Jeffrey Allen Davis's Blog, page 9
June 22, 2016
Preview of Book Five of the Adventure Chronicles
Here is the prologue of BUSTER’S LEGACY: Book Five of the Adventure Chronicles:
Prologue
April 9, 1993
Friday, 9:17 PM
A small, Midwestern town like this one usually had very few businesses that remained open after 9:00 PM, but Jameston, Missouri took that even further. There were not even any bars in the small town, not that alcohol was illegal here. But with the street gang that ruled the little town demanding higher protection charges from businesses that were open after ten, the owners of the bars had closed up shop some time ago.
After Sheriff Goodman had resigned his post to move his family to the equally small town of Sera, about two hours’ drive to the northwest, the man who took his place, Sheriff Brad Simmons, was widely known to be on the Renegades’ payroll. One would not find a patrol car on any streets where the gang’s drug deals were going down. One would not find a police officer coming along to stop a mugging that was instigated by Ben Shalley, the leader of the Renegades, or one of his goons. And very few break-ins of any of the businesses in the town were thoroughly investigated.
In fact, there were very few occurrences in Jameston in which Ben Shalley did not have his hands. But tonight was different. There would have been no way that he could have known about the horrible thing that was about to step into his town.
The air was crisp on this clear, spring evening. With not a cloud in the sky, Craig Browers was surprised to see what he thought was a bolt of lightning strike a couple of blocks away. His mother had begged the senior at Jameston High School to be home early, but he had lost track of time while visiting his girlfriend’s house. Now, his curiosity was going to sidetrack him again as he decided to check out the disturbance. He rubbed the back of his neck, looked around to make sure that nobody was near, and then headed in the direction of the lightning bolt.
* * *
He stumbled out of the glowing door. He had known that the coins that he had stolen from the prophetess and her husband were special, but nothing like this. The place where he was now standing was different than anything that he had ever seen. The ground was hard, as if the entire area were made of one large rock. The buildings seemed to be made of a similar substance. Artificial lights, perhaps created by some long-lasting spell, stood at the top of poles that were positioned along the roadway, which also seemed to be made of the rock-like substance.
Hoping to avoid being followed through the glowing, blue doorway, he kicked at one of the coins, knocking it farther away from the other. He watched in dismay as the coins disappeared with the door. But his fear at being stranded on this alien world was short lived. A red glow flared from his right hand as a sharp pain shot up his arm. He opened his fingers to see the other item that he had stolen from the couple who had nursed him back to health—a small ruby. It was now shining with an unholy light as it burrowed itself into the palm of his hand.
He screamed.
Another mind . . . another personality . . . was trying to force itself into his head. He knew that it would seek to completely remove his own consciousness. And it was a fight that he was quickly losing.
Craig walked around the corner just as he heard a man scream in anguish. His eyes were saucers as his heart leaped into his throat. He played football, but would not dare to tackle with the Renegades if they were hurting someone.
Then, he saw the man. He was wearing black leather pants and a white, button-down shirt. He was standing in the deserted parking lot of Vince’s grocery and grasping his wrist in pain. And it looked as if his hand was on fire.
As Craig broke into a run toward the man, the pitiful fellow bellowed again in agony, then dropped to the ground. Craig came to stand over the stranger to find him unmoving. He gave the man a cursory examination. He no longer saw any sign of fire. The man’s hand did not seem blackened. The man’s clothing, which looked like it belonged in a Renaissance Faire, was stretched out as if it were made for someone who was smaller and not having the rippling muscles that this man possessed. In fact, the man’s soft, leather shoes had split down the middle.
Craig’s eyes focused on the man’s hair. It was blonde. That was strange. He could have sworn that it had been dark when he had first seen the man. “Hey, Mister,” Craig whispered. “Are you okay?”
A bright, red light flared from the man’s right hand as it shot up and clasped Craig by the throat. “I am doing quite well,” laughed the stranger.
As the demonic glow began its changes within Craig, he screamed as he had never screamed before . . ..
June 11, 2016
Review of The Krillonian Chronicles by Annie Douglass Lima
I was given The Collar and the Cavvarach and The Gladiator and the Guard in exchange for an honest review and I’m happy that I was. I find it difficult to review them separately, as the story seems to continue so well between the former and the latter, with (thankfully) a third novel on its way.
***SPOILERS***
To start, I must say that the storyline is unlike anything that I’ve ever read. Lima takes us into a world that is so much like our own and yet completely different. A modern fantasy world with an empire that exists in the southern hemisphere of its planet (it’s summer in January) where we have trucks, television, martial arts tournaments and slavery. Yes . . . slavery. Picture our world, with a modern Roman Empire and where slavery is legal. Political factions fight for better slave rights (eleven-hour work days and a day off a week). Some slaves are treated fairly by their owners. Others are whipped when they disobey.
Into this storyline steps Bensin, who will risk anything to see his little sister freed from the yoke of slavery. He is purchased away from her by a kind martial arts instructor, Coach Steene, who decides to build upon his training from a prior instructor (and rival). The first book ends with a heart-warming conclusion. I do have to say that Bensin keeping his sister a secret from his new owner rubbed me as wrong. The ending of the first book (“Collar”) did give me a satisfying ending and the responses of all characters involved seemed exactly within character.
The second book (“Gladiator”) picks up four years after the first book. Bensin’s goal for the first book has worked out well and he is now competing in the martial arts tournament to earn the money to buy his own freedom. But he is accused of a crime that he doesn’t commit and, due to crooked judges and arenas, he finds himself with the death penalty looming over him. He is to be killed by a gladiator in the arena but he’s just too good and wins the fight, prompting the owner of the arena to keep him around for a while.
Meanwhile, Coach Steene is trying everything that he can to free Bensin, realizing that he could have avoided everything if he’d just freed Bensin sooner. The things that he does to free Bensin—right up to and including sacrificing his own freedom—left me on the verge of tears when I finished the novel. Now, I can’t wait for the third one.
If any indie novel deserves a movie treatment, this is the series. The martial art, cavvara shil, truly deserves to be seen. Although I must admit that Lima truly described each action scene well.
I give both books five stars and will pass them along to my daughter, as they are definitely clean reading.
June 5, 2016
An Award for THE QUEST FOR YOSHI
Not to be outdone by its older brother, The Quest for Yoshi has also won The Reality Calling Spirit-Filled Speculative Fiction Award. Be sure to read the review here. And be sure to support his blog by purchasing books through the links there.
May 30, 2016
An Award for GATEWAY TO THERA
Peter Younghusband continues his reviews of “The Adventure Chronicles” with this awesome review of GATEWAY TO THERA. In addition, he has awarded it The Reality Calling Christian Redemptive Fiction Award!
Check out the review here. Also, be sure to check out all of his other reviews while you’re there.
May 23, 2016
Blog Tour for The Gladiator and The Guard, by Annie Douglass Lima
First Things First: a Little Information about Book 1:
Bensin, a teenage slave and martial artist, is desperate to see his little sister freed. But only victory in the Krillonian Empire’s most prestigious tournament will allow him to secretly arrange for Ellie’s escape. Dangerous people are closing in on her, however, and Bensin is running out of time. With his one hope fading quickly away, how can Bensin save Ellie from a life of slavery and abuse?
What is the Collar for, and What is a Cavvarach?
The story is set in a world very much like our own, with just a few major differences. One is that slavery is legal there. Slaves must wear metal collars that lock around their neck, making their enslaved status obvious to everyone. Any slave attempting to escape faces the dilemma of how and where to illegally get their collar removed (a crime punishable by enslavement for the remover).
Another difference is the popularity of a martial art called cavvara shil. It is fought with a cavvarach (rhymes with “have a rack”), a weapon similar to a sword but with a steel hook protruding from partway down its top edge. Competitors can strike at each other with their feet as well as with the blades. You win in one of two ways: disarming your opponent (hooking or knocking their cavvarach out of their hands) or pinning their shoulders to the mat for five seconds.
Click here to order The Collar and the Cavvarach from Amazon
for $2.99 a discounted price of just 99 cents through April 28th!
Bensin, a teenage slave and
martial artist, is just one victory away from freedom. But after he is accused
of a crime he didn’t commit, he is condemned to the violent life and early
death of a gladiator. While his loved ones seek desperately for a way to rescue
him, Bensin struggles to stay alive and forge an identity in an environment
designed to strip it from him. When he infuriates the authorities with his
choices, he knows he is running out of time. Can he stand against the cruelty
of the arena system and
seize his freedom before that system crushes him?Click here to order The Gladiator and the Guard in Kindle format from Amazon
for $2.99 a discounted price ofjust 99 cents through April 28th!
Annie Douglass Lima spent most of her childhood in Kenya and
later graduated from Biola University in Southern California. She and her
husband Floyd currently live in Taiwan, where she teaches fifth grade at
Morrison Academy. She has been writing poetry, short stories, and novels since
her childhood, and to date has published twelve books (two YA action and
adventure novels, four fantasies, a puppet script, and five anthologies of her
students’ poetry). Besides writing, her hobbies include reading (especially
fantasy and science fiction), scrapbooking, and international travel.
Blog: http://anniedouglasslima.blogspot.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/princeofalasia
http://bit.ly/ADLimaOnGoodreads
http://bit.ly/AnnieDouglassLimaOnAmazon
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/AnnieDouglassLima
LinkedIn: http://bit.ly/ADLimaOnLinkedIn
Google Plus: http://bit.ly/ADLimaOnGooglePlus
May 22, 2016
The Reason I’ve Been Quiet
It’s been a long time between posts. We had a scare a couple of weeks ago. My 37—year-old wife had a stroke. As my mother died of one just nine months ago, I was terrified of the prospect of losing my wife in the same way. Thankfully, she is making a full, miraculous recovery. God truly had His hand on her. She shows no effects.
Having one stroke raises one’s chances of having another. The kids and I sat with her and went over the signs of another. We went over her living will. We have been told that she won’t be able to go to WinterJam anymore, as flashing lights can cause another. This hurts her a great deal, as it was the event to which she looked forward every year.
In the insanity, I managed to get the first draft of Book Six finished. When my mother died, writing was the one thing that my counselor wanted me to do in order to overcome my grief. It helped me here, too.
Please keep my family in your prayers. We have a long road ahead of us.
March 14, 2016
Review of KLANDESTINE MANEUVERS
Peter Younghusband has posted an awesome review of Book Two of the Adventure Chronicles. Check it out here. And check out the rest of his reviews for a good read.
March 6, 2016
Happy Birthday, Dad!
My father would have been Seventy-Four years old today. For the first time since 2006, he is getting to celebrate his birthday with my mother. I miss them both so much.
Below is the Eulogy that I delivered at his funeral in October of 2006:
“Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day-and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.” 2Timothy 4:8
As I was growing up, I remember two things about my dad. The first was his extensive ball cap collection. The other was that he actually liked to work.
The former concept was interesting. He would keep a large collection of these hats on hooks on the wall of the bedroom that he shared with my mother. He never wore the majority of them, though. They were only there for show. He usually had only one cap that he actually did wear. I can remember him getting ready to go somewhere and watching as dad flipped his bangs back and put the cap on. Then he’d give us a kiss goodbye and head out the door.
The work thing was more puzzling to me. The concept of enjoying a good day’s work confused this lazy kid. I once asked him why he worked so much and got an even more confusing answer. “I work so much, son, so you won’t have to.”
I admittedly didn’t really get to know my dad until after he became ill and had to stop working. The idea of being forced to be idle seemed more of a curse to him than anything. But I learned a great deal about my father. I got to know a man who loved his family so much that he worked until his health was shattered so that we were provided for. I learned about a man who was calm when everyone else was stressed-a leader of men who was respected by those who worked under him because of his determination and willingness to sacrifice to get the job done.
I’ve often thought that my name is a curse. Mom wanted to name me Jeremy, but dad was determined that I be named Jeffrey. Apparently, dad didn’t know much about history and almost every time that I introduce myself to someone, I’m asked if my parents were Southern. I dutifully respond with a smile that my father was a “Michigan-born Yankee.”
This isn’t to say that Dad was unintelligent. Far from it. He might have only obtained an eighth grade education, but, when he was healthy, he could take a car apart and put it back together while blindfolded. His advice, despite the fact that Mom and I didn’t always listen, was sound and always the best course of action.
My dad didn’t get saved until he was in his late fifties. He was led to Christ by the same pastor who led me, Brother Phil Tanner. Dad told me of the absolute, tear-filled joy that he felt on that day. After that, God’s blessings poured out in the form of my daughter. I begged God to let my dad live to see her-a prayer that was answered. Kaitlyn was also the final piece to the puzzle of why my dad had enjoyed working. There is nothing that I wouldn’t do for my little girl, just as there is nothing that Dad wouldn’t have done for my brothers or me.
On Wednesday night, after I found out that he’d passed away, I asked God why He hadn’t answered my prayers to heal my dad’s lungs. He told me as clearly as I stand before you all today, “Don’t you understand? Now, they are healed.”
As for the Bible verse that I read earlier, I can see that Dad reached the Pearly Gates on Wednesday afternoon. Waiting for him there was an angel carrying a pillow, upon which sat my dad’s Crown of Righteousness-a golden ball cap. He took it from the pillow and, with a smile flipped back his bangs back and put it on, then stepped through the gates and into eternity.
February 15, 2016
UPCOMING SIGNING
I’ll be signing copies of LILY’S REDEMPTION at “Back to Basics” Christian bookstore in O’Fallon, MO, on Saturday, February 20, 2016, from 2-4 PM. Copies are $8.95 each. Everyone who purchases a copy gets an entry into a drawing to win a copy of all four of the currently published novels in the ADVENTURE CHRONICLES series. You can earn an additional entry by signing up for my mailing list while you’re there.
1002 Highway K, O’Fallon, MO
February 2, 2016
New Releases
I have a couple of announcements. First of all,The Quest for Yoshi, the long-awaited fourth novel in the ADVENTURE CHRONICLES series, is finally available.
“For two months, Shawna’s nightmares have kept her confused and exhausted. Visions of empty graves, cursed amulets, and old friends fill her thoughts at all times, leaving her friends and boyfriend perplexed.
“Jamie, still mourning the loss of his clan-sister, has struggled to come to terms with having left leadership of the Funakoshi clan in the hands of the violent Shakato family.
“So now Shawna’s strange visions are drawing her back to the world of Thera. The last time that they went there, a cursed wizard killed Yoshi. What will happen this time?”
Available in PAPERBACK, as well as KINDLE and NOOK formats and don’t forget SMASHWORDS.
But the most important thing is the announcement of the release of Malicious Mysteries, the dedication to my late mother:
“When Patricia Davis suddenly left this world on August 22, 2015, her death devastated a family who loved her more than the world. On top of everything, she had no life insurance, leaving her three sons to raise the money to pay the very understanding owners of the funeral home who hosted her funeral. When her youngest son, who is an author, discussed the issue with some of his colleagues, they decided to put together an anthology of short stories. And, since Patricia loved crime stories, they selected that as the theme.
“The stories feature Metahumans, CSI agents, and even a story based loosely on historical figures. With stories by Jim Robb, JL MacDonald, Brian K. Morris, Stephanie Welch, Jeffrey Allen Davis, TW Johnson, and Samuel E. Campbell, there’s something in here for everyone.
“All proceeds of each sale go to the Funeral Fund of Patricia Ann Davis.”
The book is currently available only in electronic formats at AMAZON and SMASHWORDS.
