Steven A. McKay's Blog, page 5
February 2, 2024
Blood Roses by Douglas Jackson REVIEW and a confession…
September 1939. A city ruled by fear. A population brutalised by restrictions and reprisals. Amid the devastation, another hunter begins to prowl. What are a few more deaths amid scores of daily executions?
Former chief investigator Jan Kalisz lives a dangerous double life, forced to work with the occupiers as he gathers information for the fledgling Polish resistance. Even his family cannot be told his true allegiance.
When the niece of a Wehrmacht general is found terribly mutilated, Jan links the murder to other killings that are of less interest to his new overlords. Soon, he finds himself on the trail of a psychopathic killer known as The Artist. But, shunned as a Nazi collaborator, can he solve the case before another innocent girl is taken?
I’ve not posted a book review on here for AGES, mostly because I don’t get time to read fiction these days, what with all the research I have to do for my own novels. Douglas Jackson has been one of my favourite authors for years though, and we’re hoping to interview him on Rock, Paper, Swords so, when I noticed Blood Roses was his next release I thought I’d take a look, mostly based on how fantastic the cover art is. I’ve read plenty of non-fiction books about World War II, but never a novel, and the premise for this sounded utterly compelling. A serial killer operating in a city that’s just been taken over by the Nazis? That’s all kinds of messed up, and should offer plenty of moments of excitement and fear, right? So I made the effort to try and find time to read this advance copy of the book, kindly sent to me by my own publisher, Canelo. I’m very glad I did, as it’s a great read, but, first, I have a terrible admission to make.
I said earlier that it was mainly the cover of Blood Roses that drew me in and made me interested in reading it, and that’s true, but I couldn’t help but feel a little ashamed when I realised this book is actually a new edition of one Douglas had previously self-published. I can remember him mentioning it when it came out a few years ago, and I took a look, but never felt drawn to read it. Yet now, when I saw that striking new cover featuring the brutalist architecture, with the hinted swastika and the reds and greys, and the moody lighting, I felt very interested. That really does show the power of a great cover. The original cover art Douglas had used was okay, but nowhere near as eye-catching as what Canelo’s designers have come up with and it makes me kind of sad to realise I’m so shallow, only drawn by shiny baubles like fancy images and sexy colours! As an author who’s self-published most of my own books, and even knocked up my own cover for Have You Seen This, I hate that kind of snobbery but there you go – we’re all human.
The original cover.With that confession out of the way, let’s talk about the actual story.
We have a Polish soldier, Jan Kalisz, injured during a battle with the Germans and sent home to return to his previous job as a detective in Warsaw. The city has been occupied by the evil Nazi overlords though, and Jan, along with his fellow Poles is not treated well at all. The Jews are, as we all know, treated even worse, and throughout the book we really do get a sense of just how cruel the Nazis were and how they dehumanized their victims. None of the German characters are likable or pleasant. One or two are less nasty, but even those guys are bastards – I mean, Josef Mengele, the infamous butcher of Auschwitz and subject of Slayer’s classic thrash metal song “Angel of Death” is one of the nicer Nazis here!*
This is all good though – I know sometimes authors feel like they need to show characters as more rounded, more grey than simply black or white, but in this situation, where the Germans were part of an all-powerful occupying force, facing the constant hatred of Warsaw’s inhabitants, it’s easy to believe the characters on both sides are quite realistic.
Soon we discover that one of these jackbooted stormtroopers is even MORE of a complete bastard than his comrades, as he goes on a killing spree, targeting teenage girls who he…Well, I won’t say too much. I’ll just say Douglas Jackson has a very disturbing way of writing these scenes, something I’ve noticed before in his writing. I found myself skipping certain paragraphs here as I found them unsettling. Trust me, you’ll be wanting this maniacal serial killer, dubbed The Artist by the people of Warsaw, brought to justice just as much as Jan Kalisz does.
There are some great twists within the story, and the ending is satisfying while again leaving the reader somewhat unsettled. I won’t spoil it for you, but we are left with a moral question at the end and I’m a big fan of that sort of thing – force your reader to think, don’t just tell them what to feel.
Douglas is a master of historical fiction, giving the reader just enough of his research into the actual history without it ever becoming boring or overbearing, and he can certainly write a great action scene as well as a great main character. This is the first book in a planned trilogy and I can heartily recommend it. It’s exciting, claustrophobic and disturbing at times, but ultimately it’s a hugely satisfying and thrilling read. Do yourself a favour and check out Blood Roses HERE, and then read Douglas’s other novels. You can find my reviews of some at the links below! Oh, and look out for our interview with Douglas on Rock, Paper, Swords sometime in the coming weeks.
* I’m not sure if he’s ever named as Josef, and I don’t think the real guy served in Poland as a Nazi in 1939 but I’m guessing that’s who it’s supposed to be, I mean, Dr Mengele, who else would it be…? Update: I asked Douglas about this and he said: “The events happen while Mengele was recovering from wounds received during the invasion of Poland, so he was definitely in a position to be on leave in Warsaw.” So there you go!
If you’re interested in my own news, look out for the cover reveal for the second book in my Alfred The Great series on February 7th. The design is another Canelo triumph, including a great endorsement from my old mucker Gordon Doherty! Sword of the Saxons, sequel to The Heathen Horde, comes out on July 4th.
January 11, 2024
THE DRUID special offer in the USA!
Just 99c in the USA for a short time! “The Warrior Druid of Britain books are destined, I feel, to become classics of Historical Fiction.” – Speesh Reads
LINK – https://getbook.at/TheDruid
Get your copy now if you love historical fiction like Scarrow, Cornwell, Hosker and Harffy!
December 23, 2023
Bid on a signed copy of LUCIA to help a great cause!
One of my readers – Mike – made a post on Facebook the other day that caught my eye. His partner works in a school (Rhws Primary) and some vandals had wrecked the tipi (teepee!) that they use to give the kids a nice relaxing space to learn in. It looks like this tipi is really big and repairing it will cost a lot of money. They’re doing things to raise the funds and Mike’s partner managed to get some people from the TV and stuff to read a poem she’d written. It’s a brilliant poem, you can check it out here: https://www.facebook.com/100000164554886/videos/206983069149153/
Anyway, I said I would auction one of my books and donate any money raised to this brilliant cause. I decided to offer LUCIA – A Roman Slave’s Tale.
It’s the hardback edition and, to make it even more tempting, I’m going to include a few of the handwritten notes I made when I was planning and writing the novel. Obviously these are total one-offs, and they give an insight into how my mind works when I’m coming up with ideas for books!
If you’d like to bid on this, please put your bid in the comments on my Facebook post HERE.
The winner can donate to the Just Giving page and once the funds are through I’ll post the book.
I will pay for the postage if the winner is in the UK! If you’re outside the UK I would ask you to pay for the postage.
If you don’t want to bid on the book but fancy giving a pound or two to help repair the tipi you can find the Just Giving link here: https://localgiving.org/tipi
Thank you everyone, Merry Christmas and have a brilliant 2024!
LUCIA
“Lucia is a story that is at once desperate and uplifting, a story that touches you deep in your soul.” – Sharon Bennett Connolly, author of Silk and the Sword
What makes life worth living for a slave of Rome? The promise of vengeance, no matter how long it takes…
At eight years old, Lucia is torn from the life she knew. Her village burned to the ground and parents murdered by Romans, she is kidnapped, sold and shipped abroad to the Villa Tempestatis in Britannia to serve the young Roman army officer Castus. Faced with a bleak future of decades of servitude to her master, as well as sadistic brutality at the hands of his manageress, Paltucca, she finds herself fixated by one thought alone: vengeance.
Yet Villa Tempestatis, with its picturesque surroundings in Britannia’s green countryside, offers a life that’s a little easier than elsewhere in the Roman empire. The slaves form strong bonds of love and friendship, enjoy feasts and holiday celebrations together, and are even allowed, sometimes, to start a family. Many of them are happy enough with their lot. Despite that, every moment of Lucia’s life is blighted by her hatred for Castus and Paltucca, and only seeing them both destroyed will bring her a measure of peace, even if it takes decades of work and planning…
This standalone novel from the bestselling author of The Druid tells the tale of one woman’s life against a richly woven backdrop of love and hate, revenge and redemption, and is quite unique in modern fiction.
PRAISE FOR LUCIA
“Lucia…makes the reader re-evaluate the way they think and feel – and takes them to a depth of their soul they probably have never visited before. Steven A. McKay has written a truly riveting depiction of the life of a slave. If you only read one more book this year, it should be Lucia.” – Sharon Bennett Connolly, author of Silk and the Sword
“A compelling 5* story from McKay, an author who continues to amaze me with his writing.” – David’s Book Blurg
“McKay changes gear and slips easily into a different world and commands it from the start. This is the Shawshank Redemption of revenge stories.” – David N. Humphrey, author of Valguard – Knight of Coins
“An incredibly moving story that’s written extremely well. I highly recommend this book” – Endo The Road Book Reviews
November 27, 2023
November 8, 2023
Another Heathen Horde giveaway & Song of the Centurion special offer.
Signing copies at Waterstones Glasgow Fort store!The Heathen Horde is out at last! You can buy it as an ebook or paperback worldwide, but you can also enter another FREE competition to win a signed copy. David’s Book Blurg reviewed the book recently giving it five stars and a glowing recommendation, and he has a signed paperback to give away to a lucky reader. Click here to go to David’s blog and follow the instructions! You can also find his review there somewhere…
Waterstones Braehead branch also has copies.You can also buy the Kindle edition of Song of the Centurion (Warrior Druid of Britain book 2) for just 99p in the UK this November! Bargain! Find that HERE.
Exciting times for me. I hope you’ve got your copy of The Heathen Horde and are enjoying it. If so, please leave a good review wherever you can, it REALLY helps and I greatly appreciate each one.
If you enjoy podcasts, we did an episode of Rock, Paper, Swords! all about the book. Check that out below!
October 8, 2023
The Heathen Horde signed paperback giveaways!
There’s a giveaway running on my Facebook page right now. You can win a signed, lined and dated copy of THE HEATHEN HORDE paperback before they’re even available to the public! Head on over there now and just LIKE the post and leave a comment to enter, easy.
I know some people don’t do Facebook so I’ll also be giving away a signed paperback on my EMAIL LIST – make you’re signed up if you haven’t already. Email List signup link –> https://t.co/TyvY4s0iMj
Not long now, I can’t wait for readers to finally check it out!
September 29, 2023
The Heathen Horde Goodreads giveaway!
My brand new book – the first in a trilogy – comes out in less than a month! To celebrate, my publisher, Canelo, are running a Goodreads giveaway for readers in the USA. Click HERE to enter (it’s free)! I’ll also be giving away a signed paperback on here once I have some, so look out for that (I will post worldwide).
If you haven’t pre-ordered The Heathen Horde yet, please do. It really helps give it a boost up the charts and that means other readers will find it. Given this is my first novel with the publisher, and the first in over a year, I’m very excited but also rather anxious about how well it will do, so any help to get the word out there will be hugely appreciated! There’s already been some incredible endorsements from amazing authors so I’m over the moon at those.
Praise for The Heathen Horde‘Dark Age fiction has a new master’ Gordon Doherty
‘Packed with high drama and pulse-quickening battle scenes, The Heathen Horde is a superbly researched tale of a kingdom at bay and a young man thrust unexpectedly to the epicentre of power. A brilliant start to the series’ Douglas Jackson
‘Highly recommended for anyone who is a fan of Viking fiction, historical fiction, or just loves a rip-roaring read’ Peter Gibbons
‘The Heathen Horde brings Alfred vividly to life and left me anxiously anticipating its sequel’ Damion Hunter
‘An enthralling tale of one of England’s greatest kings!’ Donovan Cook
On the Rock, Paper, Swords! front, today’s episode sees yours truly interviewing Matthew Harffy about his brand new novel, A Day of Reckoning. We’ve also recently interviewed archaeologist Dr Jo Ball, Ben Kane, Angus Donald, Alex Gough, and loads more, so do check the podcast out HERE.
August 2, 2023
The Bear of Britain in UK Kindle deal!
Book 4 in my Warrior Druid of Britain series, The Bear of Britain, is just 99p in a UK Kindle Deal this August! Have you read it yet? If not, grab it now! Don’t forget, if you’re not in the UK, all of my books are free with Kindle Unlimited worldwide.
“AD 432. BRITAIN. The winter snows are melting at last, but spring will bring more than just rebirth this year. The Saxons are coming, and that means war. The post-Roman landscape of Britain is brought vividly to life in this exciting fourth novel in the Warrior Druid of Britain Chronicles. Perfect for fans of Simon Scarrow, Bernard Cornwell and Conn Iggulden.”
GET The Bear of Britain HERE —>> https://amzn.to/3KmD0IE Also available on Audible!
July 10, 2023
Interview about music in my books and writing
I was recently invited to be part of a collection of interviews about music and how it plays a part in books and writing. You probably already know music is massive for me, so I really enjoyed doing this for the Witty & Sarcastic Book Club. You can find the interview HERE. Please check it out! There’s links to some of my own music included too.Check out the other interviews as well, you might find a new author you’ll enjoy.
W&S: It is not uncommon to see poetry and songs used in books. What role do you feel they can play in fantasy books in particular?
Steven: I think music is the ideal way to set a mood and really get across an atmosphere. If you think of a tavern in a fantasy novel, the addition of a bard singing a song can add so much, whether it’s a melancholy tale of loss they’re performing or, more often in my books, a loud drinking song that everyone can join in with. Not everyone has a good voice, but if you’re just doing a simple chant, that’s something even the most tone-deaf of drunk warriors can be a part of. It’s almost a team-building exercise to share a bawdy tune before a battle, isn’t it?
Just as a little fun musical connection, here’s my latest guitar – a metallic red Gibson Flying V from 2008. I LOVE it!
June 28, 2023
Have you heard our historical fiction podcast yet?
Chatting to my musical hero, Ian Anderson, about the Norse mythology themed new Tull album, RökFlöte!Did you know I co-host a pretty cool podcast called Rock, Paper, Swords! The historical action and adventure podcast? I’m joined by bestselling author Matthew Harffy (who writes the brilliant Bernicia Chronicles as well as Wolf of Wessex) and we talk every fortnight about writing, research, rock music, and sometimes interview guests. We’ve had some really incredible people on the show including Robyn/Erin Young (who has a TV series, The Fields, due out soon!), Bernard Cornwell, Simon Scarrow, Giles Kristian, Ben Kane, Dan Jones and most recently, Alex Gough. We’ve also interviewed musicians including Mark Deeks from black metal band Winterfylleth, Gregory Spawton from prog-rock kings Big Big Train, Todd Kerns from Slash’s band, and unbelievably for me, Ian Anderson from Jethro Tull. My favourite band ever!
Please check out the show, tell your friends about it, and join in with the chat on Facebook/ Twitter where you can tell us what you think of the episodes and if you have any thoughts for future topics or guests.
Coming up in the near future we have a chat with Jason Kingsley OBE, who is CEO of Rebellion who publish videogames like Sniper Elite 5 as well as classic comic 2000AD and Judge Dredd. After that, we hope to talk to someone from Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing so if you have any questions for them, let us know!
Listen HERE, and please subscribe and leave a 5 star rating if you can, it really helps us grow. We’re on all the major podcast outlets like Spotify, Amazon Music, Apple iTunes etc. Thanks for listening!
