Monthly Archives: June 2012

June 29, 2012 · 10:27 am

Book Review – The Time Hunters, by Carl Ashmore

And today’s (quicker than usual) review is for The Time Hunters by Carl Ashmore, available through Amazon for Kindle, and as a paperback. Usual links at the bottom.

Brief synopsis - Becky and Joe are the kids who lost their dad years ago. Their kindly, though rarely-seen, uncle offers them a holiday at his estate. There, they find their uncle to be one of a regulated fraternity of time travellers, and they set out on a venture through time to find the legendary Golden Fleece. Pursued, of course, by the obligatory bad guys.

I try, wherever possible, to deliver a balanced review. I make sure that if there is good, no matter how deeply it is buried, I bring it into the review. Likewise, if there is something which doesn’t sit right, I try to include it in a positive way so that you can be assured you are getting my genuine and honest review.

And so it is with this one. I’d like to kick off with the bad. There’s a line of dialogue I didn’t particularly like (it wasn’t offensive, I just didn’t like it). I found a ” where there should have been a ‘. And… that’s about it.

Well, there is maybe a glaring plot hole (which I’ve put right at the bottom to avoid spoilers), but that’s it.

Seriously.

This is an absolutely charming children’s book. The characters are delightful and believable. The dialogue rings true. There’s a sense of whimsy which carries through the whole piece, and things which shouldn’t work are carried off delightfully.

Even the cheeky playing with established mythology (Greek primarily, although there’s a fantastic play with the Robin Hood mythos) works. And I’ve long enjoyed the classics.

Hell, the time travel is done nicely, especially so with the introduction of the Omega Effect (which works largely like an enforced “set moments in time” from Doctor Who, but more strongly). And includes a (possibly accidental) tip of the hat to Bill and Ted. Or, at least, that’s how I read it!

The book is 240 pages, yet never once drags or outstays its welcome. For an old cynic like me, who enjoys horror, fantasy, and the occasional action-adventure, this hearkened back to the movies and books I enjoyed as a kid, without making me feel bored as an adult.

Bravo, Mr Ashmore. I look forward to reading this with my little ‘un in a couple of years.

The Time Hunters is available at:

Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Time-Hunters-acclaimed-children-ebook/dp/B0045OUPZC/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?ie=UTF8&m=A7B2F8DUJ88VZ&qid=1340961804&sr=8-1

Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Time-Hunters-acclaimed-children-ebook/dp/B0045OUPZC/ref=cm_cr_pr_pb_t

SPOILER:

The plot hole which annoyed me is that having journeyed through time, and fought through their adventures, the intrepid band get the Golden Fleece from the dread Hydra (which cannot be killed by mortal weapons) and then… go and bury it underneath a dinosaur’s stomping ground which will later become Buckingham Palace. For rival timetravellers, it would be far, far easier to dig up from there, surely… And why get the fleece, only to move it somewhere else? Hmph.

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June 26, 2012 · 12:40 pm

Book Review – Morning Star (Ethos 1), by Desiree Finkbeiner

Time for another review – Morning Star (Ethos, Book One) by Desiree Finkbeiner.

Brief synopsis - Brianna is your ordinary, average American girl. When an unusual dragonfly catches her eye, it marks the beginning of an adventure which will lead her into danger, love, and a whole new life. Pursued by the villainous Ellette, she must flee with her new protector Kalen to his homeworld, losing her heart and her home, and realising her destiny.

To kick it off, let me make things perfectly clear. I am not the target audience for this book, nor is it my kind of book. It falls into the kind of supernatural teen romance which has become a prolific genre in its own right. Unfortunately, that genre has fallen into a readily mockable state, with the Twilight series coming in for some particularly venomous abuse. And, yes, technically Morning Star does fall into that category. It walks a difficult path in a genre filled with traditions and types which have long since become cliche, and as such, should find it difficult to come up with something new.

The most typical story of this nature would run: Girl meets boy. Girl realises Boy A is special. Girl realises she’s special. Boy A realises girl is special. Boy A protects girl. Girl and Boy A fall in love, but realise they cannot be together, Boy B enters the equation, also falls in love with girl. Girl A cannot decide between Boy A and Boy B, but ultimately realises that she’s so in love with Boy A. Boy A ultimately realises the same. Boy B is upset, and does something bad. Girl and Boy A weather adversity, to find they love each other. The end.

Does Morning Star follow this? Does Morning Star give in to cliche? Does Morning Star stay true to the genre? Well, therein lies the fun. You see, Morning Star is a teen supernatural romance, but to say it’s like all of the others is to say that a rose is just another plant in the ground.

Yes, it’s flawed. There are some silly little spelling mistakes of the “your/you’re variety”. The warrior Kalen is, to my mind, too much of a wimp; speech patterns changes a little too quickly; Brianna seems a little too young for her age; the rush of love comes a mite too suddenly for my liking; and part of the ending is anticlimactic. But…

What should be a cliched tale is handled very well, and very sweetly. There’s an undeniable charm filling every page. It’s easy to get overly cynical about this, but Finkbeiner has taken a nice twist on the tale, and instead of clumsily jumping on every cliche, she deftly dances around them. There are some wonderful takes on prophecies, chosen ones, magic, fairies, the eternal life deal, and even vampires (I especially liked the take on vampires – a nice new take. Very rare to find).

Finkbeiner has created a nice mythos, and an interesting new world. The ending sets up for the forthcoming books. She handles dialogue, fight scenes, some cliches which shouldn’t work (e.g. amnesia, gushing declarations of love, etc) well. Hell, even the huge info dumps work nicely (particularly difficult when there’s so much to be said).

For me, Kalen and Brianna both seem to pure, too sweet to be credible, and it seems like Finkbeiner may be pushing a bit of a message. However, I also get the impression that rather than pushing that message, she’s highlighting an ideal. Humility, purity, nobility. Brianna has a strength, and is willing to fight for her ideals (no timid wallflower, or horror-movie screamer! Although, she does instantly gloss over stabbing someone in the eye, which couldn’t have been pleasant), and handles her love rival in a pretty realistic manner.

Sweetly, the book is interspersed with hand drawings. Initially, the cynic in me rolled his eyes. However, I realised what a cunning little minx Finkbeiner is. These drawings are done to illustrate moments in the text, but they’re done in exactly the kind of style I would expect a smitten girl to sketch out whilst daydreaming fantasy moments with her man. As such, they’re actually quite sweet.

At heart, I’m a romantic myself. Unfortunately, wrapped around that heart is a healthy layer or ten of cynicism. Is this my kind of book? No. Was I charmed by the story, by the ideals, most crucially… did it allow me to let go, and enjoy myself? Was there something I could identify with? Did a part of me wish for that kind of purity and love?

Yes. Absolutely.

Overall – not technically perfect, daintily tiptoeing through a minefield of cliches, and absolutely not intended for me. And yet it won me over. Bravo, Miss Finkbeiner.

Morning Star is available in both paperback and Kindle formats at:

Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Morning-Star-Ethos-Volume-1/dp/0615638635/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1340707491&sr=8-1&keywords=desiree+finkbeiner

Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Morning-Star-Ethos-ebook/dp/B007PSUV2W/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1340710354&sr=8-1

 

Description: When a mysterious stranger interrupts Brianna’s mundane routine, her eyes are opened to the dark underbelly of reality… immortal rogues, ancient conspiracies, prophetic revelations, savage tribes, mammoth dragonflies… 

She’s thrust into a race for her life when Kalen, a warrior from Ethos, discovers that she is harboring a secret… a secret that he’d give his life to protect. 

There’s just one little problem… they are tempted by a forbidden romance, which threatens to compromise a divinely appointed mission. They are faced with a choice… love eternal, or the end of the world…

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June 22, 2012 · 9:34 am

Breaking the rules

It’s been a generally busy week over at TrueJDK Towers, with the day job, home life, and whatnot. And also with attempting to do a little more writing, reading, reviewing, and networking.

So, today, I’d like to talk about the rules. Or, at least, some of them. The classics, mainly. See, when it comes to writing, most guides will offer a variation of their “rules for writing”, with some common offenders coming up regularly.

For example – “Write what you know“.
This one irritates me generally. I do agree to a degree, that a writer shouldn’t just make stuff up where the correct information needs to be, as they will get caught out, it doesn’t necessarily hold true all of the time.
I would fail miserably about detailing a surgical operation. I have no idea of the names of procedures, of the medication required, etc. I could probably ask for a bit of help from a suitably knowledgeable source to get me through, though.
However, I have never met a dragon. I have never been to an alien world. I have never run from a faceless demon. I can write these things through the wonderful power of imagination.
The reason I say this, is that I see too many people taking “write what you know” literally, and writing stories based on their own lives, their own experiences, and staying very much within their own comfort zone. We have imaginations, and like any muscle, the more you exercise them, the stronger they become.
I believe this is why fantasy, horror and sci-fi can be such popular genres to write. The world is defined by you! Don’t like the way the law works here? Want to create your own form of society? Want to define creatures, physics, social interactions the way you want them to be? Want, essentially, the power of a god? Use your imagination. Create that world. Create the people, the countries, the histories, the flora and fauna, the interactions, the customs. It may not work first time round. But then, first time in the gym after a few years will probably be pretty painful as well. The more you do, the easier it is.

  • Write what you know, by all means. But don’t just write what you know.
  • If you don’t know it, but want to use it, find out about it.
  • And if it doesn’t exist, use your imagination.

The next one that bugs me is that you need to write in silence.
Says who? Writing in silence, distraction-free, is an opinion only. It’s what works best for that particular writer. It doesn’t have to be what works best for you.
Personally, I work best having something which sets me in the genre I’m writing. When I was writing Clown, I usually had something like The Princess Bride, or a Studio Ghibli film playing in the background. Something that I’d seen so often it was background noise that set me in the right mood.
Writing Survivors, I usually have one of the Friday 13th movies on in the background. This is what works for me.
I’m not suggesting this is the best way for you. I’m saying, bluntly, find what works best for you and use it.
If you work best in one particular room, at one particular time, with a certain radio station on in the background – go for it.
Spread a little – try doing it at different times, different locations, expand your comfort zone, by all means. But don’t be dictated to that you cannot write unless you have a place which is totally silent and distraction-free. You’ll drive yourself crazy trying to find it, and waste too much writing time.
Oh, and for me, having something on in the background can also provide a source of inspiration for moments when I get stuck. I’ve taken a few ideas from others, played with them, twisted them around so they’re totally different from what they started as. But having them there to begin with helped me.

There are others which bother me, and which I’ll come back to (such as not having multiple POV’s, keeping your protagonist clear, etc), but those are the ones which annoyed me most.

Sometimes the best things can come from breaking the rules, from stepping off the trail and creating a new path.

Love to hear what works best for you.

 

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June 19, 2012 · 10:10 am

Book Review – The Hunter Inside, by David McGowaan

Book review time, for The Hunter Inside by David McGowan. Available for Kindle, through Amazon, links at the bottom.

Brief synopsis: Paul Wayans, Bill Arnold, and Sandy Carson are being tormented by a creature which thrives on their fear. Sam O’Neill is the detective trying to solve a spate of grisly murders, linked to a series from 10 years past. The four find themselves thrown together, as they fight to save their own lives, and the future of the world.

In every review, I try to ensure a balance of the good and the bad, and so I’ll continue with this review.

McGowan has acheived an absolute rarity in this age. He has created a new monster, the Shimasou. With a nice little mythology behind it, a credible raison d’etre, posing a viable immediate and major threat, and with a perfectly balanced counterpart, the Shimasou is a nice new addition to the monster’s pantheon.

He’s also introduced three pleasant leads in Carson, Wayans, and Arnold. For a monster-type story, they are well written and defined, each unique and easy to identify with.

However, there are a number of issues with the story itself, which unfortunately detract from McGowan’s intent. I could very easily see this as developing into a good-great Dean R Koontz-type tale. Sadly, there are too many problems taking away from this. From the unbelievable character of O’Neill (who was crying out to be written as a Morgan Freeman in Se7en-type), through to the structure of chapters, inconsistences, switches in perspective, jarring phrases (“…such was…” deserves to be stricken from the book totally), poor dialogue, and every single action, thought, emotion, etc, being told rather than shown.

With a degree of polish, this could be a far better book. McGowan, in terms of the story he tells, has balls. He has created a great monster, some great characters, and is not afraid to give an emotional kick here or there. He also gives (depending on your point of view) a great ending. I liked it, anyway. It marks McGowan as someone who has a great story to tell, but whose skill is not there yet. And please note that all important word, “yet”.

McGowan strikes me as one with an abundance of ideas, and a willingness to invent, develop, and evolve as a writer. I’m looking forward to seeing how much further his new novel is in terms of his skills.

The Hunter Inside is available at:

Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/The-Hunter-Inside-ebook/dp/B0082KLJO6/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1340096912&sr=1-1&keywords=the+hunter+inside

Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Hunter-Inside-ebook/dp/B0082KLJO6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1340032811&sr=8-1

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June 18, 2012 · 11:07 am

Putting Clown back in the box

And, the promotion is finished…

And how did it go? Delighted to tell you!

Let me break it down a little:

Background
In the UK, Clown had sold a total of 19 copies. The majority of these I can attribute to friends and family, with maybe a handful bought by people I don’t know. Three reviews, two glowing “family and friends” automatic 5-star reviews, and one honest 4-star review from another friend.
In the US, 1 copy sold. No reviews.

Strategy
I opted for a three day promotion, covering the Father’s Day weekend, in the middle of the month.
Three days covers one week day, and two weekend days.
Father’s Day gives me an extra gimmick.
Middle of the month is different from the standard start of the month, when most people post their promotions, so less combinations.
To increase awareness, I hit the following:

  • Facebook and assorted groups
  • Twitter, also contacting various e-book promoting users, and some celebs
  • Several forums
  • Promotional websites
  • Free domestic advertising sites

Final result:
224 downloads in the UK.
517 downloads in the US.
12 downloads in Germany.

Some thoughts overall:

  • I’m pretty pleased to have beaten 750 downloads. That’s a hefty increase from 20!
  • Where the hell did the German downloads come from?
  • At various points, I was in the Top 500 free ebooks in the UK, Top 1000 in the US, and Top 2000 in Germany.
  • I was being downloaded more than The Brothers Grimm. Yay!
  • I was very popular in the World Mythology and Fairytales category (Top 10).
  • Sales went well on Friday (initial barrage of promotion), dipped a little on Saturday (no promotion), and climbed very well again on Sunday (more and different more promotion).
  • By and large, most of the tweeters ignored me. However, I did get a large pickup after retweets from former professional wrestlers Lance Storm and Rowdy Roddy Piper!
  • The various websites were very helpful and positive in listing my promotion*
  • Seriously, who the hell found me in Germany?

Final thoughts:

The domestic advertisers I used (places like Craigslist and Gumtree) are free, simple and quick to use. Gumtree doesn’t like the advertising, but I’m going to make a suggestion that they have a category for free books. Not sure how much benefit they bring, but it’s easy to get a load of adverts on quite quickly. Just choose your timing well.

One subject I hadn’t even thought of for advertising was through a friend who plays and enjoys World of Warcraft. He generously retweeted for me, and I secured a few more downloads. It’s a fantasy game with a huge online community, in which he plays a major part – and runs a podcast! Something to bear in mind next time I promote a fantasy book.

I did ask for retweets from 50+ celebs, and got 2. They obviously led to some sales, so I’m pleased, but I think they’d rapidly get annoyed by a barrage of requests. I thanked them, and will leave them alone now. Hopefully they read the book and enjoy it, though.

A number of others also ran promotions, with their results hitting in the thousands, typically 6,000 – 10,000. Obviously, I’d love to do the same. But, for an initial run, with no reviews at all, I’m not going to beat myself up about it. They tend to have good numbers of 5-star reviews and whatnot, so it’s easier to sell. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it!

One poster in a forum roundly derided the use of promotions, giving away books which take away from actual sales; that no one would read them; that we were destroying the system as a whole. Rar rar rar.
In some ways, I agree with him. I would much rather people paid to download my book and put a little money in my pocket, as any author would. On the other hand, I’m happy that people are actually reading it. And, in order for people to read my book, they need to know about it. In order for them to know about it, I need to be able to promote it/have it recommended. So, I need to take a short term hit, for long-term gain. I hope.

I’ll let you know how I get on.

 

*I will be posting a separate page full of links and useful names for new writers shortly.

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June 15, 2012 · 11:37 am

Setting Clown free!

And the promotion is off and running!

Yes, I’m running a three day promotion through KDP Select, wherein Clown (that nice little book just to your right, there) is free from today until Sunday 17th June.

I thought I’d pop in and give an occasional bit of commentary on what I’m doing, and what results I’m getting.

So far… The promotion started at approx. 8am (GMT), to coincide with the US launch. Leading up to this, I’d contacted a couple of key promo sites and asked for support (I will be posting all of the details on a separate page as Writer’s Resources shortly), and made mention on Facebook and here. Not too much, really.

I’ve heard of a few issues with Amazon implementing promotions, with the most common complaint being that the promotion does not start on time, and can start several hours later. I’ve been pretty fortunate. The UK promo started approx. 1 hour late. However… The US site still lists Clown as being full price on the book page, but free on the search page. Little annoying, but the promo’s going through – need to give a little time for resolution.

I’ve launched adverts in a variety of local UK advertising sites (Gumtree, Loot, Craigslist, etc) to see if there’s anything going to come from them. Later in the day, I’ll hit the US sites. I’ll be backing this up with repeat adverts/bumping later in the day and over the weekend, accompanied by some forum and social media advertising.

At present, I’ve already managed a small number of downloads, which adds to my previously small number of purchases, to show that someone, somewhere is interested in reading. Hopefully!

Why not add yourself to that number? See the book there? Click it. You’ll be happy you did! And so will I…

Oh, and incidentally, if you don’t have a Kindle but would like to download for your laptop, you can do so here:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?docId=1000426311

Final note, this lovely picture is by the very talented Kirsty Bexon-White (Follow her on Twitter at @kbexon)

Possible alternate cover?

Fan art from the wonderful Kirsty Bexon-White

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June 13, 2012 · 7:27 pm

Call Me… An interview with Scott J Robinson

TrueJDK is proud to present an interview with Scott J Robinson, author of The Space Between and The Brightest Light.

1. “Call me….”

Bruce. A reference most of the world won’t get. There was a martial comedy/martial art movie in the 80′s call, ‘They Call Me Bruce’, about a chinese guy who keeps getting mistaken for Bruce Lee (I think). It was probably terrible, but I remember liking it as a kid. Also, my 2yr old son asks ‘Who’s that?’ of just about every person he see and I generally tell him that the person’s name is Bruce.

2. “Who in the world am I? …”

Bruce? I’ll let you know when I know for sure.

3. “Love is…”

When your kids offer to share their chocolate.

4. “Man is never…”

Able to make up for not being able to give birth. (As I write this, my wife is in hospital waiting to go into labor after being induced.)

5. “Woman is…”

reason enough for most things.

6. “I have seen wicked men and fools…”

And a lot of them seem to be the same people.

7. “It is a truth universally acknowledged…”

That global warming is caused by the declining number of pirates in the world. What? It isn’t? Check the figures.

8. “No one is useless in this world who…”

might one day buy my book.

9. “There is nothing more deceptive than…”

statistics

10. “Searchers after horror…”

Don’t bother asking me– all I’ve got is fantasy and sci-fi.

11. “Show me a hero…”

And I’ll show you a person with flaws waiting to be discovered.

12. “A room without books is like…”

A bathroom.

13. “In three words I can sum up everything I know about life…”

His name’s Bruce?

14. “The best things in life make you…”

Dessert.

15. “If I had followed my better judgement always…”

I wouldn’t be writing.

16. “Friendship is born at that moment when…”

two people understand.

Scott J Robinson – The Brightest Light

Q. So, tell us what brings you here…

My most recent release is ‘The Brightest Light’, a stand alone Crystal-Punk Renaissance fantasy (the genre is about to take off, really). It’s a bit of an action adventure with flying cities, gun fights, knife fights, car chases and plane chases, and a wedding. And yes, it’s a fantasy. I think would make a great movie– for all the producers reading this.

I’ve also released the first three books (The Space Between, Singing Other Worlds and When the Time Comes) of a four book series called ‘Tribes of the Hakahei’.  It’s a bit of a fantasy/sci-fi series that supposes that a lot of the myths and legends of Earth are based on fact. It involves elves, dwarves, trolls, Area 51, Machu Picchu, a 50,000 year old intergalactic war, strong coffee and wonder bras. The 4th book (A Different Kind of Heaven) should be available on Kindle by the end of June.

Q. Hook me…

The first line of the Prologue for The Brightest Light–

Lemar heard the gunshot but it was a moment before he realized he’d been shot.

But when I pick up a book in a shop I don’t read the prologue– it may not be exactly the same style as the rest of the book. So, the first line of Chapter 1–

The winch mechanism, ten metres tall and half that wide, was a hulking, cast-iron monster.

Q. Heroes and villains…

Kade, the hero, was one the shining star of the Skyway Men, a globe spanning criminal organisation. Then he made a couple of mistakes and was banished to the backwoods. He was lucky to be left alive. He spent the next ten years working as a blacksmith, all the while waiting for a second chance. But when he gets that chance, he realises that all his sharp edges have been worn away– the life of a criminal is not as he remembered.

The villain is a bit of a ghost, always one step ahead, always just out of sight. It’s a chase story, but the bad guy isn’t really the point.

Q. An Author’s Pain…

Most of my struggles with writing come from finding time. I have two young children, a job and too many other interests. When I get on a roll, it’s hard to keep momentum (which is important, seeing I don’t plan much of what I write).

Q. Friends, Romans, and countrymen… Sell me your book…

It’s quick. It’s fun. It’s cheap.

Q. What’s Next…

There was once a sequel planned for The Brightest Light but that has been put on the back burner. I’m wrapping up the final book of Tribes of the Hakahei at the moment, then I’m finishing The Shadow of the Dragon (another stand alone), which is fantasy involving an earth man being transported to a matriarchal desert society, dragons (obviously) and cast iron blimps. It’s mostly done, so hopefully it shouldn’t take to long. After that, either a Sword and Sorcery romp called ‘The Age of Heroes’, or another sf/fantasy crossover called ‘Warriors of Myth and Legend’. They should both be fun to write, so I’m having trouble deciding.

Q. Parting is such sweet sorrow…

Thanks for the chance to talk about my work. People can support indie writers with money, but they can also do it with reviews, mentions, comments, and spreading the word any way they know how. I know I appreciate every little bit of support that I get.

The Space Between

Buying Scott J Robinson

Scott’s books are available to buy at:

Amazon UK : http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-text&field-keywords=scott+j+robinson

Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=sr_tc_2_0?rh=i%3Astripbooks%2Ck%3AScott+J.+Robinson&keywords=Scott+J.+Robinson&ie=UTF8&qid=1339159511&sr=1-2-ent&field-contributor_id=B0074H4FDU

Scott’s books include:

  • The Ferrymen & Other Fantastic Stories
  • The Space Between (Tribes of the Hakehei#1)
  • Singing Other Worlds (Tribes of the Hakehei #2)
  • When The Time Comes (Tribes of the Hakehei #3)
  • The Brightest Light

(TrueJDK notes - The Brightest Light was reviewed here at http://truejdk.com/2012/05/26/book-review-the-brightest-light-scott-j-robinson/ )

Find out more about Scott at:

Author Blog: www.scottjrobinson.com
http://scottjrobinson.wordpress.com/

Twitter: @skywordz

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Space-Between/173195606074092

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June 12, 2012 · 8:21 pm

Father’s Day

Well, with Father’s Day approaching in the UK, I thought I’d make some Kindle recommendations for your loved ones. All are from independent authors, self-publishing, so you may not even be aware of them. I would recommend all. And, even better, some of them are free! Remember that Kindle applications can be downloaded for PC’s, laptops, phones, ipads, etc.

 

And, if it’s not Father’s Day, or you’d just like to purchase for yourself, that’s good too!

So, here we go:

FANTASY
Clown, by Paul Montgomery. A fantasy semi-epic, as a young man leaves the circus to find his way in the world. Ghosts, dragons, legends and heroes. Available for FREE this weekend.
UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Clown-ebook/dp/B007UFS45Q/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1339527696&sr=1-1
US: http://www.amazon.com/Clown-ebook/dp/B007UFS45Q/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1339527949&sr=8-1&keywords=paul+montgomery+kindle

COMEDY
The Royal Factor, by David Eckhoff. A British comedy, as the Prime Minister seeks to replace the royal family with the winners of an X-Factor type show.
UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Royal-Factor-ebook/dp/B006KX73CE/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1339528137&sr=1-1
US: http://www.amazon.com/The-Royal-Factor-ebook/dp/B006KX73CE/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1339528213&sr=1-1&keywords=the+royal+factor

HORROR
Hell’s Teeth, by G.R. Yeates. An historic, wartime horror. New twists on the vampire mythos. The conclusion of the Vetala Cycle. Available FREE until Thursday.
UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Hells-Teeth-Vetala-Cycle-ebook/dp/B007LOQSHW/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1339527983&sr=1-1
US: http://www.amazon.com/Hells-Teeth-Vetala-Cycle-ebook/dp/B007LOQSHW/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1339528113&sr=1-1&keywords=hell%27s+teeth

SCI-FI / FANTASY
The Brightest Light, by Scott J Robinson. A wonderful adventure with a Studio Ghibli feel. Reviewed earlier here.
UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Brightest-Light-ebook/dp/B007XCWAEW/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1339528299&sr=1-1
US: http://www.amazon.com/The-Brightest-Light-ebook/dp/B007XCWAEW/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1339528447&sr=1-1&keywords=the+brightest+light

SCI-FI
Kingdom, by Anderson O’Donnell. A bleak, angry future, with a Philip K Dick feel. Reviewed here earlier.
UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Kingdom-ebook/dp/B0085DY50A/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1339528507&sr=1-1
US: http://www.amazon.com/Kingdom-ebook/dp/B0085DY50A/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1339528527&sr=1-1&keywords=anderson+o%27donnell

 

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· 2:27 pm

Scamtastic Part 2

As well as writing, reviews and interviews, TrueJDK also likes to bring you random moments from life as well.

In a previous post, Scamtastic (http://truejdk.com/2012/05/09/scamtastic/) I talked about a very dodgy little company which liked to phone up on behalf of Microsystems Tech, and pull off a scam. They’re fairly persistent, and change around a bit. So I play them.

These are the last two dealings, each time with me posing as little doddery old man.

1. They called to speak to the previous homeowner, and I explained they didn’t live there any more. They got pretty rude and aggressive, demanding a contact number. Literally, demanding. I switched back to normal voice, and shouted at the top of my voice for them to **** off, and hung up.

2. They called again this weekend. So, I played along for a bit. Kept them on hold whilst I went for my laptop. Then whilst I switched it on. Not just a little while, as long as I could. They were very polite, but the speech was pretty much the same.
My computer (apparently all of the computers which use the internet in my house) were sending messages to IT Systems IT, a specialist company, to tell them that there were unwanted files on my computer. And I definitely don’t want unwanted files on my computer, as this is bad.
Oh dear.
So, whilst they asked me to do some various IT stuff, I played along. Sorry. Played with them:

  • What’s the “windows” key? I can’t see one that looks like a window.
  • Run? You want me to go for a run?
  • OK, I’m typing in wwwdotaforapplemformary…

The usual fun. To his credit, the scamming wretch at the other end was very polite. In the end, he tried to direct me to www.ammyy.com

This is where I switched tack. When he asked me what I saw, I told him that I now had a screen which warned me about the AMMYY scam. The web is filled with them (http://www.avforums.com/forums/isps-internet/1241546-ammyy-phone-call-scam.html for example).

And so our conversation started to go as:

  • Me – So this is where you want to send me? A site which wants me to download software to allow you to remote access my laptop, allow you access, at which point you charge me an extortionate fee to not delete all my files?
  • Him – We can only do this with your permission, sir.
  • Me – You think I’m going to give you my permission to do that?
  • Him – But you don’t want these unwanted files, sir, and we will get rid of them for you.
  • Me – <Explain his whole scam to him, and that I’m not interested>
  • Him – No, no, sir. We definitely don’t do that.
  • Me – Your company does not exist. Your operation is a scam. Aaaannnddd….
  • Me – <Hang up>

It’s actually quite a fun way to spend half an hour. So, basically:

IF SOMEONE PHONES YOU UP, AND ASKS YOU TO DO SOMETHING TO YOUR COMPUTER, OR LET THEM DO IT… SAY NO!!!

Check out their name. Check out their company name. Do a Google search – Google is your friend. DO NOT ACCEPT! Offer to call back, if you need time to check.

Genuine companies do NOT call unsolicited.

That is all.

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· 11:53 am

Book Review – Kingdom, by Anderson O’Donnell

And here we go with the second time of writing a review for Kingdom, by Anderson O’Donnell, available now for Kindle, and as a paperback through Amazon. Links at the bottom as usual.

Brief synopsis - Kingdom follows three key characters: Dylan, the fairly debauched and despondent son of a former politician; Campbell, the disgraced and redemption-seeking one-time genetecist; and Morrison, the head of a corporate genetics corporation. Set in the near future, Kingdom follows the three leads in the separate quests for answers, redemption and domination, and finding that their paths and fates are inextricably linked.

It took me a surprising amount of time to read this, and I think I finally figured out why. The journey through a book is much like a physical journey – whether it be a brief stroll through something light and airy, or an arduous trek through a barren desert.

Kingdom is like a walk through a rainforest. The scenery is breathtaking (by which I mean the quality of the writing), but there’s so much that it bogs you down and slows your journey.

O’Donnell is a fantastically talented writer, with some beautiful turns of phrase, great dialogue, and wonderfully evocative descriptions. He crafts his characters well, turning reprehensible ones into people who can be identifed and empathised with. 

O’Donnell has his own voice, dark and angry, used to condemn a bitter and bleak future with aspects of our own which have attracted his wrath. However, he’s also intelligent and creative, bringing in genetic manipulation, political wrangling, addiction, and studies of the soul, to create a fascinating piece. Remeniscent, at times, of Philip K Dick.

Interestingly, although I started off curiously detached from the lead characters, they do grow rapidly and subtly into investable people. Very well handled.

However, O’Donnell’s biggest strength is also his biggest weakness. The writing is gorgeous, no doubt. However, there’s just so damn much of it. In brutal honesty, the text could have done with a harsher edit, and losing 25-33%. I can understand why not, as what’s written is so well delivered, but it does affect the pacing, and impact on what’s being told at times. Tough choice to make.

The other problem is the old “information dump” issue. Whilst O’Donnell has crafted this wonderful world, has a real knack for dialogue and whatnot, on the occasions where information needs to be dumped it is literally dumped. In a huge chunk of text.

Honestly, I would love to see more from O’Donnell, but in a leaner, tigher-paced book, with less description. For what is, essentially, a slim novel there is too much descriptive padding. More story (and please note, I am in no way suggesting there isn’t enough story here, because there is, and it’s well written), and an expansion of his world would be great.

For a debut novel, this is outstanding, and I’m positive O’Donnell will be one to watch in the future. Recommended.

Kingdom is available at:

Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Kingdom-Anderson-ODonnell/dp/0615553184/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1339498092&sr=8-1&keywords=anderson+o%27donnell

Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Kingdom-Anderson-ODonnell/dp/0615553184/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1339498044&sr=8-1

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