R.J. Palmer's Blog, page 6

Kicking a Dead Horse...

Okay, I still insist on following the advice I gave to a friend and showing everybody and their grandmother that I happen to be VERY proud of the fabulous reviews coming in for Sins of the Father which is my newest work. So, I get to publish another couple of positive reviews here. I'm so very happy about it!



By Steven on Amazon: Four Stars



Sad and haunting ...



A genuinely sad and haunting supernatural novel about a curse from the deep past and its repercussions in the present day, Sins of the Father really did scare me! The young boy at the center of the novel is a real person, and his story is very moving. The book has atmosphere to spare, and its plot is well-controlled. It's my humble opinion that some of the passages are too wordy, but another reader might as well disagree. In any event, recommended.



And then there's this one from one Anonia Mous (LOVE the play on names, Anonia...It's pretty cool.): Five Stars



Brilliant story line!



The story line was fantastic, kept me guessing the whole way and how wrong I was! The twist was great, would definitely recommend to those who like supernatural thrillers.



Okay, now that I've probably annoyed everyone with my irritating persistence that you buy the book here on Amazon, here on Amazon UK and here on Smashwords (HINT! HINT!) just read it you guys. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised!

Confessions of a Wingnut and Science Fiction Junkie (RJ Palmer): FREE BOOK!!!!

Confessions of a Wingnut and Science Fiction Junkie (RJ Palmer): FREE BOOK!!!!: Here it is, fellow wingnuts...FREE BOOK!!!! And yes, I said, FREE BOOK!!! Follow this link HERE to find Sins of the Father for FREE on Am...

FREE BOOK!!!!

Here it is, fellow wingnuts...FREE BOOK!!!! And yes, I said, FREE BOOK!!! Follow this link HERE to find Sins of the Father for FREE on Amazon and HERE for Amazon in the United Kingdom as of midnight tonight for 24 hours only. Come on, wingnuts, rock the best price of all!



Isn't this cover bad ass??

Celebrating Friday the 13th!!

In celebration of the upcoming Friday the 13th, I'm making Sins of the Father free on Amazon. It may be cheesier than au gratin potatos, but hey, you just might like it! Give it a try and remember, it's only stupid, boring or bad if you don't give it a try. I'll post a link on Thursday night or Friday morning and everyone can rock the best price of all...FREE!! WOOGIE!!!

Reviews of Sins of the Father...Nothing Below a FOUR STAR!!

Here are three reviews for Sins of the Father and it seems to me the critics are enjoying the read...WOOGIE!!!



Sad and haunting ...



A genuinely sad and haunting supernatural novel about a curse from the deep past and its repercussions in the present day, Sins of the Father really did scare me! The young boy at the center of the novel is a real person, and his story is very moving. The book has atmosphere to spare, and its plot is well-controlled. It's my humble opinion that some of the passages are too wordy, but another reader might as well disagree. In any event, recommended.





Gothic fantasy and more!



If you like Gothic mysteries full of supernatural intrigue and more read Sins of the Father by R.J. Palmer. it will keep you enthralled until the very end. R.J. weaves the scenes and makes you feel every drop of emotion described. You feel the pain of Bowen and his ambition to make his own path. The books pull you in so much so that it will be hard to let it go at all.





From an Unknown Contributor:



I liked this book even though I am still confused about a couple of things. Bowen's plight is heart wrenching. By no fault of the author, I thint I may have to read this again to really understand the parts I am still confused about.





If you'd like to give Sins of the Father a try find it here on Amazon and here on Smashwords and remember, flattery will get you everywhere!

Time Travel, Choices and Other Awesome Concepts

Versus Nurture by Jonathan David Morris



Review written by RJ Palmer



First let me issue my deepest and most heartfelt apologies for having spent so much time being prohibitively busy that I had difficulties actually getting to Versus Nurture, which has turned out to be a positively riveting read. Don’t get me wrong, there were times that I was horribly confused during the course of the reading but it added quite well to the overall suspense of the storyline itself.



This is a story about choices and how those choices we make can and will have far reaching affects for good or ill. The storyline is not so much a reflection of what can be as what will be with a healthy dose of suspense and mystery liberally interspersed throughout. Don’t mistake me, I want to know more and I would gladly read a continuation of Versus Nurture because there’s more to this storyline than meets the eye. It’s a novella, but not a coffee table read because there are too many ways the story itself can go. The plot is rich with wildly imaginative and intelligent parallels and I was thoroughly engrossed before I quite knew what happened. It was an issue at first because I was forced to put it down and tend to the demands of motherhood. Kids don’t come with a pause button, blast it all and while I was busy with the family, the plotline wouldn’t leave my mind. I simply HAD to know what was going to happen next.



Giving Versus Nurture a star rating is going to present a bit of a problem. I’m torn between four stars and five because there was nothing that took away from the storyline; no punctuation problems or grammar difficulties and even I was taken completely aback by the ending. I love that, by the way. For a person who’s read as many books as I have, that I couldn’t predict what was going to happen in the end was refreshing and wonderful. I still think that what this story needs is a continuation because the author has established a conflict that hasn’t been resolved in my mind and it can’t end there. So it is, Mr. Morris, that I’m going to try to bribe you. Give me more to read that’s as interesting and engrossing as Versus Nurture and I’ll freely and gladly give you that fifth star. Are you up for the challenge? I know I am.



For all you wingnuts interested in reading more like me, you can find Versus Nurture by Jonathan David Morris here on Amazon and here on Barnes & Noble. Now go buy it and let the story take you on a wild ride, too.

All About My New Work: Sins of the Father

The reviews are coming in and here's what readers are saying about Sins of the Father...



From my wonderful husband...I'm rather proud of this and for more, visit his blog here at Free Book Reviews.



Overall Feedback: To be fair from the start again I will state that this is a book written by my wife and my review may be skewed by this. For this reason I will take away one star from the start so it will be an even playing field.



On to the review...



After her first novel "Birthright" I knew I would be in for a good read and that overall I would enjoy the experience. I however had not expected to enjoy myself as much as I did.



As all married couples know, we must be supportive of our spouse and the excursions into what makes them happy. I thought I would do just that and give the token husband "I Love It" speech and that would be that. "Birthright" has not been edited so RJ's penchant for the overuse of words in her storytelling shined through unimpeded. This time though she went for broke and has had "Sins of the Father" edited and a professional cover created to reflect her growth in both her craft and her understanding of how to publish credible work.



I was intrigued by the story and how it transformed throughout the pages. I was taken back when all the small details left in the pages became important in the end. To accurately sum it up, this is RJ's "here I am" and "I have learned to better my writing" book and I am sure others will agree. I still believe she has more to give and I can only say that it can only get better when the author is still striving to learn more about their craft.



Sins delivered far above my expectations of what RJ may have been capable of in writing even before it was edited. She took the reviews from "Birthright" and used that criticism to better her own skills instead of whining and pouting and then quitting. Now after reading the edited version of Sins I would have to say that she is serious about her chosen career and she is doing what she can to be the best. Sins is a great possibility to be her breakout work and I hope it does just that for her. Not because I am her husband but because I am an avid reader (300 books last year) and this has got to be the best I have read since "Indie Chicks".



After reading this book I was actually excited to talk to the author, in person, about what they wrote. I can not believe it but when I look back I was so acting like a fan. So go ahead and at least sample the book. After the sample (50 percent) I am sure you will agree.



Point of View: The story is third person from Bowen/Lucian's mind.



Voice: In each story we find ourselves relating to the characters in our own way but I really feel that RJ was telling us a little about her feelings as a child in this one. It is only up to us to read between the lines.



Character Development: You find yourself trying to protect Bowen/Lucian through your minds eye and trying to shake Aaron loose from his lost faith. Lena starts off brusk but ends up as your favorite busy body.



Plot: There are things in this universe that defy explanation so this could be true or it could be myth but you will follow along with a dry mouth and panic in your heart for the black is always there.



Dialogue: Seeing that this takes place in the "Midwest" I would have to say the dialogue was spot on for the present day characters. The Welsh dialogue was intriguing to see included as was seeing the author jump back in time and still manage to keep up with the dialogue used.



Pacing: If you are looking for a coffee table read, move on, if not then pull up a comfy chair, blanket and good drink because you will not want to put it down.



Setting: RJ was able to move in and out of past and present settings without disturbing the story. She also was able to keep the descriptions concise but leave room for the reader to imagine where they were without being handheld there.



Continuity: No issues here. RJ was able to lead the reader along and give tidbits here and there but not give away the entire plot. She then ties everything off in the end superbly. The reader will have a moment of "wow" that was why they said this or did this and that is where that came from or that is why that happened. Impressive to the last period.





And this one is from Athanasios...In case you hadn't already figured that out.



I was a beta reader for this and RJ is a friend. Full disclosure aside Sins was a well written and touching story.



The great parts of the story were that the author doesn't spoon feed the plot to the reader, one has to connect the dots on one's own. Bowen is an unfortunate innocent who is the plaything of an ancient power seeking to return to this world. As the title suggests it is due to wrongs and transgressions Bowen was never a part of.



RJ makes you feel and ache for this child and Bowen is the best part of Sins, yet the other main character of Aaron is less sympathetic and didn't take hold of my interest as much as the boy did.



The detractions in Sins are hardly worth mentioning but I wished it could've had a more direct plot. By that I mean there wasn't as much conflict between the two main characters and the ancient evil until the final parts where the story ends.



This by no means makes Sins of the Father a lesser tale it just doesn't quite reach the point I would've had it go as an armchair auteur. Yet the obvious must be stated, I'm not RJ and this isn't my tale, but this is my review, and RJ told the story she wanted to tell the way she wanted to.



In closing RJ writes with a confidence and self assuredness of what she wants to say and how she wants to say it you rarely see.



Okay, everyone...I was so excited about these reviews that I just HAD to post them. This is my version of shouting them from the rooftops. Ahem, Athanasios...I'm following my own advice. See? :)



If you guys are interested at all, fellow wingnuts, find it here on Amazon and here on Smashwords. Come on, give it a whirl, you won't be disappointed.

We've Gone LIVE!!

WOOGIE!! Sins of the Father went live on Kindle US!! Find the new release of my new work here on Amazon Kindle and here on Smashwords!



A minister losing touch with his faith…



A severely autistic child with no past, no present and no real future…



An evil older than time itself…



When the boy Lucian is thrown into Aaron’s life with nowhere else to go all hell breaks loose and Aaron confronts things he never actually imagined could really exist in an effort to save one small, tortured child.

I am Eternal by Athanasios

Review written by RJ Palmer



I am Eternal is a vampire short written by Athanasios that I agreed to edit which I figured loosely translated into several boring hours trying to figure out which comma went where. Okay, fine. I stand corrected. Even as I was working out a few errors in sentence structure here and there, I was busy getting lost in a different point of view. This is a glimpse into the various possibilities and points of view in the lifestyle of a vampire; the loneliness and the constant worry that Simon’s secret will be found out are chief among the many points outlined here, and I must say that it’s refreshing. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve read in a vampire work that the main character is supremely unconcerned that they’ll be found out because they have no mortal enemies and I am Eternal stands out in stark contrast to the tired same old. Simon has choices to make and those choices are not easy. I like that.



Giving a star rating to this is not going to be easy because it’s a well written short, but I want to know more so I’m going to have to give four stars and hope that more happens because I might have to be compelled to revise that. Hint, hint, Athanasios!



I still want to encourage Athanasios and yes, he’s heard this from me before, not to let Simon’s story end there because it honestly needs more. There are so many directions that this story could go and it simply can’t stop because one point is told. Simon needs to travel the world, even if it’s bit by bit. Enough said.



Find I am Eternal here on Amazon and here on Smashwords. I recommend it as light reading, something to pass an hour or so because you'll want to know more, too.

I'm so Furious

Well, you've turned our lives and the lives of our children inside out and upside down and I just wanted to let you know that we'll manage because life is hard but everything is invariably ironed out for us. We've always landed on our feet and we will this time, too.



But you...You lose and you'll continue to lose until you learn that the world doesn't revolve around you. I'm angry at you but I'll be able to let it go and move on. You'll need the help someday and while I don't wish you ill, I also don't wish you well, either. When you want to call your Cricket and have a sympathetic ear, you'll want to look in the dictionary between shit and syphillis because you'll get nothing from me.



Albert is right, you'll always be homeless and now, in my eyes you're white trash, too. Only white trash would stoop so low as you two have. So keep running away to save your own hide while you throw others in front of the oncoming train. It'll catch up with you. That always happens with bottom feeders. Enough said.