Charlie Bray's Blog, page 6
January 23, 2014
Members Notes: A New Novel From Lizzie Chantree
About Lizzie:
Lizzie lives in Essex, with her gorgeous husband, two bouncy children and a very unusual dog. In between the school run and baking cakes, (or burning them!) she sits in her rooftop studio daydreaming about gaps in the market and how she can fill them. Babe Driven is her first novel.
Lizzie is an enthusiastic inventor, businesswoman and artist. She founded her first company at the age of 17 and has been creating products and driving her family mad ever since.
Lizzie has appeared on Sky News, ITV Lunchtime news, This morning, The Big Breakfast and the BBC’S worldwide radio service, along with many local radio stations, for becoming one of Fair Play London’s female innovators.
Lizzie wrote Babe Driven during a time when her youngest daughter was unwell, to help her stay awake at night so that she could hear her daughter’s breathing. Chocolate and coffee had failed to work, so she begun to weave a story of intrigue and sunshine to help her stay alert and to stop her falling asleep.
About Lizzie’s Book:
Babe Driven: Driving straight out of trouble and into paradise!
Harriet’s crazily successful business idea is under serious threat, and the danger seems to be coming
from inside her own family. She whisks her sister and her friends away to an exotic location to try
and work out whose side they are on. It’s time to start damage limitation.
Harriet will have to choose between family and friends, business or pleasure. For someone who stays
out of the limelight, even though her new company is the hottest ticket in town, she’s going to have
to avoid the front pages of every newspaper if she wants to survive the ride!
Contact details: Lizzie Chantree 01268 745044 / 07799311636
Facebook page: Facebook.com/lizziechantree
Twitter @aesthetedesign
Twitter@LizzieChantree
Babe Driven is available from
Amazon.com and
I’m sure readers of Indie books will love Lizzie’s new offering.
If you really want to be spoilt for choice, visit this month’s fabulous Spotlight
January 22, 2014
Members Notes: An Inspiring Tale
AN INSPIRING TALE
In the first of a new series, Members’ Notes, Raymond Koonce tells us how his daughter is overcoming the tragic death of her husband
My daughter’s husband was killed in a small plane crash in northern Arizona on September 13, 2012. He was riding as a passenger/program evaluator for KLM Dutch Airlines when the Piper Archer smashed into a canyon wall in Calf Pen Canyon close to Strawberry, AZ. My daughter, who is also a highly rated pilot, was of course devastated by the event, and luckily for me came to live with me here in Houston about a year later. I’ve greatly enjoyed watching her come out of the depression that such an event manifests in one, and move on with her career. I had the great satisfaction of riding in the back seat of the twin-engine plane in which my Sandy tested for and received her Airline Transport Pilot rating, the highest civilian pilot rating in this country. She also holds the same rating in Europe. One can safely say I’m extremely proud of my little girl and all she’s accomplished. She’s also become a bit of a celebrity on Facebook with literally thousands of people following her exploits. Her public page is Cassandra King, if anyone would be interested. I’ve heard her referred to as a ‘drop-dead gorgeous blonde’ and, even though I’m somewhat biased, I have to agree with that assessment. She’s read my book “The Pilot” and enjoyed it, she tells me, and even posted a review for her followers on FB today. Needless to say I was most pleased.
Col. Raymond Koonce, USAF (Ret.)
Houston, Texas
Raymond’s book, The Pilot, is available from Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk
COMING SOON – INDIETRIBE’S MONTHLY TOP 20 - A chart showing the 20 Indie books that are trending on Indietribe each month WATCH THIS SPACE!
January 16, 2014
Only Two Weeks to our February Spotlight – Are Your Books in It?
THAT’S RIGHT – ONLY TWO WEEKS TO OUR FEBRUARY ISSUE
BUT IT’S NOT TOO LATE TO SEE YOUR BOOKS IN LIGHTS
February’s Spotlight will be promoted avidly on Indietribe, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin and Goodreads for the entire month. Don’t miss out on this fantastic opportunity to get your books under the spotlight of thousands of readers for a whole month:
This is what your entry will look like:
And this is what it will cost:
£6 (approx $9US) per book for one month,
£15 (approx $23US) per book for three months
£25 (approx $39US) per book for six months
£45 (approx $69US) per book for twelve months
Check out our January Spotlight to get a full flavour of what to expect.
We are now taking orders for the February edition. If you would like your book including, PLEASE CLICK HERE
January 11, 2014
News Flash: Member Kim Defforge Releases new Book
KIDS RIVIERA Sun & Fun Travel Focus
by
KIM DEFFORGE
The French Riviera’s reputation as a chic, luxurious, and upscale travel spot for sun & fun doesn’t mean it isn’t a family destination, as well. There are numerous activities for kids of all ages, so that they, too, can enjoy their stay and have sun & fun travel memories! This e-book is a compilation of information about kid-focused sites on the French Riviera, so that the whole family can enjoy the sun and the sea, and experience the savoir-faire that the area has to offer.
We wish Kim every success with her new book.
January 8, 2014
Indietribe Proofreading & Editing – Too Good to be True? No It’s a Winner!
Are you approaching the end of your latest manuscript?
This is the To Do list that you should consider scrawling across your whiteboard:
FINISH MANUSCRIPT
SEND IT TO INDIETRIBE TO EDIT AND PROOFREAD (only £6 or $US 10 per thousand words)
GET MY NEW BOOK REVIEWED BY INDIETRIBE (no charge)
GET AN AUTHOR INTERVIEW PUBLISHED ON INDIETRIBE (no charge)
POST A GUEST BLOG ABOUT MY NEW BOOK ON INDIETRIBE (no charge)
SPOTLIGHT MY NEW BOOK ON INDIETRIBE (no charge)
FEATURE MY NEW BOOK IN INDIETRIBE’S TWO BOOK STORES (no charge)
DON’T WORRY, YOU’RE NOT IMAGINING THIS. IT ACTUALLY IS ALL AVAILABLE FROM INDIETRIBE AT ONLY £6 PER THOUSAND WORDS!
Don’t let this offer get away! Either book and pay for your edit/proofread now or send a £50 deposit ($US 80) to reserve a slot in the future.
The amount of manuscripts we can accept on these terms is limited. When the offer has gone, it’s gone. If you are not yet ready to proceed, I’m quite prepared to take a £50 non-refundable deposit and agree an editing time slot in the future.
SO HOW DO WE PROOFREAD YOUR BOOK?
£6 per 1000 words will ensure that your manuscript is free of any spelling mistakes, grammatical errors, or typos.You will then be able to publish with confidence.
Style guides are used and the necessary distinction between UK English and American English is applied.
We study every line of your text twice, correcting errors as we go along. Our tracked changes will enable you to accept or discard every suggestion, so that you remain entirely in control.
Whilst we’re doing that we look for plot holes, lack of continuity and loose ends which have not been tied up by the end of the story. All in all, incredible value for money – even without all the free bolt-ons mentioned above.
AND WHAT DO AUTHORS SAY ABOUT OUR PROOFREADING/EDIT SERVICE?
“Charlie Bray was one of two proofreaders I used for my current book DRAGON CENTRAL. He did a first rate, professional job and I would highly recommend him.” Doc Briley, author of SEAFOAM WAVEFOLLOWER.
“Charles Bray provided invaluable help in proofreading the two most recent publications of mine–The Chinese Spymaster and The Ingenious Judge Dee, A Play. As most writers realize, sooner or later, one cannot proofread one’s work enough, but after four or five readings one’s eyes no longer see what is actually on the page. Charles provides fresh (and sharp) eyes and does so in a timely manner; I cannot thank him enough.” Hock Tjoa
“Charlie, Wow, I have to say this is exactly what I was looking for – thank you. You have given such a thoughtful and honest critique. Some things I knew in my gut but needed to hear, and others were newly pointed out to me. I absolutely loved your new ideas.” Tanya Arunguren
“Great work! Your proofreader is excellent. I haven’t added every comma he suggested, but I’m grateful he picked up everything he did pick up. I live in the hope that every author will care as much as you do to make sure we get it right.Would you have any objection to passing on your proofreader’s details to me?” Penny Springthorpe, Senior Editor, Book Cover Cafe
ACT NOW TO CLINCH THIS AMAZING OFFER!
Simply fill in and submit the form below and we’ll send you a Paypal invoice for the full amount of the proofread/edit or a £50 non-refundable deposit if the proofread/edit is to take place in the future. Upon receipt we’ll liaise with you on a suitable time-frame.
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Enter approximate word count and whether you wish to proceed now or reserve time in the future
January 7, 2014
Showcase 37: Four More Indie Books to Tempt You
Here are four eBooks for your kindle, reviewed for your pleasure by the authors. Four top books, all self published, vie for your attention, hopefully all on the way to becoming best selling books.
Buying books from Showcase is really easy. Click on the image to buy from Amazon.com, or the link in each book’s description to buy from Amazon.co.uk
IF YOU DO DECIDE TO BUY BOOKS, PLEASE BUY THEM WHILST YOU’RE LINKED THROUGH TO AMAZON FROM INDIETRIBE.
So here we go with our 36th Showcase:
MURDER BY THE BOOK by D.R.Meredith
When Wild Horse Lake dries up due to drought, an old 1938 Ford surfaces to present a puzzle to Megan Clark, assistant librarian and unemployed paleopathologist, that she can’t resist. When the skeleton of a homicide victim is found buried between the walls of an old laundry on Sixth Street, Megan is sure there is a connection to the old Ford. Excited by the possibility of tracking down the connection, as well as uncovering the murderer, Megan asks her mystery readers discussion group for help. To her surprise the group refuses except for Randal Anderson and his obsessive-compulsive girlfriend, Candi, not Megan’s first choices for assistants. The question becomes: what is the rest of the members hiding and why. If the old skeleton and its murderer isn’t enough, Megan stumbles over another dead body. Sergeant Schroder doesn’t believe the same person could find so many murdered bodies without having something to do with their unfortunate demise. When Megan discovers two more bodies, all obviously killed by the same person, who leaves a message scratched on the forehead of each, Schroder is ready to read Megan her Miranda warning and arrest her. All the murders occur on Sixth Street, all occur the nights the mystery discussion group meets, and all occur when Megan’s alibis are shaky. Meanwhile, a resident at a local retirement home is watching Megan’s activities closely. The resident doesn’t care about a possible serial killer loose on Sixth Street, but is very interested in Megan’s involvement with the skeleton. Megan, in the meantime, is disillusioned because it is becoming clear that not only is the serial killer probably a member of the Murder by the Yard Reading Circle, but so is whoever buried the skeleton in the old laundry.
A fan of mysteries since a childhood obsession with Agatha Christie and Rex Stout, D. R. Meredith has been the book review editor for ROUNDUP MAGAZINE for more than twenty years. She owns a private library of more than 5,000 books on the American West.
Also available from Amazon.co.uk
THE STRANGER CASTS A LONG SHADOW by Brian Grant
A neglected young boy is adopted into a middle class family which never loses secret contact with his birth father, a career criminal. On reaching adulthood the son forsakes his middle class background to follow his father into the criminal world. Being very intelligent with a good education, he easily acquires various nefarious skills including shutting down alarms using computers and opening hi-tech safes to steal commercial secrets. His expertise becomes widespread in the criminal underworld and he eagerly accepts a new assignment for several million pounds – to steal the design of a secret government backed project. When murder paves the way for ruthless ambitions to be achieved, the tears begin to fall.
As a film worker Brian Grant carried for a long time the frustrating urge to write while reading other creative works. He made the decision to fulfil a lifelong ambition to write full-time. His booksrange from short stories to a series of novels containing dialogue that will stay with you for a very long time and the stories well… all I can say is please be prepared!
Also available on Amazon.co.uk
ACHIEVE ANYTHING IN JUST ONE YEAR by Jason Harvey
This is a self improvement, motivational and personal development book that is designed to be read on a daily basis. One page a day for one year. Each page starts with an inspirational quote, followed by a discussion of that day’s topic, and ends with a task or an assignment for the reader to follow. The idea is to take daily action that creates a ripple effect in your life.
Comprehensive and inspiring, Achieve Anything In Just One Year will teach you how to:
-Set goals and stick with them
-Take daily action that creates a ripple effect
-Stay motivated, focused and balanced
-Feel happier everyday
-Define, pursue and celebrate personal success
Learn to equip yourself with the tools to become your own personal life coach, without relying on outside motivation. You have the power to do anything you desire. The possibilities are within you. It’s time to nurture that spark and let it catch fire.
Jason Harvey is a Certified Life Coach and founder of the Limitless Institute, a non-profit organization that funds research into human motivation and personal development.
Jason has spent the past decade and a half studying self-improvement and personal development techniques.
Jason holds a Bachelor’s degree from Dalhousie University’s Faculty of Management in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
He currently resides on the East Coast of Canada, where he enjoys training for marathons and attempting to master the piano.
Also available from Amazon.co.uk
THE WHISPERING WIND by Lexa Dudley
The Whispering Wind by Lexa Dudley is a breathtakingly warm romance set in Sardinia. Elise visits the beautiful island, Sardinia, on a holiday away from her abusive husband, William. The hospitality of the locals and the beauty of the island captivate her and she ends up falling in love with Beppe, a man after her own heart. After years of sadness, she feels her life now has some meaning and revels in the romance of her new-found love. Unfortunately, she has to rush back to her mother’s side and then the heartbreaking part of the story begins. Though in her heart she is determined to go back to her love as promised, life and fate have other plans for her. Will she ever be reunited with the one man to whom her soul belongs? Will that man live up to his promise of doing everything possible for her? Will Beppe’s love stand the test of time?
The Whispering Wind is definitely a book one can enjoy on holiday. The author has woven the story fantastically while explaining the culture and lifestyle of Sardinia. The place really comes alive with the wonderful descriptions of the various places and festivals. The love story of Elise and Beppe stays with you for a long time. The story is romantic, beautiful, and touches a chord deep in one’s heart. One almost wishes that the star-crossed lovers had ended up with a different twist to their story, but on second thoughts, it would not have the same poignancy and feel to it if it was any different. A highly recommended read for those of us who still get misty-eyed over true love and soul mates.
Lexa Dudley is a freelance writer and a poet. She fell in love with the island of Sardinia in 1972 when visiting for the first time with her family; and became intrigued with the island’s unique culture. She has always enjoyed writing, but with a large family to look after and helping her husband run his business, it was a part time hobby.
Also available from Amazon.co.uk
I hope you enjoyed browsing these four great Indie books and are tempted to spend a few pennies supporting self-published authors.
MESSAGE TO AUTHORS
TWO GREAT WAYS TO PROMOTE YOURSELF AND YOUR BOOKS!
1. Make sure you’re listed in our Authors A to Z
2. Make sure your books are featured in the forthcoming February Spotlight
January 5, 2014
JOIN INDIETRIBE GOLD FOR £10 LESS
Yes you read it right. For one month only – the annual subscription for INDIETRIBE GOLD has been slashed from £45 ($74US) to £35 ($57US)
During the month of January it’s ONLY £35 TO JOIN INDIETRIBE GOLD!
Well that’s a big saving but just what do you get for your money?
YOU GET YOUR BOOK REVIEWED ON INDIETRIBE BY CHARLIE BRAY
and the review promoted on Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads and Linkedin
YOU GET AN AUTHOR INTERVIEW
YOU GET A GUEST BLOG
AND ALL FOR ONLY £35 IF YOU SUBSCRIBE IN JANUARY.
SO TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS SUBSTANTIAL OFFER, SIMPLY SUBMIT THE FORM BELOW.
We will then send you a Paypal invoice for only £35. Upon receipt we will liaise with you on a preferred date for your book review, interview and guest blog.
Name:
Email Address:
Please enter the full title and genre of the book you wish to promote
January 1, 2014
JANUARY SPOTLIGHT: Brilliant Indie Books for The New Year
Welcome to the NEW YEAR issue of our Monthly Spotlight
To browse or buy a book, click on its front cover to view it on Amazon.com or its title to view it on Amazon.co.uk.
If your book is not yet booked in for the FEBRUARY SPOTLIGHT, book it in now
SO HERE WE GO WITH THIS MONTH’S SPOTLIGHT:
ANIMALS (DOGS)
Champ: My Story of Survival by Fiona Ingram and Champ
‘The heart-warming story of an abused dog whose struggle back to life inspired a book and raised an army of supporters’
TRUE CRIME
Eyes of a Pedophile by Betty Kuffel
‘Peer inside the mind of a violent child molester and learn how to protect your children’
GAY and LESBIAN
The Clouds Still Hang by Patrick C Notchtree
‘This trilogy is based on his own life telling a story of a gay man’s life of denial, to rise above the legacy of a traumatic childhood that almost destroyed him to emerge at last true to himself.’
GENERAL FICTION
Chasing Heart by Mark Lingane
‘An absolute page-turner that hooks you in from the beginning. Once you pick it up, you will not put it down’
Desert Heart by Mark Lingane
‘Heat. Politics. Romance. Sand. War. Bad Coffee. It can only mean one thing. Ellen Martin is off to the Middle East.’
HISTORICAL FANTASY
A Whisper From Eden by Phoenix
‘Find out who taught the Mandan Indians in North Dakota’
HISTORICAL FICTION
L’Immortalite: Madame Lalaurie and the Voodoo Queen by T.R. Heinan
‘NOLA’s most haunting legend comes to life’
HOLIDAY TALE
The Dream Catcher by Julia Rose Grey
‘A holiday tale of whimsey as Rupert Rumple discovers the importance of dreams’
HUMOUR
The Village Idiots Ebay Club by Charlie Bray
‘Quirky people buy quirky things – and Ebay is full of quirky things. DANGER ALERT! What if they can’t stop bidding? What if their lives become quirkier and quirkier as a result? TIME TO JOIN THE EBAY CLUB!’
Open House by Charlie Bray
‘Aristocrats, Ghosts and Squatters Share a Castle’
LITERARY FICTION
The Mourning After by Edward Fahey
‘In a world where death is but another beginning, you must trust in what you cannot believe. For those who wonder what lies beyond. For those who love; and hope’
MIDDLE GRADE FICTION
Seafoam Wavefollower and the Mysterious Ghost by Doc Briley
‘SEAFOAM is an exciting, fast-paced adventure filled with thrills, chills, mysticism and friendship’
MYSTERY
Dear Crossing by Marjorie Swift Doering
‘A grisly murder leads Ray Schiller on a case with a rising body count and the potential to derail his personal and professional life’
Shadow Tag by Marjorie Swift Doering
‘Detective Ray Schiller is out to finish what he started, unless it finishes him first’
NON-FICTION
Justice in America: How it Works, How it Fails by Russell F. Moran
‘In this frank and compelling book, attorney and journalist Russell Moran leads the reader on an exciting tour of the system that delivers our rights, and he doesn’t pull any punches’
Your Heart: Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease in Women, Men and Children by Betty Kuffel, M.D.
‘Reduce your risk for the leading cause of death in women and men with information in this guide to heart health for all ages’
ROMANCE/ DRAMA
Finding Mother by Anne Allen
‘Prepare to be swept away by a heart-warming tale of family relationships and love’
ROMANCE / MYSTERY
Dangerous Waters by Anne Allen
‘Tragedy seems to follows Jeanne Le Page around . . . Can she really go through it again and survive?’
ROMANTIC SUSPENSE
Leon’s Lair by Phoenix
‘What would you do if your vacation cruise ship was attacked and you were certain to be killed?’
Wyoming Escape by Kate Wyland
‘One dead body is frightening enough, but a second one, plus a dirty cop,
sends chef Mikela Richards fleeing for her life’
SCI-FI
I Love Lucid by Mark Lingane
‘A story for the dubstep generation. Part one of a five part story told in weekly instalments.’
Beyond Belief by Mark Lingane
‘Joshua Richards has a problem. His clients are dying. What’s even more worrying is that they appear to be planning to kill him first’
Home by Richard Sutton
‘Forty-two teachers, scientists, engineers and their children, have just completed a twelve year deep-space journey to escape the war and drought ravaged Earth’
God Bless the Dead by Evan Geller
‘The truth will not set you free. The truth will get you killed’
The Gray Ship by Russell F Moran
‘While steaming toward Charleston, South Carolina in April 2013, a ship encounters a time warp or wormhole. Suddenly, Captain Patterson and her 930 crewmembers find themselves in the year 1861′
SELF-HELP
Fifty, Female & Fabulous by Barbara Villemez
‘One doesn’t have to be at a mature age to benefit from the concepts that enhance and empower the Divine Feminine in all women’
THRILLER
The Chinese Spymaster by Hock Tjoa
‘Chinese Intelligence uncovers a North Korean trying to sell a nuclear device.’
Haunted by Maria Savva
‘Nigel Price has MURDER on his mind’
Hostile Witness by Rebecca Forster
‘Blending complex psychological character portraits with spot-on courtroom drama, Forster’s riveting legal thriller keeps the plot twists coming until the last, satisfying page’
White Jade by Alex Lukeman
WHITE JADE spins a web of deceit and murder across the globe, against the backdrop of a deadly international power game.
Still Waters by Sara Warner
‘GRAND PRIZE WINNER FOR FICTION and a FINALIST in SUSPENSE/THRILLER in the 2013 NEXT GENERATION INDIE BOOK AWARDS’
TRAVEL ESSAY
Solitary Desire by Kim Defforge
‘The author takes us along on her journey as she narrates the life events that weave an emotional tapestry, from adolescent imagination to adult life situations’
YOUNG ADULT
Am I Okay, God – Devotionals from the Seventh Dimension by Lorilyn Roberts
‘The 27 devotionals deal with issues of self-worth, family, goals, bullying, dating, salvation, values, heaven, hell, and the end times. Ages twelve and up.’
Shadow Embraced by Cheree Smith
‘Scar thinks the creature that terrorises her while asleep isn’t real, but when she’s abducted and taken to a reform school meant to contain creatures too dangerous to function in society, she starts to wonder whether she isn’t some monster’
I hope you enjoyed our January Spotlight and that you are tempted to part with a few of your pennies to enjoy the delights of some remarkable indie books.
Indie Authors – The Authors A to Z guide is launching soon. Make sure you’re in it:
http://www.theindietribe.com/category/sign-up-to-our-a-to-z-of-indie-authors/
December 12, 2013
CHARLIE BRAY’S BOOK REVIEWS – Four Great Christmas Reads
A very warm welcome to Charlie Bray’s Indie Book Reviews. If you wish to buy any of these books, click on the front cover to buy from Amazon.com or the link following the description to buy from Amazon.co.uk
IF YOU DO DECIDE TO BUY BOOKS, PLEASE BUY THEM WHILST YOU’RE LINKED THROUGH TO AMAZON FROM INDIETRIBE.
If you would like your book reviewed and published on these pages, click here now and join INDIETRIBE GOLD. You will then be entitled to a book review, author interview, and guest blog. DO IT BEFORE THE END OF DECEMBER AND YOU’LL SAVE 33%
WORLDS APART by Stephen B Pearl
This remarkable book will bring pleasure to aficionados of love stories as well as introducing them to the joys of the fantasy genre. Conversely it will attract fantasy fanatics to the misty eyed world of romance – whether they readily admit it or not. I won’t tell you which camp I belonged to initially, suffice it to say I have now adopted another ‘guilty pleasure’.
The story brings together two characters from two different worlds.
One, the heroine, firmly ensconced in this world and yet dabbling into the affairs of other, more remote places whilst pursuing her dalliance as a witch.
One, the hero, a citizen of an alternate universe who is actively seeking out other worlds to help him in a quest.
Both are weighed down heavily with their own problems.
Alcina, the earthling is fighting an endless custody battle to ensure that her beloved son is not lost to her not-very-nice husband. Markus’s world is literally falling apart and he is seeking the help of another planet to cure it.
The two protagonists are brought together by this very skilful author and their complex relationship blossoms.
As if the reader has not been given enough to enjoy, a good dollop of humour is served up in the Detective Rat sequence when the said detective whips off his wig and successfully turns it into an attentive rat.
Stephen B. Pearl is a multiple published author whose works range across the speculative fiction field. His writings often incorporate real places and focus heavily on the logical consequences of the worlds he crafts.
I whole-heartedly recommend this cross-genre book to you and guarantee it will make a great Christmas read.
Also available from Amazon.co.uk
ANGEL WAR by Philip Dodd
So, just as I had adopted a new ‘guilty pleasure’, this book popped up to feed it.
It may well be that ‘every picture tells a story’ and that ‘a picture is worth a thousand words’, but you don’t need pictures when reading a Philip Dodd book. He is an ingenious wordsmith who paints his scenes with words. And what a remarkable job he makes of it. Glorious characters and glorious scenery are all brought to life to the degree that the reader actually feels he is part of the story, actually feels he is in there with the characters. And for a fleeting passage of time there is no better place to be.
Philip Dodd drew his inspiration for this book from the King James Version of the Holy Bible
The story is so vividly painted that the actual plot hardly seems to be a thing to cling on to. But here it is anyway:
Azel does not like his dad, who happens to be the Father. He spends most of his adolescence plotting against him and reveals some of what he has in mind in his inner thoughts. ‘I knew from the moment of my birth that I was one alone, apart from the Father and his children and that I must rebel against them all.’
All the time his father is planning ‘great things’, Azel is setting up alternatives. He is very much a rebel with a cause.
The Father creates the hierarchy of the angel houses of the Angel Tree, so Azel creates a hierarch of dragon houses of the Dragon Tree. He actually transforms himself into a dragon and heads up a rebel army to overthrow the Father. Bring in a third protagonist, Klem the child of the White Mountain and the plot thickens.
I found Angel War an enthralling read from start to fish and highly recommend it to anyone who wishes to escape mundane reality for a glorious period of time.
Also available from Amazon.co.uk
THE INGENIOUS JUDGE DEE by Hock G Tjoa
The Ingenious Judge Dee, A Play is a dramatization of The Celebrated Cases of Judge Dee, by Robert van Gulik.
The script layout is exceptionally easy to follow and I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. It gave me a similar feeling to enjoying a well produced play in the theatre.
A double homicide, a “reluctant” corpse, a bride poisoned on her wedding night–all taking place in a small county, one of fifteen hundred in Tang dynasty China, and all demanding investigation and judicial response within a month!
Judge Dee deals with these cases with his usual investigators and with his customary aplomb, even though he is himself under investigation by an Imperial Censor. He is unorthodox in his choice of investigators (former bandits and a female ex-cat burglar) and one of his suspects is a voluptuous woman who alleges harassment on the part of the authorities. He may also have stepped on some toes of the local gentry.
Hock G. Tjoa was born in Singapore to Chinese parents. He studied history at Brandeis and Harvard and taught European history and Asian political thought at the University of Malaya in Kuala Lumpur. He has published George Henry Lewes, a Victorian Mind, “The social and political ideas of Tan Cheng Lock” (in Melaka: The Transformation of a Malay Capital) and various articles in the Newsletter of the China History Forum. He is married and lives with his family in the Sierra Nevada foothills of California. In 2010, he published The Battle of Chibi, selections translated from “The Romance of the Three Kingdoms” (one of four traditional Chinese classics). In 2011, he adapted Lao She’s “Tea House,” Mandarin original dated 1953, publishing it as Heaven is High and the Emperor Far Away, a Play. Both are part of his goal to contribute to a wider and greater understanding of China and Asia.Also available from Amazon.co.uk
THE CHINESE SPYMASTER by Hock G Tjoa
I proofread The Chinese Spymaster and found it to be an enthralling read in the mould of many great spy novels.
The characters were complex and, as is the nature of individuals in the spy industry, none of them appeared to be particularly trustworthy and the reader was generally on tenterhooks awaiting yet one more sinister turn. They were well rounded and the reader came to know each of the main ones really well – warts and all.
The story reflects upon the current state of affairs in Central Asia. It combines the excitement of a spy novel with the intriguing facts gleaned from up to date documentaries and presents a much wider aspect than the public is used to.
This novel provides an admirable service to the reputation of the self-published novel because anyone reading an Indie book for the first time will realise that this genre can definitely hold its own amongst conventionally published novels within the same genre.
The normal chore of proofreading was replaced by the delight of being able to carefully read this polished novel as I went along.
I would highly recommend it to readers of the Spy Thriller category.
Also available from Amazon.co.uk
I hope you enjoyed reading my reviews as much as I enjoyed writing them. I look forward to publishing more reviews soon. Meanwhile… Happy reading, Charlie.
A special message to all you authors out there. Indietribe’s AUTHORS AtoZ is now up and running and set to become the definitive guide to Indie authors and their books.
Make sure you’re in it and join everybody who’s anybody in the Indie Book World. You can book your listing by clicking here
December 11, 2013
Showcase 36: Four More Indie Books To Consider
Here are four eBooks for your kindle, reviewed for your pleasure by the authors. Four top fiction books, all self published, vie for your attention, hopefully all on the way to becoming best selling books.
Why not review your own book and let our members find another gem to read?
If you have one book to promote for the first time, click here to showcase
If you have more than one book to promote for the first time, click here to showcase.
If you would like to repeat one of your previous showcase entries, click here to showcase
Buying books from Showcase is really easy. Click on the image to buy from Amazon.com, or the link in each book’s description to buy from Amazon.co.uk
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So here we go with our 36th Showcase:
TOME OF DEATH by D R Meredith
In 1868, Comanche warrior Spotted Tongue finds his second wife’s body in Palo Duro Canyon, murdered by one of his fellow Comanche. To spill the blood of Spotted Tongue’s wife is a forbidden act. Comanches do not murder other Comanches, and Little Flower became a Comanche when Spotted Tongue married her. But Little Flower was a white captive first, and many of the Comanche still despise her. But who hated her enough to break a taboo by murdering her. Spotted Tongue vows to track down the murderer and exact his own revenge. In the present, Megan Clark and members of the Murder by the Yard Reading Circle are enjoying a picnic in Palo Duro Canyon. When Megan’s two beagles escape and dig up a blue shirt filled with bones, she and reading group find themselves involved in another murder case, much to Dr. Ryan Stevens’ horror. The situation escalates when Megan discovers another body next to her beagles’ discovery, this one the mummy of a long-dead woman. As Spotted Tongue searches for a murderer in 1868, so does Megan in the present day. The two detectives, separated by time and race, each confront a killer, so that the two victims may find peace.
A fan of mysteries since a childhood obsession with Agatha Christie and Rex Stout, D. R. Meredith has been the book review editor for ROUNDUP MAGAZINE for more than twenty years. She owns a private library of more than 5,000 books on the American West.
Also available from Amazon.co.uk
RIDE ON A SNAKE’S BACK by Brian Grant
Two beautiful young women, Charlotte and Trinushka become terrifyingly entwined within a Russian mafia organisation, witnessing casual killings and twisted minds, attempts to escape the clutches of these gangsters fail, eventually landing them in the departure lounge for Hell. Love, deceit and death are rolled out together on the escape road to freedom, the women are always hand-in-hand with the threat of death while their old friend Fear rides on their shoulders. In this story of broken hearts and hate along with unfulfilled ambitions, Brian has created a written scenario which you will not want to put down.
As a film worker Brian Grant carried for a long time the frustrating urge to write while reading other creative works. He made the decision to fulfil a lifelong ambition to write full-time. His booksrange from short stories to a series of novels containing dialogue that will stay with you for a very long time and the stories well… all I can say is please be prepared!
Also available from Amazon.co.uk
WHERE THE WILD FLOWERS GROW by Vera Jane Cook
Rose Cassidy’s fantasy life is a haunting reminder that she’s living a lie. So when she has the opportunity to act on those fantasies, she dives in without any thought to consequences.
Rose’s husband, Ryan, has fantasies of his own, and his actions cause unimaginable hurt [pain] to the very children he tries so hard to protect.
When the happiness each member of the Cassidy family seeks so desperately to find is shattered by shame, guilt, and ultimately murder, they must each face the truth that lies deep within their souls.
Where the Wildflowers Grow is the author’s third southern fiction novel. Also by the author in the women’s fiction genre are Lies a River Deep and Marybeth, Hollister & Jane (to be released December 20th, 2013}. In the paranormal genre Vera is the author of Annabel Horton, Lost Witch of Salem.
The author lives in New York City.
Also available from Amazon.co.uk
YOU CAN’T HIDE FOREVER by Ronald A Sewell
Davy Jenkins goes AWOL from the Royal Navy. With his existence in peril all he can do is run as echoes from his past haunt every day. He meets Emma, a resourceful woman with whom he begins a new life only to have it viciously destroyed.
Driven by revenge, Davy embarks on a bloody reprisal. On the run again he sets sail for Spain but an Atlantic storm almost defeats him.
He can’t hide forever and never knows when his past will catch up with him, in the form of Janice Porter, an investigative journalist.
With fate twisting his future, a covert government agency seizes him, the head of which knows that broken people make the best pawns. Under duress, Davy co-operates. His task: To gather enough facts to convict the drug barons of Europe.
Strange encounters and difficult situations stretch his survival skills to the limit.
Also available from Amazon.co.uk
So that’s it for this Showcase. Another one will be winging its way to you soon.
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