This book has a serious message within an exciting story. It is set in the future when, because we have failed to act quickly enough on climate change, the seas have risen by 5 metres and devastated the coastline of Australia, where the story is set.
Blurb
The year is 2120 and sea levels have risen five metres in the last hundred years. The coast is now also lashed by superstorms. Owen is a teenager who grew up on the flooded coastline of Australia. He sets out on a journey to find a missing marine biologist but is about to come up against powerful forces that will push his mind and body beyond their limits. Owen must battle both internal and external monsters to solve the mystery of Evelyn’s disappearance before these forces change the ocean forever and threaten the future of the entire planet.
Owen likes writing poetry (or he used to) but he’ll need to revive every last one of his poetic skills to find the clues that will guide him. Time is running out but why is poetry suddenly so important?
This book has used the latest topographic maps and climate science to imagine what Australia could really be like in a hundred years if climate change continues. It also explores the human response to these changes. What are the implications for the rest of the world?
Story
Owen is haunted by the disappearance of his older sister, and blames himself, although he was not in anyway at fault. This guilt leads him to go in search of his sister’s teacher who has disappeared. What he thought was a straightforward adventure turns out to be something far more serious and threatening to the whole world.
Characters
The character of Owen is well-drawn. He is a young man of eighteen, with all the adventurous spirit of one of that age. He is a little lacking in confidence, though, due to the guilt he feels over his sister’s disappearance. It is because of this that he sets off to find Evelyn, her teacher. His character develops through his adventures, and at the end he has changed.
Owen is the main character, and there are few others as Owen is mainly alone on his boat.
Writing
Although nothing grammatically wrong with the writing, except for a few typos, I felt that it could be made so much better and stronger. With some tweaking here and there, we would feel much closer to Owen and the action.
Conclusion
I enjoyed reading this story. It kept me guessing all through as to where, or if, he would find Evelyn, and what he would discover when he did. I enjoyed the poetry, which gave the story an extra dimension, and turned out to be important in the end. The twist at the end surprised me. I give it 4* for the story, losing 1* for the writing.
Please add your comments in the comments box. If you’ve read this, or any books like it, what do you think of them? Do you think such stories help in the serious condition the world finds itself in?
Here is an idea that would make excellent Christmas presents for a young adult in your family, or even for a not-so-young adult!
Did you get your free copy of The Stones of Earth and Air at the beginning of the month? If so, you can now get the second (and final) ebook for only 0.99 £ or $ from today until 29th.
Find out if Pettic manages to get the gems from the worlds of Fire and Water. What are the quests he will have to undertake in these worlds? (If you like dragons and mermaids, you’ll like this book.)
Will he be able to use these keys to rescue Crown Prince Torren? And who has imprisoned the prince? If he does manage to release him, how can anyone know the real prince from the doppleganger?
Click on the button to go to Amazon where you are.
Both books are available as audio books, and in other formats, too.
Evenings are now drawing in, and we will have the long, dark nights to contend with. What do we do? We sit around the fire and read a good book.
Escape from the cold by reading.
Wolf Moon
is also on offer for 0.99 £ or $ from today until 29th. Follow the adventures of half of the group that calls itself Wolf as they try to escape from the enemies pursuing them after their friends have been captured. (Read about that in The Never-Dying Man.)
Follow them deep into the mountain caves where a surprise awaits them.
Although the third book in the Wolves of Vimar series, this book can be read as a standalone.
If you buy either of these books (or any others) please consider leaving a comment on Amazon. Comments and reviews are very important to authors. There are millions of books, and it’s very difficult to get people to find books they’ll enjoy, so reviews and comments are useful to them as well.
A beautiful bird just commenced it’s flight in the sky. New found freedom made the bird flutter with joy. But sighting the possible dangers predators could pose the little bird was carefully put in a cage.
Cage was made of gold. It was spacious and decorated with beautiful embellishments. Food was served in a golden plate so was the water. Bird thought may be I was foolish to loiter aimlessly, may be this is my haven which is nothing less than heaven.
It flew happily within the boundaries of the cage covering every inch of it, devouring the delicacies off the plate. It began to croon happily and fearlessly. And that’s when it received it first shock.
“You are making a noise, stop it at once” boomed a thundering cane that stuck the cage, it was a mere harbinger of the problem in foresight. The bird went silent and it…
This will be of necessity, rather brief, as I’m on holiday in the South of Spain, so don’t have access to pretty stuff.
Anyway, the important thing is that the ebook version of The Never-Dying Man,. Book 2 in The Wolves of Vimar series, is available from today until 20th for a mere 0.99 (£ or $ ).
I can’t understand it, but book 1, The Wolf Pack, and book 3, Wolf Moon, are creating more sales than book 2. Who buys books 1 and 3, but misses out book 2? Some important info gets missed out.
Please leave your comments in the comments box. I love hearing from you.
And if you’ve read any of my books, I would be delighted if you would post a brief review on Amazon, Goodreads or anywhere else. It only needs to say if you enjoyed it or not, and if you wish to add why, that’s a bonus.
As it’s now Autumn, officially, I thought I’d post a poem about that season. I think I’ve already posted it previously, but I’ve new followers who haven’t seen it before.
So here it is.
The Downs are wreathed in mist, like smoke From a dying fire. The leaves are turning red and gold Like flames upon a pyre.
Spring’s little lambs are grown to sheep The swallows they have flown. The blossoms that the summer brought Their petals all have thrown.
Now autumn’s bounty fills the woods, The hedgerows are ablaze With hips and haws in colours bright The senses to amaze.
The smoke from wood fires fills the air, The scent of autumn true. The autumn sun is cooler now And mornings filled with dew.
The cobwebs shine with dewdrops bright. The spider in her lair Thinks nothing of the rainbow hue That scatters in the air.
And children kick the fallen leaves As laughingly they run To gather conkers, shiny brown, Gleaming in the sun.
We gather blackberries from the hedge And apples from on high. Up in the tree they ripen now To turn into a pie.
But autumn sometimes has a kick And the rain it lashes down. The wind, it howls within the eaves And through the trees doth moan.
This is a book that is well worth a read. It is exciting and keeps the reader turning the page.
Blurb
After millionaire Malcolm Capshaw hires Joe Cutler and his team to search for a fabled artifact, they enter a maze of lies, murder and betrayal.
The real purpose of their search is soon exposed, as an old London crime family displays an unusual interest in an ancient town where Christianity laid its roots in England.
Aided by the enigmatic professor Lucius Doberman, Joe and his team must solve the ancient mystery that lies in the shadows of Glastonbury, or die trying.
Story
This begins as the story of a search for King Arthur’s sword, Excalibur. A business man, Malcolm Capshaw, has come into possession of a map perporting to show where some of the remaining knights had buried the sword to save it from coming into the possession of enemies. Sadly, though, the names of places, and even the terrain, have changed since then. So he employs a company of surveyors to help locate it using the latest technology. Of course, it’s not as straightforward as that. There are twists and turns of the plot, and the final twist at the end came as a surprise to me.
Characters
Mr Porter has drawn his characters well. I particularly liked Winston Fortune, one of the team searching. He has a great sense of humour. And I disliked Walter Graves, which I suppose I was supposed to as he’s set up as a villain. In fact, I liked all of Joe Cutler’s team. They seemed like real people with all their faults as well as good points.
Writing
The writing is, on the whole, good. A few unnecessary uses of the word ‘just’, but apart from that, no major problems.
Conclusion
I enjoyed this story immensely and give it 5*
Have you read this book? If so, what did you think? What other books have you read about Excalibur?
What would you do if you saw your best friend behaving out of character?
Imagine they were usually kind and considerate, and they had become rude and cruel?
This is what happened to Pettic, only his best friend isn’t just anyone. He’s Crown Prince Torren. This person will become the next ruler of the land of Ponderia.
Pettic, along with Torren’s sister, believe something happened to Torren. He had either been changed by magic, or replaced by a doppleganger. Either way, they must find out and restore Torren to his former self.
This is the dilemma in my YA fantasy duo, Elemental Worlds. The pair enlist the help of the court magician, who discovers that Torren has been captured and that this new person is a doppleganger, made to look like Torren by magic.
In order to rescue Torren, Pettic must enter four worlds, each associated with one of the four elements, Earth, Air, Fire and Water. There he must find a magical jewel associated with that element.
But he can’t return without the jewel!
The ebook version of the first book in the duo, The Stones of Earth and Air, is FREE on Amazon from today, 3rd October, until the 7th.
Don’t delay. Go over to Amazon NOW and get your copy.
The book is also available in paperback and audio.
I am having a little trouble with getting my free and exclusive story for signups to work. If you want to sign up for my newsletter, I hope to have it sorted very soon.
I am delighted to welcome Charles Yallowitz, author of the Legends of Windemere, a fifteen book series, and War of Nytefall, a six book series. Two immense fantasy series that have received excellent reviews on Amazon.
Good to have you here, Charles. Would you be prepared to answer a few questions so we can get to know you better?
Apart from writing, what is the thing you enjoy doing the most?
I really enjoy spending time with my son, but that’s pretty much a given. The solitary hobby I have is doing jigsaw puzzles. They help me relax after a rough day or week, so I have a corner of my room set up at all times. I end up focusing a lot on the project and figuring out what goes where, so everything that is stressing me out gets forgotten. Due to space, I can’t do more than a 1,000-piece puzzle, but that’s enough.
Yes, I would think so! I don’t think I could manage more than 1,000 pieces.
If you have a ‘proper’ job, what is it?
My ‘proper’ (aka paying) job is working as a Teaching Assistant at a high school. I work with a variety of students and really feel like I’m helping people. I can always end the day satisfied if not fairly exhausted.
As an ex-teacher, I can sympathise with you on the exhaustion front. I think it’s marvellous that you’ve managed to write all those books.
Why do you write?
Every time I see this question, I want to come up with a deep answer. Yet, the truth is rather simple. I write because I have stories in my head and I want to share them. I want to bring happiness, excitement, and fun to others, which is why I write with such detail. If I can get a stressed person to escape reality for even a few minutes then I’ve done my job.
I agree wholeheartedly with that, Charles. Yes, if we can help people to escape the stresses of their lives, our job is done.
Do you write to music? If so, what music inspires you?
I need music on when I’m writing. This has been a habit since doing homework in school. I have a few Pandora playlists, which are typically collections of rock or alternative songs. I have another that’s anime and one for video game music, which help when I have more action-based scenes to write.
A question I can’t answer, myself. Where do you get your ideas from?
I get my ideas from over there, over here, and that way. They can come from anything. Many are inspired by role-playing games I joined in the past. Others come from books, movies, television, video games, philosophical discussions, world events, and other things that strike my brain when it’s open. Best to leave myself exposed to inspiration to avoid missing any juicy ideas.
Do you prefer the city or the country?
If I had to choose between the two then it would be the country because I don’t like crowded places. Ideally, I prefer small towns and suburbs. You don’t feel like you’re in the middle of nowhere, but you aren’t suffocating. Probably because that’s where I grew up though.
I’m with you there, Charles. I hate crowds, although when I was younger, they didn’t bother me as much.
Do you enjoy sport? Do you prefer to watch or take part?
I prefer to watch sports, but it’s more for socializing. I like being around the energy that comes off people who are excited about the games. The sport I enjoy the most is football. That’s the American version and specifically NY Giants. My dad is a big fan and has been since before I was born, so I do the same. Guess being a glutton for punishment is genetic.
What is your most irritating habit?
I have to decide on how mean I want to be to myself. Probably one of the core negative habits of mine is getting easily frustrated, which leads to pessimism and anxiety. It isn’t hard to push me into a downward spiral of negativity. This causes those around me to get annoyed and walk away. Not an easy habit to break too because there’s always at least one person ready to tell me how I screwed up. Those types always seem to strike faster than those with praise.
Too true. People are much more inclined to criticise than praise. I don’t know why that should be. What happened to what my grandma used to say. “If you can’t say something good, keep quiet.”
What, in your opinion, is your best trait?
Without a doubt, my creativity is my best trait. It’s what keeps me sane at times because it’s always coming up with ideas. Poor thing has been a little muffled last year or two because of stress, but it’s still kicking. Being creative helps with problem solving and deep discussions as well. It keeps my mind rather flexible and able to cope with situations. At least if my anxiety hasn’t been set off, which my creativity can then team up with to develop an assortment of doomsday scenarios. Downside to a highly active imagination is that when things go sideways, they really go sideways.
You certainly have an active imagination. Much appreciated by your fans.
Do you cook? If so, what is your favourite thing to cook?
I don’t cook as often as I used to because of my work schedule, but I want to get back into it. Favorite dish is a tough one. My ‘go to’ one is pasta with homemade vodka sauce. It’s the first recipe I really learned and it never fails to be a hit. I’ve even made this dish and put it on a pizza crust. Nice, carb heavy combo when I haven’t eaten much.
Vodka Sauce? Sounds good.
Can you swim?
Not very well. Don’t mind floating around in a pool, but that’s really it. I find water relaxing, especially when alone with my thoughts. I’m not a fan of swimming in natural bodies of water either. Not sure when that started, but I’m simply not comfortable swimming in oceans or lakes. Maybe it’s because I’m a little scared of sharks and alligators.
You’re not alone in being scared of sharks and alligators. ans with good reason, I’d say.
What do you think is the biggest problem facing the world today?
Lots of problems in the world today, so it’s difficult to choose one as the biggest. One that I think is at the core of so many other issues is that not many people have empathy. We spend more time finding a reason to cast others aside than to understand where they’re coming from. A person in pain is more likely to be kicked to the side of the road because they’re too high maintenance, which stems from this lack of empathy. You listen to someone complaining and you turn off, which means you don’t really hear that they’re suffering. If you don’t realize this then you can’t do anything to help, which could be as simple as listening and letting them know that you understand. There’s a big push to separate ourselves and cast others as ‘lesser’ or ‘inhuman’ too, which I think is another offshoot of this lack of empathy. This issue did drive me a bit when writing War of Nytefall since the overarching story is about how the Dawn Fang vampires are working to prove they can live among mortals in peace. For that to happen, there has to be empathy and understand or the two species will end up trying to kill each other.
I think you’ve hit the nail on the head, there, Charles. Lack of empathy seems to be endemic these days. No one cares about anyone else. I’ve called it ‘selfishness’, but I think empathy is a much better word.
Thank you for joining me today. It was good to have a chat. Good luck with your latest ‘Nytefall’ book.
Bio-
Charles E. Yallowitz was born and raised on Long Island, NY, but he has spent most of his life wandering his own imagination in a blissful haze. Occasionally, he would return from this world for the necessities such as food, showers, and Saturday morning cartoons.
One day he returned from his imagination and decided he would share his stories with the world. After spending many years fiddling with his thoughts and notebooks, he decided that it was time to follow his dream of being a fantasy author.
So, locked within the house with only pizza and seltzer to sustain him, Charles brings you tales from the world of Windemere. He looks forward to sharing all of his stories with you and drawing you into a world of magic.
War of Nytefall: Anarchy Blurb-
The paladins of Windemere have had enough! As the Vampire Civil War heats up, mysterious murders are being committed against members of every holy order. All signs point to the culprits being vampires, which has resulted in the creation of a unified paladin army. To protect his people, Clyde must find the killers before the holy warriors unleash their purifying crusade. It is a battle against frustrating obstacles as the war inches closer to mortal civilization and ambitious new allies join Nytefall. One slip is all that is needed for the secret of the Dawn Fangs to be revealed.
And here is a collage of some of Charles’ other books.
Charles’ books are available on Amazon.
He has a website, Legends of Windemere where you can find out more about him and his books.
If you enjoyed this post, please leave a comment in the comments box. I’d love to hear from anyone who has read any of Charles’ books.
How would you like a free, exclusive short story? Of course you would! You can get yours by clicking on the link below. This story won’t be published anywhere else, so this is your only chance of getting it. The link will take you to a page where you can sign up for my newsletter. I send a letter out 4 times a year, so you won’t be spammed, but I do let you know of any exciting things that are happening.
You can unsubscribe at any time, even straight after downloading your free story if you so wish.
I recently bought a new tablet to replace my very old iPad. I decided I would like to use it on occasion to do some writing, and so decided to add Google docs and Dropbox. What a mistake!
I had Dropbox on my pc and used it as a backup to save my work. I decided to add my copies of my books mainly, and what I’m working on as well. Dropbox then uploaded EVERYTHING on my pc. Documents and pictures, then told me I had no free space left and needed to purchase more.
Well, I thought, that’s easily sorted. I’ll delete the photos. I’ve got them saved on an external drive as well as my pc. so I began to do so. Imagine my horror when I found out Dropbox was also deleting them from my pc and everywhere else!
Get rid of Dropbox, then. So I uninstalled it from both tablet and pc, but I still get messages that I need to upgrade! What’s going on?
The trouble is that I’ve now deleted the free story I was giving to subscribers to my email list, so they can’t get the story. (I forgot I was sending them there to get it.)
Then I decided to use OneDrive. That’s fine, but it seems it also wants to delete from everywhere. Isn’t it possible to delete only from the cloud and not from all devices? And what has happened to my files I thought I’d deleted on Dropbox? If they’re telling me I need more space, they must be somewhere in their servers.
Despair and suffering has been the fate of women for centuries. I am dismayed that it still is in many parts of the globe. The long, endless battle against conservative forces that take pleasure in subjugation continues! The following poem is inspired from this thought.
We don’t want to mother a son In this land of Taliban We don’t want a daughter either It’s better to end this race If they can’t keep pace with the world.
Dragons Rule OK. V.M.Sang (author) 