Carmine: The Rise Of The Warrior Queen by Alan Janney is apparently connected to The Outlaw series by Mr. Janney. This is the first book I have read from this author.
Carmine definitely makes me want to read more of Mr. Janney's work. It satisfies my craving for good apocalyptic stories. Our heroine, the aforementioned Carmine, is a genetically altered female attempting to bring order to a new kingdom in the wake of ongoing societal collapse (no spoiler; this is from the cover).
Most of the main characters are in their late teens or early twenties (made me feel a bit old), so I'm guessing this is the target audience. But unlike other books aimed at that demographic, Carmine does not necessarily make folks my age the bad guys, okay by me (big of me, huh?).
Great action. The main characters are by turns; sympathetic, frustrating, humorous, endearing, frightening, aggravating, but always well developed. although the violence is at times quite graphic, it is well balanced with moments of humor and levity. We also get romance; budding, unrequited, sometimes coerced and artificially enhanced. Not much in the way of sex, but plenty of sexual tension.
The only glaring mistake? Using the word "eluded" instead of "alluded" in a reference to Of Mice And Men.
At the end of the book Mr. Janney makes the generous offer of a free copy of Book one of The Outlaw series. Think I'm gonna go for it, Alan Janney appears to be a new author on my horizon (I can almost here some of you saying "about time!"). Carmine: The Rise Of The Warrior Queen is seriously worth your time. Enjoy!
Mike
Saturday, October 7, 2017
Tuesday, October 3, 2017
The Policewoman (Redux)
Justin W.M. Roberts was born in London, son of a British Army General, and grew up in Hong Kong, Germany, and England. After graduating from Hull university with a degree in Politics, Philosophy, and Psychology, he continued traveling and living Europe, Africa, and Asia.
He currently lives in Indonesia where he is an analyst of political affairs and an active promoter of secular humanism.
Authors of military thrillers are welcome to PM him for book reviews.
He currently lives in Indonesia where he is an analyst of political affairs and an active promoter of secular humanism.
Authors of military thrillers are welcome to PM him for book reviews.
2017 Gold Medal Winner of Readers’ Favorite International Book Award Contest (Fiction-Military genre)
Interview Questions
What inspired you to write The Policewoman?
I love action heroines, but I couldn’t find one that I really like. I then decided to write my own book.
How long did it take to write?
2 years.
How long have you been writing, and what started you on this path?
The Policewoman is my first book. I’ve always wanted to be a full-time writer and this what I do ever since I retired from teaching.
Do you follow a strict outline, or does the story evolve as you write?
The story evolved on its own. The antagonists were initially Serbian organ black marketers, but then I changed them to Irish drug smugglers.
The Policewoman is such a powerful story; do you realize how high you have set the bar for yourself in writing the sequel?
Yes. In fact, I’m trying to make the sequel to be just as good as The Policewoman, but I’m struggling.
Do you expect to continue the storyline beyond a second book?
There will be a third book and possibly a fourth.
Re: The mechanics of your writing, do you set specific times to write, amount of words/pages during a session?
No, I just write when I have the time.
Since I asked you this question privately, I know your answer but I wanted to ask it again here because I think non-writers, like me, will find it quite interesting. When you write does the progress of the story ever surprise you, or take you in a direction you didn’t anticipate?
Yes, it does. I may write about someone doing something, but then that person winds up doing something else. It’s as if the character has its own personality.
Given the competitiveness of the publishing world in general, how do you feel about the response to The Policewoman so far?
The response has been very positive. The Goodreads average rating is now up to 4.33 with more than 150 reviews.
As I wrote in my review of The Policewoman, I challenge the reader to not be emotionally affected by the story. As its creator, was it as much of an emotional roller coaster for you?
If you read the Goodreads reviews of The Policewoman, a lot of readers wrote that some parts of the book made them cry. Here’s my favourite comment “Not many books make me cry but this one managed it twice so when I’d finished it I had to watch cute animal videos to calm myself down!”
I love books that could evoke a lot of emotion. I couldn’t find one, so I wrote my own. I’m not a sensitive person, but some parts of the story made me cry when I wrote them.
I know you are now involved in promoting Policewoman, but did you, or will you, take time to decompress after The Policewoman?
Not until Hollywood makes it into a movie.
These are the questions that occurred to my feeble brain, is there anything you think readers need to know about The Policewoman that I missed?
The Policewoman won the 2017 Gold Medal from Readers’ Favorite International Book Award Contest (Fiction – Military genre). I have entered it into two other book award contests. Wish me luck!
MY REVIEW
| I was given an e-version of The Policewoman for review by author Justin W.M. Roberts. The Policewoman has joined my personal list of favorite books, in fact I would place it in my top five. It's that good. First off let's get the genre out of the way. The Policewoman is at its heart an action/adventure/romance. It is also a crime story, a special ops primer, and a real culture lesson for some of us. The Policewoman is no boiler plate, formulaic, predictable good guys versus bad guys story. Our hero and heroine are not invincible superheroes but they are nobody to mess with. There is a lot of information here detailing how special ops teams function. This did make the story take a bit longer to develop than the reader may be used to. But it is definitely worth it, it enhances the story as the action and suspense build. The Policewoman is a very intense story and will grab the reader viscerally, much more emotionally engaging than most other books in the genre. I dare you to not get emotionally hooked, I dare you! But there are moments of levity and downright humor to help lighten the vibe from time to time. This balance is integral to the story, keeping it from being one note and oppressive. Basically the story is Indonesia, England and Ireland are fighting a drug cartel. No "measured responses" no diplomatic interference. Just no holds barred all out war. The story is set between Indonesia and Great Britain, so there were a lot of cultural references that were new to me and added flavor to the story. Great action scenes, graphic violence, not as graphic sex, love both romantic and filial, bureaucratic roadblocks, honor, duty, service and patriotism. I just found out from the author that a sequel is forthcoming. Once you have read the book you will be as surprised and intrigued as I. I loved this book. If you like your action/adventure to be more in depth and realistic, The Policewoman by Justin W.M. Roberts (if you look him up on line, be sure to include the W.M. or you'll get the wrong author) will satisfy for sure. Though his bio does not give any such info, The Policewoman reads to me as written by some one with more than a passing knowledge of the field of special ops. I highly recommend this book! Enjoy! |
Mike here again, many thanks to Justin W. M. Roberts for taking the time to answer my questions. Personally, I think that as good as The Policewoman is, his chances for winning The Independent Publisher Book Awards are very good.
Tuesday, September 26, 2017
Little Heaven
I won a print copy of Little Heaven by Nick Cutter in a Goodreads Firstreads giveaway.
Little Heaven is, no doubt about it a HORROR story. There are of course, other themes explored within its pages, but understand, if you read this book, it will be scary.
While I usually don't compare authors styles, it is very difficult to not compare Nick Cutter's style to that of Stephen King. Little Heaven builds in suspense and horror slowly. I felt like I was just going along in the story and then realized; I'm in the middle of something eerie and terrible. Kind of like an "uh-oh now I'm in trouble" feeling. The terror slowly creeps up on you in this story.
Author Nick Cutter takes no prisoners, leaving no fear button un-pushed. The horrifying action is right there in your face. Graphic language, gory depictions of absolute terror. Cutter does an outstanding job of instilling fear, dread and horror in the reader.
The characters in Little Heaven are well developed, flaws and all. Some may see the story as bad guys vs worse guys. Some may see it as a story of redemption. Some may see it as a story of karmic balance. Compelling arguments can be made for any of these viewpoints. I leave that to the reader. Personally, I see it as all of the above.
I will admit to have a few bad dreams during my time in Little Heaven, Chalk that up to perhaps my habit of reading in bed until my eyes cross and I can't stay awake any longer. But that doesn't happen often, which I think speaks to how well written the story is.
Horror fans, Little Heaven by Nick Cutter is well worth your time. Enjoy (or tremble)!
Mike
Little Heaven is, no doubt about it a HORROR story. There are of course, other themes explored within its pages, but understand, if you read this book, it will be scary.
While I usually don't compare authors styles, it is very difficult to not compare Nick Cutter's style to that of Stephen King. Little Heaven builds in suspense and horror slowly. I felt like I was just going along in the story and then realized; I'm in the middle of something eerie and terrible. Kind of like an "uh-oh now I'm in trouble" feeling. The terror slowly creeps up on you in this story.
Author Nick Cutter takes no prisoners, leaving no fear button un-pushed. The horrifying action is right there in your face. Graphic language, gory depictions of absolute terror. Cutter does an outstanding job of instilling fear, dread and horror in the reader.
The characters in Little Heaven are well developed, flaws and all. Some may see the story as bad guys vs worse guys. Some may see it as a story of redemption. Some may see it as a story of karmic balance. Compelling arguments can be made for any of these viewpoints. I leave that to the reader. Personally, I see it as all of the above.
I will admit to have a few bad dreams during my time in Little Heaven, Chalk that up to perhaps my habit of reading in bed until my eyes cross and I can't stay awake any longer. But that doesn't happen often, which I think speaks to how well written the story is.
Horror fans, Little Heaven by Nick Cutter is well worth your time. Enjoy (or tremble)!
Mike
Monday, September 25, 2017
River Rising
Author John Heldt provided an e-copy of River Rising, the first book in his new series: Carson Chronicles for review.
I will start by saying I have been anticipating the release of River Rising since John Heldt announced it. I have read and enjoyed both his previous series; Northwest Passage and American Journey. I expected his new series would be as entertaining. No fears there, it is great!
Mr. Heldt has changed the approach to his story ever so slightly in River Rising but not to worry, he continues to give us a fascinating and engaging story that grabbed me right from the start and never let up. There were times that I felt my heart beating so hard I it surprised me. The change to which I refer is just a little bit more edge than his previous works. The characters, to me, seem to be less concerned with their effect on history and more invested in fully enjoying and acclimating to the time they find themselves in.
Set for the most part in Johnstown, PA., the characters dive into 1888 head first and make their individual marks. There is still romance (why do time travelers always get the hot girls and guys?), heart pounding suspense (literally), humor, even violence (don't worry, not particularly graphic), hinted at sex, wild west action and history. This time the time travelers do not know the local history; the Johnstown Flood (you may have heard about it, bad news). Part of the suspense of the story because it does not openly warn us but we know it's coming. I loved it, the impending sense of doom that only the reader feels.
Mr. Heldt describes Carson Chronicles as a family saga, so I assume (I know, you and me) we will get to follow these characters through several adventures. I look forward to spending more time with this family as they are brought to life more richly as the saga unfolds. I don't know how many books are projected for the series, but my thought is: Bring em on!
John Heldt continues to give his readers quality story lines, engaging writing, and characters most readers (ok, me) would love to spend time with. Thanks to John Heldt, River Rising allows the reader (ok, me) the opportunity to do just that. I highly recommend River Rising. Enjoy!
Mike
I will start by saying I have been anticipating the release of River Rising since John Heldt announced it. I have read and enjoyed both his previous series; Northwest Passage and American Journey. I expected his new series would be as entertaining. No fears there, it is great!
Mr. Heldt has changed the approach to his story ever so slightly in River Rising but not to worry, he continues to give us a fascinating and engaging story that grabbed me right from the start and never let up. There were times that I felt my heart beating so hard I it surprised me. The change to which I refer is just a little bit more edge than his previous works. The characters, to me, seem to be less concerned with their effect on history and more invested in fully enjoying and acclimating to the time they find themselves in.
Set for the most part in Johnstown, PA., the characters dive into 1888 head first and make their individual marks. There is still romance (why do time travelers always get the hot girls and guys?), heart pounding suspense (literally), humor, even violence (don't worry, not particularly graphic), hinted at sex, wild west action and history. This time the time travelers do not know the local history; the Johnstown Flood (you may have heard about it, bad news). Part of the suspense of the story because it does not openly warn us but we know it's coming. I loved it, the impending sense of doom that only the reader feels.
Mr. Heldt describes Carson Chronicles as a family saga, so I assume (I know, you and me) we will get to follow these characters through several adventures. I look forward to spending more time with this family as they are brought to life more richly as the saga unfolds. I don't know how many books are projected for the series, but my thought is: Bring em on!
John Heldt continues to give his readers quality story lines, engaging writing, and characters most readers (ok, me) would love to spend time with. Thanks to John Heldt, River Rising allows the reader (ok, me) the opportunity to do just that. I highly recommend River Rising. Enjoy!
Mike
Lillith: The Adventures of Xanthus Book 3
Lillith: The Adventures of Xanthus Book 3 is the final book given to me in e-format for review.
Lillith is apparently not the end of the series as the book ends as somewhat of a cliffhanger leading to another installment. The first three installments are all that were supplied to me.
At less than 50 pages this entry is by far the shortest of the three.
With all respect to Francis Mills (the author), Lillith is just a fail for me. I couldn't wait to finish it. The only reason I did is because it is so short. For me the story is unnecessary. As I said, this is not (apparently) the end of the story, but for me it is.
Again, respect to Francis Mills for putting it out there and I respect the effort, but I promised an honest review. Don't give up on writing, you do show imagination.
Mike
Lillith is apparently not the end of the series as the book ends as somewhat of a cliffhanger leading to another installment. The first three installments are all that were supplied to me.
At less than 50 pages this entry is by far the shortest of the three.
With all respect to Francis Mills (the author), Lillith is just a fail for me. I couldn't wait to finish it. The only reason I did is because it is so short. For me the story is unnecessary. As I said, this is not (apparently) the end of the story, but for me it is.
Again, respect to Francis Mills for putting it out there and I respect the effort, but I promised an honest review. Don't give up on writing, you do show imagination.
Mike
Eden's Twilight (Deathlands #86)
I recently indulged my need for post-apocalyptic escapism reading Eden's Twilight by James Axler (the house name for any author of a Deathlands story).
Eden's Twilight returns to the theme that hooked me on Deathlands in the first place; straight forward survival-ism. No far-fetched sci-fi techno-action. I enjoyed the down and dirty feel of the story.
The basic plot; our intrepid companions align with a group who would normally be competitors, if not outright enemies. They wind up unlikely and somewhat unwilling allies against an even larger threat. They face more realistic threats (at least for this genre), giving me the escapism I enjoy so much.
The only glaring mistake is when Jak is placed in two different geographic places at the same time (OOPS!).
Eden's Twilight (Deathlands #86, #85 on Amazon) great literature? No. A comment on social morality? Maybe, if you stretch far enough. A place to exercise and indulge escapist fantasies? Bingo!
So the Deathlands series remains my not-so-secret little literary vice. Enjoy!
Mike
Eden's Twilight returns to the theme that hooked me on Deathlands in the first place; straight forward survival-ism. No far-fetched sci-fi techno-action. I enjoyed the down and dirty feel of the story.
The basic plot; our intrepid companions align with a group who would normally be competitors, if not outright enemies. They wind up unlikely and somewhat unwilling allies against an even larger threat. They face more realistic threats (at least for this genre), giving me the escapism I enjoy so much.
The only glaring mistake is when Jak is placed in two different geographic places at the same time (OOPS!).
Eden's Twilight (Deathlands #86, #85 on Amazon) great literature? No. A comment on social morality? Maybe, if you stretch far enough. A place to exercise and indulge escapist fantasies? Bingo!
So the Deathlands series remains my not-so-secret little literary vice. Enjoy!
Mike
Thursday, September 7, 2017
The Prophecy (The Adventures of Xanthus Book 2)
I was given an e-copy of The Prophecy by Francis Mills for review.
As even the most casual reader of my reviews easily understands, I try to be positive in my reviews while maintaining my credibility and honesty. The series The Adventures of Xanthus is testing my resolve to stay positive.
The story focuses on the prophesy involving the child of Xanthus (a white warrior) and Ivana (a black witch), white and black here not relating to race or color but good and evil. Those who tend to make things racial wherever possible may interpret the book in a racial context, I don't.
The positive: we still have a good versus evil fantasy here. It is still a light read and, it is a quick read that you won't have to set aside a lot of time for.
The negative: The Prophecy seems to be trying to be an adult oriented fantasy. Not a bad goal at all. Unfortunately, it reads more like the cheap porn books I hid under my mattress as a teenager. The story is just there to fill space between sexual encounters. The dialogue is stilted and at times just ridiculous.
Either the sex is gratuitous and unnecessary to the story, or the story is gratuitous and unnecessary to the sex. I'll leave that to you to decide.
As a continuation of the first book, The Prophecy falls short of the mark. It is not a bad read, but be forewarned that it will probably not satisfy the requirements of the die hard fantasy reader. And though I am not an authority on the genre, I will venture that it falls short in the erotica genre as well.
Mike
As even the most casual reader of my reviews easily understands, I try to be positive in my reviews while maintaining my credibility and honesty. The series The Adventures of Xanthus is testing my resolve to stay positive.
The story focuses on the prophesy involving the child of Xanthus (a white warrior) and Ivana (a black witch), white and black here not relating to race or color but good and evil. Those who tend to make things racial wherever possible may interpret the book in a racial context, I don't.
The positive: we still have a good versus evil fantasy here. It is still a light read and, it is a quick read that you won't have to set aside a lot of time for.
The negative: The Prophecy seems to be trying to be an adult oriented fantasy. Not a bad goal at all. Unfortunately, it reads more like the cheap porn books I hid under my mattress as a teenager. The story is just there to fill space between sexual encounters. The dialogue is stilted and at times just ridiculous.
Either the sex is gratuitous and unnecessary to the story, or the story is gratuitous and unnecessary to the sex. I'll leave that to you to decide.
As a continuation of the first book, The Prophecy falls short of the mark. It is not a bad read, but be forewarned that it will probably not satisfy the requirements of the die hard fantasy reader. And though I am not an authority on the genre, I will venture that it falls short in the erotica genre as well.
Mike
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