Steven A. McKay's Blog, page 9
January 27, 2022
Book review – Fathers, Brothers, And Sons by Frank Bello with Joel McIver
I don’t usually post things on here if they’re not related to historical fiction, but I wrote this long review for Amazon about a book I read recently and thought more people might want to read it. So…This is a review of a book by Frank Bello, bass player in the metal band Anthrax. Check it out, or, if you hate metal, apologies, normal service will return soon! 
As a youngster trying to discover myself, and my musical tastes, I was listening to things like Dire Straits, Bon Jovi and even some Def Leppard. Edgy stuff, eh? And then I saw Anthrax covering, “Antisocial” on the UK Chart Show and that was it. I was a thrash metal fan from that moment on! It wasn’t just the music – melodic, skillfully played, fun yet HEAVY – it was also the guys playing the music. They were having so much fun, especially the bassist who never stood still for a second. He was the coolest guy on that stage and still is, to this day. The members of Anthrax might not like the album that song was taken from, State of Euphoria, but it will always be my favourite – my only regret is selling the picture disc in order to get bus fare to see Sepultura on the Arise tour. Worth it, but I still wish I had that record!
Anyway, Fathers, Brothers, and Sons, is all about the life of that manic bass player, Frank Bello. You probably know who he is, if you’re reading this, but you may not know his co-author, Joel McIver. Well, let me say Joel really knows how to write a book and I heartily recommend the recent one he did with metal royalty David Vincent. Trust me, this is a page-turner of a read and I have no doubt Joel played a massive part in that.
Joel was kind enough to sign my copy!Of course, it helps when your subject is as interesting and downright likeable as Mr Bello! You’ve likely read some interviews with him, seen him talking on Youtube, and watched him own every stage he plays on with that huge grin, and that all comes across in this book.
Obviously he talks about his childhood, the struggles with his father leaving the family early (something lots of us can identify with), being bullied, finding his calling with his legendary uncle Charlie in Anthrax, and plenty more. All of it engrossing and entertaining.
I really enjoyed the parts where he talks about “stalking” Gene Simmons, sharing a beer with Ronnie Dio, or hanging out with Lemmy – Frank just comes across as a a massive fan of music. If you’re looking for lurid and probably made-up stories about groupies, or overdosing on drugs, or other “rock and roll” garbage, look for the dirt elsewhere, cos this, like McIver’s fantastic collaboration with David Vincent (my review HERE), is not that kind of book. This is about a musician who loves life and loves to make music. His favourite memories don’t include a red snapper and tossing a TV out a window, instead he comes over all giddy because he got to play Steve Harris’s bass rig! As a musician myself I really loved how much he enjoyed things like that, like a kid in a sweet shop.
Now, I must admit, I had hoped for some more detail on certain things – Frank’s feelings on Anthrax’s singers over the years for example. How did he feel when Joey was kicked out? What about John Bush leaving? And, of course, Dan Nelson who didn’t even manage to record an album with the band? None of that is covered, Frank just says Joey and John are great guys and that’s it (Nelson isn’t mentioned at all). But this is Frank’s story, told his way, and you have to respect him for avoiding creating any drama by possibly saying something people – either John or Joey – might get offended by, especially if certain metal websites were to report it in true clickbait fashion.
Still, there’s plenty here to keep you interested, and there’s more personal sections where Frank talks about being a father and how badly he wants to be a good one, and, of course, the murder of his brother, Anthony.
Frank Bello on stage
I distinctly remember listening to Anthrax’s new album, Vol. 8 – The Threat is Real, way back around 1998. I was 21 and and I’d had a few beers, feeling a bit depressed about things, but I’d enjoyed the metal Anthrax continued to serve up. And then the songs finished and…I don’t know why, maybe I was starting to fall asleep, but I didn’t get up to turn off or change the CD. It ran on, and then another song slowly faded in on a sustained guitar note. This wasn’t metal, an acoustic guitar was powering this hidden track! I listened, trying to figure out who was singing – it wasn’t John Bush’s powerful roar – and what was he saying? This was back in the days when we didn’t just look stuff up on our mobile phones, and there was no lyric sheet, and the vocals in the verses were saturated with reverb making it hard to hear what the singer was saying, but when the chorus kicked in, there was something there that immediately made me start to cry. I didn’t know what the song was about, but the emotion in that song – “Pieces” it’s called – was so powerful that it hit me much harder than any Anthrax song had since “Antisocial”. I later found out that was Frank singing a song he’d written about his beloved little brother Anthony, who’d been murdered. To this day that song makes me tear up, it’s incredibly beautiful, and now that I can read the lyrics online I identify with it even more.
That does bring me to one other little criticism I have with the book – there’s nothing really said about who writes the songs in Anthrax. It’s mentioned, but never made clear what Frank’s contributed over the years. It’s kinda accepted by fans that Charlie writes most of the music while Scott does the lyrics, but Frank often talks about writing in interviews and I’d have liked to know more about the process. He clearly CAN write an amazing tune, as “Pieces” proves.
But there we go. I HIGHLY recommend this book – Buy it, stick on one of Anthrax’s albums, turn up the bass, and just sit down and enjoy some cool stories from a guy who loves his family and loves music. That’s what life is all about.
Thank you, Frank, for inspiring us all.
Buy it at the links below!
“PIECES” by Anthrax*
I question my faith
I question everything
I need to know if this is all there is
So take me some place
Where I will always know
That you’re fine
That you’ve finally just
Found your way back home
Anthony, I know you’re home
Right beside me, all alone
Anthony, I have so much to say
In my heart, you will always remain
Anthony, my brother, my friend
I’ll be with you once again
Anthony, my heart owns your faith
It will always light your day
Songwriters: Charlie L. Benante / Frank Joseph Bello / John Robert Bush / Scott Ian Rosenfeld
* This is just a few of the lyrics, not the full song.
Bid for a very special prize & help charity!
Fellow historical fiction author, Gordon Doherty, has been auctioning off books for the past year or so to support a charity very important to him, Myeloma UK. This week I’m donating a copy of my latest novella for the auction, BUT it will also include TWO pages of my hand-written notes (the photo only shows one as I only found the second page when I was in my car at work on Monday). These were jotted down in my car and at home when ideas were coming to me for how to develop the plot and they are completely unique. I take notes like this for all of my books but this is the first time I’ve thought of giving them away. It just makes the prize a bit more special, hopefully!
If you’d like to bid go to Gordon’s Facebook page HERE and post a comment. At the moment it’s at an astonishing £170! It’s a lot for a book, but this is a charity worth supporting so, if this prize interests you, check out the auction.
Or, if you’d just like to donate to the charity directly, you can do so HERE.
January 2, 2022
The Northern Throne location – Duncryne Hill/The Dumpling
If you’ve read book 3 in my Warrior Druid of Britain Chronicles you’ll probably remember there’s a chapter or two which take place around a hill known as ‘The Dumpling’. That’s its modern name so, although dumplings weren’t called that in post-Roman Britain, I thought it a suitably rustic, evocative and downright suitable name, so I kept it like that in the novel. It’s official name is Duncryne Hill and it’s located in the small Scottish village of Gartocharn. I’d suggested to my family during the summer that we should visit it as the views are apparently fantastic for fairly little effort, it being a small hill. We never did get around to it in the summer but my wife said we should go just after Christmas, rather than us all lounging about the house. Of course, we knew it would be muddy at this time of year and, since it was a damp, drizzly day (as it usually is in Scotland!) the views would be poor. But we went anyway!
It’s only about a twenty minute walk from the road up to the summit and it was fairly easy going. The way back down proved a little harder, however, as my daughter almost fell right over in the mud, and then my wife really did go flying right onto her backside TWICE. Much to my daughter’s amusement…I did tell her not to wear a white jacket! Oddly enough, right then a carrion crow started to follow us, or so it seemed, cawing in laughter. I pointed it out, then a minute later its mate appeared and the two of them trailed us back down the hill, cawing the whole way. It was definitely the kind of thing I’d use in a book!
Anyway, here’s a few photos – apologies again for the poor views, but hopefully you get some idea of the location and perhaps what it would have been like for Bellicus, Duro, and Narina as they faced the coming battle with King Drest’s Picts. I’ve included an excerpt from the book below.
There’s a short section of paved path, just to lull you into a false sense of security…
My son and Pippi meeting this strange pot fellow.
It’s steep in places, and clearly would be easier going up than coming down…
Look, you can see (mist) for miles around!
Two bold adventurers at the top (Pippi is there too)
The dog’s coat was NOT my idea.
White coat and trainers to climb a muddy hill, doh!
Extract from The Northern Throne, which you can buy at the links below, and don’t forget the newest book, The Bear of Britain, is just 99p on Kindle UK this January!
Bellicus stood in the tiny settlement of Duncryne, not far from the low hill known locally as the Dumpling, and took in the sight of the Pictish army on the road to the east. Once there had been a fort atop the Dumpling but, although it was long gone, the mound still afforded excellent views of the surrounding lands so it was here the druid had brought his army once their business with Cunedda and the Votadini was concluded at Medio Nemeton. They’d made it there before Drest’s Picts but the ambush Bellicus had hoped to lure the enemy into hadn’t worked out as well as he’d hoped.
The first, initial, charge down the hill by the Damnonii soldiers had taken out a few Picts and evened up the numbers of the two opposing forces somewhat, but after that both sides had formed into defensive lines across the road and been unwilling to commit to a full-blown assault on their opponents. There had been skirmishes over the past two days, but it seemed as if the standoff might last forever for the messengers Bellicus sent to Drest had been chased away by the Pict’s archers.
Even with the addition of the warband Cunedda had sent with Bellicus, the Pictish army was too big to meet head on without an unacceptable number of casualties and no guarantee of victory.
The druid frowned as he thought of the men Cunedda had loaned them. The king’s own youngest son, Ysfael, led the Votadini warband and he was an impressive enough man if rather arrogant. The warriors that came with him were quite formidable too, and they at least owned decent weapons and armour. The only problem Bellicus had with these new allies was one man: Eburus, the hot-headed champion who liked a drink too much and had a score to settle with the druid after their short but violent tussle.
To be fair to Eburus, he didn’t seem the vindictive sort, but his presence was already beginning to grate on the men around him and Bellicus wished Cunedda hadn’t insisted on sending the brash young man with them, even if he would be useful when the fighting resumed.
Beside him there was an excited exclamation and, train of thought broken, he glanced at Duro, who was staring up at the Dumpling. The druid watched in wonder and relief as he realised it was the Alt Clotan queen on top of the hill, and what that might mean.
“By Mithras, isn’t she magnificent?”
Duro spoke in low tones and Bellicus could only agree with his friend’s statement, although he didn’t reply out loud. There were enough—false—rumours going around regarding the druid and Narina as it was, without him adding to them by expressing open admiration for her. It was impossible to argue with the centurion though, for the queen held every warrior’s attention as she appeared on the summit of the Dumpling in her great war chariot.
Strictly speaking, Alastor and Helios were the first ones to come into view and, from this distance, framed in the sunlight as they were, they appeared every bit as impressive as the queen.
Alastor was a huge black stallion, with a coat so glossy it seemed to shimmer in the early afternoon sunshine, while Helios was a similarly sized grey whose lighter colour showed off the enormous, rippling muscles in his legs as the horses brought Narina into view. The stablemaster, Uven, had chosen the two beasts well, for they looked like something from legend as they slowly drew the chariot over the crest of the hill.
Narina was surely the centrepiece though. As the horses came to a halt on the summit the queen was momentarily caught by the sun behind her, and her brown hair appeared like a magnificent halo as she gazed out upon the men below.
Of course, the spell couldn’t last forever, but, as the Pictish army began to stir once more, ready to take up the fight again, a column of a dozen men led by her captain, Gavo, followed Narina over the hill to her left. And then another group followed to the right. And behind those, a line stretched out across the hill in single file, standing in silence, spears in hand, the sun casting long shadows before them that made them seem almost like giants.
January 1, 2022
Happy New Year, thank you & a Kindle deal!
I’m writing this a couple of hours before the year ends, (yep, I’m a real party animal, me) but by the time it’s published it will be 2022. And it’s been another strange year for us all, with COVID, vaccines, boosters and all the rest of it. Honestly, I was furloughed for the second time at the start of 2021 (my day job is reading gas and electric meters so I’m in and out of houses all day, 3 days per week) and it was something of a Godsend – not only was I still being paid, but it gave me more time to work on The Bear of Britain (which, incidentally is in Amazon UK’s Monthly Deal in January – reduced from £3.99 to just 99p so grab it HERE if you haven’t already!)
Start 2022 the right way, by getting this for just 99p!And then BOTH my children got COVID in December, not long before The House in the Marsh was due to be published, so, thanks to Scotland’s current isolation rules, I was told to stay off work which again gave me time to work on the book. However, it was pretty stressful as 1) although my kids weren’t badly affected by the virus (thank the gods!) it was still a worrying period for obvious reasons, but 2) I hadn’t really completed the editing for The House in the Marsh and I was frightened I’d catch COVID and be too ill to finish it! So, I really pushed myself HARD for those few days, getting it polished in plenty of time for the release (if you can think of 4 or 5 days being ‘plenty of time’!).
It was a strange way to end the year, but really nice to see the reviews and read comments from people who are enjoying the book. It’s doing nicely in the charts too, hitting number 1 in some Amazon UK charts and even managing the same in the USA which is unusual for one of my novellas. Really gratifying and exciting for me to see!
Generally, my year was a good one – we welcomed our puppy, Pippi, to the family, and she’s been a wonderful little friend for us all. So well behaved, apart from the little ‘presents’ she sometimes leaves for me in my study…
She’s the boss.I also continued to learn and try to grow in my hobby as a musician, with a new electronic drum kit and my first ever new Gibson Les Paul – something I’ve dreamt of for thirty years! I should really record another musical trailer for the next book since I have this new gear to play with…
Beautiful!So, 2022 is upon us and another 12 months awaits. I plan on writing another Warrior Druid of Britain novel, hopefully another Tuck/John/Will novella for Xmas, and who knows what else might come up? 2021 did see the release on Xbox/Playstation and PC of the game, HOOD – Outlaws and Legends, which I did all the writing for so maybe I’ll get the chance to do something else like that? I’d love to, if anyone needs a writer for their game or other big project!
Finally, I just want to say a sincere and heartfelt “Thank you” to every one of you who’s bought or read my books via Kindle Unlimited in 2021, and left reviews for them too. I am truly humbled to know so many people really enjoy my writing. Thank you all!
Roll on 2022, and may it be a happy, safe, and FUN year for us all!
PS, remember the location in The Northern Throne called ‘The Dumpling’? It was the big hill where Narina appeared on her chariot during one of the battles. Well, I visited there today with my family (including Pippi!) so look out for a few photos from the trip in a day or two. It might help you visualise the scenes in the book a little better. It’s just a shame it was SOOO muddy and one of us fell right over into it, more than once.
Not me, lol!
December 24, 2021
The House in the Marsh by Steven A McKay – Review
First review for The House in the Marsh, check it out!
Today I’m reviewing The House in the Marsh by Steven A Mckay, The House In the Marsh is a medieval Christmas mystery with a ghostly twist and is a novella in The Forest Lord series.
Here’s the blurb,
For generations, stories have been told about the ruined old house in the marsh outside Wakefield. Stories of hidden treasure, sinister night-time cries, and ghostly figures doomed to haunt the lonely estate for all eternity as punishment for some terrible crime.
This Christmas, it seems the old tales might just turn out to be true…
England, AD 1330
John Little, a bailiff living in Yorkshire, has little interest in ghost stories, having seen enough horrors among the living to bother much about the dead. The strange accounts from his fellow villagers have everyone talking though, and it’s not long before he’s asked to accompany a group of curious locals on nocturnal visits…
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December 2, 2021
Pre-order The House in the Marsh!
You can now pre-order the Kindle edition of my new Tuck/John/Scarlet novella The House in the Marsh. Paperback edition will follow although I don’t have a firm date for that yet – hopefully before Xmas, but stay tuned for more.
For the past few years I’ve been publishing a winter/Xmas story and this time it’s a bit more special as the publication date is December 24th – Christmas Eve! I hope everyone downloads it and enjoys the tale with a mince pie and a foaming mug of ale before a roaring fire. Or at least a warm radiator and a can of Carling/glass of Lambrini.
This one isn’t based on a true crime story, like the last couple (Faces of Darkness and Sworn to God) but it IS kinda based on a real medieval ghost story from London. Find out which one by reading the book!
You can pre-order the book HERE. I really hope everyone enjoys it and it brings a little light to your winter!
November 25, 2021
New winter tale – title and cover reveal!
Since I completed The Bear of Britain I’ve been working on a new Tuck/Little John/Will adventure. Set, as is now my tradition for these, in winter, the novella has a loose connection to yuletide but this time around there’s even a Christmas ghost! Or is it something even more sinister…?
The title, if you haven’t already noticed, is The House in the Marsh and I asked my cover designers to come up with some artwork that wasn’t TOO similar to the cover for Faces of Darkness. I think they did a great job! It’s not the most striking of covers, there’s practically nothing going on, but that’s kinda the point. I think the title and the stark image fire the imagination, and hopefully readers will buy the book to find out what happens.
I don’t want to give away too much, but I can exclusively reveal there will be some people getting knocked about by Little John, doors being kicked down, Tuck enjoying some Xmas fayre, Will taking the piss, and, well, that ruined old house with its ghost…
I’m still on track to have this published and available to buy before Christmas, on Kindle at least, so stay tuned for the pre-order! Paperback will be available at some point, again, hopefully in time for Xmas day!
If you didn’t know, this is the latest in a series of stories starring Tuck, John and Will. Click the titles to them out:
Friar Tuck and the Christmas Devil
November 24, 2021
Book Corner: Bear of Britain by Steven A. McKay
“The depth of research and thought that have gone into these books is astounding. Steven A. McKay has recreated post-Roman Britain in astonishing and vivid detail” – Check out the latest review for Bear of Britain by historian SB Connolly!
History... the interesting bits!
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 meanswar.
Bellicus, Duro and Cai have travelled south to join the warlord, Arthur, and his growing army of Britons. New friendships have been made and exciting adventures await the warrior-druid and his companions, but the threat of Hengist and his invaders casts a dark cloud over all. For years, the Saxons have been content to remain mostly confined to the eastern parts of the country, but now they are marching west, and Hengist has amassed the biggest army seen on these shores since the Romans left over twenty years ago.
Arthur – dubbed theBear of Britainby his advisor, Merlin – has never truly felt he’d earned such a grand title, but now he will have a chance to prove himself…
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November 20, 2021
The Bear of Britain (Warrior Druid of Britain Book 4) by Steven A. McKay – Review
“McKay knows just how to tackle big characters and do them justice!” Check out David’s fantastic review of my latest book, The Bear of Britain!
Today I’m going to be reviewing The Bear of Britain, book 4 in the Warrior Druid of Britain series by Steven A McKay.
This review is well overdue so I hope it’s been worth the wait!
Here’s the blurb
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.
Bellicus, Duro and Cai have travelled south to join the warlord, Arthur, and his growing army of Britons. New friendships have been made and exciting adventures await the warrior-druid and his companions, but the threat of Hengist and his invaders casts a dark cloud over all. For years, the Saxons have been content to remain mostly confined to the eastern parts of the country, but now they are marching west, and Hengist has amassed the biggest army seen on these shores since…
View original post 525 more words
October 1, 2021
LUCIA special offer on Kindle UK this October!
My standalone novel, Lucia, which tells the story of a female slave’s life in a Roman villa, is on special offer this October in the UK. Just 99p!
Get it HERE.
Historian Sharon Bennett Connolly chose Lucia as her favourite book of the year and reviewed it saying, “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.”
A bargain for under a quid, right? There’s been plenty of stories told about MALE slaves in Rome – Spartacus by Ben Kane being a great example, but Lucia was the first to really describe the life of a girl who grows into adulthood while living as a slave and I think it’s an important tale. It was time to give those forgotten people a voice.
And now you can get it HERE for just 99p! It’s also FREE if you have Kindle Unlimited.
