John Schettler's Blog, page 10
January 19, 2014
Kirov Saga: Darkest Hour - Altered States Volume II
The Writing Shop announced the release of the 10th book in the Kirov Series novels by John Schettler, Darkest Hour. Beginning exactly where Book 9 Altered States left off, it continues the story of the ship and crew now marooned in 1940 and embroiled in the naval war in a world shattered by all their previous interventions in history. Darkest Hour is the second volume in the Altered States segment of the long saga, and will be followed soon by book 11 in the series, Hinge of Fate.
The eBook is now available exclusively on Amazon here.
The Trade Paperback now available on CreateSpace here.
More information on the series and this title can be found here
The eBook is now available exclusively on Amazon here.
The Trade Paperback now available on CreateSpace here.
More information on the series and this title can be found here
January 13, 2014
Altered States Volume II: Darkest Hour
The Saga Continues...
Readers of the long running Kirov Saga were pleased to see the series take yet another evolution this holiday season with the release of the book they voted into being as their #1 and #2 choices in the reader poll. During the attempt to get the ship out of the maelstrom of trouble Captain Karpov stirred up in 1908, the story’s magic wand, Control Rod 25, followed its Old Faithful ways and deposited Kirov and Kazan in the 1940s as Armageddon concluded.
It was there that the author thought to leave us with the haunting quote from Byron that opened the first book of the story, and one he has resounded at times throughout this long, complex tale: “On the sea, the boldest steer but where their ports invite—But there are wanderers o'er Eternity, whose bark drives on and on, and anchor'd ne'er shall be.” But the readers would not let the ship and crew slip silently away again. They wanted to come along, and I was one of the first on deck when the opening volume of the Altered States segment of the saga was released on Thanksgiving weekend.
Now the story has plunged us into the heartless waters of the war at sea in the West, with new and old characters on the vast stage of conflict. Yet the world, and the history we are now sailing in, is strangely different. In places it is an exact reflection of the history we know, in others notably different. Russia is fragmented into three warring states, the Germans have numerous new ships built under their Plan Z program, Admiral Tovey sets his flag aboard a G3 class battlecruiser that was never built in our world, and zeppelins rove the wilds of the Siberian wasteland, armed dreadnought airships that bring a naval spin to that segment of the tale.
And so on we go with this story that echoes so true to the first books in the series, yet remains so remarkably engaging. Kirov’s resident historian, Anton Fedorov, immediately sets out to try and decipher this new world, beset with a rising sense of guilt that the shattered time line is all his fault. Deputy Director Kamenski, one of the more mysterious characters in the series, and who often seems to voice the author's own omniscient understanding of what is happening, describes this strange new evolution of the saga perfectly in a conversation with Fedorov:
“Nothing is certain, Fedorov. Things happen, and all this history we now find ourselves reading about in those books and newspapers is the result of millions of tiny choices and actions taken by people all over the world. Yes, we single out a few and claim they are the ones that matter, but I have not found that to be the case. We want certainty. We make big plans and hope things will all turn out well, but life seldom cooperates. Just when you think you have it all tied off and ready to slip into a drawer, the story continues. It resists resolution. It evolves to something new.”
“But I must be responsible for the things I caused,” said Fedorov.
“Did you cause them? I wonder. This is where you make your mistake in thinking about all of this. The dots seem to be connected. You want to move from point A to point B and feel that one thing caused another, but it does not work like that. It’s human nature, I suppose. We want everything tidy, with a nice beginning, middle and end. Believe me, I was in the same distress you were in when I first found my history books were telling me lies. Things change, Mister Fedorov. Things begin from unseen causes. They spin off in unexpected directions. They end up places no one ever thinks they could go. Look at this ship and crew for the truth of that. You see, there are no happy endings in stories like this. Things just continue. They go on and on, just like this little adventure you have all found yourselves in these many months. This isn’t just your story, Mister Fedorov. It’s everyone's story, yours, mine, the whole world's. Yes, you have your part to play, but there are other actors on the stage, and they speak for themselves.”
And we are the lucky readers with a ticket to the show! The opening volume in this latest evolution of the tale concluded with a three chapter segment called The Witching Hour and left us hanging right in the middle of the engagement between the Royal Navy and Kriegsmarine in the Denmark Strait. In this next volume, Darkest Hour, begins right where that battle left us, with Admiral Tovey on the bridge of HMS Invincible for a six chapter continuation of the duel at sea.
The book is structured much like a good baseball lineup. Part I, entitled Ragnarok gets a good runner on base as it moves between Tovey’s point of view on Invincible and that of Lindemann on Bismarck while Admiral Volsky and Fedorov huddle to determine whether or how they might intervene here. Part II: Fire in Heaven moves the runner into scoring position as it shows us the result of those deliberations. Then. Like any good lineup, you need a hitter that can drive the ball in the number three spot, and here the author takes us back to that last awful moment on the bridge of Kirov at the conclusion of Armageddon, only this time we are inside Karpov’s head. Part III: Prodigal Son delivers a accounting of Karpov’s fate, and what actually happened there on the weather deck off the bridge where we have stood with Volsky to see the blood stains on the gunwale, wondering. The answer is here. Good dramatic power in the number four spot takes the story to a surprising place, but I can't breathe a word of that narrative here.
The book then alternates between action segments, and character based segments where we learn more of what is happening in these altered states and how the characters will become embroiled in the web of alliances and conflicts that lead us on into the naval war in the West. We soon move to another six chapters of naval cat and mouse in Wunderland and The Hunter, and then the British and Germans alike begin to plan how they will try to get their hands on the powerful French Fleet, which becomes the log on the fire in the later chapters when Admiral Tovey hands the ball to Somerville in Force H, along with his young protégé Wells who gets his first command at sea.
This time, however, we are not left hanging in the middle of a major battle at sea. The cliff the author pushes us out onto here starts in a quiet moment with Alan Turing at Bletchley Park and then proceeds to blow your mind in Part XII: Anomalies. Here we get a heavy dose of the tantalizing edge of mystery that has been at the heart of this series, and one of the many themes that has made it such a compelling read. Be careful where you try to shine the light of your understanding in this story! There are dark corners here, and things hidden away in this tale that are truly confounding. If you have been one of the few, the proud and the brave who have read it all from Book I, then you will delight to see how the author pulls on tiny threads he has sewn into the tale, and continues to weave them into something new. To put it simply, you’ll love it!
Darkest Hour is a great mix of the old and the new, with action segments alternating with intense character based face offs that are truly engaging. The authenticity of the historical narratives make it all seem so real, not just the broad strokes of the history, but also the little details, like Volsky missing familiar statues and monuments on his homecoming to Murmansk. This is part of what makes the time travel spin so convincing here, because of the deliberate slow process of revelation that the author has used when the historical characters confront Kirov. Just as Alan Turing and Admiral Tovey slowly put the clues together to come to a grudging acceptance of the impossible, we do as well, and end up believing that time travel is a reality! After reading these books, and Schettler’s other time travel quintet in the Meridian Series, I find myself peering into the history books I love with just a little more suspicion, wondering who might be creeping quietly through the days of yore, changing things with an unseen hand.
The Kirov Series is a tale you can truly lose yourself in, where your suspension of disbelief is entirely dispatched before you are a third of the way through the first volume in the series. You become a believer, as I am, and eagerly wait for more. Thankfully you never have to wait long with this prolific and talented writer. Altered States Volume II: Darkest Hour is slated for release on or before Feb 1, 2014, and I was pleased to learn that the author is already knee deep in the writing of book three in the series, borrowing the title from Churchill recounting of these same events: Hinge of Fate. I have also learned that there will be more to come. Great news, because I can't get enough!
-A. Hartman
Readers of the long running Kirov Saga were pleased to see the series take yet another evolution this holiday season with the release of the book they voted into being as their #1 and #2 choices in the reader poll. During the attempt to get the ship out of the maelstrom of trouble Captain Karpov stirred up in 1908, the story’s magic wand, Control Rod 25, followed its Old Faithful ways and deposited Kirov and Kazan in the 1940s as Armageddon concluded.
It was there that the author thought to leave us with the haunting quote from Byron that opened the first book of the story, and one he has resounded at times throughout this long, complex tale: “On the sea, the boldest steer but where their ports invite—But there are wanderers o'er Eternity, whose bark drives on and on, and anchor'd ne'er shall be.” But the readers would not let the ship and crew slip silently away again. They wanted to come along, and I was one of the first on deck when the opening volume of the Altered States segment of the saga was released on Thanksgiving weekend.
Now the story has plunged us into the heartless waters of the war at sea in the West, with new and old characters on the vast stage of conflict. Yet the world, and the history we are now sailing in, is strangely different. In places it is an exact reflection of the history we know, in others notably different. Russia is fragmented into three warring states, the Germans have numerous new ships built under their Plan Z program, Admiral Tovey sets his flag aboard a G3 class battlecruiser that was never built in our world, and zeppelins rove the wilds of the Siberian wasteland, armed dreadnought airships that bring a naval spin to that segment of the tale.
And so on we go with this story that echoes so true to the first books in the series, yet remains so remarkably engaging. Kirov’s resident historian, Anton Fedorov, immediately sets out to try and decipher this new world, beset with a rising sense of guilt that the shattered time line is all his fault. Deputy Director Kamenski, one of the more mysterious characters in the series, and who often seems to voice the author's own omniscient understanding of what is happening, describes this strange new evolution of the saga perfectly in a conversation with Fedorov:
“Nothing is certain, Fedorov. Things happen, and all this history we now find ourselves reading about in those books and newspapers is the result of millions of tiny choices and actions taken by people all over the world. Yes, we single out a few and claim they are the ones that matter, but I have not found that to be the case. We want certainty. We make big plans and hope things will all turn out well, but life seldom cooperates. Just when you think you have it all tied off and ready to slip into a drawer, the story continues. It resists resolution. It evolves to something new.”
“But I must be responsible for the things I caused,” said Fedorov.
“Did you cause them? I wonder. This is where you make your mistake in thinking about all of this. The dots seem to be connected. You want to move from point A to point B and feel that one thing caused another, but it does not work like that. It’s human nature, I suppose. We want everything tidy, with a nice beginning, middle and end. Believe me, I was in the same distress you were in when I first found my history books were telling me lies. Things change, Mister Fedorov. Things begin from unseen causes. They spin off in unexpected directions. They end up places no one ever thinks they could go. Look at this ship and crew for the truth of that. You see, there are no happy endings in stories like this. Things just continue. They go on and on, just like this little adventure you have all found yourselves in these many months. This isn’t just your story, Mister Fedorov. It’s everyone's story, yours, mine, the whole world's. Yes, you have your part to play, but there are other actors on the stage, and they speak for themselves.”
And we are the lucky readers with a ticket to the show! The opening volume in this latest evolution of the tale concluded with a three chapter segment called The Witching Hour and left us hanging right in the middle of the engagement between the Royal Navy and Kriegsmarine in the Denmark Strait. In this next volume, Darkest Hour, begins right where that battle left us, with Admiral Tovey on the bridge of HMS Invincible for a six chapter continuation of the duel at sea.
The book is structured much like a good baseball lineup. Part I, entitled Ragnarok gets a good runner on base as it moves between Tovey’s point of view on Invincible and that of Lindemann on Bismarck while Admiral Volsky and Fedorov huddle to determine whether or how they might intervene here. Part II: Fire in Heaven moves the runner into scoring position as it shows us the result of those deliberations. Then. Like any good lineup, you need a hitter that can drive the ball in the number three spot, and here the author takes us back to that last awful moment on the bridge of Kirov at the conclusion of Armageddon, only this time we are inside Karpov’s head. Part III: Prodigal Son delivers a accounting of Karpov’s fate, and what actually happened there on the weather deck off the bridge where we have stood with Volsky to see the blood stains on the gunwale, wondering. The answer is here. Good dramatic power in the number four spot takes the story to a surprising place, but I can't breathe a word of that narrative here.
The book then alternates between action segments, and character based segments where we learn more of what is happening in these altered states and how the characters will become embroiled in the web of alliances and conflicts that lead us on into the naval war in the West. We soon move to another six chapters of naval cat and mouse in Wunderland and The Hunter, and then the British and Germans alike begin to plan how they will try to get their hands on the powerful French Fleet, which becomes the log on the fire in the later chapters when Admiral Tovey hands the ball to Somerville in Force H, along with his young protégé Wells who gets his first command at sea.
This time, however, we are not left hanging in the middle of a major battle at sea. The cliff the author pushes us out onto here starts in a quiet moment with Alan Turing at Bletchley Park and then proceeds to blow your mind in Part XII: Anomalies. Here we get a heavy dose of the tantalizing edge of mystery that has been at the heart of this series, and one of the many themes that has made it such a compelling read. Be careful where you try to shine the light of your understanding in this story! There are dark corners here, and things hidden away in this tale that are truly confounding. If you have been one of the few, the proud and the brave who have read it all from Book I, then you will delight to see how the author pulls on tiny threads he has sewn into the tale, and continues to weave them into something new. To put it simply, you’ll love it!
Darkest Hour is a great mix of the old and the new, with action segments alternating with intense character based face offs that are truly engaging. The authenticity of the historical narratives make it all seem so real, not just the broad strokes of the history, but also the little details, like Volsky missing familiar statues and monuments on his homecoming to Murmansk. This is part of what makes the time travel spin so convincing here, because of the deliberate slow process of revelation that the author has used when the historical characters confront Kirov. Just as Alan Turing and Admiral Tovey slowly put the clues together to come to a grudging acceptance of the impossible, we do as well, and end up believing that time travel is a reality! After reading these books, and Schettler’s other time travel quintet in the Meridian Series, I find myself peering into the history books I love with just a little more suspicion, wondering who might be creeping quietly through the days of yore, changing things with an unseen hand.
The Kirov Series is a tale you can truly lose yourself in, where your suspension of disbelief is entirely dispatched before you are a third of the way through the first volume in the series. You become a believer, as I am, and eagerly wait for more. Thankfully you never have to wait long with this prolific and talented writer. Altered States Volume II: Darkest Hour is slated for release on or before Feb 1, 2014, and I was pleased to learn that the author is already knee deep in the writing of book three in the series, borrowing the title from Churchill recounting of these same events: Hinge of Fate. I have also learned that there will be more to come. Great news, because I can't get enough!
-A. Hartman
November 28, 2013
Kirov Saga: Altered States - Now Available
The much anticipated continuation of the Kirov Saga has now moved to its 9th Volume with the release of Altered States on Thanksgiving Day. Returning to a world of their own making the officers and crew of the ship find their homeland fractured and divided in civil war, and the events of WWII slowly spinning off into a new and dangerous course. Now they must decide whether to intervene, and which side to choose. The Kriegsmarine has built and deployed powerful new ships to challenge the Royal Navy as never before, and the Fate of England rides in the balance in 1940. How will the mysterious presence and power of the battlecruiser Kirov tip the scales?
While continuing the long Kirov Saga the book also begins anew here as Volume I of the Altered States segment of the story, which will span several novels recounting the naval war in the West in this altered reality.
Kirov Saga: Altered States ~ Available now:
Amazon Kindle
Quality Trade Paperback
While continuing the long Kirov Saga the book also begins anew here as Volume I of the Altered States segment of the story, which will span several novels recounting the naval war in the West in this altered reality.
Kirov Saga: Altered States ~ Available now:
Amazon Kindle
Quality Trade Paperback
November 17, 2013
By Popular Demand ~ The Saga Continues...
Those three words were the last to be read at the end of each volume of the Kirov Series novels by John Schettler. The promise of more to come was welcome news for enthusiastic fans of the story and the incredible journey taken by the ship and crew. At the close of Book VIII it seemed to many, and to the author himself, that they were leaving old friends in Admiral Volsky, Karpov, Fedorov, and all the other characters we have come to know over the amazing 3000 page saga.
In the Afterword on the story the author mentioned five new book proposals as grist for the mill of his pen and readers were asked to sound off and vote for their favorites. The Writing Shop Press announced today that after hundreds of emails and votes in the weekly reader poll here in this blog, the two top vote winners were: 1) Kirov Saga: Altered States and 2) Hindenburg, and these two proposals will be combined in the upcoming release under the title Altered States and begin a multi-volume retelling of the naval war in the West from 1940-1945...with a twist, the mighty Kirov.
Please visit THIS LINK for the full HD Trailer and more information with the scheduled release date.
In the Afterword on the story the author mentioned five new book proposals as grist for the mill of his pen and readers were asked to sound off and vote for their favorites. The Writing Shop Press announced today that after hundreds of emails and votes in the weekly reader poll here in this blog, the two top vote winners were: 1) Kirov Saga: Altered States and 2) Hindenburg, and these two proposals will be combined in the upcoming release under the title Altered States and begin a multi-volume retelling of the naval war in the West from 1940-1945...with a twist, the mighty Kirov.
Please visit THIS LINK for the full HD Trailer and more information with the scheduled release date.
October 24, 2013
Free Book Promo!
Get John Schettler's Dream Reaper a supernatural mystery thriller FREE in the Amazon Kindle Store for a Halloween read. Available Oct-24 thru Oct 29 in a 5 day free book giveaway to readers. More on Dream Reaper here.
October 8, 2013
Kirov Saga: Armageddon Available Now!
Oct 8, 2013The Writing Shop released the eighth volume in the popular Kirov Series novels in the Amazon Kindle store today, with the paperback edition due out by Oct 10. Please see the post below for details on the book and how you can vote to select the next book project.
October 3, 2013
Kirov Saga: Armageddon
COMING SOON!
Kirov Saga: - Armageddon Book VIII in the Kirov Series
The lines of fate have brought the most powerful ship in the world to a decisive place in history. Driven by his own inner demons, Captain Karpov now believes that with Kirov in 1908 he is truly invincible, and his aim is to impose his will on that unsuspecting world and reverse the cold fate of Russian history from 1908 to the 21st century. But it is not just the fate of a single nation at stake now, but that of all the world.
Shocked by Karpov’s betrayal, Anton Fedorov plans a mission to stop the Captain before he can do irreversible damage to the cracked mirror of time. Now Admiral Volsky must do everything possible to launch this final mission aboard the nuclear attack submarine Kazan. The journey to the Sea of Japan becomes a perilous one when the Americans and Japanese begin to hunt the submarine in the dangerous waters of 2021.
Join Anton Fedorov, Admiral Volsky, Chief Dobrynin, and Gennadi Orlov aboard Kazan as they launch this last desperate mission to confront the man, and the ship, that now threatens to change all history and unravel the fabric of fate and time itself.
Don’t miss this stunning conclusion of the popular Kirov Series novels by John Schettler! - Exclusively on Amazon!
And don't forget to cast your vote for the story you would most like to see next! (See Below)
READER POLL:
Sound off and tell us what you might like to read next! Choose one or more titles you may be interested in for John’s next release.
Want something entirely new? Here are two all new alternate history series that will rewrite either the American Civil War or WWII:
Hindenburg
Another naval thriller, this will be the first in a series of alternate history WWII novels that begin with the early adoption of Plan Z by Germany and a dramatically strengthened Kriegsmarine. The battleships Hindenburg and Friedrich der Grosse join Bismarck and Tirpitz at the heart of the fleet, along with Graf Zeppelin class carriers and designs for new “Panzerschiffe” armored battlecruisers. The resulting fleet poses a much greater threat to the Royal Navy which struggles to forestall a German invasion in Operation Seelowe while guarding the vital Atlantic sea lanes England depends upon for her survival. This will be a fast paced alternate history WWII naval action that will re-write the entire history of WWII with an emphasis on the naval campaign.
The Old War Horse
In mid-August of 1863 Lee’s “Old War Horse” of the Eastern theater, General James Longstreet, made a remarkable three week march by road and rail with the divisions of Hood, McLaws and Pickett, and a battalion of artillery under Alexander Porter. The veteran troops arrived at the onset of the Battle of Chickamauga, where Longstreet made a bold and skillful attack to crush the Union army. It was only the stubborn defense of Union General George H. Thomas that earned him the nickname “The Rock of Chickamauga,” and the sluggish incompetence of the irascible Confederate army commander Braxton Bragg that prevented the complete destruction of the Union army under Rosecrans. But what if Bragg had fallen to a sniper’s bullet and Longstreet assumed command of the entire Confederate army of the Tennessee on the eve of the battle? An exciting alternate history retelling of the Civil war in the West that begins at Battle of Chickamauga and sees Longstreet elevated to command the entire Western Theater. His daring and skill can be opposed by only one man, perhaps the finest commander the Union Army ever put in the field, Ulysses S. Grant.
First in a series focused on an alternate history of the Civil War.
And then there are two books that could arise from story threads presented in the Kirov Saga. You have already met the principle characters…Care to Join the Argonauts or take up the challenge the Duke posed to Ian Thomas and pursue the mystery of the key holders??
Argonautica: The Odyssey of Argos Fire - Volume I - Lost Empire
The mysterious box taken aboard Argos Fire does more than anyone expects. The nexus fades and the ship appears in an ancient world before the great catastrophe and flood that destroyed a highly advanced civilization in the Mediterranean. There they encounter strange craft in the air and on the seas of the Aegean, and soon learn the answer to the mystery posed by Plato so long ago—the fabled lost empire of Atlantis was real, though it is not found to be the marvel of civility the legends speak of, but a cruel and oppressive empire crushing the fledgling cultures in Egypt, Greece and Rome under its iron foot…Until the heat of Argos Fire arrives to give challenge!
Keyholders Saga: Roll of Thunder - Volume I - Waterloo
Continue the journey of Sir Roger Ames, Duke of Elvington, and Ian Thomas as they arrive on the eve of one of the most significant and important battles of all time, Waterloo. Pursuing a personal vendetta, the Duke has a mind to end the life of a key player on that field of glory, which results in a markedly different outcome in this alternate history retelling of the battle of Waterloo. Yet the mystery of another key is also followed, to London where the Duke hopes to find the missing key that was hidden in the base of the Selene Horse, a centerpiece of the Elgin Marbles then being stored at Harrington House. What door it might open to another past?
Gotta have more Volsky? Can't live without Fedorov? Missing Orlov? Here is one more possible Kirov Series novel.
Kirov Saga 9: Altered States
Kirov and Kazan move forward yet find themselves stuck in the midst of WWII once again, only the world is not the same! The consequences of all their interventions in history have now calcified to a new reality. The political borders of nations have been re-drawn, Colonial powers vie for control of the undeveloped world, and Russia itself is a divided nation. Discovering they still possess a decisive edge in weapons technology they must now decide which side to take to end a long and terrible war that threatens millions more lives.
VOTE right here on our blog site!
Kirov Saga: - Armageddon Book VIII in the Kirov Series
The lines of fate have brought the most powerful ship in the world to a decisive place in history. Driven by his own inner demons, Captain Karpov now believes that with Kirov in 1908 he is truly invincible, and his aim is to impose his will on that unsuspecting world and reverse the cold fate of Russian history from 1908 to the 21st century. But it is not just the fate of a single nation at stake now, but that of all the world.
Shocked by Karpov’s betrayal, Anton Fedorov plans a mission to stop the Captain before he can do irreversible damage to the cracked mirror of time. Now Admiral Volsky must do everything possible to launch this final mission aboard the nuclear attack submarine Kazan. The journey to the Sea of Japan becomes a perilous one when the Americans and Japanese begin to hunt the submarine in the dangerous waters of 2021.
Join Anton Fedorov, Admiral Volsky, Chief Dobrynin, and Gennadi Orlov aboard Kazan as they launch this last desperate mission to confront the man, and the ship, that now threatens to change all history and unravel the fabric of fate and time itself.
Don’t miss this stunning conclusion of the popular Kirov Series novels by John Schettler! - Exclusively on Amazon!
And don't forget to cast your vote for the story you would most like to see next! (See Below)
READER POLL:
Sound off and tell us what you might like to read next! Choose one or more titles you may be interested in for John’s next release.
Want something entirely new? Here are two all new alternate history series that will rewrite either the American Civil War or WWII:
Hindenburg
Another naval thriller, this will be the first in a series of alternate history WWII novels that begin with the early adoption of Plan Z by Germany and a dramatically strengthened Kriegsmarine. The battleships Hindenburg and Friedrich der Grosse join Bismarck and Tirpitz at the heart of the fleet, along with Graf Zeppelin class carriers and designs for new “Panzerschiffe” armored battlecruisers. The resulting fleet poses a much greater threat to the Royal Navy which struggles to forestall a German invasion in Operation Seelowe while guarding the vital Atlantic sea lanes England depends upon for her survival. This will be a fast paced alternate history WWII naval action that will re-write the entire history of WWII with an emphasis on the naval campaign.
The Old War Horse
In mid-August of 1863 Lee’s “Old War Horse” of the Eastern theater, General James Longstreet, made a remarkable three week march by road and rail with the divisions of Hood, McLaws and Pickett, and a battalion of artillery under Alexander Porter. The veteran troops arrived at the onset of the Battle of Chickamauga, where Longstreet made a bold and skillful attack to crush the Union army. It was only the stubborn defense of Union General George H. Thomas that earned him the nickname “The Rock of Chickamauga,” and the sluggish incompetence of the irascible Confederate army commander Braxton Bragg that prevented the complete destruction of the Union army under Rosecrans. But what if Bragg had fallen to a sniper’s bullet and Longstreet assumed command of the entire Confederate army of the Tennessee on the eve of the battle? An exciting alternate history retelling of the Civil war in the West that begins at Battle of Chickamauga and sees Longstreet elevated to command the entire Western Theater. His daring and skill can be opposed by only one man, perhaps the finest commander the Union Army ever put in the field, Ulysses S. Grant.
First in a series focused on an alternate history of the Civil War.
And then there are two books that could arise from story threads presented in the Kirov Saga. You have already met the principle characters…Care to Join the Argonauts or take up the challenge the Duke posed to Ian Thomas and pursue the mystery of the key holders??
Argonautica: The Odyssey of Argos Fire - Volume I - Lost Empire
The mysterious box taken aboard Argos Fire does more than anyone expects. The nexus fades and the ship appears in an ancient world before the great catastrophe and flood that destroyed a highly advanced civilization in the Mediterranean. There they encounter strange craft in the air and on the seas of the Aegean, and soon learn the answer to the mystery posed by Plato so long ago—the fabled lost empire of Atlantis was real, though it is not found to be the marvel of civility the legends speak of, but a cruel and oppressive empire crushing the fledgling cultures in Egypt, Greece and Rome under its iron foot…Until the heat of Argos Fire arrives to give challenge!
Keyholders Saga: Roll of Thunder - Volume I - Waterloo
Continue the journey of Sir Roger Ames, Duke of Elvington, and Ian Thomas as they arrive on the eve of one of the most significant and important battles of all time, Waterloo. Pursuing a personal vendetta, the Duke has a mind to end the life of a key player on that field of glory, which results in a markedly different outcome in this alternate history retelling of the battle of Waterloo. Yet the mystery of another key is also followed, to London where the Duke hopes to find the missing key that was hidden in the base of the Selene Horse, a centerpiece of the Elgin Marbles then being stored at Harrington House. What door it might open to another past?
Gotta have more Volsky? Can't live without Fedorov? Missing Orlov? Here is one more possible Kirov Series novel.
Kirov Saga 9: Altered States
Kirov and Kazan move forward yet find themselves stuck in the midst of WWII once again, only the world is not the same! The consequences of all their interventions in history have now calcified to a new reality. The political borders of nations have been re-drawn, Colonial powers vie for control of the undeveloped world, and Russia itself is a divided nation. Discovering they still possess a decisive edge in weapons technology they must now decide which side to take to end a long and terrible war that threatens millions more lives.
VOTE right here on our blog site!
August 13, 2013
AVAILABLE NOW! Kirov Series Book 7: Devil's Garden
Book VII in the Kirov Series
~ Devil's Garden ~ (Nine Days Falling-Vol. III)
AVAILABLE NOW ON AMAZON! The Writing Shop announced today that Book 7 in the popular Kirov series is scheduled for release in just a few days, and that it will not be the final volume as originally planned. The story was simply too involved to end within the confines of this volume, and will extend to an 8th book entitled "Armageddon" due out later this year.
About Devil's Garden:The seventh book in the Kirov Series by John Schettler, Devil's Garden also completed the three book trilogy that was begun with 9 Days Falling. All of the many subplots have now unite here into a new single story line reprising all the original cast and crew of Kirov as they eventually arrive at the same point in history to decide the fate of all the years yet to come. But getting there has been the real fun and excitement in this wonderfully complex and engaging story.
Anton Fedorov and Sergeant Troyak have finally found Orlov, but the German army is coming! Now they must lead a daring assault with Russian Naval Marines in a strugle to get their man before the Germans do. The action thickens as Russian hovercraft and modern AFVs storm ashore with the Marines to face down the advancing German Panzers. And even as the battle rages, Orlov faces Commissar Molla with his one chance to fulfill a simmering personal vendetta.
In 1945, the battlecruiser Kirov has vanished in the midst of the final battle against the US Navy, and now the fate of the Russian Destroyer Orlan is revealed. While Admiral Volsky and Pavel Kamenski search the history for clues of what happened to the Red Banner Fleet, Captain Karpov and his intrepid ship appear in a new era with a chance to change the future history of Russia and the world with a bold new campaign at sea.
Meanwhile, two of the more interesting subplots to develop since Kirov made port at Vladivostok in the bridge novel Men Of War have been given an interesting new spin in this book. Elena Fairchild finally reveals a deep secret to Captain Gordon MacRae, and together they lead the Argos Fire on a strange rendezvous with destiny at a place that has spoken the voice of fate and time throughout ages past. The strange journey of Sir Roger Ames, Duke of Elvington deepens the mystery at Lindisfarne Castle as the clock ticks slowly toward a last fateful hour when the world may be caught up in the final maelstrom of war.
Then, just when Anton Fedorov finally learns the fate of Kirov, the ships number one Fallen Angel, Captain Karpov does something quite unexpected. Now Fedorov must launch one last desperate mission to preserve the timeline of history and prevent the great cataclysm in 2021 from occurring.
Don’t miss this stunning continuation of the popular Kirov Series novels by John Schettler! - Exclusively on Amazon!
Kirov Series - Book 7: Devil's Garden36 Chapters320 PagesAbout 103,000 words
MORE INFORMATION ON THIS VOLUME HERE
AVAILABLE NOW ON AMAZON! The Writing Shop announced today that Book 7 in the popular Kirov series is scheduled for release in just a few days, and that it will not be the final volume as originally planned. The story was simply too involved to end within the confines of this volume, and will extend to an 8th book entitled "Armageddon" due out later this year.
About Devil's Garden:The seventh book in the Kirov Series by John Schettler, Devil's Garden also completed the three book trilogy that was begun with 9 Days Falling. All of the many subplots have now unite here into a new single story line reprising all the original cast and crew of Kirov as they eventually arrive at the same point in history to decide the fate of all the years yet to come. But getting there has been the real fun and excitement in this wonderfully complex and engaging story.
Anton Fedorov and Sergeant Troyak have finally found Orlov, but the German army is coming! Now they must lead a daring assault with Russian Naval Marines in a strugle to get their man before the Germans do. The action thickens as Russian hovercraft and modern AFVs storm ashore with the Marines to face down the advancing German Panzers. And even as the battle rages, Orlov faces Commissar Molla with his one chance to fulfill a simmering personal vendetta.
In 1945, the battlecruiser Kirov has vanished in the midst of the final battle against the US Navy, and now the fate of the Russian Destroyer Orlan is revealed. While Admiral Volsky and Pavel Kamenski search the history for clues of what happened to the Red Banner Fleet, Captain Karpov and his intrepid ship appear in a new era with a chance to change the future history of Russia and the world with a bold new campaign at sea.
Meanwhile, two of the more interesting subplots to develop since Kirov made port at Vladivostok in the bridge novel Men Of War have been given an interesting new spin in this book. Elena Fairchild finally reveals a deep secret to Captain Gordon MacRae, and together they lead the Argos Fire on a strange rendezvous with destiny at a place that has spoken the voice of fate and time throughout ages past. The strange journey of Sir Roger Ames, Duke of Elvington deepens the mystery at Lindisfarne Castle as the clock ticks slowly toward a last fateful hour when the world may be caught up in the final maelstrom of war.
Then, just when Anton Fedorov finally learns the fate of Kirov, the ships number one Fallen Angel, Captain Karpov does something quite unexpected. Now Fedorov must launch one last desperate mission to preserve the timeline of history and prevent the great cataclysm in 2021 from occurring.
Don’t miss this stunning continuation of the popular Kirov Series novels by John Schettler! - Exclusively on Amazon!
Kirov Series - Book 7: Devil's Garden36 Chapters320 PagesAbout 103,000 words
MORE INFORMATION ON THIS VOLUME HERE
Kirov Series Book 7: Devil's Garden
Book VII in the Kirov Series
~ Devil's Garden ~ (Nine Days Falling-Vol. III) The Writing Shop announced today that Book 7 in the popular Kirov series is scheduled for release in just a few days, and that it will not be the final volume as originally planned. The story was simply too involved to end within the confines of this volume, and will extend to an 8th book entitled "Armageddon" due out later this year.
About Devil's Garden:The seventh book in the Kirov Series by John Schettler, Devil's Garden also completed the three book trilogy that was begun with 9 Days Falling. All of the many subplots have now unite here into a new single story line reprising all the original cast and crew of Kirov as they eventually arrive at the same point in history to decide the fate of all the years yet to come. But getting there has been the real fun and excitement in this wonderfully complex and engaging story.
Anton Fedorov and Sergeant Troyak have finally found Orlov, but the German army is coming! Now they must lead a daring assault with Russian Naval Marines in a strugle to get their man before the Germans do. The action thickens as Russian hovercraft and modern AFVs storm ashore with the Marines to face down the advancing German Panzers. And even as the battle rages, Orlov faces Commissar Molla with his one chance to fulfill a simmering personal vendetta.
In 1945, the battlecruiser Kirov has vanished in the midst of the final battle against the US Navy, and now the fate of the Russian Destroyer Orlan is revealed. While Admiral Volsky and Pavel Kamenski search the history for clues of what happened to the Red Banner Fleet, Captain Karpov and his intrepid ship appear in a new era with a chance to change the future history of Russia and the world with a bold new campaign at sea.
Meanwhile, two of the more interesting subplots to develop since Kirov made port at Vladivostok in the bridge novel Men Of War have been given an interesting new spin in this book. Elena Fairchild finally reveals a deep secret to Captain Gordon MacRae, and together they lead the Argos Fire on a strange rendezvous with destiny at a place that has spoken the voice of fate and time throughout ages past. The strange journey of Sir Roger Ames, Duke of Elvington deepens the mystery at Lindisfarne Castle as the clock ticks slowly toward a last fateful hour when the world may be caught up in the final maelstrom of war.
Then, just when Anton Fedorov finally learns the fate of Kirov, the ships number one Fallen Angel, Captain Karpov does something quite unexpected. Now Fedorov must launch one last desperate mission to preserve the timeline of history and prevent the great cataclysm in 2021 from occurring.
Don’t miss this stunning continuation of the popular Kirov Series novels by John Schettler! - Exclusively on Amazon!
Kirov Series - Book 7: Devil's Garden36 Chapters320 PagesAbout 103,000 words
MORE INFORMATION ON THIS VOLUME HERE
About Devil's Garden:The seventh book in the Kirov Series by John Schettler, Devil's Garden also completed the three book trilogy that was begun with 9 Days Falling. All of the many subplots have now unite here into a new single story line reprising all the original cast and crew of Kirov as they eventually arrive at the same point in history to decide the fate of all the years yet to come. But getting there has been the real fun and excitement in this wonderfully complex and engaging story.
Anton Fedorov and Sergeant Troyak have finally found Orlov, but the German army is coming! Now they must lead a daring assault with Russian Naval Marines in a strugle to get their man before the Germans do. The action thickens as Russian hovercraft and modern AFVs storm ashore with the Marines to face down the advancing German Panzers. And even as the battle rages, Orlov faces Commissar Molla with his one chance to fulfill a simmering personal vendetta.
In 1945, the battlecruiser Kirov has vanished in the midst of the final battle against the US Navy, and now the fate of the Russian Destroyer Orlan is revealed. While Admiral Volsky and Pavel Kamenski search the history for clues of what happened to the Red Banner Fleet, Captain Karpov and his intrepid ship appear in a new era with a chance to change the future history of Russia and the world with a bold new campaign at sea.
Meanwhile, two of the more interesting subplots to develop since Kirov made port at Vladivostok in the bridge novel Men Of War have been given an interesting new spin in this book. Elena Fairchild finally reveals a deep secret to Captain Gordon MacRae, and together they lead the Argos Fire on a strange rendezvous with destiny at a place that has spoken the voice of fate and time throughout ages past. The strange journey of Sir Roger Ames, Duke of Elvington deepens the mystery at Lindisfarne Castle as the clock ticks slowly toward a last fateful hour when the world may be caught up in the final maelstrom of war.
Then, just when Anton Fedorov finally learns the fate of Kirov, the ships number one Fallen Angel, Captain Karpov does something quite unexpected. Now Fedorov must launch one last desperate mission to preserve the timeline of history and prevent the great cataclysm in 2021 from occurring.
Don’t miss this stunning continuation of the popular Kirov Series novels by John Schettler! - Exclusively on Amazon!
Kirov Series - Book 7: Devil's Garden36 Chapters320 PagesAbout 103,000 words
MORE INFORMATION ON THIS VOLUME HERE
July 3, 2013
Kirov Series: Fallen Angels
COMING SOON! (7/15) - Kirov Saga: - Fallen Angels
The Writing Shop announced that Book VI in the popular Kirov Series is now complete and in production for release on or before July 15, 2013.
The war continues on both land and sea as China invades Taiwan and North Korea joins to launch a devastating attack. Yet Kirov and the heart of the Red Banner Pacific Fleet has vanished, blown into the past by the massive wrath of the Demon Volcano. There Captain Karpov finds himself at the dying edge of the last great war, yet his own inner demons now wage war with his conscience as he contemplates another decisive intervention.After secretly assisting the Soviet invasion of the Kuriles and engaging a small US scouting force in the region, Karpov has drawn the attention of Admiral Halsey’s powerful 3rd Fleet. Now Halsey sends one of the toughest fighting Admirals of the war north to investigate, the hero of the Battle off Samar, Ziggy Sprague, and fast and furious sea battles are the order of the day.Meanwhile tensions rise in the Black Sea as the Russian mission to rescue Fedorov and Orlov has now been expanded to include a way to try and deliver new control rods to Kirov from the same batch and lot as the mysterious Rod-25. Will they work? Yet Admiral Volsky learns that the Russian Black Sea Fleet has engaged well escorted units of a British oil conveyor, Fairchild Inc., and the fires of war soon endanger his mission.
All efforts are now focused on a narrow stretch of coastline on the Caspian Sea, where men of war from the future and past are locked in a desperate struggle to decide the outcome of history itself. Naval combat, both future and past, combine with action and intrigue as Volsky’s mission is launched and the mystery of Rod-25 and Fedorov’s strange experience on the Trans-Siberian Rail deepens. Can they stop the nuclear holocaust of the Third World War in 2021 or will it begin off the coast of Japan in 1945?
Don’t miss this stunning continuation of the popular Kirov Series novels by John Schettler! - Exclusively on Amazon!
READ REVIEWS - VIEW MAPS - SEE GALLERY & AUTHOR INTERVIEW
The Writing Shop announced that Book VI in the popular Kirov Series is now complete and in production for release on or before July 15, 2013.
The war continues on both land and sea as China invades Taiwan and North Korea joins to launch a devastating attack. Yet Kirov and the heart of the Red Banner Pacific Fleet has vanished, blown into the past by the massive wrath of the Demon Volcano. There Captain Karpov finds himself at the dying edge of the last great war, yet his own inner demons now wage war with his conscience as he contemplates another decisive intervention.After secretly assisting the Soviet invasion of the Kuriles and engaging a small US scouting force in the region, Karpov has drawn the attention of Admiral Halsey’s powerful 3rd Fleet. Now Halsey sends one of the toughest fighting Admirals of the war north to investigate, the hero of the Battle off Samar, Ziggy Sprague, and fast and furious sea battles are the order of the day.Meanwhile tensions rise in the Black Sea as the Russian mission to rescue Fedorov and Orlov has now been expanded to include a way to try and deliver new control rods to Kirov from the same batch and lot as the mysterious Rod-25. Will they work? Yet Admiral Volsky learns that the Russian Black Sea Fleet has engaged well escorted units of a British oil conveyor, Fairchild Inc., and the fires of war soon endanger his mission.
All efforts are now focused on a narrow stretch of coastline on the Caspian Sea, where men of war from the future and past are locked in a desperate struggle to decide the outcome of history itself. Naval combat, both future and past, combine with action and intrigue as Volsky’s mission is launched and the mystery of Rod-25 and Fedorov’s strange experience on the Trans-Siberian Rail deepens. Can they stop the nuclear holocaust of the Third World War in 2021 or will it begin off the coast of Japan in 1945?
Don’t miss this stunning continuation of the popular Kirov Series novels by John Schettler! - Exclusively on Amazon!
READ REVIEWS - VIEW MAPS - SEE GALLERY & AUTHOR INTERVIEW
