Haley Whitehall

If you’re offended by harsh racial epithets and violence, you might not want to read Living Half Free, a first novel by Haley Whitehall. Set in the South before, during, and after the Civil War, it tells the story of Zachariah, a very light skinned black who is held in slavery, and who is sold away from his family, and taken from Virginia into the deep South, where he faces harshness and bigotry worse than he’s ever encountered.
Over time, he earns his freedom and meets a young Indian show more woman, Lillian, and the two fall in love. Able to pass himself off as white, he’s able to live with Lillian on the reservation, until the arrival of the sadistic son of his second master uncovers his identity. Zachariah then learns that prejudice runs just as deep among the Indians as the whites and is forced to accept being put back into slavery to save Lillian from the tribe’s harsh punishment. Lillian uses her wiles to free him once again, and the two of them flee to California where the prejudice is less.
As you follow Zachariah through his life, beginning in Strasburg, Virginia in 1838, to San Francisco in 1867, you will be alternately moved and repulsed; moved at how his strong faith helps him survive the severest of conditions, and repulsed at the depths of depravity to which some people can sink in their treatment of others.
This is a great story, only a bit in parts by what is difficult for even the most experienced writers – dialect that sometimes doesn’t ring quite true. Dialect, when written, depends on the reader’s pronunciation to be rendered, and having grown up in the South in the 50s and 60s, when some people still spoke much like they did during the 19th century, as well as being a writer and teacher of English, I found some of the words and sentences a bit difficult to comprehend, and not like I recall old people of my childhood talking. The author can be forgiven, though; this is one of the most difficult skills to master, and some of us never truly get it. Once you get past these few glitches, though, you’ll find this a good read, for a first timer who I predict will get better with time. show less

Midnight Caller by Haley Whitehall is a sensual novella that I didn't want to see end. Her story telling gift had me turning the pages, from start to finish, in one sitting.
Set in 1865, the story begins with Emma Bennetts' husband dying in a carriage accident. This sets her free and releases her from the loveless marriage she had endured. Emma decides to enjoy her freedom before wanting to settle down with a husband and to have a family.
Taking the advice of a prominent socialite she is show more acquainted with, Emma hires a black man as her lover and to fulfill her most intimate desires. Frederick works as a roustabout by day and a prostitute at night.
After their first night together Emma and Frederick become enraptured with each other. He knows better than to fall in love with a white woman and backs away to keep them both safe. How now can he protect Emma from the detestable Mr. Hawthorne who wants her to become his wife.
A captivating story of forbidden love and I look forward to more by this author. show less

‘Tentacles’ is a small gem of an anthology. The four stories are all written around the theme of tentacles, but that is the only thing they have in common; all give you the creeps in a very different way. ‘Solar Pioneer’ is a short space opera where an attempted rescue operation goes horribly awry- ‘Alien’ has nothing on this story! ‘Mr. Sweede’ doesn’t have the crashing action of the first story; instead, it has a horror that creeps over you in a near physical way. show more ‘Zaural’ is a work of hard science fiction; it’s not horror but has a kind of weird beauty to it, while ‘The Sacrifice’ is, while horrifying in a way, quite touching and funny, too. If you have a love for the slimy, creeping tentacle, read this book! show less

Peter Warren, a young man who grew up in Virginia, helped with the Underground Railroad and fled north with one of his father's slaves, has decided to join the Union army and fight for the North. He comes to Virgina nearby the plantation where he grew up. As a result of various circumstances, he becomes a spy for the Confederate army. This book offers the reader a detailed glimpse into the difficulties of life in the army during the Civil War. Although the historical details were very show more interesting, the story seemed to drag on and did not wrap up well at the end. It felt like a chapter or more was missing at the end. show less