Paper Castles, a brief review

April 10, 2021April 8, 2021 / Mike / Leave a comment

Paper Castles by B. Fox is a hopeful tragedy.

On the one hand, it offers a bleak realism of people who long for more and dream bigger dreams, but find themselves failing under the weight of unforgiving societal ills and the expectations of others.

On the other hand, it doesn’t leave the reader in despair. Glimmers of light shine in the darkness, even if they’re not always easy to see. There is tragedy and there is hope.

The book is hard to put down. The two main characters are relatable and sympathetic. You can’t help but root for them even when the world seems against them.

4.5/5 stars, an example of indie publishing at its best.

Meet Declan, Robert, and Tanner (a character sketch – Until Summer)

March 29, 2021March 27, 2021 / Mike / Leave a comment

Declan is Meredith’s teenage son–dyed green hair, a bit messy, freckles, and a smile that has a way of getting him out of trouble. Robert is her foster son, a year older–tall, well-kept, and the starting QB of the football team, though insecurities lurk under his facade. They didn’t have an easy start a year ago. One fight landed them both in the ER. Now, they’re like brothers. Meredith loves her life and her boys. All is well. Until the caseworker calls.

Another boy? His name is Tanner and he’s the same age as Declan. That would be three high schoolers crammed into a a single room. And what about the promise she made to her son? No should be the answer and it would be the answer if it was any child but Tanner. When Meredith hears his father’s name, everything changes.

She and Daniel were in love once, though that seemed a long time ago, another life even.

But the shy, red-head boy brings them back together.

Until Summer is a story of love and hope against the darkness of trauma and addiction. You can find it on Amazon for Kindle and Kindle Unlimited and in paperback. Check out the free 3-chapter preview.

Meet Will Hillis (a character sketch – Until Summer)

March 22, 2021March 9, 2021 / Mike / Leave a comment

He wants to be kind and not feel anger all the time, but the scars run too deep.

As her older brother, Will sees himself as Meredith’s protector. He does all he can to fill the gap created by a missing father and to keep her and their little brothers safe from men who seek to harm them. So many things happen, though, that are out of his control. Still, when she gets hurt, he blames himself. It’s a burden no boy should have to carry. He loves her and she loves him, but will that stop the lies that echo in his head?

Meet Daniel Wagner (a character sketch – Until Summer)

March 8, 2021March 8, 2021 / Mike / Leave a comment

He loves his son and longs to be a good dad, but he’s afraid he doesn’t know how.

When Daniel first met Meredith, he was an awkward teenager who was abandoned by his mother and raised by an uncle who struggled to show him love. Smoking pot and singing along with The Smashing Pumpkins helped him to drown out his feelings.

Fast-forward twenty years, and Daniel is struggling to raise his teenage son on his own and break free from his drug addiction. When he hits rock bottom, living in a car and digging for meals in dumpsters, he decides that placing his son back into foster care is the only way to give the boy an opportunity for a better life.

With his son placed as a foster child in Meredith’s home, Daniel reconnects with his old flame. But will it set him on a path toward healing and reunification, or will it give him an excuse to disappear into the demons of his addiction forever?

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Until Summer

February 27, 2021March 30, 2021 / Mike / Leave a comment

A story of love and hope against the darkness of trauma.

Read the first three chapters for free by clicking here (PDF file).

You can purchase the book on Amazon for Kindle and Kindle Unlimited, and in paperback.

They were in love but that seemed a long time ago, a different life. Abused and neglected, Meredith and her brothers spent much of their childhood in foster care. Now she’s a single mom of a teenage boy and foster mom to another, trying to juggle work, children, and dating. Abandoned by his mother, Daniel was raised by an uncle who struggled to show him love. Now he’s an addict warring against himself as he fights not to fail a son of his own. When Daniel’s son is placed as a foster child in Meredith’s home, the two are reunited but what will that mean for them and their families? Until Summer is a story of love and a longing for hope as two people battle the traumas of their pasts in search for a brighter future.

Please note: Though not graphic or explicit, this book deals with trauma and has scenes of abuse, assault, and suicide, which could trigger traumatic memories in some readers.

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Meet Meredith Hillis (a character sketch – Until Summer)

February 22, 2021February 22, 2021 / Mike / Leave a comment

She was in love.

Life for Meredith Hillis finally seemed to be going the way she had long hoped. She had a good job and a stable relationship. She was mom to one teenage boy and foster mom to another. She was happy with all she had.

But when she receives a phone call asking if she has room for another boy, everything will change. Suddenly, the boy’s father, a man she once loved, is thrust back into her life, along with the memories of her broken past.

Meredith is a survivor. As a child, she and her brothers faced abuse that no child ever should. It almost cost her everything. But after her son was born, she found the help and strength she needed to face the trauma of her past and set course to her brighter future.

Until Summer is the story of how Meredith learns to love and holds on to hope even when the past once more rears its head. You can find it on Amazon for Kindle and Kindle Unlimited and in paperback.

“Until Summer” Available Now!

January 30, 2021January 31, 2021 / Mike / Leave a comment

My latest novel is now available on Kindle and Kindle Unlimited and in paperback: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08RSLGHDN/

It is a story of love, hope, and finding light against the darkness of trauma. Foster care is a central theme to the book. I wrote it, in part, because foster care is important to me and there isn’t a wide selection of novels on that topic. There’s kids’ fiction and non-fiction, but it’s harder to find general fiction. The book is a love story. It’s also an ode to foster care. It’s also a book about trauma, which means some of the subject matters in it are hard. I don’t go into explicit details about things, but there are certain events that could be a trigger for traumatic memories, so purchase accordingly.

I would love for you to check it out.

If you read it and like it, I’d love for you to leave a rating or review at Amazon and tell someone else to check it out.

Here’s the blurb from the back cover:

Pre-Order “Until Summer” (and read a sample)

January 17, 2021 / Mike / Leave a comment

My new book Until Summer is available now for Kindle pre-order on Amazon. You can check it out here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08RSLGHDN

Here is the about blurb on Amazon:

They were in love but that seemed a long time ago, a different life. Abused and neglected, Meredith and her brothers spent much of their childhood in foster care. Now she’s a single mom of a teenage boy and foster mom to another, trying to juggle work, children, and dating. Abandoned by his mother, Daniel was raised by an uncle who struggled to show him love. Now he’s an addict warring against himself as he fights not to fail a son of his own. When Daniel’s son is placed as a foster child in Meredith’s home, the two are reunited but what will that mean for them and their families? Until Summer is a story of love and a longing for hope as two people battle the traumas of their pasts in search for a brighter future.

(Note: Until Summer is a book about hope in the face of trauma. There are a few scenes in the book depicting various types of trauma. While these are not graphic or explicit, they could impact the traumatic memories of some people. Purchase accordingly.)

You can read the first few chapters for free here (PDF): https://mikebergmandotco.files.wordpress.com/2021/01/until-summer-sample-28.pdf

Cultivate Future Readers

December 30, 2020 / Mike / Leave a comment

Want to cultivate future readers, writers, and other creatives? Read, read, and read to you children.

It’s a near daily thing in our house. We read about five or six books at the start of the day. Usually, as he grabs them, runs up, and shouts, “Bookie!” as he holds it high.

Yes, my wife and I have read about Llama Llama more than any human being should. But that’s okay. He wants to read because we read to him and we make sure to act excited about it.

Read to your kids, grandkids, nephews, nieces, etc. The future world will thank you.

5 Favorite Authors :: Faves for 40

May 18, 2020May 5, 2020 / Mike / Leave a comment

May is the month I turn 40. To celebrate, I thought I’d do a series of posts about some of my favorite things.

Today: 5 Favorite Authors, in no particular order

1. Francis Schaeffer. He was a well-respected thinker and Christian apologist in the 1960s&70s. Yet, he was not a hardened intellectual. He had great compassion for people as he sought to lead them to Jesus. His works heavily influenced my early faith and continue to challenge me today.

2. CS Lewis. A theologian and a dreamer. Lewis knew how to stir the imagination as well as the soul. His works remind us that theology doesn’t have to consist of a bunch of cold propositions. Jesus often spoken in stories. Stories can help to form us spiritually.

3. Michael Crichton. He wrote a lot of popular fiction, especially of the sci-fi variety, during my teens and 20s. It’s not high literature, but there’s a lot of fun reading. And plus, Jurassic Park, The Lost World, Dragon Teeth… there’s also dinosaurs. What’s not to like?

4. Jared C. Wilson. A very grace-filled and gospel-focused author of the present. You could say a lot about what he writes, but I’ll leave it at this: I’ve yet to pick up anything of his not worth reading.

5. Dean Koontz. This one is borderline on my list. He writes a lot of pop fiction, a lot, especially of the sci-fi and mystery genres. And not everything he writes is good. When you have published over 100 books, there’s bound to be plenty of duds. He makes my list for one main reason: The seven-book Odd Thomas series. Odd is a kid in his 20s who talks to ghosts, hangs out with the spirit of Elvis, and reluctantly solves mysteries. It’s fun, it’s quirky, it’s humorous…it’s odd.

Honorable mentions: AW Tozer, Os Guinness, Gary Paulson, Louis Sachar (who I pen-palled in the 5th grade)

Image source: Photo by Ed Robertson on Unsplash

Michael (Mike) Bergman

{ Bergman Writes }

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