RIVER OF FIRE:
An older and wiser Krystal Sutherland, heroine of A Face in the River, is at it again. First and Third Worlds collide in River of Fire, an absorbing cross-cultural adventure novel that grapples with hard issues of power, wealth, family ties, environmental terrorism, and personal absolution in conscientious and courageous ways. Will the island and people of Emerelda survive the devastation of a major volcanic eruption? Will Krystal, aka “The Green Goddess,” find her way back home from California?
Here’s what Alick Lazare, author of the historical Caribbean novels Pharcel and Kalinago Blood, has to say: ‘The tone of River of Fire is lyrical and fast-paced. The descriptions of multi-cultural characters and varied landscapes are vivid and authentic as the seamless series of events spans the distance between the glittering sophistication of California and the rainforests of rustic Emerelda. Romantic dreams are tinged with stark reality in this story of love, courage, and dedication to preserve what is best in nature and the human experience.’
Click here to read an excerpt from River of Fire.
A Face in the River:
Twice divorced, middle-age American businesswoman Krystal Sutherland is bored with her conventional job and her lifestyle. When she takes a well deserved break to the Caribbean, she falls in love with a wild and beautiful island as well as her rugged mountain guide Sham. But things get complicated when she returns to the States. After much soul searching, Krystal decides to leave her ailing mother, her excellent job and her first world boyfriend behind to follow her heart. At first her tropical adventure is all bliss, but soon the dark side of “paradise” steeped in rum, obeah, and betrayal casts its shadow on her dream romance.
Will Krystal tuck her tail and run back to her former life, or pick up the pieces and try to create a new one?
Click here to read an excerpt from A Face in the River.
Where to Buy
Published by Simelda’s own imprint, River Ridge Press, the book is available locally at Jay’s Bookstore, Papillote Wilderness Retreat, and Kai- K Boutique.
- Order the paperback online from the Visit-Dominica.com Website (ships anywhere in the world ).
- Purchase from Amazon in the Kindle format or as a Create Space paperback.
Jewels of the Caribbean:
This collection of 15 short stories features writers from across the Caribbean. Three of the stories are contributed by authors from Dominica including Kristine’s Brother – the story of a man who fluctuates between fame and pain but who finds comfort and relief in devastating circumstances.
This is what the publisher, Potbake Productions, has to say about the book:
“Somewhere out there, hidden in the countless and perhaps dusty manuscripts, lies the untapped wealth of West Indian literary genius, trembling to manifest itself publicly, not necessarily for the sale of acclaim, but to share the jackpot of fertile Caribbean imaginations with anyone who would take the time to notice.
But the dilemma remains: how, as an emerging writer does one succeed in the publishing arena? Understanding this need for continued and deserved exposure of active minds, Potbake Productions has published another anthology of short stories by the region’s finest emerging writers”.
You can purchase Jewels of the Caribbean here.
Kristine’s work has also been published in the following journals:
“Rocky,” and “Island Time,” St Somewhere Journal
“Oracle of the Zemi,” ProudFlesh
“Truth be Told,” and “Dellis,” Poui: Cave Hill Journal of Creative Writing
“Who in de Kitchen,” Interviewing the Caribbean, Vol. 1, No.1
“The Real Caribbean,” and “The Woodsman,” Akashic’s Duppy Thursday
“Brother, Revisited,” Ingenta FICT 6.1: Caribbean Women’s: New Voices, Emerging Perspectives
The poem “Stormy Weather,” WomanSpeak, A Journal of Writing and Art by Caribbean Women, Vol. 8, 2016
Stormy Weather
Mama Glo sings a ballad to the blue sea.
Black stones the size of clenched fists rattle in white foam.
Golden sand settles in the footprints of our troubled past,
But cannot erase the bleak forecast of what might come.
Beware.
Wizened seabirds set themselves on cruise control.
Dolphins come in close and hug the shore.
And the ancient rock that guards the entrance to the bay
Broods like a worried grandmother.
Encore?
Take heed, my dears; the weather is getting tight.
Temptation stalks the horizon. Big ships filled with fools bring
Trinkets of seawalls, flushing toilets, and logos on sneakers
That conspire to hold us captive in our second-hand land.
Slaves.
World news colors our authentic island view; a curtain
Drawn from archives of sweat and sorrow and pain.
Flurries of kapok blown from the mountain are trivial
Compared to the icy blast that hitchhikes on our warm tropical air.
Stunned,
We shuffle like mindless zombies doomed to submission.
And forfeit the dream the Maroons held skintight
To new masters who disrespect our culture and sovereignty.
Yet we want, we need, we crave what they have,
But at what price?
Until the exquisite smell of fresh Dorado blood
Is bludgeoned to death by the stench of KFC?
And the prospect of a lovely sancoche is drowned
In a hurricane of boxes of macaroni and cheese?
Élas.
We were lost then found now lost again.
How much of our legacy are we willing to prostitute
In search of a sugar-coated daddy to betray us as before?
What other prince would dare rescue us from ourselves?
And how soon?
Ripe mangoes slam down on the roof in thunderous reply.
They splatter like manna sent from a generous heaven.
And the sweetness that runs down our chins, arms, and legs
Reminds Caribbean women to stick together for the time.
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