M.K. South's Blog, page 3
April 24, 2018
Test Promotion Today!
Hello all! I'm testing an upcoming promo campaign today and for the next 2 days, the price of my unconventional historical spy novel, Of Our Own Device, will be discounted to $2.99 across Amazon, iBooks, Google Books and B&N. Below is the link to Amazon, if anyone is interested :)
Thanks for your support!!
Of Our Own Device
Thanks for your support!!
Of Our Own Device
July 6, 2017
A historical fiction reader's point of view...
5/5 -- Highly recommended, June 20, 2017
By Amazon Customer
This review is from: Of Our Own Device (Kindle Edition)
Wonderful and deep researched story placed in the fascinating years of the end of the East Block. The author leads us through the main events of the 80s as experienced through the lead character, offering us a fascinating view into the world of the secret services and diplomacy of the Cold War. It's an amazing thriller that will keep you reading and feeling with the characters' struggles in the years of nuclear fear, AIDS epidemic and Glasnot. I really enjoyed reading it and would love to read more by this author.
By Amazon Customer
This review is from: Of Our Own Device (Kindle Edition)
Wonderful and deep researched story placed in the fascinating years of the end of the East Block. The author leads us through the main events of the 80s as experienced through the lead character, offering us a fascinating view into the world of the secret services and diplomacy of the Cold War. It's an amazing thriller that will keep you reading and feeling with the characters' struggles in the years of nuclear fear, AIDS epidemic and Glasnot. I really enjoyed reading it and would love to read more by this author.
July 5, 2017
4-Month Round Up
So the book has been published for 4 months now across various retailers.
Got 20 reviews: eighteen 5/5 stars, one 4/5 stars and one 3/5 stars downgraded to 2 the next days -- the reviewer thought the detailed spy stuff was detrimental to the overall well-rounded romance. On the same day another reviewer said that she gave up as the book read like a romance, not enough espionage for a spy novel.
Maybe I should label it 'a historical novel with elements of espionage and romantic suspense'?
Big thank you to all readers for making an effort to leave your reviews! Your thoughts are much appreciated, including critical reviews.
Got 20 reviews: eighteen 5/5 stars, one 4/5 stars and one 3/5 stars downgraded to 2 the next days -- the reviewer thought the detailed spy stuff was detrimental to the overall well-rounded romance. On the same day another reviewer said that she gave up as the book read like a romance, not enough espionage for a spy novel.
Maybe I should label it 'a historical novel with elements of espionage and romantic suspense'?
Big thank you to all readers for making an effort to leave your reviews! Your thoughts are much appreciated, including critical reviews.
A new review on Amazon.com
5/5 stars - More than I expected!
By Steve on July 3, 2017
Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase
A riveting love story wrapped into a spy drama linked to historical events. An impossible love story worth risking all, even life. The character development kept me glued to the pages but I was careful to read slow and let the nuances of the story sink in. I spent many enjoyable hours reading and look forward to M.K. South's next project.
By Steve on July 3, 2017
Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase
A riveting love story wrapped into a spy drama linked to historical events. An impossible love story worth risking all, even life. The character development kept me glued to the pages but I was careful to read slow and let the nuances of the story sink in. I spent many enjoyable hours reading and look forward to M.K. South's next project.
June 13, 2017
A 5/5 review on Amazon
Unsolicited readers have started trickling in -- so happy! :)
5/5 stars - A well-crafted and well-plotted book. It kept me guessing ..., June 11, 2017
By David Goeller
Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Of Our Own Device (Kindle Edition)
A well-crafted and well-plotted book. It kept me guessing -- mostly poorly -- to the very end. The author has sort of "apologized" for the history portions that helped lengthen the novel. No need for this. Without the history of the era, the fiction portions would be unintelligible to non-historians. The ending is well done with a meeting of the era's history and the fate of the two main fictional characters.
5/5 stars - A well-crafted and well-plotted book. It kept me guessing ..., June 11, 2017
By David Goeller
Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Of Our Own Device (Kindle Edition)
A well-crafted and well-plotted book. It kept me guessing -- mostly poorly -- to the very end. The author has sort of "apologized" for the history portions that helped lengthen the novel. No need for this. Without the history of the era, the fiction portions would be unintelligible to non-historians. The ending is well done with a meeting of the era's history and the fate of the two main fictional characters.
May 24, 2017
And yet another one -- 5/5!
Reviews are starting to build up - all 5/5 stars so far!
"Excellent Cold War Thriller (with graphic adult content)
... This is an interesting story about the Cold War years, exploring life in Moscow at that time, and what happens post glasnost. The book also covers life in East Berlin, as well as touching upon such historical events as Chernobyl, the war in Afghanistan and the disintegration of the Soviet Bloc. It’s very well written, with the plot moving at some pace..."
Thanks so much to all my readers for your rating! So glad you like my book. Hope you agree that this story needs to be heard.
"Excellent Cold War Thriller (with graphic adult content)
... This is an interesting story about the Cold War years, exploring life in Moscow at that time, and what happens post glasnost. The book also covers life in East Berlin, as well as touching upon such historical events as Chernobyl, the war in Afghanistan and the disintegration of the Soviet Bloc. It’s very well written, with the plot moving at some pace..."
Thanks so much to all my readers for your rating! So glad you like my book. Hope you agree that this story needs to be heard.
May 23, 2017
A new review on Amazon -- 5/5 again!
Great book, great suspense weaved around a wonderful love story- couldn't put it down.
By s peterson May 22, 2017
Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase
So much to enjoy in this book read. I loved the twists and turns, and all the well crafted spy work. The details of this book (both nailing East/West Germany and Moscow) capture the 1980s very well. The cultural references are spot on (both American and Russian). The romance develops at a believable pace. I couldn't put the book down - I just needed to know what happened to the two key people in this book. Certainly an inventive story and one folks should be picking up! For those of you needing a 1980s flashback you will love this. For those who loved Brokeback Mountain and John Le Carre- you two will love this. Its both a meticulous spy thriller John Le Carre would be proud of and an unexpected love story in the most unusual of places like Brokeback. Can't wait for M.K.'s next book!
https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-re...
By s peterson May 22, 2017
Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase
So much to enjoy in this book read. I loved the twists and turns, and all the well crafted spy work. The details of this book (both nailing East/West Germany and Moscow) capture the 1980s very well. The cultural references are spot on (both American and Russian). The romance develops at a believable pace. I couldn't put the book down - I just needed to know what happened to the two key people in this book. Certainly an inventive story and one folks should be picking up! For those of you needing a 1980s flashback you will love this. For those who loved Brokeback Mountain and John Le Carre- you two will love this. Its both a meticulous spy thriller John Le Carre would be proud of and an unexpected love story in the most unusual of places like Brokeback. Can't wait for M.K.'s next book!
https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-re...
May 7, 2017
Another 5 star review on Amazon
5.0 out of 5 stars - Gripping and fast paced spy thriller/ cold war romance
By Chris C.on May 7, 2017
Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase
“Of Our Own Device” is a sprawling work that defies easy categorization but its gripping narrative set against the backdrop of some of the defining events of the late 20th century make it a pleasure to read and hard to put down. Set in the closing years of the Soviet Union, the novel is the story of a forbidden love inside a geo-political spy thriller. Fans of John Le Carre will appreciate the fast-paced storytelling with plenty of tradecraft and deep cover operational detail, while cold war aficionados will love the detailed treatment of the time period. The novel is fully immersed in the culture and politics of the late Soviet period – from the Glasnost reforms and arms race to the global awareness of the AIDS epidemic – period details crafted seamlessly into the story. And then there is the love story between our CIA protagonist Jack and the target he’s been assigned to recruit – a common story but with a twist of this being a gay relationship at a time when homosexuality was likely to end an intelligence career. Jack must reconcile his personal feelings and his operational mission while trying to untangle the true motivations of his targets and his own government. It is an ambitious novel indeed to cover so much territory (and it comes in at over 700 pages) but it is overwhelmingly successful. A fast-paced and gripping read!
https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-re...
By Chris C.on May 7, 2017
Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase
“Of Our Own Device” is a sprawling work that defies easy categorization but its gripping narrative set against the backdrop of some of the defining events of the late 20th century make it a pleasure to read and hard to put down. Set in the closing years of the Soviet Union, the novel is the story of a forbidden love inside a geo-political spy thriller. Fans of John Le Carre will appreciate the fast-paced storytelling with plenty of tradecraft and deep cover operational detail, while cold war aficionados will love the detailed treatment of the time period. The novel is fully immersed in the culture and politics of the late Soviet period – from the Glasnost reforms and arms race to the global awareness of the AIDS epidemic – period details crafted seamlessly into the story. And then there is the love story between our CIA protagonist Jack and the target he’s been assigned to recruit – a common story but with a twist of this being a gay relationship at a time when homosexuality was likely to end an intelligence career. Jack must reconcile his personal feelings and his operational mission while trying to untangle the true motivations of his targets and his own government. It is an ambitious novel indeed to cover so much territory (and it comes in at over 700 pages) but it is overwhelmingly successful. A fast-paced and gripping read!
https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-re...
April 15, 2017
More reviews - from Readers on Amazon & KOBO
More Reviews
From Amazon:
5 stars - By Quynh An on March 12, 2017
Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase
I usually prefer the simplicity and clarity, but M.K.South makes the complexity so elegant and the ambiguity so fine that I am totally gratified after reading "Of our own device". There is so much more to this book , but some standout points for me are:
- A heart-warming trip back in time
- A gripping and moving love story
- A powerful insight into the real Cold War events and time
- An enjoyment and thrill of a succulent spy story
- A deep understanding of the Russian character & the Russian " irrational" thinking
I wish "Of Our Own Device " to meet it's perfect readers who will love it as I do!
From KOBO:
5 stars - Twists and turns as the cold war ends.
I'm halfway through this book and it's been a great read so far. The setting takes place just as the cold war is ending. Very well researched book that reminds you of history while telling a gripping story.
by JD on April 09, 2017
From Amazon:
5 stars - By Quynh An on March 12, 2017
Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase
I usually prefer the simplicity and clarity, but M.K.South makes the complexity so elegant and the ambiguity so fine that I am totally gratified after reading "Of our own device". There is so much more to this book , but some standout points for me are:
- A heart-warming trip back in time
- A gripping and moving love story
- A powerful insight into the real Cold War events and time
- An enjoyment and thrill of a succulent spy story
- A deep understanding of the Russian character & the Russian " irrational" thinking
I wish "Of Our Own Device " to meet it's perfect readers who will love it as I do!
From KOBO:
5 stars - Twists and turns as the cold war ends.
I'm halfway through this book and it's been a great read so far. The setting takes place just as the cold war is ending. Very well researched book that reminds you of history while telling a gripping story.
by JD on April 09, 2017
April 11, 2017
Another 5 star review!
Reviewed by Joel R. Dennstedt for Readers' Favorite -- 5 stars
Two aspects of M.K. South’s complex espionage thriller Of Our Own Device starkly define the reading experience one must expect upon tackling this lengthy novel. The plotting is meticulous and brilliantly satisfying. The sex is graphic, detailed, and same gender, but it is not gratuitous, and it is absolutely essential and integral to the book’s unfolding storyline. The year is 1985, an historical period rife with cold war strategy and tactical maneuvering between two primary players: the superpowers - Russia and the United States. Jack Smith, in deep cover with an alternate backstory to keep him well hidden, plies his dual trades under the predatorily acute scrutiny of the Soviet Union as Gorbachev comes into power, a time when glasnost and perestroika serve to belie the undercurrent of severe danger inherent to his placement, especially considering the devastating and imminent threat of nuclear war.
Amidst the cunning games of spy vs. spy played out during this unstable time, Jack Smith develops a strategic and unintentional emotional/sexual bond with a young Russian would-be rock star, who happens also to be an up-and-coming physicist studying the potential effects of Nuclear Winter. M.K. South’s treatment of their most clandestine affair within his novel Of Our Own Device becomes the essential metaphor and conflict serving to propel his ever more thrilling and dangerous storyline. Which particular secretive revelation might cause more damage to them both becomes a crucial consideration. Meanwhile, the book accelerates progressively toward a fateful, unanticipated, but highly satisfying conclusion.
Also on Joel's website:
http://www.joelrdennstedt.com/2017/04...
Thank you very much, Joel, for an insightful review!
Two aspects of M.K. South’s complex espionage thriller Of Our Own Device starkly define the reading experience one must expect upon tackling this lengthy novel. The plotting is meticulous and brilliantly satisfying. The sex is graphic, detailed, and same gender, but it is not gratuitous, and it is absolutely essential and integral to the book’s unfolding storyline. The year is 1985, an historical period rife with cold war strategy and tactical maneuvering between two primary players: the superpowers - Russia and the United States. Jack Smith, in deep cover with an alternate backstory to keep him well hidden, plies his dual trades under the predatorily acute scrutiny of the Soviet Union as Gorbachev comes into power, a time when glasnost and perestroika serve to belie the undercurrent of severe danger inherent to his placement, especially considering the devastating and imminent threat of nuclear war.
Amidst the cunning games of spy vs. spy played out during this unstable time, Jack Smith develops a strategic and unintentional emotional/sexual bond with a young Russian would-be rock star, who happens also to be an up-and-coming physicist studying the potential effects of Nuclear Winter. M.K. South’s treatment of their most clandestine affair within his novel Of Our Own Device becomes the essential metaphor and conflict serving to propel his ever more thrilling and dangerous storyline. Which particular secretive revelation might cause more damage to them both becomes a crucial consideration. Meanwhile, the book accelerates progressively toward a fateful, unanticipated, but highly satisfying conclusion.
Also on Joel's website:
http://www.joelrdennstedt.com/2017/04...
Thank you very much, Joel, for an insightful review!
