Bernard Jan's Blog, page 5
October 8, 2020
Vengeance Is Theirs
The Shadowverse: Vengeance by J.C. GalloMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Young Gallo did it again! After his successful first young adult, sci-fi, superhero, adventure novel, The Shadowverse, J.C. is giving us another treat titled The Shadowerse: Vengeance.
Without further ado, I am going to say I loved it and enjoyed it! And it’s not because I was among the first Earthlings who had the pleasure of reading it (it’s not vanity, it’s called beta reading); I cannot tell for certain how many aliens saw the manuscript before me since J.C. has often his gaze fixed on the night-sky and the outer space. I did it because it is a fun and entertaining read.
Just as it was the case in The Shadowverse, I enjoyed his funny and witty dialogues which made his superheroes and other protagonist soooo real. Although his black belt in Taekwondo and Hapkido helped him to master exciting action scenes, and his vivid imagination created beautiful realms with which we share our existence, Gallo has a knack for writing dialogues and describing situations that will make you giggle and laugh.
So, whose vengeance we are talking about? Is it The Shadowforce with Johnny, Ryan, Sam, Jane, and Rose, or the dark forces of defeated Titan and the new evil entity that called itself The Breath of Death as it wreaks havoc all over the Earth? It’s not on me to reveal you that; this is why this talented teenage author wrote a sequel to The Shadowverse for all of us to enjoy his story while the pleasant images of Star Wars saga and Fantastic Four flash in the back of our mind.
Make no mistake, The Shadowforce has its own value and uniqueness, just as it has each of its superheroes and other heroes who will become your darlings as Kevin became mine!
Thank you, J.C., for Vengeance, thank you for your persistence in recruiting me as your beta and for the exciting four days I spent with your book. I just wish it lasted longer.
BJ
www.bernardjan.com
Read my review of The Shadowverse.
Follow me on Twitter.
Bernard Jan
View all my reviews
October 4, 2020
FAG Book Review
FAG by Jonathan HillMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
FAG is Jonathan Hill’s capital work. I’ve read many of his later books, but this one strikes to your core the hardest. With most precision.
As it was emotionally draining for the author to give a painful birth to it, it was emotionally challenging for me as a reader to finish reading it. But it was fulfilling, rewarding, and enriching too. For now I know better Jonathan Hill. And why he writes so freaking marvelous stories.
If you are (not) afraid of the darkness within you, your fears and secrets, read this book. It will shake you, true, and make you watch your tears roll down your cheeks in the mirror of your soul. But it will also comfort you, give you strength and a much-needed hug as it helps you face yourself and raise from your own personal hell, which is not Brierley’s Boarding School for Boys, as it encourages you to embrace your real you. With all your oddities and differences.
I wish every author writes such a brutally honest and impactful book in their lifetime. Books like this make their legacy to this world priceless.
BJ
www.bernardjan.com
Visit www.fagthenovel.com.
Follow me on Twitter.
Bernard Jan
View all my reviews
September 25, 2020
Readers’ Favorite Gold for A World Without Color!
A World Without Color got a great recognition—the Gold Medal in the Fiction–Animals category in 2020 Readers’ Favorite International Book Award Contest!
Readers’ Favorite recognizes A World Without Color by Bernard Jan in its annual international book award contest, currently available at Amazon here.
The Readers’ Favorite International Book Award Contest featured thousands of contestants from over a dozen countries, ranging from new independent authors to NYT best-sellers and celebrities.
Readers’ Favorite is one of the largest book review and award contest sites on the Internet. They have earned the respect of renowned publishers like Random House, Simon & Schuster, and Harper Collins, and have received the “Best Websites for Authors” and “Honoring Excellence” awards from the Association of Independent Authors. They are also fully accredited by the BBB (A+ rating), which is a rarity among Book Review and Book Award Contest companies.
Readers’ Favorite receives thousands of entries from all over the world. Because of these large submission numbers, they are able to break down their contest into 140+ genres, and each genre is judged separately, ensuring that books only compete against books of their same genre for a fairer and more accurate competition. They receive submissions from independent authors, small publishers, and publishing giants such as Random House, HarperCollins and Simon & Schuster, with contestants that range from the first-time, self-published author to New York Times bestsellers like J.A. Jance, James Rollins, and #1 best-selling author Daniel Silva, as well as celebrity authors like Jim Carrey (Bruce Almighty), Henry Winkler (Happy Days), and Eriq La Salle (E.R., Coming to America).
“When the right books are picked as winners we pay attention. We will be spreading the word about Readers' Favorite.”—Karen A., Editor for Penguin Random House
Readers’ Favorite is proud to announce that A World Without Color by Bernard Jan won the Gold Medal in the Fiction–Animals category.
You can learn more about Bernard Jan and A World Without Color here at Readers' Favorite where you can read reviews and the author’s biography, as well as connect with the author directly or through his website and social media pages.
“It is a wonderful story for fans of animals, especially cat lovers. Reading about the desolation and the loneliness of the narrator, the reader understands the place that Marcel occupied in his life as a companion . . . It is a story that explores themes of loss and grief and that celebrates a connection with a cat, a connection that brought meaning to the life of the narrator.” - Christian Sia for Readers’ Favorite
Please check out A World Without Color at BookAwards.Com.
Thank you.
BJ
www.bernardjan.com
Follow me on Twitter.
Bernard Jan
Readers’ Favorite recognizes A World Without Color by Bernard Jan in its annual international book award contest, currently available at Amazon here.
The Readers’ Favorite International Book Award Contest featured thousands of contestants from over a dozen countries, ranging from new independent authors to NYT best-sellers and celebrities.
Readers’ Favorite is one of the largest book review and award contest sites on the Internet. They have earned the respect of renowned publishers like Random House, Simon & Schuster, and Harper Collins, and have received the “Best Websites for Authors” and “Honoring Excellence” awards from the Association of Independent Authors. They are also fully accredited by the BBB (A+ rating), which is a rarity among Book Review and Book Award Contest companies.
Readers’ Favorite receives thousands of entries from all over the world. Because of these large submission numbers, they are able to break down their contest into 140+ genres, and each genre is judged separately, ensuring that books only compete against books of their same genre for a fairer and more accurate competition. They receive submissions from independent authors, small publishers, and publishing giants such as Random House, HarperCollins and Simon & Schuster, with contestants that range from the first-time, self-published author to New York Times bestsellers like J.A. Jance, James Rollins, and #1 best-selling author Daniel Silva, as well as celebrity authors like Jim Carrey (Bruce Almighty), Henry Winkler (Happy Days), and Eriq La Salle (E.R., Coming to America).
“When the right books are picked as winners we pay attention. We will be spreading the word about Readers' Favorite.”—Karen A., Editor for Penguin Random House
Readers’ Favorite is proud to announce that A World Without Color by Bernard Jan won the Gold Medal in the Fiction–Animals category.
You can learn more about Bernard Jan and A World Without Color here at Readers' Favorite where you can read reviews and the author’s biography, as well as connect with the author directly or through his website and social media pages.
“It is a wonderful story for fans of animals, especially cat lovers. Reading about the desolation and the loneliness of the narrator, the reader understands the place that Marcel occupied in his life as a companion . . . It is a story that explores themes of loss and grief and that celebrates a connection with a cat, a connection that brought meaning to the life of the narrator.” - Christian Sia for Readers’ Favorite
Please check out A World Without Color at BookAwards.Com.
Thank you.
BJ
www.bernardjan.com
Follow me on Twitter.
Bernard Jan
September 17, 2020
January River Bargain Price
All rivers carry their secrets, but not every river keeps its secret forever. January River is at a 67% late summer discount on Amazon!
Friday, September 18, 2020, 8:00 AM PDT through Friday, September 25, 2020, 12:00 AM PDT
When one of their friends goes missing, everything comes crashing down for the small group of childhood friends in the small town of Greenfield. Ethan takes it hard. Not even his brother Will and their dog can console him. Then life bares its teeth again, scarring Ethan with another tragic event. He loses his dog, his only consolation.
As soon as he gets the chance, Will leaves Greenfield and Ethan follows a few years later. They start a new life, far from the ghosts of their childhood and the river that gives and takes life. While Will discovers his love for the open seas and spends his best years aboard various ships, Ethan stays in New York City. There he finds his one true love and builds a career as a bestselling author.
But how long will Ethan’s happiness last as doubts creep back into him and shatter his reality? And will his reconciliation with the past come at too great a price?
You can download my novel about five friends, one dog and one river carrying a secret for only $.99 bargain price on Amazon! Please spread the word about this promo week discount, and also check out my two other books A World Without Color and Look for Me Under the Rainbow.
Thanks!
BJ
www.bernardjan.com
Acclaim for January River
“Bernard is a writer who can evoke deep emotions with his excellent writing. He uses the perfect wordings and well-chosen metaphors to paint a scene and give us a look into his characters' deepest feelings.”
—Koen Van den Eeckhout, Belgian information designer, reader, and Goodreads book reviewer
“I will tell you upfront, this is no easy book to devour due to the tenacity of the story to impact you. Some will live. Some will not. But the author does all the right things to make you feel the emotions of the characters throughout the novel.”
—James J. Cudney, author of Watching Glass Shatter, Hiding Cracked Glass, Father Figure, and Braxton Campus Mysteries series
“It’s one of those books that come along occasionally that makes you want to read it non-stop until you get to the end.”
—Píaras Ó Cíonnaoíth, poet and author of books for both children and adults and reviewer for Emerald Book Reviews
Bernard Jan
Friday, September 18, 2020, 8:00 AM PDT through Friday, September 25, 2020, 12:00 AM PDT
When one of their friends goes missing, everything comes crashing down for the small group of childhood friends in the small town of Greenfield. Ethan takes it hard. Not even his brother Will and their dog can console him. Then life bares its teeth again, scarring Ethan with another tragic event. He loses his dog, his only consolation.
As soon as he gets the chance, Will leaves Greenfield and Ethan follows a few years later. They start a new life, far from the ghosts of their childhood and the river that gives and takes life. While Will discovers his love for the open seas and spends his best years aboard various ships, Ethan stays in New York City. There he finds his one true love and builds a career as a bestselling author.
But how long will Ethan’s happiness last as doubts creep back into him and shatter his reality? And will his reconciliation with the past come at too great a price?
You can download my novel about five friends, one dog and one river carrying a secret for only $.99 bargain price on Amazon! Please spread the word about this promo week discount, and also check out my two other books A World Without Color and Look for Me Under the Rainbow.
Thanks!
BJ
www.bernardjan.com
Acclaim for January River
“Bernard is a writer who can evoke deep emotions with his excellent writing. He uses the perfect wordings and well-chosen metaphors to paint a scene and give us a look into his characters' deepest feelings.”
—Koen Van den Eeckhout, Belgian information designer, reader, and Goodreads book reviewer
“I will tell you upfront, this is no easy book to devour due to the tenacity of the story to impact you. Some will live. Some will not. But the author does all the right things to make you feel the emotions of the characters throughout the novel.”
—James J. Cudney, author of Watching Glass Shatter, Hiding Cracked Glass, Father Figure, and Braxton Campus Mysteries series
“It’s one of those books that come along occasionally that makes you want to read it non-stop until you get to the end.”
—Píaras Ó Cíonnaoíth, poet and author of books for both children and adults and reviewer for Emerald Book Reviews
Bernard Jan
August 31, 2020
The Unbroken Circle Review
The Unbroken Circle by Thomas Grant BrusoMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
I devoured this book in a day, which doesn’t happen often lately. But when I opened The Unbroken Circle, I reminded myself how much I loved Jay Bird and how I missed reading more about Jay and Rocco.
The Unbroken Circle is a perfect sequel in which Jay and Rocco cross the threshold of adulthood. It is a story of two young teenage boys who stay together through thick and thin to keep their love alive. But it is also a story of their parents, control freaks and dominant individuals, their mothers especially, who rule their families by the book or enslaved by tradition.
There is a moral of this capturing and emotional story with strongly portrayed characters who became more alive with each spoken sentence. Or, better to say, underneath it runs a subtle and justified critique to our society which doesn’t accept any kind of diversity. This society is harsh and unforgiving and shows no tolerance for those who are “different” and don’t fit into the general pattern of living, loving, and existence.
I do not know if Thomas Grant Bruso, the author of Jay Bird and The Unbroken Circle, plans to write another book in the series, but I hope this is not the end. Jay and Rocco deserve that, as well as all the readers and fans who enjoy their company.
BJ
www.bernardjan.com
Follow me on Twitter.
Bernard Jan
View all my reviews
August 29, 2020
Uncommon Stock: Exit Strategy Review
Uncommon Stock: Exit Strategy by Eliot PeperMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
First there was Version 1.0, then Power Play, and now Exit Strategy, as a brilliant ending of gripping and page-turning The Uncommon Series. Uncommon Stock: Exit Strategy is a perfect, mad, violent, loud, crescendo closure of the series I loved from the line one of the page one!
Breathing heavily under the weight of impressions, I am at a loss of words to thank Eliot Peper enough for writing this series and sharing it wish us. All I will say is buy and read Exit Strategy and other two books in the series and brace yourself for hours of pure reading pleasure.
If you need more evidence why I love this series so much, please also check my reviews of Uncommon Stock: Version 1.0 and Uncommon Stock: Power Play.
Thanks, Eliot!
BJ
www.bernardjan.com
Follow me on Twitter.
Bernard Jan
View all my reviews
August 18, 2020
Look for Me Under the Rainbow Summer Discount
It’s the peak of the summer so I am bringing you some refreshment straight from the Canadian glaciers to cool you down. Look for Me Under the Rainbow is at a 67% summer discount!
Tuesday, August 18, 2020, 8:00 AM PDT through Tuesday, August 25, 2020, 12:00 AM PDT
The whole week the story of Danny, a curious harp seal pup with soft white fur and black innocent eyes, his family, and Helen, an environmentalist and member of a young activist crew of the Rainbow Warriors whose mission is to save animals, is discounted on Amazon.
Curious to download your copy? You can do it here.
“Man. . . . Man’s a great mystery. We know not where he comes from, nor where he’s going. Elusive, like a shadow, he leaves wasteland in his wake. Wasteland and destruction.”
“This . . . man, is he dangerous?”
“Very dangerous, son. More than anything you can imagine or will ever see in your life. You must try never to meet one. If you do come across man but it’s too late to run, be brave. Wait for him. Whatever happens, never, ever turn your back on him. Look him straight in the eye. It’s the only way you might save your life. That’s the moment when he’s most vulnerable and won’t harm you. Human beings attack on the sly, behind your back.”
“But how can I not meet a man? How do I avoid him?” the pup said, his tone hopeless.
“You’ll sense him coming. You know, son, man has a special smell. The scent of fear, misfortune, and pain. He feeds on it. You’ll recognize him by this scent.”
Although Look for Me Under the Rainbow is listed in a program for elementary schools in Croatia as a reading of choice for seventh graders, it is a story for everyone, especially the readers who cherish our beautiful planet and wish to protect its treasures.
Thank you for reading Look for Me Under the Rainbow and writing an honest review on Amazon and Goodreads.
Thank you for spreading the message.
My eBook A World Without Color is at a permanent price of $0.99, while you can download my new novel January River as an eBook for $2.99.
BJ
www,bernardjan.com
Follow me on Twitter.
Tuesday, August 18, 2020, 8:00 AM PDT through Tuesday, August 25, 2020, 12:00 AM PDT
The whole week the story of Danny, a curious harp seal pup with soft white fur and black innocent eyes, his family, and Helen, an environmentalist and member of a young activist crew of the Rainbow Warriors whose mission is to save animals, is discounted on Amazon.
Curious to download your copy? You can do it here.
“Man. . . . Man’s a great mystery. We know not where he comes from, nor where he’s going. Elusive, like a shadow, he leaves wasteland in his wake. Wasteland and destruction.”
“This . . . man, is he dangerous?”
“Very dangerous, son. More than anything you can imagine or will ever see in your life. You must try never to meet one. If you do come across man but it’s too late to run, be brave. Wait for him. Whatever happens, never, ever turn your back on him. Look him straight in the eye. It’s the only way you might save your life. That’s the moment when he’s most vulnerable and won’t harm you. Human beings attack on the sly, behind your back.”
“But how can I not meet a man? How do I avoid him?” the pup said, his tone hopeless.
“You’ll sense him coming. You know, son, man has a special smell. The scent of fear, misfortune, and pain. He feeds on it. You’ll recognize him by this scent.”
Although Look for Me Under the Rainbow is listed in a program for elementary schools in Croatia as a reading of choice for seventh graders, it is a story for everyone, especially the readers who cherish our beautiful planet and wish to protect its treasures.
Thank you for reading Look for Me Under the Rainbow and writing an honest review on Amazon and Goodreads.
Thank you for spreading the message.
My eBook A World Without Color is at a permanent price of $0.99, while you can download my new novel January River as an eBook for $2.99.
BJ
www,bernardjan.com
Follow me on Twitter.
August 2, 2020
Troubled World Book Review
Troubled World by Michael EvansMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Through the maze of lies, betrayal, death, and destruction, young author Michael Evans leads his protagonists on their bloody, long road of survival the apocalypse. Will the family torn by the bugs of suspicion and doubt when Ryder unravels the secrets of his past in front of them reunite and find strength to stick together after their mortal enemies set everything in motion to destroy them, with thousands of mutant animals being their last weapon of choice? On the mission that borders with impossible will they find strength to heal their emotional and physical wounds, forgive, and also save their ten dogs in the process?
Troubled World is the third installment in the World Gone Mad Series in which Michael Evans keeps pushing the limits of his fantastic imagination in bringing new plots, twists and turns, surprises, and challenges before his heroes. Nothing less exciting and adrenaline-packed than Mad World and Cruel World, Troubled World is the book to be devoured in one breath.
BJ
www.bernardjan.com
My reviews of Mad World and Cruel World.
Follow me on Twitter.
Bernard Jan
View all my reviews
June 28, 2020
Cruel World Book Review
Cruel World by Michael EvansMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
At first, I thought Mad World would beat Cruel World in the action scenes and apocalyptic descriptions which still stick in my mind after reading it a month and a half ago. And it was like that until something happened, which made me reconsider my decision and embrace Cruel World without further doubts.
As the book description says, Cruel World is a story of Ryder on one side, injured and escaping the chains of the Syndicate of Truth as he struggles to reunite with his daughter Marin and wife Amy who are living a good life on a casino boat sailing down the Potomac River while figuring out the way to get back to their father and husband. This is the core around which young indie author, Michael Evans, with the skills of a seasoned writer builds the second novel in his brand-new, World Gone Mad series.
It is also a story in which each protagonist faces themselves and under a pressure of survival goes through metamorphosis, showing their true colors. But I will say no more. I will only summarize my impressions in the following sentences, hoping many readers will download this book or order its paperback and enjoy it as much as I enjoyed reading my advance review copy.
While members of a family torn apart by apocalypse are looking for a way to get back together and survive in the world overnight gone mad, the smells of destruction, burning, misery, confusion, and fear seep from the pages of this excellent novel. And poppy flowers. The field of poppy flowers. So surreal, calming, and the stark contrast to the destroyed world in which every undesired human being shall part with their life. Like a blooming announcement of the unexpected family reunion which will set a new direction and dimension for the story to take us. Cinematic, exciting, capturing. Cruel World is a real post-apocalyptic treat.
BJ
www.bernardjan.com
My review of Mad World.
Follow me on Twitter.
Bernard Jan
View all my reviews
June 21, 2020
January River at a Discounted Price on Amazon!
My novel, January River, about five friends, one dog and one river carrying a secret, at a 67% discounted price on Amazon!
Monday, June 22, 2020, 8:00 AM PDT through Monday, June 28, 2020, 8:00 PM PDT
When one of their friends goes missing, everything comes crashing down for the small group of childhood friends in the small town of Greenfield. Ethan takes it hard. Not even his brother Will and their dog can console him. Then life bares its teeth again, scarring Ethan with another tragic event. He loses his dog, his only consolation.
As soon as he gets the chance, Will leaves Greenfield and Ethan follows a few years later. They start a new life, far from the ghosts of their childhood and the river that gives and takes life. While Will discovers his love for the open seas and spends his best years aboard various ships, Ethan stays in New York City. There he finds his one true love and builds a career as a bestselling author.
But how long will Ethan’s happiness last as doubts creep back into him and shatter his reality? And will his reconciliation with the past come at too great a price?
The whole week, January River eBook will be only $.99, which is a great opportunity to get it at a bargain price. Download here this beautiful and heartwarming coming-of-age literary fiction with episodes of mystery and romance cross-genre story and leave your honest reviews on Amazon and Goodreads.
Please spread the word about this promo week discount, and check out my two other books A World Without Color and Look for Me Under the Rainbow.
Click here to get January River at a 67% discounted price on Amazon on June 22-28, 2020.
BJ
www.bernardjan.com
Follow me on Twitter.
Bernard Jan
Monday, June 22, 2020, 8:00 AM PDT through Monday, June 28, 2020, 8:00 PM PDT
When one of their friends goes missing, everything comes crashing down for the small group of childhood friends in the small town of Greenfield. Ethan takes it hard. Not even his brother Will and their dog can console him. Then life bares its teeth again, scarring Ethan with another tragic event. He loses his dog, his only consolation.
As soon as he gets the chance, Will leaves Greenfield and Ethan follows a few years later. They start a new life, far from the ghosts of their childhood and the river that gives and takes life. While Will discovers his love for the open seas and spends his best years aboard various ships, Ethan stays in New York City. There he finds his one true love and builds a career as a bestselling author.
But how long will Ethan’s happiness last as doubts creep back into him and shatter his reality? And will his reconciliation with the past come at too great a price?
The whole week, January River eBook will be only $.99, which is a great opportunity to get it at a bargain price. Download here this beautiful and heartwarming coming-of-age literary fiction with episodes of mystery and romance cross-genre story and leave your honest reviews on Amazon and Goodreads.
Please spread the word about this promo week discount, and check out my two other books A World Without Color and Look for Me Under the Rainbow.
Click here to get January River at a 67% discounted price on Amazon on June 22-28, 2020.
BJ
www.bernardjan.com
Follow me on Twitter.
Bernard Jan
