Darryl Greer's Blog, page 2
July 22, 2020
CALVUS
Here's the opening paragraph of my novel, "Calvus":
JERUSALEM, JUDEA 15:00 HRS, FRIDAY, APRIL 7, AD 30
Gliding with a grace reserved for angels a lone steppe eagle crossed out of the Kidron Valley and continued his journey north-west – a southerly breeze, the calm exhalation of an invisible gentle giant, helped him on his way. The afternoon sun spilt a hint of sheen onto the dark brown plumes of his outstretched wings and it was as though he knew there was an air of majesty about him. He’d been searching for food, a task really beneath his station, when instinct told him there may be some ahead for he’d been here before. But as he crossed the south-eastern walls of the city his senses sharpened as if to remind him that cities can harbour danger as well as sustenance. There was something different about the place this time – strange, eerie, which encouraged him to keep moving, to continue his search for food elsewhere. Suddenly the clear blue sky darkened, the breeze freshened and warmed metamorphosing into a hot wind, he felt himself being whipped by thousands of minute particles of sand. Passing over the north-western walls he saw some high ground. He knew this place too – it was less crowded, less noisy and there were some poles where he’d rested in the past – he could wait here until the sand-storm passed. As he glided downwards towards the poles instinct kicked in again and he quickly veered away. Now he sensed danger but at the same time he was driven by morbid curiosity. He found a tree away from all the activity and he settled there – soon the storm would pass and he could continue his hunt for food. In the meantime he would remain vigilant, placing more trust in his instinct than in those he saw below.
And here's where you can buy it:
https://www.amazon.com/Calvus-Darryl-...
Or here:
https://www.amazon.com.au/Calvus-Darr...
JERUSALEM, JUDEA 15:00 HRS, FRIDAY, APRIL 7, AD 30
Gliding with a grace reserved for angels a lone steppe eagle crossed out of the Kidron Valley and continued his journey north-west – a southerly breeze, the calm exhalation of an invisible gentle giant, helped him on his way. The afternoon sun spilt a hint of sheen onto the dark brown plumes of his outstretched wings and it was as though he knew there was an air of majesty about him. He’d been searching for food, a task really beneath his station, when instinct told him there may be some ahead for he’d been here before. But as he crossed the south-eastern walls of the city his senses sharpened as if to remind him that cities can harbour danger as well as sustenance. There was something different about the place this time – strange, eerie, which encouraged him to keep moving, to continue his search for food elsewhere. Suddenly the clear blue sky darkened, the breeze freshened and warmed metamorphosing into a hot wind, he felt himself being whipped by thousands of minute particles of sand. Passing over the north-western walls he saw some high ground. He knew this place too – it was less crowded, less noisy and there were some poles where he’d rested in the past – he could wait here until the sand-storm passed. As he glided downwards towards the poles instinct kicked in again and he quickly veered away. Now he sensed danger but at the same time he was driven by morbid curiosity. He found a tree away from all the activity and he settled there – soon the storm would pass and he could continue his hunt for food. In the meantime he would remain vigilant, placing more trust in his instinct than in those he saw below.
And here's where you can buy it:
https://www.amazon.com/Calvus-Darryl-...
Or here:
https://www.amazon.com.au/Calvus-Darr...
July 15, 2020
AGNUS DEI
The following is the opening paragraph of my novel, "Agnus Dei":
The night sky was a black velvet curtain encrusted with diamonds. It was summer and although the sun had long retired, the evening greeted its inhabitants with a balmy, almost tropical air. An orchestra of crickets had struck up a background symphony, interrupted intermittently by the sound of traffic passing through the night on the nearby motorway. Clouds danced in front of the moon chasing shadows from one building to the next, while the cool waters of the Nerang River whispered gently on their casual journey to the coast. The streets were at peace with just the occasional laugh or raised voice escaping from one of the pubs or restaurants. The car park of one such establishment, the Commercial Hotel was almost full, the cars silent, empty and patiently awaiting the return of their owners.
Links:
https://www.amazon.com/Agnus-DEI-grip...
https://www.amazon.com.au/Agnus-Dei-G...
The night sky was a black velvet curtain encrusted with diamonds. It was summer and although the sun had long retired, the evening greeted its inhabitants with a balmy, almost tropical air. An orchestra of crickets had struck up a background symphony, interrupted intermittently by the sound of traffic passing through the night on the nearby motorway. Clouds danced in front of the moon chasing shadows from one building to the next, while the cool waters of the Nerang River whispered gently on their casual journey to the coast. The streets were at peace with just the occasional laugh or raised voice escaping from one of the pubs or restaurants. The car park of one such establishment, the Commercial Hotel was almost full, the cars silent, empty and patiently awaiting the return of their owners.
Links:
https://www.amazon.com/Agnus-DEI-grip...
https://www.amazon.com.au/Agnus-Dei-G...
July 12, 2020
A NEW REVIEW FOR BOUNTY
The following is a new, positive review for "Bounty" from another Goodreads member.
"Bounty" is a powerful story portraying a young Muslim boy from Lebanon who is hell-bent on escaping the life into which he has been born. Jabir Sarkis was born to parents with no educational degrees but who were able to cope under dire circumstances. They live in a country blighted by wars and terrorism with an economy rapidly deteriorating. Jabir, with the help of his immediate relatives and high school instructors, is given the chance of obtaining a university education, bringing him closer to his dream of a better life. Then a chance to leave the country for a more peaceful one suddenly emerges.
"Bounty" by Darryl Greer is a truly breathtaking and intensifying novel. It enables the reader to understand the hardships faced by this individual, caught in internal wars brought about by terrorists. As the story unfolds one can only hope for a silver lining at the end. "Bounty" is a most enjoyable read.
"Bounty" is a powerful story portraying a young Muslim boy from Lebanon who is hell-bent on escaping the life into which he has been born. Jabir Sarkis was born to parents with no educational degrees but who were able to cope under dire circumstances. They live in a country blighted by wars and terrorism with an economy rapidly deteriorating. Jabir, with the help of his immediate relatives and high school instructors, is given the chance of obtaining a university education, bringing him closer to his dream of a better life. Then a chance to leave the country for a more peaceful one suddenly emerges.
"Bounty" by Darryl Greer is a truly breathtaking and intensifying novel. It enables the reader to understand the hardships faced by this individual, caught in internal wars brought about by terrorists. As the story unfolds one can only hope for a silver lining at the end. "Bounty" is a most enjoyable read.
July 8, 2020
SLEEPING WITH ANGELS
Opening paragraph of my novel, "Sleeping With Angels":
one
Mark Summers fidgeted with his black bowtie and set off for another tour of the lavishly decorated room, his tray laden with an array of wines, champagne and fresh orange juice. As he weaved his way through the crowd a thousand conversations competed with one another, coming from all directions, eventually converging in a verbal spaghetti junction where they fused into an unintelligible tangle of meaningless words. He tried to shut himself off but the party had been under way for some time and the guests were boisterous, making it difficult for him to ignore the occasional string of words which managed to extricate themselves from the cacophony.
Links:
https://www.amazon.com/SLEEPING-ANGEL...
https://www.amazon.com.au/Sleeping-An...
one
Mark Summers fidgeted with his black bowtie and set off for another tour of the lavishly decorated room, his tray laden with an array of wines, champagne and fresh orange juice. As he weaved his way through the crowd a thousand conversations competed with one another, coming from all directions, eventually converging in a verbal spaghetti junction where they fused into an unintelligible tangle of meaningless words. He tried to shut himself off but the party had been under way for some time and the guests were boisterous, making it difficult for him to ignore the occasional string of words which managed to extricate themselves from the cacophony.
Links:
https://www.amazon.com/SLEEPING-ANGEL...
https://www.amazon.com.au/Sleeping-An...
July 5, 2020
A NEW REVIEW FOR "...PASSING THROUGH..."
Just got another positive review for my memoir.
The author’s life story is delightfully revealing. It is not easy to talk about your embarrassing and challenging moments in life but Darryl Greer not only talked about them, he shared them in an entertaining and reflective fashion that readers will surely rate highly.
I enjoyed the story about the “dunnies” and how there was a resident possum living in the attic. I felt the author’s amused revulsion when he described how the “garbos” emptied the dunnies, compared to how our modern waste management people empty the trash. Fortunately for me, I was not eating when I read that part but the mental image did not go away easily.
…Passing Through… is definitely one of the most memorable memoirs I’ve read.
The author’s life story is delightfully revealing. It is not easy to talk about your embarrassing and challenging moments in life but Darryl Greer not only talked about them, he shared them in an entertaining and reflective fashion that readers will surely rate highly.
I enjoyed the story about the “dunnies” and how there was a resident possum living in the attic. I felt the author’s amused revulsion when he described how the “garbos” emptied the dunnies, compared to how our modern waste management people empty the trash. Fortunately for me, I was not eating when I read that part but the mental image did not go away easily.
…Passing Through… is definitely one of the most memorable memoirs I’ve read.
July 1, 2020
A DRAGON IN THE SNOW
Opening paragraphs from my novel, "A Dragon In The Snow":
The sky above Hobart’s Elizabeth Street was just one shade of grey. It was a kind of grey that for most spelt gloom, the sort that rarely featured in art and was hardly ever described in literature because it was so uninspiring. This sky was a monochromatic roof over a technicolour world. Frankie Morgan glanced up and wished it would rain but he knew it wouldn’t. What he saw weren’t rain clouds.
While most took the sky, its colour, its very existence for granted, Frankie had spent most of his adult life studying it, appreciating it, because that was usually all he could see from his prison cell. When the sky was blue there was nothing to see, when there were clouds he examined their shape, their velocity, the varying shades of white and grey. But he loved rain the best, the smell of it, the sound of it, the movement of it and when he was on the outside, as he was now, rain was a kind of shield, something he could hide behind. People tended to walk with their heads lowered when it rained or cower beneath a newspaper or umbrella so they were less likely to notice him. Frankie didn’t like being noticed.
Available from:
https://www.amazon.com/DRAGON-SNOW-Da...
and:
https://www.amazon.com.au/Dragon-Snow...
The sky above Hobart’s Elizabeth Street was just one shade of grey. It was a kind of grey that for most spelt gloom, the sort that rarely featured in art and was hardly ever described in literature because it was so uninspiring. This sky was a monochromatic roof over a technicolour world. Frankie Morgan glanced up and wished it would rain but he knew it wouldn’t. What he saw weren’t rain clouds.
While most took the sky, its colour, its very existence for granted, Frankie had spent most of his adult life studying it, appreciating it, because that was usually all he could see from his prison cell. When the sky was blue there was nothing to see, when there were clouds he examined their shape, their velocity, the varying shades of white and grey. But he loved rain the best, the smell of it, the sound of it, the movement of it and when he was on the outside, as he was now, rain was a kind of shield, something he could hide behind. People tended to walk with their heads lowered when it rained or cower beneath a newspaper or umbrella so they were less likely to notice him. Frankie didn’t like being noticed.
Available from:
https://www.amazon.com/DRAGON-SNOW-Da...
and:
https://www.amazon.com.au/Dragon-Snow...
June 24, 2020
BOUNTY
Bebnine, Akkar Governorate, Lebanon
14 July 2007
Despite twelve-year-old Jabir Sarkis' respect for his parents, Amjad and Hibah, right now he questioned their wisdom in preventing him going to school. His father had no formal schooling, his mother no tertiary education and despite the depth of his love for them, there was no way he was going to follow in their footsteps.
“Jabir,” Hibah was saying in Lebanese Arabic, “only yesterday an RPG hit the side of Habib’s house. It was only by the grace of Allah that he and his family were out and not killed.”
...
These are the opening paragraphs of my latest novel, "Bounty".
Available here: https://www.amazon.com/BOUNTY-Darryl-...
and here:
https://www.amazon.com.au/BOUNTY-Darr...
14 July 2007
Despite twelve-year-old Jabir Sarkis' respect for his parents, Amjad and Hibah, right now he questioned their wisdom in preventing him going to school. His father had no formal schooling, his mother no tertiary education and despite the depth of his love for them, there was no way he was going to follow in their footsteps.
“Jabir,” Hibah was saying in Lebanese Arabic, “only yesterday an RPG hit the side of Habib’s house. It was only by the grace of Allah that he and his family were out and not killed.”
...
These are the opening paragraphs of my latest novel, "Bounty".
Available here: https://www.amazon.com/BOUNTY-Darryl-...
and here:
https://www.amazon.com.au/BOUNTY-Darr...
June 21, 2020
ANOTHER REVIEW FOR BOUNTY
This is my first time reading a book by Darryl Greer; also my first time reading a suspense novel. "Bounty" did not disappoint. With a storyline that is interesting from the start, with drama and sudden revelations at its ending, I certainly did not want to stop reading until I was finished.
The book clearly illustrates the exploits not just of the lead character, but of one of the antagonists summoned to heed the evil bidding of his master.
"Bounty" is well researched and the characters are well thought out. It portrays realistically the ongoing dilemma the world faces right now; how terrorism affects not just the country of origin but the rest of the world as well.
I commend the author for his excellent work and will definitely recommend this book to my colleagues. It is an excellent read.
The book clearly illustrates the exploits not just of the lead character, but of one of the antagonists summoned to heed the evil bidding of his master.
"Bounty" is well researched and the characters are well thought out. It portrays realistically the ongoing dilemma the world faces right now; how terrorism affects not just the country of origin but the rest of the world as well.
I commend the author for his excellent work and will definitely recommend this book to my colleagues. It is an excellent read.
June 17, 2020
...PASSING THROUGH...
Here are the opening paragraphs of my memoir "...Passing Through..."
1. Humble Beginnings
There are eight million stories in the naked city — this has been one of them. Remember that? You wouldn’t unless you are of a certain age. They are the words of the voice-over at the end of each episode of the US television series Naked City, broadcast in the US from 1958 to 1959, again from 1960 to 1963. The version I would have seen would have been the latter, as Brisbane and the south-east corner of Queensland where I was brought up was not blessed (or cursed, as you wish) by television until 1959.
The point about that voice-over is that, as the then population of New York City was about eight million, each and every person was a story. Of course some stories are more exciting than others but there’s always something there, somewhere in each one of us.
This is mine. I hope it doesn’t bore the pants off you...
...and here's the link you are looking for:
https://www.amazon.com/Passing-Throug...
1. Humble Beginnings
There are eight million stories in the naked city — this has been one of them. Remember that? You wouldn’t unless you are of a certain age. They are the words of the voice-over at the end of each episode of the US television series Naked City, broadcast in the US from 1958 to 1959, again from 1960 to 1963. The version I would have seen would have been the latter, as Brisbane and the south-east corner of Queensland where I was brought up was not blessed (or cursed, as you wish) by television until 1959.
The point about that voice-over is that, as the then population of New York City was about eight million, each and every person was a story. Of course some stories are more exciting than others but there’s always something there, somewhere in each one of us.
This is mine. I hope it doesn’t bore the pants off you...
...and here's the link you are looking for:
https://www.amazon.com/Passing-Throug...
June 14, 2020
...PASSING THROUGH...
Another positive review of my memoir, "...Passing Through..."
Darryl Greer’s memoir "…Passing Through…" was a very eye-opening read. I am always fond of reading autobiographies because I want to know how people from different cultures live their lives, especially if they were able to experience the decades before I was born.
When the author describes his childhood experiences in the cities of Gold Coast and Brisbane, Australia, it is very clear and vivid. It is as if I were actually there with him.
I smiled when he talked about the uncomfortable train rides he took before and how the present modern mass transportation system is still perceived by today’s commuters as inconvenient. I guess the current generation, including me, needs to be more grateful for our present-day conveniences.
Thank you for taking the time to share your wonderful life, Mr. Greer.
Darryl Greer’s memoir "…Passing Through…" was a very eye-opening read. I am always fond of reading autobiographies because I want to know how people from different cultures live their lives, especially if they were able to experience the decades before I was born.
When the author describes his childhood experiences in the cities of Gold Coast and Brisbane, Australia, it is very clear and vivid. It is as if I were actually there with him.
I smiled when he talked about the uncomfortable train rides he took before and how the present modern mass transportation system is still perceived by today’s commuters as inconvenient. I guess the current generation, including me, needs to be more grateful for our present-day conveniences.
Thank you for taking the time to share your wonderful life, Mr. Greer.
