"Reading is an Avenue to Enlightenment and Inspiration"
Kristin Fulton
BroadwayPacificPress.com
Rave Reviews!
The Haunting
TALL TITLE
This book was entered in The Wishing Shelf Book Awards. This is what our readers thought:
Title: The Haunting
Author: Kristin A. Fulton
Star Rating: 5 Stars
Number of Readers: 20
Stats
Editing: 10/10 Writing Style: 10/10
Content: 10/10 Cover: 10/10
Of the 20 readers:
20 would read another book by this author.
20 thought the cover was good or excellent.
20 felt it was easy to follow.
20 would recommend this story to another reader to try.
Of all the readers, 13 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘plotting a story’.
Of all the readers, 7 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘developing the characters’.
20 felt the pacing was good or excellent.
20 thought the author understood the readership and what they wanted.
Readers’ Comments
"This book was so cool. I loved it." Girl, aged 9
"I loved how they save the orphanage with the help of the ghost. The Whipley twins were so bad. I’m glad the orphans stood up to them in the end." Boy, aged 11
"A very enjoyable adventure story, perfect for 9 – 12 year olds, showcasing the importance of working together to overcome a problem. The twins were outrageously nasty adding a Roald Dahl feel to the story. Chance is an excellent hero kids can relate to: honest and brave. The children in my class of ten year olds enjoyed it as a class reader." Primary teacher, aged 43
"I loved the old orphanage with all the secret passageways. I wouldn’t want to be an orphan but I think Miss May was very good to them. It was a clever story. I also laughed in parts. I will read another book by this writer if I can find one." Girl aged 10 – with a little help from her teacher
To Sum It Up:
"An exciting story packed full of ghostly twists and turns. A SILVER MEDAL WINNER and highly recommended." The Wishing Shelf Book Awards
More reviews for The Haunting
What Readers Are Saying
The story was just plain fun!
The Haunting, by Kristin Fulton, contains a perfect amount of old-fashioned edge-of-the-seat excitement. Ghosts? Why not? The story is just plain fun, filled with a light touch of suspense, twists and turns, and delightful illustrations. A good read-aloud while on a road trip with the family, or for the pre-teen ready to curl up and spend some time immersed in a story where kids are the heroes.
5 out of 5 Stars
From Suzan Still—author of Well in Time, Fiesta of Smoke, Commune of Women
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THE HAUNTING
The Haunting, by Kristin A. Fulton, is a middle grade novel that is fun for readers of all ages. The book follows Chance Jameson, a delightfully inquisitive and adventuresome boy whom fate has made an orphan. Housed at Oak Hill Orphanage, he is happily involved with his fellow orphans and his beloved teachers. Until, that is, the arrival of the Whipley twins, who take over the running of the orphanage.
What happens from that point on is a study in both the misery brought about by adult greed and unkindness, and in the courage and inventiveness of the children, who are aided by the disembodied presence of one of their favorite—but very much dead—teachers, Miss May. How the children overcome their adversaries makes for a tale filled with intrigue and humor.
Fulton has brought just the right, light touch to a story that still rests in important verities: greed and lack of compassion on one hand, played off against love and loyalty on the other. Facing life with pluck and imagination, courage and esprit de corps, the orphans present a wonderful role model for any reader. Charming illustrations by Molly Hart add playful embellishment to a tale very well told. I recommend The Haunting as fine summer reading for anyone, children, young adults and adults alike.
More Rave Reviews!
SNAKE FOOD
This book was entered in The Wishing Shelf Book Awards. This is what our readers thought:
Title: Snake Food
Author: Kristin A. Fulton
Star Rating: 5 Stars
Number of Readers: 17
Stats
Editing: 8/10 Writing Style: 8/10
Content: 9/10 Cover: 9/10
Of the 17 readers:
15 would read another book by this author.
15 thought the cover was good or excellent.
17 felt it was easy to follow.
16 would recommend this story to another reader to try.
Of all the readers, 12 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘plotting a story’.
Of all the readers, 5 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘developing the characters’.
14 felt the pacing was good or excellent.
15 thought the author understood the readership and what they wanted.
Readers’ Comments
"This is a super cool adventure story. I liked lots of things in it. I thought the best character was Theo. There is a good mystery from the start as the children discover the professor is not at the old house. I liked how the three children work together to solve the mystery. This is a good book." Girl, aged 11
"Good book. I loved the picture of the snake on the front. I loved how the mystery start so soon in the book and I couldn’t guess what was going to happen." Boy, aged 12
"The characters develops well, but it’s the plot that is best." Girl, aged 12
"Excellent story for 10–13 year olds. With an Enid Blyton feel to it, this went down well in my classroom. The children characters were relatable and the plot twisted and turned, keeping the reader guessing." Teacher, aged 53
To Sum It Up:
"An exciting, fun and totally unpredictable adventure story. A FINALIST and highly recommended." The Wishing Shelf Book Awards
What Readers Are Saying
To the rescue!
Snake Food, by Kristin Fulton, offers the reader anticipation and adventure. The trio of youth is endearing with their interactions and problem-solving. I so enjoyed the touch of suspense, the illustrations and the charming style with which Ms. Fulton writes. It's a great read-aloud family book, or a good read for pre-teens.
5 out of 5 Stars
From Suzan Still—author of Well in Time, Fiesta of Smoke, Commune of Women
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SNAKE FOOD
Snake Food, by Kristin A. Fulton, is a story of a summer vacation gone awry. Olivia Hazelsmith and her younger brother, Theo, have plans of their own, when their parents, both doctors, suddenly announce that they are going off to Africa to assist in a disaster. The children are to stay with their Uncle Austin, a plan which leaves both of them quite disgruntled. When they arrive at his sprawling home in Bedford Falls, they are in no mood for what befalls them.
Instead of Uncle Austin, they are met by his housekeeper, Mrs. Zelinsky, who informs them sourly that their uncle has gone off on a sailing trip. With nowhere else to go, the siblings decide to stay and await their uncle’s return. Soon, they meet Vladimir Trokov, a lab assistant to their uncle, who is no more welcoming that Mrs. Zelinsky. Something is definitely odd about these two, Olivia and Theo agree, but what is really going on?
The answers will take them through the heart of their uncle’s strange old house, into his secret laboratories, and into a dilemma that is very scary, indeed. Aided by their new friend Will, Olivia and Theo demonstrate intelligence and courage in solving a near-lethal mystery and in bringing justice to the criminals responsible.
Fulton has created an atmosphere of both menace and adolescent camaraderie that will keep readers of all ages turning the pages of Snake Food. Charming illustrations by Molly Hart lend extra vitality to the tale. A must-read for lovers of mysteries and of a tale well told.
Even MORE Rave Reviews!
SISTERS OF THE SOUL
Reviews from 2023 Library Thing Giveaway
On Sweetbriar Plantation in the Louisiana countryside, the Laurent family is struggling. A child born out of wedlock, Elizabeth Dumond is placed with the Washington family, slaves on the Plantation to be raised with their daughter, Sophie. As Elizabeth and Sophie grow, they are separated due to their race, but remain friends. When the same trauma befalls both Elizabeth and Sophie their bonds deepen with dark secrets they must keep. The two women decide to leave home and begin again. They set out on the Southern Trail to California where they will need to rely on each other's skills and knowledge. In California, the duo finds some luck and settles in Wayside Inn and Lodging House in San Francisco where they eventually take over ownership and Elizabeth, now called Liza, begins a profitable business selling women's companionship. Sophie cooks for the business and takes care of Liza's family, but Liza's decisions don't sit well with Sophie and drive a wedge in their relationship. Sophie's journey takes her far away from Liza, but they still care for one another and hope that time can heal their wounds.
Sister of the Soul is an epic, multigenerational saga of overcoming trauma, finding family, female resilience and healing deep wounds. Beginning with Elizabeth and Sophie's parents, the deep, generation wounds inflicted by power, control and trauma are clear in how they affect Sophie and Elizabeth as adults as well as helping their bond grow. The story was very character driven and I felt a strong connection to Liza, Sophie, their mothers and their children. Through all of their struggles, the women consistently chose to help one another. The writing creates an immersive setting, from the comforts of the Laurent's Sweetbriar Plantation house, to the fields and slave cabins, the harsh, wild beauty of the Southern Trail and the calming simplicity of Wayside Inn. The character's journeys, both separate and together weave an incredible story through 100 years of history.
This book was received for free in return for an honest review.
Mishker | Feb 12, 2024 |
An enjoyable journey following the lives of two girls (one white, one black) from the sugar plantations in the South of America in 1837 to the 1900’s in San Francisco.
A historical fiction which shows a lot of research and soul searching by the author to ensure as much realism is included as possible which gives us, the readers, a real sensation of walking beside these women and their families through their journey of life with all its trials and tribulations.
A most enjoyable read. Would wholly recommend it.( )
Dadonator1 | Jan 10, 2024 |
The Early Readers program at LibraryThing provided me with a free copy of Sisters of the Soul by Kristin Fulton in exchange for a review. I love historical fiction and found the book to be interesting and believable. In fact, I would have liked the book to be longer than its 400+ pages; there were actual historical events that would have been fascinating to read in even more detail. Those who enjoy 19th-century historical fiction will find this an absorbing story.( )
lynna10e | Dec 28, 2023 |
This book is an epic story of a plantation family in the southern U.S beginning in 1837 and continuing thru the year of the San Francisco earthquake 1906. The story spans several generations and involves the owners of the Sweetbrier Plantation as well as the many slaves that work there. This book focuses on the relationships between the women and showed the sacrifices that women traditionally make for their family. I just finished the book and I can't stop thinking about how it ended. I don't really like the ending, but I believe this is the best book I have read in quite some time! The characters of the book are very believable and care was taken to be sure the details are as historically accurate as possible. See what you think about the ending. This book will be hard for you to put down!
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cme07 | Oct 30, 2023 |
This was a touching and at times difficult read. It is epic in its telling, spanning four generations of women from the antebellum south to the Pacific coast of California and north to Vancouver. Using historical events as its frame, it weaves the stories of two closely bound women - one black and one white as they navigate through their rich tapestries of life.
The writing is rich and the story grand and immense in its telling. The mise en scène is cinematic in scope and paints for us readers a vast, open, expansive and at times dangerous wilderness west of the Mississippi. All in all, this was a good read.
Trigger warning: there are several graphically violent and sexual moments as well as a number of racial slurs bandied about, yet they are certainly of the times. Lesbian and incestual relations also play small roles in the telling.
I am grateful to Broadway Pacific Press for having provided a complimentary copy of this book through the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program. Their generosity, however, has not influenced this review - the words of which are mine alone.
Publication Date: second edition, 07/30/2023
Publisher: Broadway Pacific Press
ISBN: 979-8988597728
No. of pages: 465( )
KateBaxter | Oct 28, 2023 |
Wonderful book! Twists and turns over and over. Just when I would think it’s about to end a new twist would occur. Definitely felt like I read a series but was all in one!( )
Quadkbarnett | Nov 1, 2023 |
I was given a free copy of "Sisters of the Soul" by Kristin Fulton, via LibraryThing. This was a very good book., I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. It was of historical significance and covered many different areas of North America. If you are a fam of historical fiction, you should read this book. Make sure you have a box of tissues handy.( )
ritad2 | Oct 23, 2023 |
Sisters of the Soul
By: Kristin A. Fulton Publisher: Broadway Pacific Press Publication Date: July 20, 2023 ISBN: 979-8988597711 Reviewed by: Barbara Bamberger Scott Review Date: September 20, 2023
Author Kristin A. Fulton creates in Sisters of the Soul a historical tapestry that combines the rumors and realities of race, war, and personal triumph as seen in the bonding of two women – one white, one black – in the wake of national conflict seeded in the very issue they embody – human slavery.
Told through the perspective of several of its dynamic characters, Fulton’s tale begins in 1837, in Louisiana, on the Sweetbriar Plantation where the Dumont family has settled. Black maid servant Addie silently observes the often cruel treatment of Lucille Dumont by her domineering spouse Hugo, and the two women become secret allies. This abusive relationship passes on to a future generation when Hugo ruthlessly seduces Fern, an orphaned servant assigned to care for Lucille as she sinks into old age and depression. Fern dies giving birth to Elizabeth, and Lucille feels a divine obligation to take the infant as her own. Lizzie (Elizabeth) and Sophie, Addie’s child, will grow up closely and always companionably.
Hugo and Lucille’s son Bert, imbued with his father’s sinfulness, ravages Lizzie. She retaliates with a murdering maul, and Sophie aids in hiding the body. It’s clearly time now for the two women – Lizzie with child from the rape - to escape to a new life – not only because the law must be evaded, but also because, in the tenor of their mutual but separate worlds, talk of liberation – for slaves, for women – is being sounded. In 1859, they head west in a horse-drawn wagon. Their adventures on the trail comprise the second half of this fascinating family epic. The two determined heroines along with Lizzie’s daughter Rose will face a far different, more promising world than the one they left behind, and will find within themselves new purpose and
ambition to live worthwhile lives, justifying their flight from the place they once called home.
Fulton, a practiced wordsmith who has found much worth mining in the book’s geographical settings and timeframes, allows her heroines to speak, each in her special argot. They recall and describe small household happenings against a background of major national upheaval and the burgeoning of significant issues such as slaveholding and women’s rights that will impact them directly over the novel’s span of nearly 100 years. These separate contributions so imaginatively constructed by Fulton reveal the changes each character is experiencing in ideas and emotions, deftly expressing their differing perspectives based around growth, education, travel, and gradually widening world views.
Quill says: Fulton’s women’s epic is absorbing, packed with both action and reflection, and will engage and expand the author’s fan base, presaging more such stirring and thought-provoking sagas.
Readers' Favorite review
Overall Opinion: The overall starred rating takes into account all these elements and describes the overall reading experience of your reviewer. This is 5 the official Readers' Favorite review rating for your book.
Review: Reviewed by Saifunnissa Hassam for Readers' Favorite
Kristin Fulton's historical novel Sisters of the Soul is about the lifelong bond between Elizabeth Dumond and Sophie Washington. The story begins in Louisiana in 1837 and ends in California in 1906. Elizabeth is the adopted daughter of Hugo and Lucille Laurent of the Sweetbrier Plantation in Louisiana. Sophie is a slave in the Laurent household. Elizabeth and Sophie grow up as sisters and friends. The lives of both women are shattered in brutal and humiliating ways by Bert Laurent who inherits his parents' estate. The women flee from Sweetbrier. Elizabeth's experience in horseriding, hunting and fishing, and Sophie’s field skills and cooking enable them to survive their trek westwards to California. In San Francisco, their Wayside Inn prospers. Sophie lives for some years in Canada with Elizabeth's daughter Rose and her husband. A family tragedy brings Rose and her daughter Aurora to San Francisco to be
reunited with Elizabeth and Sophie. I loved Kristin Fulton's novel Sisters of the Soul because of the strong characters and how the author centers her story around the bond between Elizabeth and Sophie even as they face life’s
turbulent challenges and difficult choices. I liked Fulton’s vivid writing as she describes the tension and dramatic changes on the plantation through another strong character: the vicious and brutal Bert Laurent. Fulton writes imaginatively of the women's journey to California, their courage and fear. I enjoyed the themes of love and
forgiveness that run through the story even as characters have bitter quarrels and drift apart. I liked the honesty and frankness between Elizabeth and Sophie. Fulton has created a very loving and perceptive character in Sophie, and she is the key to the mother-daughter reconciliation. A deeply moving tale indeed!
What Readers Are Saying
Kristin Fulton's first adult novel surpasses expectations!
“Wow” just begins to express my feelings after reading Kristin Fulton’s novel, Sisters of the Soul! What a story teller she is. I can’t begin to imagine having what it must take to write a novel of such proportions. Her very believable characters experience the realities of history as the novel’s setting moves across the U.S. I’m definitely recommending Sisters of the Soul to our book club!
5 out of 5 Stars