Once I started reading this book (Oak Eternal), I couldn’t put it down. It is a fascinating read and has the great addition of interwoven stories within stories. The writing is excellent with believable, well described characters who are brought to life through exquisite detail.
I cannot recommend this book enough.

As a college student, I rarely have time to read anything other than textbooks…which are often very dry. I was suggested this set of short stories (Memories from My Mind) and enjoyed all of them! There are a good variety of stories, some happy, sad, funny (in my opinion), and others to think more deeply about. I can tell that this writer has a great vocabulary and is able to describe things so well just from reading this set. I look forward to reading more. Great work!

Oak Eternal is a beautifully crafted tale of the oldest house in the neighborhood and it’s dark history back to the days of pioneers settling St. Paul, Minnesota. John Ploetz is a clever writer, creating flawed characters mired in their human flaws and the difficulties of their worlds.  Oak Eternal will give you pause to re-think what you believe to be real. You’ll never look at that old house down the block in the same way again. You may also watch that neighbor a little more closely as he walks the neighborhood in the evening.

Mind of Darkness – The stories are a good length for grabbing your attention quickly and giving a good ending without the reading getting tedious at all. The writing is very smooth and easy to understand. The endings to the stories are the best part; they’re not outright shocking, but are eerie and make you think back over what you just read because all of it now has a different meaning. Kind of a psychological twist. Would definitely read more!!