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 Amazing action from the king of spies….

Riz and Bang-Bang are back! That’s what the product description screams, and what can I say? It’s been too long! The first Riz book broke new territory as a brand new entry into a genre of books that was becoming–for want of a better word–jaded. James Bond yadayada… Yes, we get it, spy books… Harry Palmer and his glasses… Pass me the boredom box…

Wait! No, give me that book… Blood Honeymoon? I guess it will just be another of those same old spy books. Actually, this is pretty good… No, this is excellent!

Riz broke new ground because it took a new situation and an old concept and melded the two together. What could have been very bad is actually very good.

Now, we come to the latest addition in the cannon and what can I say?

A wedding! Riz and Bang-Bang are getting hitched and nothing can possibly go wrong, can it? As it turns out, someone is emulating the ripper. Oh man, bye-bye Bang-Bang‘s wedding. Now it’s time to get serious.

When people finally get sick of seeing James Bond, Harry Palmer and the other dudes getting it on in the 60s world of the cold war, they will look for a new kind ofspy novel and Riz will be waiting. Charlie Flowers writes with fluency; he writes like a man who feels his characters, and I notice one lady in a review above complaining about the language. Well, frankly, these people do talk like that and they aren’t going to be gentlemen about it. Riz and Bang-Bang fight the bad guys and sometimes “darn it” doesn’t quite hit the mark.

Excellent book from an excellent writer! We need more Riz by Flowers!

Continue reading »]]> Ellen Mae Franklin has turned in a winner with her first effort. Let me rephrase that. Ellen Mae Franklin has turned in THE fiction winner of the year with her first book “The Unseen Promise.” Why?

It’s all very simple really! This is fantasy fiction that will give you a kick in the ass and keep you rooted in its pages until you have soaked up every word. The story? Let me start by telling you about that…

The book is set on the alien world of Tarkeenia. It’s a world where everything happens–the good, the bad and the ugly. In many ways, it compares to our own world. Nothing is beyond the realm of possibility and morals, beliefs and attitudes change in a second. The research Ellen has put into making her creative world real is astounding. You really do come away believing that Tarkeenia is a real place. It also astounded me that she took such jaded and overused creatures and gave them fresh light. Think you know a dwarf? Hell, you don’t know ELLEN MAE FRANKLIN’S dwarf! Think you know about fantasy? Think again… She gives a brand new definition of the wordand you will not come away thinking that this is a million miles away from reality- trust me!

So, what drew me into this book? I guess the thing that really got me was that Ellen has such a dynamic writing style. She is really one helluva talented writer and I cannot rave about this one
enough.

On the downside–yes, there is a SLIGHT downside to this one–it is her first book and I would like to see how she progresses. I think by the time we get to the third volume of her Tarkeenia books, the world will really know how special Ellen is as a writer.

Want to travel to those exotic lands? Try Tarkeenia. You won’t regret it!

Visit Tarkeenia TODAY!

Continue reading »]]> Sometimes an exclusive comes along. Today is one of those days. David Alvin is a prolific writer who has seen a steady rise in his sales since he wrote his first book. Today, he is more of a powerhouse than ever. His latest book is called Refugees From the Emerald City. I was able to snag a Q and A with David and THEN managed to get a copy of the book for review! See! Don’t say I am not good to you!

Q) Hi David! Great to meet you for this exclusive. So, can you give my readers a rundown of what  Refugees is about? I’m sure it would come better from you!

A) Hey, Nick! Sure…What if the Nome King and his armies had conquered Oz? And let’s assume all the fantasy stories you read as kids (and probably still do read as adults, heck) ARE true, somewhere?

It helps if you’ve read L. Frank Baum’s sixth Oz book, “The Emerald City of Oz,” but it’s truly not required — simply put, the Nomes and their evil allies dug an underground tunnel and got to the Emerald City, destroyed it and enslaved its people, and spread out over the land of Oz.

AND BAUM COVERED IT UP.

Enter David Garrett, a noted children’s book author who comes to Miami and is attending a symposium on the 100th anniversary of “The Emerald City of Oz” (so the novel’s set in 2010). He arrives at the hotel, but no symposium. In the process of finding out who got him there, he runs into Jamie with whom he graduated high school and is now a nurse in Miami. Then he meets Dorothy who escaped the Nomes. Then Guph, the general of the Nome army who after years and decades of successful conquest is finding himself — well, finding that something’s .. not … right.

Enter the Reapers, characters drafted from failed versions of their to-us-fictional worlds where evil and darkness triumphed and introducing David, Jamie, Dorothy, and Guph who are asked to believe in more than they ever have and act in less than they’ve ever known … to get their histories right.

Q) Fascinating stuff! This book has been quite a long time in the writing. Is it the book you’ve always wanted to write?

A) I’ve always wanted to write an Oz book, but I must admit Refugees was not quite what I had in mind.

I wrote this over a month in 2010 for National Novel Writing Month, so I had the general plot in mind for at least a year. I wanted its release to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the book it takes off from.

For a few reasons that didn’t happen according to plan, but you know life … pure and simple, how do you and I relate to the revelation in our own time that there’s a lot more to reality that what we have experienced before? How DO we interact with our favorite characters when they’re flesh and blood and otherwise in front of us, not pixels on a screen or words and pictures on a page?

It’s almost like Emma Swann’s epiphany in the TV show “Once Upon A Time” when SHE finds out that stories that she always regarded as fairy tales had/have a distinct reality of their own. That, and she’s part of the story.

So are we.

Q) As a writer you are rather prolific. Is it always your intention to draw a reader in as part of the story? That seems to be one of your themes.

A) Well, you do want your readers to think “hey, this could be happening where I live, or someplace I imagine” (the ten dollar word for that is “verisimilitude”) and having a common touchstone of a childhood memory can’t hurt …

I can’t say I ALWAYS write that intention, but it bleeds through the more you commit to a story. I believe it has worked very well.

Q) The big question! Is this your best work to date? Be honest!

A) For its chosen subject? Yes!

Q) Good to hear, David! Now for all your fans out there– have you got anything on the go as we speak??

A) Let’s see … “Victory,” the concluding novel of a superhero fantasy trilogy that’s the last chance to save the world in on its final pages now … “The Persian Trilogy” a Bible study of Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther written along the lines of “The Burning Bush …” that you’ve previously reviewed . Those I KNOW are cooking!

Q) Cooking crazily I’d say, David. Thanks for your time!

A) Not a problem, Nick!

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Review: Refugees From the Emerald City

David Alvin is known for writing long tomes. His previous works have included “The Burning Bush Wants to be Your Friend,” for example. Now, I sit and wonder to myself– what do I think of this latest book of his? Well it’s both good AND bad I’m afraid. It’s a great story, but I do think it could do with some improvement. However, let me get to that bit later.

Let me ask you a question. Have you read Frank Baum’s sixth book “The Emerald City of Oz”? You did? That’s great– you are going to love this book. You didn’t? You may find yourself puzzled like me. For all you guys and girls who haven’t read the Baum book– it happens like this. The Nomes take over the Emerald City and then take over Oz. Everyone gets enslaved and a bad moon rises. It’s crisis in the world of make-believe. Now you are fully equipped to go and read this book by David Alvin.

Without giving any secrets away, this book is a journey into an alternate reality. The story will help you wile away a few hours and leaves you with some satisfaction. David weaves a story that will be of interest to some of you– but for many of you– like me– you can find your eyes wandering off the page and looking for the latest cereal box to read. That said, if you give the book a chance you will get into it. I guess it all comes down to your love for Oz. Do you believe that you need a journey in Oz? I think if you do then you will be totally drawn into this book.

Not to be too negative– David writes well and he writes with definite strokes of talent and love. He creates characters who are interesting and he has a great way with dialogue. He creates vivid fantasy characters and makes them talk, walk and jump off the page. At times he is long-winded, however; and a reader can find themselves losing track of what was said– back up two pages and find that nothing was said. I think the book could have been shorter and more concise. However, don’t let the long-winded paragraphs drag you away from the characters who are fantastically crafted. I just found it hard to get to the characters sometimes with all the flourishing descriptions and happenings taking place.

What do I think of the concept? I think it’s great and I think David showed real respect to his favourite childhood writer. I do believe that this book will be too much of a trawl for kids, but I think a lot of adults will pick this up. Bestseller? Maybe.. Cult classic? More than likely. Movie? Maybe… An achievement for David Alvin? Certainly. Be proud of it, David, but please, next time say what you want to say in less time. The rest of the book works so well. I do believe that Refugees is this writer’s best work to date… Long live Alvin!

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“Pacy writing at its finest from the pen of Mark Biskeborn….”

 

I have just finished reading Mojave Winds: Second Edition by Mark Biskeborn. What can I say? Give me a few minutes to digest this one… It’s big… I have a lot to tell you.

I wonder if this is the first book that has been written about finding love in the desert? In case you’ve missed nature documentaries or planes recently– the desert is this big hot mass– just sand and bleached skeletons for miles around. So how do two people fall in love in such a place? Well, author Mark Biskeborn made it happen– he put two lost souls together on a bus and made them connect. Let me tell you about them. Sheila is a beautiful, talented Persian dancer who works in the best joints in Vegas. She has a huge void in her being, though– she feels like a trophy for men. It’s lucky for her that she meets freshly-discharged-from-the-army Kris Klug. The two meet and fall in love, but their love is endangered by the very fact that the bus they are traveling on is hijacked by drug dealers… What do the dealers want? I’m not going to tell you… But it isn’t sand!

Hooked yet? Well, it doesn’t end there. Kris is on the way to meet his Uncle Fred. Now, Fred is a wealthy trucking boss who wants to pass down the business. Before getting on the bus, Kris is told by a shady FBI agent called Jaeger that his uncle Fred may well have been involved in drug trafficking…

Are these two things related? Is Jaeger involved? Is Uncle Fred involved? What do the dealers want? What is Sheila doing on a bus in the Mojave desert? All these questions and more are asked and answered. Let me ask you… This is 386 pages of written work. Let’s take a few off for the front and back pages. Okay.. 380 pages. I normally read pretty quickly and try to review as quickly as I can. I ACTIVELY slowed myself down on this one. I slowed myself down to enjoy it and take it in. I wanted to prolong the experience because I was enjoying the experience. I am probably the only person in the world right now who is going to book tickets to visit the Mojave Desert, bleached bones and all. Here I come!

Hooked now? Hey! Let me tell you about the writing. ‘Detailed’ is a word I would use– detailed, but not boring. The writing is never boring. The story bounces– swings– smoothly narrates it’s way along. You can almost feel the heat of the desert. You can almost taste love dripping from the pages. The dialogue is never phoney, the story-line is never out-of-this-world. This is real life in book form in so many ways. Have you ever been in love? You will feel the bond between Sheila and Kris. Is this book dark? At times. I found myself hooked for the third time this week.  I don’t think I could ever put a Mark Biskeborn book down again. He has a real talent for getting a story across to a reader and adds those little flourishes that make the words as addictive as the drugs Uncle Fred is meant to be trafficking.

So what do I think? I think you should go buy this one! I don’t mean right now– I mean like a few minutes ago. I usually try to find fault in a book but this one makes it hard. If I have to find a negative, perhaps it is a bit long? But then the plot unfolds in such a way that actually the size is perfect. Open your change purse, folks, and go buy this one.

Mojave Winds: Second Edition is available on Amazon. Also visit Mark’s Author Page.

Reviewed by Nick Wale

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 ”An unmissable read worthy of any library and certainly one to keep and read over and over again..”

Meet Joey Ruff and his new book The Dark Communion. I was fortunate enough to be asked to review this one. What can I say? At first glance it sounds like a good read. Jono Swyftt is a hunter, a predator and his prey are those nasties you grow out of believing in when you start to grow up and realise about the real-life nasties. You know those monsters you grew out of believing about? You know– Orcs, Goblins, Trolls and such– well they exist in this world created by Joey Ruff. Jono meets them and dispatches them with relative ease– he’s a gun expert, an ex-cop and a priest. Supernatural beings beware! In this brand new novel, Joey Ruff has created a book that is nothing less than a rollicking action-packed journey from page one.

The Dark Communion opens with a preview story– rather like a TV show. Jono Swyftt is searching for a young girl called Julie Easter who has gone missing. To me, this book reads like an episode of The Shield– the reader feels like they are there as Joey Ruff writes with incredible skill in the first person. Jono is led to a disused and rundown house on the wrong side of town. What will he find inside? All I am going to tell you is that Joey had me riveted from the get-go with this one. I was up all night turning pages to find out what would happen next. What does happen next?

With Joey’s law enforcement background, The Dark Communion is technically brilliant. The history of weapons is touched upon, ammunition, and his own personal knowledge of weaponry shines through. This makes it great for a European like myself to sit and immerse myself in a book that really does idolise the gun. However, just as gun-mad as Jono Swyftt is, Joey created a second character called ‘Ape’ (otherwise known as Terry Towers) who doesn’t use guns at all. The name ‘Ape’ should be explained. Jono calls Terry ‘Ape’ because of his impressive size and strength. ‘Ape’ gave the book a balance that said to me, “I thought of all the bases,” and it works very well. Traditional action and gun toting action are two different things and work together very well in this book. The nasties sometimes need a kick up the ass to get them to give up.

About the nasties! There are Orcs, Goblins, creatures of the night, and the kind of thing you would never want to meet in a dark alley–that is, unless you had a Glock to back you up! Joey writes with great description about the monsters his characters run across. These monsters aren’t created to do anything other than roar, be mean and get killed by Jono. I found it a relief to read a book that just pounded out action in this way.

What about the writing style? In the first person, you feel as though you are actually there. I began edging around as I enjoyed the action. The Dark Communion is a very addictive read in that way. You are immersed into the world of a hunter and as a reader the action is very easy to follow. This is one of those books you pull yourself away from and realise you read fifty pages without even realising it. The dialogue is traditional hardman fare including quips and one-liners, but is intelligent enough not to end up as an Arnie picture. Events, guns, creatures, and backstory are explained as though Jono Swyftt is talking to you over a beer at the local bar.

Overall, I think for a reader looking for a story–a really entertaining, action packed, immersing story– this is one to pick up. It isn’t overbearingly intellectual; it doesn’t give you insight into your past or present; it won’t save your marriage; but it will entertain you! Well done, Joey! This one is a stomper! Jono ain’t bloody cheap… but the price of this book is! Buy it now!

By Nick Wale

Read an interview with Joey on Novel Ideas here!