Reviews for MARY AND THE GODDESS OF EPHESUS
ForeWord Clarion
Five Stars (out of Five)
Building a novel around the mother of Jesus is a brave, bold, and difficult undertaking, one sure to create controversy in some camps. A former seminarian, Melanie Bacon is to be applauded for her courage, as well as her ability to bring this woman so beautifully and believably to life in Mary and the Goddess of Ephesus: The Continued Life of the Mother of Jesus.
The author portrays Mary not so much as the Holy Virgin Mother but as a heartsick, anguished parent mourning the loss of her only son. Bacon’s Mary is very human. The reader feels her pain and confusion over how Christ’s followers manipulate his words and actions to further their own religious, political, and personal agendas.
While not quite an indictment of the early church, Saint Paul and other religious figures are often portrayed in a less-than-holy light. That they reference Jesus’ teachings as they set up doctrines of celibacy and decry so many pleasures of life makes Mary wonder if they really knew her son at all.
As Paul borrows heavily from the rites of Artemis, Dionysius, and other pagan gods to create a liturgy, he further mystifies Mary and John, the disciple who accompanies her to Ephesus. Finally, when Paul first performs communion with the words, “This is my body, given to you. Take it and divide it among you. Do this in remembrance of me,” John becomes “disturbed.” Turning to Mary, John says: “I don’t remember him saying that. Do you remember him saying that?”
Such questions about how Christianity evolved in the first twenty years after the death of Jesus are raised throughout the novel. Each chapter ends with Mary asking a question or making a comment to her son, as if he were standing by her side. In one such passage she wonders, “If my son is divine, who am I?”
Bacon writes beautifully. Her descriptions of people, places, and daily life in the Roman world during the time of Jesus appear to be well-researched and, at times, quite vivid. Mary is very much a real person in Bacon’s novel—as are the Jews and gentiles, Christians and pagans, and Greeks and Romans she encounters and often befriends.
That Bacon has made Mary a grieving, human figure may disappoint, or even anger, some readers. Nonetheless, Bacon’s portrait of a woman who holds such an important place in Christian history makes for a very interesting read.
Mark G. McLaughlin
Kirkus Indie Review
Exotic customs, spiritual upheavals and personal growth surround Mary, mother of Jesus, in her new life in Ephesus in Bacon’s in-depth historical drama.
It’s been a year since Mary lost her son, Jesus, and grief still consumes her. Since Jerusalem is not safe, Mary has moved to Ephesus to heal and to assist John, her son’s devoted disciple, and his fledgling church within the Jewish Diaspora community. Though bewildered by the Greco-Roman society’s worship of Artemis, the goddess protector of the city, and by the people’s strange customs, Mary tries to find her niche in this world. She becomes the Judean guardian of the sacred spring and performs the purification ritual for the Jewish people. Yet she eagerly awaits her son’s return and prays to him every night, asking him for guidance as she navigates new friendships and unfamiliar sights. But it is the appearance of Paul and his claims of her son’s divinity that throws all that she knows into disarray. How can she reconcile her Jewish faith with Paul’s preaching and her admiration for the Greek religion she’s come to respect? For Mary, it’s a journey fraught with emotional turmoil, enlightenment and spiritual soul-searching—one that will lead to a startling conclusion. Bacon has certainly done her research, and the reader will be immersed in the rich history and customs of the biblical world. Her meticulous descriptions sometimes slow the narrative, though those who are fascinated by such detail will relish each one. But it is in crafting Mary’s character that Bacon shines as she adds another dimension to a woman known mostly for being Jesus’ mother. Also fascinating is the intimate glimpse into Paul’s ministry and how it was received by the different cultures. Mary personifies how many must have felt in hearing this bold new message that clearly conflicted with the Jewish faith.
Though the tradition of Mary in Ephesus is more myth than fact, this is nevertheless a fascinating account of what might have been.
Reviews for WELCOME HOME, MAJOR BEARCLAW
Bookgasm
I don’t often review independently published books because in general, a) nine times out of 10, they’re crap, and b) well, maybe it’s 9.5 times out of 10. But I was very pleasantly surprised by debut novelist Melanie Bacon’s WELCOME HOME, MAJOR BEARCLAW, a novel set within the fictional world of the Spider Cloud Indian tribe.
The tribe, located near Minneapolis, sports a hugely popular casino that enables blooded tribe members to live on a healthy income. The current tribal leaders are attempting to decrease the blood percent necessary to enroll in the per-capita program, which is the way the casino money is distributed to various tribe members. Not everyone is happy about decreasing the percentage because the pot will be diffused.
There are other problems with the casino management. Julia, Major Ernie Bearclaw’s wife, has proven that the significant employee turnover is the result of mismanagement and has caused the casino to lose tons of profits. Angered by this, the tribal leader insists that Julia convince her husband to agree to the diminished blood quantum resolution, or that her own children will never be enrolled.
And then Julia’s report is leaked to the press. All hell breaks loose, and Ernie Bearclaw is found shot on the reservation grounds. He’s alive but in a coma. Could this have anything to do with the resolution, and how will the tribal leaders withstand both an attempted murder and an allegation of mismanagement?
WELCOME HOME, MAJOR BEARCLAW is less of a mystery (we know who the culprit is right away) and more of a comedic novel of manners set within an
intriguing backdrop of contemporary Indian life. The characters come to life and it’s obvious the author has a lot of love and care for who they are as individuals. The somewhat bewildering array of elders and minor characters all seem like fertile ground for further installments in the series. You might want to get in on the ground floor and give this one a try. —Mark Rose
Bookgasm
I don’t often review independently published books because in general, a) nine times out of 10, they’re crap, and b) well, maybe it’s 9.5 times out of 10. But I was very pleasantly surprised by debut novelist Melanie Bacon’s WELCOME HOME, MAJOR BEARCLAW, a novel set within the fictional world of the Spider Cloud Indian tribe.
The tribe, located near Minneapolis, sports a hugely popular casino that enables blooded tribe members to live on a healthy income. The current tribal leaders are attempting to decrease the blood percent necessary to enroll in the per-capita program, which is the way the casino money is distributed to various tribe members. Not everyone is happy about decreasing the percentage because the pot will be diffused.
There are other problems with the casino management. Julia, Major Ernie Bearclaw’s wife, has proven that the significant employee turnover is the result of mismanagement and has caused the casino to lose tons of profits. Angered by this, the tribal leader insists that Julia convince her husband to agree to the diminished blood quantum resolution, or that her own children will never be enrolled.
And then Julia’s report is leaked to the press. All hell breaks loose, and Ernie Bearclaw is found shot on the reservation grounds. He’s alive but in a coma. Could this have anything to do with the resolution, and how will the tribal leaders withstand both an attempted murder and an allegation of mismanagement?
WELCOME HOME, MAJOR BEARCLAW is less of a mystery (we know who the culprit is right away) and more of a comedic novel of manners set within an
intriguing backdrop of contemporary Indian life. The characters come to life and it’s obvious the author has a lot of love and care for who they are as individuals. The somewhat bewildering array of elders and minor characters all seem like fertile ground for further installments in the series. You might want to get in on the ground floor and give this one a try. —Mark Rose
Reviews for THE DEADEST GUN IN THE WEST
Note: this review is for the manuscript version of Chapter 1, reviewed by an Amazon Expert Review for the 2013 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award contest.
ABNA Expert Reviewer
What is the strongest aspect of this excerpt?
The humor is the best aspect: guffawing several times, and chuckling throughout the whole excerpt, this reader, as Jane Austen might say, was excessively diverted.
Trying to place everything he’s seeing and hearing into his concept of a whorehouse, Franklin is happy to hear of staff and tower, is enamored of the “mellifluous” names, is confused by the largeness of the reticules, and is excited about the exotic underwear. This excerpt would crack up the most “cantankerous” of readers.
What aspect needs the most work?
Nothing needs work; nothing needs changing. This excerpt shows true writing talent and a vivid imagination. It is a delight to read.
What is your overall opinion of this excerpt?
Not just a current mystery seen through the eyes of a dead man, no - a mystery seen through the eyes of an old west ghost, who thinks he’s awakened from death in a
whorehouse! In a voice true to a western man from the late 1800's, Franklin speaks with hilarious truth, and is an eccentric and amusing character. The writing is so incredibly clever, so funny, I wish that I could give more than five stars for originality and writing skills. Thankfully, I’m not “inured by now to such wonders” so when this is published, I can read the rest of this book.
Note: this review is for the manuscript version of Chapter 1, reviewed by an Amazon Expert Review for the 2013 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award contest.
ABNA Expert Reviewer
What is the strongest aspect of this excerpt?
The humor is the best aspect: guffawing several times, and chuckling throughout the whole excerpt, this reader, as Jane Austen might say, was excessively diverted.
Trying to place everything he’s seeing and hearing into his concept of a whorehouse, Franklin is happy to hear of staff and tower, is enamored of the “mellifluous” names, is confused by the largeness of the reticules, and is excited about the exotic underwear. This excerpt would crack up the most “cantankerous” of readers.
What aspect needs the most work?
Nothing needs work; nothing needs changing. This excerpt shows true writing talent and a vivid imagination. It is a delight to read.
What is your overall opinion of this excerpt?
Not just a current mystery seen through the eyes of a dead man, no - a mystery seen through the eyes of an old west ghost, who thinks he’s awakened from death in a
whorehouse! In a voice true to a western man from the late 1800's, Franklin speaks with hilarious truth, and is an eccentric and amusing character. The writing is so incredibly clever, so funny, I wish that I could give more than five stars for originality and writing skills. Thankfully, I’m not “inured by now to such wonders” so when this is published, I can read the rest of this book.