kept reading though, to see how things ended.½

This book had so much potential, but the execution the author took killed it, burned its body, and scattered its ashes in the Sahara.

Silly, trite, and facile.

A ,little formulaic but still really enjoyable. Solid summer read.

I didn't know how to classify this book that I got off the new books shelf at the library. Is it romance? Fiction? Science fiction? All three? It was weird, at any rate. Does art imitate life, or vice versa? Mental time travel, love between two seriously troubled individuals, murder and greed play a part in Gwendolyn Womack's first novel. I guess that paintings of one's nightmares would either make you rich or make you a pauper. Interesting concept.

Imagine you pick up an item and suddenly you “see” it’s history through time. You feel the emotions that are tied to the people that have owned or even touched the item. Such is the gift – or curse – that Roan West has lived since he was very young. He has learned to live with the ability and copes by wearing gloves all the time, only taking them off when he wants to read an object or person. He knows several others with the same abilities and one of them joins him regularly to go rock climbing. When this friend fails to meet him after requesting a climb Roan becomes concerned. When another like him also goes missing he gets worried. As this is happening to his friends he learns of another young woman with the same ability and fears that she too may be targeted.

Roan flies to California to talk to the woman, Melicent and finds he is attracted to her. A disconcerting feeling for he swore he was not going to fall in love again. Melicent does not understand her skill, she only knows it has allowed her to find some valuable artifacts to help keep money in the bank after her mother died and she was left to care for her younger brother. She does not believe that she could be in danger. But then something happens and she and her brother are taken to safety by Roan as they then try to figure out what is going on.

Every now and then I love to get lost in a book that follows a traditional plot but leaves reality behind. Here we have a mysterious, uber-rich, handsome man who uses his talents and money to help people as the hero. He’s a little wounded but he meets a woman who shares his talent, is caring and anxious to help him find his missing friend. Add in the possibility of seeing the past, possibly changing time and an author that knows how to set the mood to keep the pages turning and you have a book that steals your heart and bends your mind.½

Roan West has a unique talent, he is a pyschometrist- a person who can read the imprinted memories on an object or person just by using his sense of touch. There are only a handful of pyschometrists in the world and since a recent discovery of strange artifacts dubbed ooparts, psychometrists have been gone missing, including Roan's friend, Stuart. Ooparts, or Out of Place Objects are artifacts that originated in one time period, but are unearthed in rock from a previous time period. The ooparts carry a mystery to be unlocked, and someone believes that the pyschometrists are the key. When Roan hears of a new pyschometrist in LA, Melicent, he rushes out to meet her and warn her that she is now a target. When Roan and Melicent meet, sparks fly and Melicent finds herself in immediate danger. Now, Roan is racing the clock to find out the secret of the ooparts and to keep Melicent and the other pyschometrists safe.

Exciting and distinctive, The Time Collector creates an amazing world with people who are able to read the past off of an object. If I could have any superpower, I would definitely choose this one. Because of Roan's ability, he has been able to live the lives of countless people throughout history. Roan has experienced violence, trauma, love, happiness, greed, fame and many other emotions through the objects he has touched making him a extremely complex, sympathetic and well rounded individual who decided to carefully watch how he used his powers. Melicent was a complimentary counterpart to Roan. While their relationship progressed quickly, it was aided by their abilities to read each other. I loved taking the trips into history and experiencing the emotions and journeys connected to each object. Through the objects I was reminded of the importance of artifacts as well as our inner ties to objects that we posses. With a surprising and action packed ending, The Time Collector is an exhilarating genre-bending thriller.

This book was received for free in return for an honest review.

This is the second book I have read by this author. The first was The Fortune Teller. That book was so good that when I saw this newest book from Ms. Womack that I could not wait to read it. Well I am happy to report that it is even better. With this uphill stride; I can't wait to see what Ms. Womack comes out with next. Sadly, I have to wait as this book is the newest one currently.

Roan's gift is very intriguing. Imagine touching an object and learning the history behind it. Visually as if he lived that person's life. Melicent has an amazing ability as well. Together these to worked well together.

Ms. Womack pens a rich storyline with engaging characters in The Time Collector. I was transported within the pages of this book. I didn't want to leave. I started this book and found myself finishing it within a matter of a few short hours. Make sure that The Time Collector is in your shopping cart.

The Time Collector

A fascinating and unique trip across time, continents and history with just the touch of a hand

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

SUMMARY
Roan West is a highly skilled psychometrist, able to perceive the past of any object he touches. He uses his talents to find, sell and even return valuable antiques. Stuart, a fellow psychometrist and Roan’s close friend, has just unearthed several “ooparts”, out-of-place-artifacts that challenge recorded history. Soon after this remarkable discovery, Stuart disappears, making him one of several psychometrists who have died mysteriously in recent months or vanished without a trace. When Roan comes across a YouTube video of a young woman who has discovered a priceless pocket watch by “sensing” it, he knows he has to warn her about the danger—but will Melicent Tilpin listen? And can Roan find Stuart before it’s too late?

REVIEW
Once again, Gwendolyn Womack has created a fascinating and unique tale of mystery, intrigue and adventure. Her writing is engaging and keeps you on the edge of your seat. She allows Roan and his extraordinary gift to take us on a perilous journey across time, across continents and across history. Just imagine being able to travel through time and transcend the laws of nature with just the touch of your hand.

Roan and Melicent are both captivating characters that ground the story in reality with their quest to find Stuart. They are the compass for this otherworldly tale of suspense with just a little romance thrown in.

I had the pleasure of hearing Gwendolyn Womack talk about this book a year ago and couldn’t wait for it to come out. I have absolutely loved both of her previous books: The Memory Painter and The Fortune Teller. Womack is originally from Houston, Texas. She moved to Alaska for college to become an environmental scientist and ended up in the theater department writing plays. Later she went on to receive an MFA in Directing Theatre, Video & Cinema from California Institute of the Arts. Currently she resides in Los Angeles with her family and collects kaleidoscopes and paints as a hobby.

Thanks to Netgalley, Gwendolyn Womack and Picador Macmillan for an advance reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Publisher Picador-Macmillan
Published April 16, 2019
Review www.bluestockingreviews.com

Fast paced, incredibly interesting premise, but this book could have used a good editing. There are too many (historic) stories and characters to follow - with no real character development. A member of our book group asked which character we liked best, and everyone sat silent. We didn't know them well enough to like/dislike. It's an easy read, but an abrupt ending, unsatisfying ending. I felt there must be a sequel in the works (which I hate when reading a book) and had to search back through the book to find out who an important resolution character even was. It had potential, but should have been much better.

Very interesting premise (if not truly original) with fascinating dips into history. This book reminded me of the children's chapter book series "The Magic Treehouse" by Mary Pope Osborne, in that as a reader, I was given a glimpse into moments in history that motivated me to do further research. In this book, the two protagonists have lived many past lives (none of them dull or "normal") and one remembers most of them, the other does not. They meet cute and we are then taken on an adventure as there are forces that will try to stop them from being together and from remembering everything...

My problem with the book is that the characters did not feel fully realized and I did not buy their instant attraction. A bigger issue was that the author relied on "telling" rather then "showing" us what happens, how people feel etc. There were endless descriptive cliches that I found very annoying. The ending felt very rushed and purposely left open for a sequel, ugh.

As others have noted, the author did a very good job writing a treatment for a movie, I can easily see this being a better film than it was a novel.

The Fortune Teller
Gwendolyn Womack

MY RATING ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
PUBLISHER Blackstone Audio
PUBLISHED June 8, 2017
NARRATED Lisa Flanagan, Robin Miles

A fascinating mystery involving libraries, ancient manuscripts and an woman who can see both the past and the future.

SUMMARY
Semele Cavnow appraises artifacts for an prestigious New York auction house. In Switzerland, at the home of a recently deceased manuscript collector she discovers an ancient manuscript written in the time of Cleopatra. The manuscript’s author, the daughter of a librarian, tells the story of her decendents forward in time along with a priceless deck of tarot cards. As Semele translates the manuscript she realizes it is so much more than she originally thought. She discovers she is personally connected to both the manuscript and the cards. Her name is in the manuscript. How can that be? Once she is back in the United States, Semele feels that she is being followed, and may be in danger, but she is determined to figure out the mystery of her connection. When bad things start happening around her, she knows there may be only one person that can help. Theo Bossard is her client, his family owned the manuscript and he should know what it means. Will he help her? Can she trust him?

“Whatever the cards show you, always trust the words that well inside you. The truth is waiting to be heard. Never doubt it.”

REVIEW
The Fortune Teller is a fascinating travel through history from the time of the Library of Alexandria to the conclusion of World War II. The story creatively alternates back and forth through time, from what Semele is reading in the manuscript to the mystery she is experiencing in the present. Semele’s character is a bluestocking strong women, who doesn’t back down from a fight. Gwendolyn Womack has created another irresistible story to follow her gripping debut novel The Memory Painter (2015). Her writing is engaging and captivating. The Fortune Teller should not be missed, it’s a fabulous read.

This book had all the elements that I think make a great page turner: ancient manuscripts, libraries, ancient history, mystery, danger, and romance. Who could ask for more.

THE MEMORY PAINTER
Gwendolyn Womack

MY RATING ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
PUBLISHER Picador
PUBLISHED May 2015

SUMMARY
Ryan Pierce is a reclusive, but internationally known artist. His skills and success as an artist are renown, and the images he paints comes from his dreams. His studio walls are covered in paintings to numerous to count. Each painting more vivid than the next, captures a different time in history, a different place and each depict an intimate moment in a person's life or death. Because he can remember intricate details and feelings Brian believes these dreams may actually be flashbacks to other lives he may have lived. He hopes that showing his works to others, may lead him to answers about the meaning of dreams.

Linz Jacobs is a Nuero-geneticist at Medicor, one of the world's largest pharmaceutical companies. She is currently decoding the DNA genes for memories. While attending an art opening, at some friends' gallery, Linz recognizes the scene in one of Brian's paintings as exactly that of a haunting recurring childhood nightmare she had had. It was a chilling scene of a beautiful woman being burned at the stake while a priest, prisoners and guards look on. The details captured her dream so accurately she needed an explanation. She absolutely has to meet the artist. Upon meeting, Brian and Linz have an instant and intense connection. Brian believes that Linz may be able to help him unlock the meaning behind these dreams.

But meeting Linz has triggered another intense and harrowing dream for Brian. It's a horrific explosion in a research lab where a team of scientists were just on the verge of discovering a cure for Alzheimer's. Several of the scientists were killed. The research project was destroyed. Brian is driven to find out more about this project. Linz know nothing about this research. Working together, Bryan and Linz try to find a key to explain Bryan's dreams. But it may not be so easy. Someone is trying to prevent them from getting to close to the truth.

REVIEW
This is no ordinary book. THE MEMORY PAINTER is a complex story which is beautifully crafted into an easy-to-read novel. It's a novel containing historical fiction, a medical thriller, science fiction, time travel and romance, all woven together in a unique and captivating way. I can't stop talking about this book, and yet it's so hard to adequately describe. It must be read. I was telling all my friends about this novel before I was even halfway through it. I was also scouring the Internet for clues on whether the historical people and events were real.

Brian and Linz's characters are strong and well-developed. You can't help but pull for them. Their story will stretch your imagination and keep you guessing. It is filled with twists, turns, betrayal, love and hope. And travel. Brian's dreams takes him from a duel in Russia in 1837, to a samurai performing seppuku in Japan in 1702, to a Viking exploration in Greenland in 986 and to a monastery in China in 527. It sounds crazy, but it all make sense and you can't help but want more.

A instrumental portion of the story centers around the Alzheimer's research project from 1982. Womack, creatively uses excerpts from one of the scientist's research journals to tell the story of the project, the team and the project results. The journals help give authenticity Brian's dreams.

GWENDOLYN WOMACK does a fabulous job weaving the story in her debut novel. THE MEMORY PAINTER was the winner of the 2016 RWA PRISM award in the time travel/steampunk category and a finalist for best first novel. Her second novel will be released in June 2017 and I for one can't wait. Thanks to Serna at Heath and Soul for the recommendation.

The book has all the aspects I enjoy -- an ancient manuscript; the mysterious inclusion of the main character and thriller aspects. Semele Cavnow appraises antiquities and finds her name in an ancient Greek manuscript. Turns out the manuscript contains the lineage of those that have the ability to see into the future.

I have to be honest that in the beginning, when I was reading the summary I was intrigued. Yet, something changed after I picked up the book and I had doubts. So, I put it back down without starting it. After a little while, I came back to the book as you could say my curiosity got the better of me. After, reading this book, I now, I wished that I did not wait so long to pick up this book. #Instalove

Right from the beginning there was an aura of mystery and intrigue that pulled me into the story as well as the characters. Semele's love for her work made me find it interesting. Theo was a bit of a mystery himself. As the story progressed, more and more information was revealed about him.

However, the real meat of the story was the manuscript. The way that the story alternated from the past to the present was seamless. The deeper Semele dug into the history of the manuscript the richer the story got. The Fortune Teller is a fascinating read steeped in an rich storyline with intriguing characters!

This is my second book by Ms. Womack. Her books combine present and past with a bit of mysticism which makes them very interesting to read. In the case of The Fortune Teller the reader is taken back almost to the dawn of history through a set of Tarot that are traced through time.

Semele is a young woman who is an expert on ancient manuscripts and she is sent to Switzerland to inventory the library of a recently deceased man who owns some fine pieces from ancient history. As she is finishing up she discovers a private diary of a woman who seems to be detailing a future she could not have known. In reading the book Semele comes across her name. It’s almost as if the diary is speaking to her.

As Semele reads/translates the diary she finds herself lost in the story of the woman who wrote it. She also finds herself being followed. The owner of the manuscript is an intriguing man and is very knowing and concerned for her safety. As her life starts to fall apart; her work is taken from her, she has issues with her mother and her boyfriend doesn’t understand her need to finish the translation of the diary. She is driven to find out how it ends but someone is trying to control her from outside. She and the owner of the diary work together to sort it all out.

I find I really can’t do justice to this book without giving things away. The book starts in the time of the Pharoahs and dips into history at various points in time. The book rips right along at a good pace and the plot is fascinating. I was caught by surprised at the end and I just love when that happens with a book. The characters – well at least the main ones are well developed and three dimensional. Some of the ancillary characters are a little less fleshed out but they don’t play big roles. It was a fun and entertaining read.

Bryan is a reclusive artist who paints his dreams. He has started showing his paintings in hopes that someone will recognize them for what they are and hopefully help him. For he has been having these dreams all of his life and despite his mother sending him to psychiatrists and hospitals no one has been able to explain why he descends into this dream world. He ultimately figures out that he is reliving and absorbing past lives; he awakens with the memories, feelings, knowledge and language of the person about whom he is dreaming.

One day he meets Linz and feels an instant connection. They flirt a bit and she unknowingly goes to an exhibit of his work her friends are promoting. There she sees one of his works that depicts a dream she has had since childhood. She needs to know how he knows the details of her dream. She doesn’t know at this point that the artist is the man she was flirting with earlier.

As Bryan realizes that Linz is essential to his understanding what causes his dreams he tries to get her to understand what he experiences but she is skeptical. She does not want to believe that it can be past lives. But as time goes on she has no choice but to see that she and Bryan have been connected for a very long time.

I was hooked with this book from the very first page. The whole concept of the book is really unique and it kept my interest. I totally enjoyed the forays into the past to explore Bryan’s past lives. The idea of meeting the same soul over and over throughout time albeit in different human forms is intriguing and very Karmic. The reason for the whole plot payoff is quite fascinating and the ending set up for the possibility of a sequel which would be most welcome. I’d like to see how the characters go on to finish their journey together through time.½

Lovers, friends, enemies- souls that are continuously playing out their roles in each successive life until they remember their purpose. In the present, Bryan Pierce wakes up from an extraordinary dream and feels the need to paint everything that occurred. He can recall everything about the life of the person he has dreamt about, including the ability to speak their language and perform any special skills that they had. Bryan isn’t just recalling a dream, he is remembering an entire past life, all of the memories have come flooding back at once. Most of all, he remembers the woman from his dream and when he finally meets her in his current life as Linz Jacobs after she recognizes one of his paintings from her dream, he sets in motion a chain of events thousands of years in the making.
The Memory Painter is incredibly unique with vivid writing that pulled me into the book much like people were pulled into Bryan’s paintings. I love the idea of past lives and The Memory Painter used the concept in a creative, magical and intense way. First of all, the past lives that Bryan and eventually Linz remember took me back in time to a wide range of periods and different historical figures. A mystery is teased out with each progressive life as Bryan and Linz are able to piece together their memories, an antagonist appears. One soul has been tearing them apart and killing them off in every lifetime, this aspect had me completely engaged. I thought I had everything figured out as to who the soul was and why they were acting how they were; however with a roller-coaster of twists and turns and finally remembering their first lives in Egypt, everything is turned around. I was continuously pulled into the story as each past life was revealed and Bryan and Linz currently tried to figure out their entwined pasts. Overall, this story is incredibly engaging and inventive, a perfect story to sink your teeth into and devour in one sitting.

This book was received for free in return for an honest review.

Past lives combine in this novel about reincarnation. Bryan has been haunted by his soul's previous lives since his childhood, when no one could understand what was happening to him. As an adult, he finds an outlet in producing paintings of his memories of past lives. When he meets Linz, they have an instant connection - one Linz finds difficult to comprehend. Together, Bryan and Linz start to uncover their past lives and work towards revealing an potential enemy hidden in the past. A fun, gripping read, reminiscent of Ann Brashares' My Name is Memory.

Although this was quite good as a story, I must admit that the audio, although read beautifully by Will Damron, had my mind wandering at different points with some of the stories of the memories. I will give it high marks for being a very clever book, very well thought out with unexpected twists.

RENOVO … developed in the 1970’s by a group of scientists and apparently the miracle drug that would cure Dementia and Alzheimer’s. Lab tests seemed to confirm that it improved the brain’s ability to retrieve memories. Why are scientist never satisfied with successful lab tests and future recognition? Michael, the team leader, while surely tapping his fingers on his chin, pondered on what would happen if someone with a healthy mind took the miracle drug. He decided to try taking Renovo himself (bad idea!) and it seems the answer is that you begin to experience very strange dreams. Dreams that you wake from having acquired skills and languages you did not have before – dreams that turn out to be very real and have very deadly consequences.

In the present day … Bryan has experienced strange dreams his whole life. As a child he was subjected to one psychiatrist after another and even institutionalized. As an adult he deals with the dreams by painting them. Linz, a neuroscientist herself, has her own history with dreams, one recurring dream that haunts her into adulthood. When she attends an art opening she is shocked to see her dream portrayed on canvass. How could the artist have known about her dream?

So starts a trip not only into Bryan and Linz’s intertwined recent past but through 10,000 years of shared history, repeating itself throughout different lifetimes.

I cut my “grown up” reading teeth on books like “The Reincarnation of Peter Proud” and “Audrey Rose” and although I have more than willing wallowed in the horror genre ever since I have not picked up too many books about reincarnation. After reading a few I started to get an overwhelming sense of deja-vu myself. This book was different, giving the whole subject a fairly new spin. Personally, I wouldn’t classify this book as “horror” although there are incredibly creepy moments. It is definitely a thriller with touches of historical fiction, science, a love story and an interesting time travel element. Ms. Womack has combined elements that will appeal to a wide range of readers.

I enjoyed this book very much despite the fact that I felt it started to drag a little bit towards the end. The final “dream” segment was a little lengthy for me and I really wanted the story to move back into the present. When it finally did the revelations came fat and furiously, one after the other – some I saw coming and others I most certainly did not.

An excellent debut novel for Ms. Womack and special praise from this reader in one particular area; considering the number of lifetimes and character names involved she did an amazing writing job because even I managed to keep them straight and sorted through all the action. I did feel there was a not quite complete ending to this book so could there possibly be a sequel in the works?