DAMAGES is a WINNER — in the WRITERS DIGEST AWARDS
Bazhe explores the full spectrum of his emotions. A revelatory, pained, unyielding ride. Hold on tight. — KIRKUS, NYC
Bazhe is a skilled narrator, and Damages never dips into being a dull read. — INSTINCT MAGAZINE, CA
Damages is Bazhe’s memorial to the woman who raised him and loved him and who, in spite of it all, will always remain his one true mother. Though the author’s stop-and-go use of flashbacks slows down the narrative somewhat, he never loses his focus, or the reader’s interest. Bazhé’s life story is uniquely his own, but at the same time it is a story that we can all relate to. That alone makes "Damages" a good book worth reading. — THE WEEKLY NEWS, FL
Such multifaceted talent ought to be applauded. — LAMBDA, WDC
Bazhe knew a world that turned to violent ethnic strife after years of civil unrest, echoed by his own inner turmoil. Damages is the story of his inner and outer wars. — RECORDER NEWSPAPERS, NJ
Bazhe has a vivid talent for powerhouse storytelling and Damages is a remarkable, compelling read. — WHITE CRANE JOURNAL, NYC
Very well written, fast-paced, occasionally shocking...Damages is one of the worthier novels I've read recently. — THE STAR DEMOCRAT, MD
I enjoyed this story. The pain and longing of belonging, the joys and triumphs of love, the strength of family bonds, the agony of loss, the force of political events, and the power of letting go are woven together in this story that left me with a sense that something profound had been accomplished. — THE FAMILY JOURNAL, IL
Bazhe has led what Leo Tolstoy or George Eliot might have called an epic life. — LAVENDER MAGAZINE, MN
The story is told skilfully via a number of flashbacks, which constitute a retelling of his life story to his birth mother, once he successfully tracks her down with the aid hisformer betrayer who is now a high ranking police officer himself. His story covers his early youth, life in police college, his travels in Turkey where a wealthy playboy puts him in touch with his feminine side, and his successful emigration in the United States, culminating in his return to his homeland to nurse his ailing adoptive mother. An enlightening read. — RAINBOW NETWORK, UNITED KINGDOM
It’s a story you won’t want to miss. With emeralds and lavish nightclubs to showcase his new persona, he finds some happiness and acceptance, and enjoys the theatrics of this life and the resulting love. But then, he is asked something unthinkable by his partner, and while he thinks about this unthinkable request, he finds out more. This is when he runs away, realizing that every happiness is a mirage. We can mirror traces of our life in Bazhe’s search for meaning, and be supported by his strength and creativity, which get him through these incidents and a multitude more that you won’t believe could happen to one person. — IDEA MUSEUM, CANADA
Bazhe reveals horribly realistic experiences that had to be lived. No one could’ve made this up. A remarkable read. — RADICAL FAERIE DIGEST, TN
The author of Damages is an interesting writer. It held my interest until the last quarter. Bazhe is obviously very talented. Damages is enlightening as a history of the troubled Balkans & the dismemberment of Yugoslavia. It is an interesting book written by a bright young author with a gift for story telling. — REBECCA'S READS, FL
Damages is much more than a mere memoir. In it’s portrayal of one man’s experiences with all it’s complexities, Damages becomes much more than just that. It is contrast in all it’s forms, it is a portrait with many perspectives, it is art, in a way, and it is life. — OUT IN AMERICA, OH
Reminds me of Michael Ondaatje’s The English Patient—love and history and tragedy that became a powerful Miramax film. — HPPUB BOOK REVIEW, MN
Powerful read and certainly not one that one will forget in a hurry. — THE INDEPENDENT, FL
Damages was a very difficult book...I have to challenge my denials and truths as accurately as possible. — NOTES FROM HOLLYWOOD, CA
If you're ready for a real-life story of a very difficult time in world history, as well as looking into some very happy and very sad windows into a rebel's life, by all means, this is an excellent book for you. You'll find it a tremendous surprise-A tremendously good surprise. — RLD BOOKS, NM
Bazhe has a way of communicating with the reader, that makes you feel like you are there talking face to face with him. It's a compelling read, and would make an excellent movie. — NZ WRITERS, NEW ZEALAND
Damages is an important book...My hope is that it can work a similar magic on you. — CHICAGO PRIDE, IL
A book of amazing depth, emotion, and discovery. Damages is compelling, well written, and a book with which many will be able to relate. — STONE WALL SOCIETY, FL
This autobiography covers quite a bit of Balkans history. “Damages” gives an excellent look into the horrific world of the Balkans, and at the end readers are more than happy to escape with Bazhe to America. — THE RAW STORY, GA
The values of this book are many. His memoir is not an easy read, but it is worthwhile and should be recommended for many who will identify with parts of his experience while varying with other parts. — PRAIRIE FLAME, IL
Bazhe has led fascinating life. The disintegration of Yugoslavia, with the rise of racial and religious strife, creates a fascinating backdrop for Bazhes's chronicle. — QUATREFOLIO LIBRARY, MN
Yugoslavia's disintegration creates a fascinating backdrop for Bazhes's narrative.The years of civil unrest, reverberates his own inner turmoil. The story is both erotic and historical, underlining love and tragedy in a young man's life. — ART CIRCLE - OUT IN COLOMBUS, OH
The concept is delivered clearly and effectively. Damages is a personal exploration through life’s trials and eventual tribulation—our soul purpose for survival. From an abusive upbringing, separation from his biological mother and death, the author struggles for identity and purpose to find the true meaning for carrying on. The author’s tone and writing style is clear and direct. The author offers us an uncensored look into his personal life without holding anything back. I applaud the author for writing about things so close to heart. Most often these can be the hardest things to put down on paper. — EDITORIAL REVIEW, NE
The poetry of “Identities” precisely captures Bazhe’s particular viewpoints.Bazhe’s work may, for the most part, lack iambic pentameter. That expected rhythm is found only rarely in this collection, as with “Where is Freedom, Dove?” which reads like the lyric for a 60s pop song. However, this prose poetry and the philosophical observations they impart aren’t lacking in metaphors and imagery. He divides his work into eight sections. In Part I, “Whispering in Front of the Cosmic Altar,” he aquaints readers who haven’t read “Damages” with the views of the world he’s encountered during his early years. In “My Life is My Damn Question,” for example, his anger overflows, but he blames the quill of his pen. Bazhe often sees the world from the eyes of a poem’s principal character, be it Vampire, Cat, Secret Lover or energy itself. “Identities” is a crowning achievement from the writer whose “Damages” has impacted so many of us. — WHITE CRANE JOURNAL, NYC
