Reviews

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"Enjoyed the book. The author sure has a talent for story telling."

– Joe Buff, American Author of naval techno-thrillers

   9/22/16 Amazon review of The Indian

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NKY Author Riding Toward Another Success - June 4, 2016

Karen Kuhlman, Community Recorder guest columnist

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"Lightning is said to strike but once. Barry Kienzle, of Villa Hills, is hoping to be an exception to that rule.

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Kienzle, a lifelong resident of Northern Kentucky, is such a busy fellow that you’d think lightning would have a hard time catching up with him.

The CFO and a board member of Paul Hemmer Companies, he and his wife, Mary Jo, have two daughters and five grandchildren. The NKU alumnus is the president of the Northern Kentucky University Foundation, served on the board of The Bank of Kentucky, and now serves on BB&T’s local Advisory Board.

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Additionally, Kienzle has served on the boards of the Construction Financial Management Association’s Cincinnati chapter, Habitat for Humanity and Summit Hills Country Club. In 2008, he received the Outstanding Alumnus Award from the Haile/U.S. Bank College of Business.

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Yet, that barely scratches the surface of who Barry Kienzle is. His ability to patiently tackle a task is probably the outgrowth of a youth spent recovering from the many surgeries required by his bout with childhood polio. Those extended downtimes gave him the opportunity to read a lot, think a lot and write a lot. Several years ago, he parlayed those opportunities into his first novel, “The Crossings.”

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That novel told the tale of Georgie and Schmitty, 12-year-old boys with a plan, growing up in Latonia, Kentucky, during the Depression. Kienzle mixed impeccable historical research with some darn good storytelling to produce a book that was not just popular with the locals, but enjoyed by readers around the country. He was the grand prize winner of the Great Southeast Book Festival, received Silver from the Mom’s Choice Awards and the Bronze from the Readers’ Choice Book Awards. Honors have followed from the Hollywood Book Festival, The San Francisco Book Festival and the New York Book Festival, among others.

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Now, about that lightning. Kienzle enjoyed his success with “The Crossings,” but spent no time resting on his laurels.

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His new novel, “The Indian,” finds George and Schmitty coming of age in a world on the brink of war.

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Twenty-year-old Schmitty is impatient for life to begin. As the winds of war begin to swirl in 1940, he hops on a 1915 Indian Big Twin motorcycle and, urged on by something he cannot define, sets out alone on a ride from Latonia, Kentucky, to the Dakotas in search of his destiny. Kienzle takes readers along on this fly-by-the-seat-of–his-pants journey that leads Schmitty through the brave pasts of other men to his own future; a future defined by adventure, love and true courage in an era when selflessness was common on a grand scale.

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Kienzle possesses an extraordinary ability to perfectly capture the lives and times of ordinary Americans during the 1940s. He researched both the American Indian culture and the war in the Pacific theater, especially as pertains to destroyers, B-17 planes and the DD411 Anderson, on which the character of George served. The result is a story that will surely be a favorite among readers who remember those days, and will serve as a primer for those who have yet to discover them.

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“The Indian” will be published in late June, just in time to debut at the National Education Convention in Washington, D.C., and Kienzle and his wife will travel there with Headline Books to promote both “The Crossings” and “The Indian.” He can’t linger long. He has to get back to Northern Kentucky to continue work on his third book, the true life story of a unique Kentucky high school athlete. Given the Kienzle treatment, it is sure to attract another lightning strike.

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Literary Classics Seal of Approval - September 14, 2015

International Book Awards and Reviews

 

"The Crossings is highly recommended for home and school libraries and has earned the Literary Classics Seal of Approval." To read the full review please visit: http://www.clcreviews.blogspot.com/2015/09/the-crossings-by-barry-kienzle-earns.html

 

Readers' Favorite - August 2015

The Crossings - 5 Star Book Review by Tracy A. Fischer

 

"Barry Kienzle’s debut work is a lovely story of adventure, growth and maturation. It would appeal to readers young and old, but is targeted towards a young adult audience, a niche it fits well. The Crossings has many lessons to teach its readers, but not in a preachy, interminable fashion. I found the book to be an easy to follow read, short enough to read in one afternoon, and very well worth the time. It is clear that Mr. Kienzle spent a great deal of time researching the time period in which this story takes place, the 1930s, and that this book was very lovingly written. Based on an actual experience in the life of the author’s father, this book was a joy to read. Through Georgie’s travels, we are taken along on his passage from boy to man, and it’s a trip worth taking."

 

 

Northern Kentucky Tribune - February 18, 2015

Barry Kienzle’s first novel a gentle story of a young boy’s journey from pain to wisdom. - Donald Then, Literary Editor

 

"Reading a novel with feel-good vibes, nostalgic flourishes, and well-defined characters enlivens the soul. Throw in trains, the Depression, and a down-on-its-luck family fraught to succeed and the story evokes cordial echoes of a bygone era.

 

The Crossings, the first novel by local author Barry Kienzle, offers these morsels and more; it’s a treat. Kienzle’s gentle story is framed as the dream of an old man who has loved trains all his life. Quickly it morphs into a glimpse of yesteryear and is as American as apple pie, hot dogs, and cold soda pop on a hot summer’s afternoon."

Read the entire article...

 

 

Mom's Choice Awards - August 2014

The Crossings - Silver Award Winner, Young Adult Books, Fiction-General

"Based on a true story, all ages will enjoy this story of riding the rails and the rich culture of New Orleans."

 

 

The Kentucky Enquirer - February 18, 2014

Local author on the right track - Karen Kuhlman, Community Columnist

 

"This exciting tale has broad crossover appeal. Youngsters will be taken with the fledgling hero's bold adventures. Older generations will be touched by the bravado engendered by childhood heartbreak and will likely recall old sidekicks whose flights of fancy led to some pretty improbable escapades. The impeccable historical research results in the authentic storytelling of an era that some have never known and others will never forget.”

Read the entire article...

 

 

 

Amazon Customer Review - August 6, 2014

One "Track" Mind - Dr. Stanley Toompas, Optometrist and Author of I'm the One the Other Isn't

 

"A wonderful and inspiring "feel good" story, that accentuates throughout the text the positive side of human nature. A "Stand By Me" meets "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer." The author, and maybe even more so, the protagonist, must have been inspired by Mark Twain. Not only is this novel a tribute to his Father, but this author's original offering is one that would have made his Dad proud. A "piece of Americana", this novel is a must for all pre-teens and a great escape for most adults. A novel that the "Man in White" would have been proud of."

 

Rick Robinson

Award-Winning Author of Alligator Alley

 

"Barry Kienzle's, The Crossings, is a spirited fictional account of a 1930s trip to New Orleans as seen through the youthful eyes of George Martin. Kienzle's inaugural effort is written with the style of a seasoned pro as Mardi Gras and the steel rails leading there come to life on the book's pages.”