M.L.S. Weech's Blog, page 28

I Love Getting Reviews!

Greetings all,

Yet another two weeks in a row with some reviews to share! I still don’t think I get reviews consistently enough to warrant a “review day” post on my schedule, but if I keep getting them (this regularly), that might change.

The first review I’d like to share is a three-star review for Caught from Deedra. She was kind enough to post the review Amazon, Goodreads, and Audible.

The next is a five-star review for The Journals of Bob Drifter. This was an Amazon review from an unidentified individual.

I’m always so happy to receive reviews. Both of these reviews were every bit as informative and helpful as they were kind (even in how they expressed what they didn’t like). I thank both these reviewers.

If you’ve read any of my work, would you please consider leaving a rating and/or a review on Amazon, Goodreads or both? It really does help.

Thanks for reading,

Matt

Book Review: Gentle and Lowly by Dane C. Ortlund

The cover image for the book was taken from its Amazon buy page under Fair Use doctrine.

Gentle and Lowly by Dane C. Ortlund is a book dedicated to discussing the heart of Christ for sinners and sufferers.

This book is beautiful. The message is full of compassion and Biblical guidance from a Puritan point of view. It touches on the need for salvation, but it focuses on what it means to have salvation. It teaches that it can not be lost. It teaches the patience and steadfast loving kindness of God through Christ.

I don’t want to get too deep in the the specifics of the book, but I do want to highlight the portion discussing John 6:37. I have never before reading this book and a more clear, wonderful, and encouraging explanation of salvation and love.

This is image was taken from The Gospel Coalition website for review purposes under Fair Use doctrine.

I’d offer this book to anyone. I’d give it to newly saved. I’d give it to people. I’d give it to people who are considering Christianity but may not be ready yet. I’d even give this book to people I’d never imagine would turn to Christ. This is the kind of book you had to someone and say, “Here. This is what it means to be Christian.”

It’s not expansive by any means. Ortlund sticks closely to the doctrine of salvation and how far Christ’s love for us goes. This is why it’s a message that can be so dynamic. Obviously, Christianity has areas that people can discuss and debate if they so choose. But start here. Start with a person, who so deeply loves you, he’d come down from Heaven and put on flesh just so he can be punished for your sake. Indeed, we must all follow Christ and serve Him, but I start with his love.

Visits From A Man Named Nobody PT 16

// // // // // // // // // // // // // // //

Paul did everything he could, firing at what felt like a wall of monsters that toppled over him, but it was only a matter of time.

An icon flashed on the screen. It was a stick of dynamite. Paul smiled. As one monster loomed in front of him, Paul shifted his aim to the explosive and fired. An explosion flashed through the entire screen. Monsters cried out in agony as they burned away, Paul reloaded and took several deep breaths. Jordan took care of whatever aliens remained after the explosion.

Then they heard the roar. The monster they’d been working their way toward was just up a small ladder, and they’d finally get to see it. The game’s camera panned and bounced, simulating Paul’s character climbing a ladder. 

As he climbed, he made sure to shoot at aliens that seamed to fall from nowhere. A tentacle that had to have been thirty feel long swept across the screen, and the ladder his character was on toppled over.  

Paul was ready for what came next. An alien scurried from a corner of the screen, but Paul was already aiming at the place where it skittered to a stop. Paul fired. They’d done it! The last time they played, the saw the tentacle, but that last alien caught them both off guard. Whatever happened next, they were further in the game than they’d ever been. 

They pace of the footage increased, indicating the characters were running through the burning structure. Paul took an instant to smile at Jordan as they shot their way through a hallway and up a stairwell. 

They reached a door that read “Roof Exit.”  Paul saw a hand reach for the doorknob, but the screen flashed red. That was bad. It meant they’d taken almost as much damage as they could before dying and losing the game. 

“What!?” Paul yelped. “There weren’t any enemies.”  

The flashing faded, and the scene seemed to shatter apart. Bricks and metal flew everywhere. The creature, whatever it was, had knocked out the wall. The camera panned up and backward to reveal something that looked like a combination of a rhino and an octopus. It was massive. It easily took up three quarters of the roof. 

“The damage must have come from when this thing knocked out the wall,” Jordan said. “The game wants us to take this thing on without have any hit protection.”

The beast roared. One of the tentacles flew at them, and Paul only barely managed to shoot the red target area of the appendage and force it back. Then the monster lunged at them, opening a mouth full of long teeth. Each tooth had its own hit target. The monster chomped on them, and the “Game Over” text flashed. The word “Continue?” appeared with a timer counting down from ten.

Paul reached for his card. No way they were’t going to try again. 

“It’s our turn.” The comment drew Paul’s attention behind him, where two other boys stood. 

“Dude, we have more charges on the card,” Paul said. 

The boy on the right, a square boy with scowl, chuckled. “I don’t care. We waited for you to die. Now it’s our turn.”

Paul noticed the boy’s posture stiffen. Whoever he was, he looked like a bully. He probably didn’t have the first clue who he was about to try and pick on.

More Reviews For The Journals of Bob Drifter!

As it is always my greatest joy to do, I proudly present this four-star Amazon review for The Journals of Bob Drifter!

Greetings all,

Amazon reviews are particularly valuable because they help improve an author’s visibility. I’m so grateful to the reviewer for taking the time to share his review. This particular review might be a little on the spoiler side of things, so I feel a bit of need to at least offer you fair warning. That doesn’t diminish my appreciation at all though.

Just when I thought it was too good to be true, I found this five-star review on Goodreads from Shawna! (Thank you again so much for your awesome support!)

If you’ve read any of my work, would you please consider leaving a rating and/or a review on Amazon, Goodreads or both? It really does help.

For now, I just want to thank this reviewer one more time.

Thanks for reading,

Matt

Book Review: The White Dragon by Anne McCaffrey from The Dragonriders of Pern

Buy Stealing Freedom

Spoiler Free Summary:  The White Dragon by Anne McCaffrey is the third book (sort of) in the Dragonriders of Pern series (at least what is commonly regarded as the first in the main arc). No one thought much of Lord Jaxom’s little white dragon, Ruth. But Jaxom believed. The two begin training to work together. Jaxom wants nothing more than to prove his dragon is indeed special. However, not even Jaxom can imagine just how special Ruth really is.

Character:  I must be honest here. I’ve made it clear that Dragonriders is my favorite series ever, and Ruth is my favorite character ever. His relationship with Jaxom is so beautiful. Strangely, this book doesn’t have the action and suspense of a Mistborn book (my third favorite series). It’s not a thrilling ride. Instead, it’s a bout a friendship that defies the odds, and that’s why the story is so powerful to me. As a person who has been blessed with truly lifelong friendships, this story connects with me in a way that it might not for others. Still, when people talk about a boy and his dragon story, this is it. This, again, is proof that dragon stories don’t have to be about action. I’m not anti-action at all. I usually enjoy it more. But I think it bears contemplation that as much as I love action, I love characters I can connect with more. Writers should take that to heart. If you connect your readers to your characters, they won’t care what the plot is. They’ll care what happens to the characters no matter how physically dangerous the stakes are. There are still stakes in this story, and there’s even physical danger. But I read this story (at least three times so far) just to hang out with two characters I dearly love.

Exposition: As Dragonriders progresses, the exposition becomes less of a crutch. I barely even notice any here. There are some scenes where the dialogue gives us some data, but it’s well woven into the conversation in a natural way. At least two books into the series (there are books that fall between that I don’t believe one “has” to read), McCaffrey finds a rhythm that lets the pace move faster. I will say this, there is absolutely a mandatory reading order. If you pick up The White Dragon, and you haven’t read the other two books I’ve reviewed, you’re going to be very lost.

Worldbuilding: Just when you think this wonderful world can’t get anymore fascinating, McCaffrey opens up a whole new dimension (literally). This story takes the overall arc in a direction that gives the main characters a new hope. While some could argue the story builds slowly, I affirm McCaffrey allows readers to sink into her world the way one likes to sink into a hot bath. Sure, there are some intense moments, but the payoff is well worth it.

This Camera Press image was found on McCaffrey’s New York Times obituary and used for this review.

Dialogue: The dialogue here does have a few scenes where the characters are moving the plot along. It’s pretty easy to tell, but it’s at least woven into conversations that are relevant and motivating to the characters. There are several adorable conversations between Ruth and Jaxom that really help to build on their relationship. This is still very good dialogue, but it might not be as great as the first two books.

Description: McCaffrey is always so effortless in her description. Reading one of her books makes me feel like a two-year-old trying to finger paint. However, the brilliance of her work isn’t in complexity. Instead, it’s in the simplicity. She doesn’t beat the reader over the head with details. Instead, she gives you small details that make a location or action feel more real, and that’s how description should be.

Overall: The White Dragon is my favorite book in my favorite series featuring my two favorite characters, so I’m a little biased. However, this book is guaranteed to yank the heartstrings of anyone who has ever been a a part of a powerful friendship. It’s touching, dramatic, and powerful. So here’s the challenge. Read the three books I’ve reviewed so far. If you’re not in love with the characters by now, you probably lack a human heart, but I won’t make you read the rest. Ultimately, this is a story that shows that faith in friendship can help people achieve more than anyone thought possible, and I for one find that a beautiful thought.

Thanks for reading

Matt

Buy The Journals of Bob Drifter

Visits From A Man Named Nobody PT 15

// // // // // // // // // // // // // //

Paul started walking away. “I think anyone who’s ever said that never had a lot of interaction with the painful side of the rod.”

He pointedly ignored Dorny’s last comment, assuming it was some sort of statement regarding Paul’s eternal doom, which Paul figured was already a certainty. It was so strange! Nothing Dorny said seemed to line up with how Nobody acted or spoke. Sure, he’d quote scripture, but Nobody had always guided Paul to the Bible rather than using verses to win an argument. 

  Even as he made an effort to avoid thinking about it, he couldn’t stop himself from being frustrated by the inconsistencies. This place said one thing was bad. This place said it wasn’t. This place said Jesus was a person. This place said he was God. This place said he was both. They all called themselves Christian churches, and they couldn’t even come to an agreement. 

By the time Paul got to the arcade, he’d managed to work himself into a bit of a temper he intended to take out on pixelated aliens. 

Jordan was outside waiting for Paul as he approached Game World. Arcades weren’t common since most people could download and play together online, but Game World had so many different games that covered all the genres and ages. It was, to be honest, the coolest place on earth. 

“You all right?” Jordan’s eyes scrunched up when he saw Paul.

Paul shrugged. With how easily he let his feelings show, there wasn’t much point in trying to hide his anger. “That guy was there again.”

Jordan let out a sigh and gave him a conciliatory slap on the shoulder. “He doesn’t know what he’s talking about.”

“Should you say that? I mean, you’re like, Christian, Christian,” Paul said. He couldn’t really explain it, but if Paul was asked what a Christian acted like, he’d point to Jordan. It’s not like Paul could rely on Nobody to pop into existence when he wanted. 

“There’s nothing wrong with speaking truth.” Jordan laughed as he said it. “Sometimes people don’t like it, but that doesn’t make it wrong.”  

Jordan smiled and pointed through Game World’s glass wall. There was Paul’s favorite game: Invasion. “You wanna kill some aliens?”

Paul smiled. He’d be willing to do anything to keep his mind off that jerk and his self-righteous rants, but he loved that game. They approached, and the sliding glass doors opened to allow them in. Beeps, whirrs, and plinks seemed to hit them like a wall of sound. The chaos was wonderful. 

They sped over to Invasion, ignoring all the other games. Each of them reached into their pockets to pull out their pre-charged game cards. They inserted their cards and logged onto the game.

Invasion was essential nothing more than an excuse to use a plastic pistol to shoot aliens. There was a story to it if one paid attention, but the premise was simple. Shoot whatever the game threw in front of you except your teammates and any unfortunate humans who may be in the way. If you didn’t shoot the aliens soon enough, they’d kill you, and the game would end.

The game started with a cinematic sequence that only made Paul impatient, but the clip eventually ended, and the pair started shooting. The game reeled players in slowly. At first, there were only one or two monsters to shoot, and with two players, it felt boring in a way, but it was also exhilarating. Paul liked trying to shoot aliens from as great a distance as possible. Eventually, creatures started popping onto the screen as if coming from around a corner or leaping from the ceiling. 

Before a player realized it, he was surrounded. That’s when it got fun! 

Paul and Jordan defended one another. They shouted and warned each other. After a while of playing this game on a near daily basis, they had a lot of the game memorized. That knowledge allowed them to progress farther and father into the game.
They cleared another level and the screen seemed to pan to look at a burning sky scraper. They called it The Tower. Paul glanced at Jordan. “You ready.”

Jordan pulled back the plastic gun’s slide as if clearing the chamber. The gesture activated the reload action in the game. “This time we beat it!”

A part of Paul wondered if The Tower was the end of the game or not. Regardless, no amount of knowing where the critters were coming from or when they’d jump at you made a difference if there were simply too many to shoot. The screen continued to pan and zoom as if they were walking into a burning building that also had what must have been thousands of aliens crawling all over it. 

A scream echoed through the speakers. It sounded huge. Last time Paul and Jordan played, they caught a glimpse of a creatures that had at least twenty-two hit points, spots a player had to shoot to damage an alien. They died and ran out of credit on their game cards before they even had a chance to get a good look at the thing.

Beating this game was second only to figuring out how Nobody teleported through space in Paul’s list of life-goals. 

They entered the tower. There wasn’t time to think. Creatures of all shapes and sizes flooded toward them, and there was nothing to do but shoot as quickly as possible. By this point in the game, Paul’s hand started to feel numb and his forearm was sore. Occasionally, a different sort of gun or even grenade would appear on the screen, which let Paul or Jordan upgrade their weapons for a short time. The problem was a bullet spent on upgrading your weapon let some ten aliens get that much closer. 

They came in waves. Jordan managed to upgrade to an automatic rifle, which allowed him to hold his trigger down and wave his weapon back and forth like a flame thrower. The weapon gave Paul precious seconds to pick off whatever monsters Jordan’s wild onslaught didn’t hit. Jordan probably took out a third of the aliens in the initial wave.

Come on! Paul tried to force his eyes open even as he carefully shot the closest aliens. His efforts took another third of the invader’s front line. 

Come on! Paul watched as Jordan’s automatic rifle ran out of energy and converted back into a pistol. Jordan’s wave bullets became a pitiful series of shots that weren’t nearly enough to account for the remaining third of the enemies. 

… to be continued …

My Top Three Reads of 2020

It’s a new year, which means it’s time to share my top three reads of 2020 with you all.  Goodreads says I’ve read 14 books in 2019. I’m still trending downward, but I don’t know that I read “less.” Considering how much I read the Bible, I think I’m reading as many pages as I normally do (given married life). It’s just that I’m reading much larger books. That said, I have to say 2020 was probably the weakest year since I’ve been doing this. That doesn’t mean my top three aren’t great, but I think the drop off is pretty steep. Was that the case for you all? Let me know in the comments below. This list was made without regard to publisher, format, or author.

How I did it:  I kept track of books I liked and mentally compared one to the other. Without further delay, here’s my list.

#3 Starsight by Brandon Sanderson: You can find my review for that book here.  If it weren’t for Sanderson, I probably wouldn’t name a top three. I read some non-fiction I really enjoyed, but I don’t enjoy non-fiction in the same way. He’s still my favorite. Starsight added depth the the charm of skyward, and I gain more interest as the universe (of this story) opens up. It’s still clearly YA, and so it lacks a lot of the impact his other books have, but it’s honestly growing stronger with each book. I freely admit it takes a degree of patience to read a non-cosmere book from Sanderson because you’re waiting for that next Stormlight book, but the stories are always enjoyable, and it’s a part of his style of writing.

#2 The Rhythm of War by Brandon Sanderson: This is not a cheat. You’re free to look at all 14 books I’ve read, and if you honestly think there are two better, let me know in the comments. I’m actually a bigger fan of ROW than other readers I know. That’s because I liked the science nature of this book. Here’s my review. It was very hard to decide this between this book and number one on my list for this year. I’ll explain that later. I just want it known that after a bit, I still personally think this is the second best book in the series so far. This book doesn’t rise because it’s still just a set up. Also, this book has some super odd breaks between characters (like some cast members vanish for an entire act). Regardless, This book put everything into place, but the rewards for this book will actually be in Book 5. Sanderson is a master, and if you haven’t read Stormlight, you’re really missing out. It’s just that simple.

#1 The Burning White by Brent Weeks:  My review for this can be found here. What helped put this book over the edge was that it was the conclusion to a very good saga. A lot of things came together here in ways I thought were very pleasant. I think Lightbringer is solid. I don’t really know if it holds up against Night Angel or not. They’re actually pretty different books, so it’s hard to tell. Which ever is better, both deliver a great story that gives readers an ending that’s satisfying.

So that’s my top three. What are yours? Why? Do you have a review you can link it to? I’d love to reblog it for you.

Thanks for reading,

Matt

Book Review: Dragonquest by Anne McCaffrey from The Dragonriders of Pern

Buy Stealing Freedom

Spoiler Free Summary:  Dragonquest by Anne McCaffrey is the second book in the Dragonriders of Pern series (at least what is commonly regarded as the first in the main arc). The Thread has return, but so have the dragonriders. Lessa’s actions (from Book One) have brought back the help F’lar needed to defend Pern, but the Oldtimers are breeding dissent, and their presence may actually turn into a hinderance. As F’lar works to find a way to defeat the Thread once and for all, he’s distracted by the need to keep order among the dragonriders.

The cover image for this book was taken from its Amazon buy page for review purposes under Fair Use doctrine.

Character:  So normally I hate political drama. Adding dragons to the mix helps a lot, but that’s not why this story works for me. The reason it works is the characters. After Dragonflight, I’m in love with Lessa, F’lar and F’nor and their dragons. The political intrigue is amplified because the reader understand how driven F’lar is to defeat the Thread and how frustrating it is (and thus the readers are on his behalf) to be rebelled against. That emotional conflict is the only way to make political conflict interesting. It’s the same with a cop and robber story. If you don’t understand the motivations of the cop and robber, it’s just a hollow plot line. At least with cops and robbers, there’s guaranteed action. I will say I think the Oldtimers’ points of view could have been more relevant, but with how connected I was to the main cast already, I didn’t care.

Exposition: Dragonquest is sort of a reward for making it through the first five chapters of Dragonflight in regard to exposition. Now that the world is built and defined, there are far fewer blocks of exposition. As an epic fantasy story, there are absolutely blocks of exposition, but it’s not nearly as much as there were in Book One, where we had to learn pretty much everything about how the planet works.

Worldbuilding: Things only get better with this book. Without addition exposition, McCaffrey expands on Pern and the cause of Thread. We learn more about the world of Pern and its society. I’ll ever beleive Pern is the standard bearer for worldbuilding in fiction.

This Camera Press image was found on McCaffrey’s New York Times obituary and used for this review.

Dialogue: This book continues the trend set by Book One. The dialogue is so much more than plot positioning or badly hidden exposition. Instead, the dialogue adds to the characters and it adds to the emotion of the scene. The characters aren’t narrating information like a bad play. Instead, we’re immersed in a world in which we can hear the characters and the conversations they have. They are indeed relevant to the plot, but they’re not cookie-cutter plot outlines.

Description: What shines here in McCaffrey’s description is how carefully she uses adjectives near action verbs. If I were studying in school, I might find the time to read this book and underline the verbs and circle the adjectives she uses to give those verbs additional sensory value. There’s one particular scene in the book where she artfully depicts a chaotic event without loosing the reader or slowing down the pace of the story. Sure, there’s more description than I like, but it only adds to the immersive nature of the world.

Overall: Dragonquest is proof that political intrigue doesn’t have to be boring. I think McCaffrey did right what Herbert did wrong. I’m sure others disagree with me, and I respect that opinion, but stick with me. Herbert gave the worldbuilding and political intrigue first, and then added character. McCaffrey made us care about the characters first and then added the political conflict. When we connect emotionally to characters, we’re far more patient as readers than when writers want to show off their notes for 100 pages before we really come to understand our characters. This book highlights a lot of those aspects.

Thanks for reading

Matt

Buy The Journals of Bob Drifter

Visits From A Man Named Nobody PT 14

// // // // // // // // // // // // //

Five

Oct. 17, 2025, 3:32 p.m. 

21.9 Years Ago

“I’m going out,” Paul said, already twisting the knob of his front door.

“Is your homework done?” His mother’s voice came from upstairs. 

“I’ll do it when I get back,” Paul replied.

A steady rhythm of footsteps on the stairs caused Paul to look up and see his mother coming down. Just out of the shower, she wore a white slip, and her hair was wrapped in a brown towel. “I asked you to get it done before you went out.”

“I’m just going to hang out at the arcade with Jordan.” He flung the door open and left even as his mom called to him. He didn’t understand what the big deal was. 

Since he’d stopped fighting and started paying attention in class, his grades had sky rocketed. All his teachers went from hating him to talking to him about college. He knew he’d go. He had to so he could study more about physics. He knew teleportation was possible because he’d been visited by someone several times throughout his life. Though it’d been more than a year since Nobody’s last visit, things were better.

Paul had just had the thought when he turned onto the next street and saw a man standing on his front lawn. Oh, no!  

“If it isn’t Paul,” the man said. “Have you given any consideration to what we talked about?”

“I’m not joining your cult,” Paul said flatly.

The man, Thomas Dorny, shook his head as if he were sad. Maybe he was. 

“I’m so afraid that you’re lost,” Dorny said. “You don’t have any patience to even talk about your soul.”

“Look,” Paul said. “I listened to you talk. I’ve even told you I’ve read the whole Bible, twice! I even went to your church with you, and you yelled at me just for going to the bathroom.”

It wasn’t an exaggeration. Dorny had waited until the sermon, an hour-long lecture about how God was furious at how all the other churches but theirs in the world weren’t doing what God wanted, was over, but right afterward, Dorny took Paul outside and told him he was  disrespectful and “un-redemptive” to miss any single part of a sermon.   

“I’m trying to save you,” Dorny said. He had this self-righteous, patronizing smile that made Paul want to hit him. 

“I don’t want anything to do with you,” Paul finally said. He’d had enough. “I’ve talked with … “  Paul was about to say “Nobody,” but he managed to stop himself. “ … other people about God and the Bible, and they don’t sound like you.”

“That’s because they’re false teachers who are trying to corrupt you, and I think they’re succeeding,” Dorny said. The man had an argument or justification for everything, and that was what felt so off about him. He knew there was more to it, but the thing that bothered Paul most about Dorny was how he always seemed to make this about his church or even his holiness. It felt so fake. 

“Look, I have to go.” Paul started to walk by, but Dorny shifted to stand in front of him. Paul clenched his fists.

“Are you going to hit me? Is the violence in your heart that strong?” Dorny asked.

This jerk has no idea!  

“I said I have to go.” It was an effort for Paul to keep himself from shoving the man. He hadn’t hit anyone since Jordan, who strangely had become Paul’s best friend these days. Paul went to Jordan’s church once, too. They didn’t yell at him, but after going to church with Mr. Dorny, Paul figured he wanted nothing to do with organized religion. At least Jordan never pestered him about it. 

Mr. Dorny frowned as he stepped side. “Go enjoy your flesh. Make yourself happy and see what fire it leads to.”

Paul started walking away. He’d endure some sanctimonious crap as long as it got him away from the jerk.

“I blame your mother.”

The comment stopped Paul short. He slowly pivoted around as if forcing himself to move slowly was all that kept him from leaping at Mr. Dorny. “What did you say?”

Dorny smiled like some kid who got caught lying. He shrugged. “Your mother divorced your father.” He said it like that explained everything. “She’s a sinner who’s teaching you to do the same. By abandoning her husband, she’s separated you from the discipline you so desperately needed.”

Paul had stepped right up to the man just as he finished speaking. For years, Paul felt anger. He hit people because of the shame he felt about himself. He hit people because he was angry about how they made him feel about himself. For the first time since his father nearly killed him, Paul was furious.

“If I told you how my father disciplined me, you’d change your religion.” Paul didn’t even try to hide the rage from his face. 

Then Paul imagined how his face looked. He had that face memorized from the times his father wore it right before beating them. 

No one deserves to be beaten.  

This man put that claim to the test. This man deserved it. Paul wasn’t so much smaller than Dorny. 

I won’t become my father!

“All children hate the rod, but those who avoid it spoil the child.” Dorny spoke as if that, again, explained everything. 

… to be continued …

I’ve finished the Beta Draft of Betrayed! Anyone interested in being an ARC Reviewer?

As you can tell by the headline, I’ve sent out Betrayed to Sara for proofreading, and I’m hoping a number of you would be willing to be ARC reviewers.

Betrayed is the second part of the Oneiros Log Trilogy (Repressed is more of an out rigger novel).

Here’s a small summary/blurb:

They were captured and tortured until their minds finally Broke, unleashing the latent powers inside them. The six members of Oneiros spent more than five years content to build their life together and use their gifts to help people. The government has other plans.

The nation some of them served, the nation that failed all of them, is about to betray them. These two forces collide in a war that will have deadly consequences for both sides. How will this declaration of war affect the team?

Former friends stand on opposite sides of the battle lines. Loyalty prevents them from finding common ground. Loyalty will be one’s downfall.

The peacemaker suffers silently, hiding a secret that threatens them all.

The violent beauty suffers from a past that will change all of their futures.

The young protege hopes to become a hero but doesn’t know the pain all heroes face.

The leader is falling, completely unaware of the corruption to which he’s succumbing.

Their creation broke them. This war will shatter them, and the secrets it reveals will change the world as everyone knows it.

Caught was a horror story with a twist of action. Betrayed evolves into an action story with a bit of horror. If military action with psychic powers are up your alley, I think you’ll enjoy this installment of the trilogy.

My goals: What I truly hope is to find 50 dedicated reviewers, but given that I don’t have 50 reviews total, that goal would unlikely (but amazing). So instead, I’m setting a (far more realistic) goal of 10 ARC reviewers. I’m looking for ten (or more) volunteers to receive a PDF version of the story and prepare a review for the day Betrayed goes live (currently scheduled for April 1, which gives a reader plenty of time). If you’re interested, please don’t hesitate to email me.

A note: This is an un-proofed draft. That means you’ll probably note typos I haven’t managed to polish out yet. While I don’t expect this to be riddled with issues, I will remind potential readers that this is the draft I finished before sending it to my proofreader. If you care to make note of them and tell me, I’d be grateful, but that’s not the need I’m trying to fill. Sara is great at what she does, and she’ll help me get Betrayed cleaned up before it goes to market. Sending the un-proofed draft to ARC readers just allows them time to read and me time to do the other things an independent author has to do to prepare for a book launch.

While I wait for edits (and hopefully reviews), I’m already toiling way on Discovered, the last book in the Oneiros Log. I’m a little more than halfway done with the discovery draft, and I’m pretty happy with how it’s coming out. It’s still very optimistic to think Discovered will be out in 2021, but I fully expect it to be out before 2022 comes to a close. That’s my main priority. If I do finish that draft, I’ll go back to Images of Truth, but I’d say it’s unlikely I’ll write another 50,000 words in a month. For those keeping score at home, you’re right. Discovered is by far the biggest of the three main books. Caught was somewhere in the neighborhood of 80,000 words, and Betrayed was just about 60,000. Discovered looks like it will land in the 100,000-word area. This is because I’m tying up all the plot lines and making sure fans of each character get a satisfying conclusion for their favorites.

As always, I’m so grateful to all of you who support my work. It’s amazing to think I’ve been at this for six years! I’m always working to be a better writer and a more successful business man. I can’t do either of those things without God allowing and your help. Thank you!

Thanks for reading,

Matt