ARK ANGEL by Anthony Horowitz

ARK ANGEL by Anthony Horowitz is another excellent adventure with everyone's reluctant teenage spy, Alex Rider.

I would personally suggest reading SCORPIA before you read this latest installment in the Alex Rider series, because they are particularly linked.

By the end of Scorpia, Alex has suffered a nearly fatal wound and is in the hospital recovering from surgery when he meets young Paul Drevin. When four thugs show up in the hospital attempting to kidnap young Drevin, Alex is once again pulled into a web of international intrigue and espionage.

This latest Alex Rider has a different flavor from the previous, but was still excellent. Horowitz never ceases to find new ways of getting Rider into peril and then barely getting him out of it again. One of the more interesting elements concerning this series is the fact that Alex is ever the "Reluctant Spy" who somehow gets entangled with each new adventure against his will. Another highly recommended adddition to this young adult favorite!

SCORPIA by Anthony Horowitz

SCORPIA by Anthony Horowitz may not be a POD book, but if you're looking for a great story, then I've found the Alex Rider series to be absolutely wonderful.

Some books you wonder if they really live up to the hype, and while I couldn't honestly imagine a teenage spy storyline being very interesting, I have to admit, I was wrong!!

Mr. Horowitz keeps the action coming and new and inventive ways of getting young Alex Rider into trouble. These aren't kiddie villians friend, they play for keeps and I'm glad to see it.

Scorpia opens up the past of Alex Rider and some of his father's former associates turn out to be major criminal players...and what about Alex's father?

Everything in Alex's world, all that he thought to be solid, gets turned upside down and Horowitz does an excellent job of keeping the reader guessing right up to the end. I don't want to give spoilers, but you need to check it out. I personally listened to the book on audio cd book and the guy reading for it does an outstanding job with it. Go buy the book or check out the audiobook from the kids section in your local library! You won't regret it.

VIOLENT SANDS by SEAN YOUNG

VIOLENT SANDS by Sean Young, (REVIEW & INTERVIEW)

Although this is a religious novel, you might better catagorize it as religious thriller, because it's full of action and suspense, drama and intrigue. One of the first things you'll notice in Violent Sands is the author's ability to transport you back in time to ancient Israel under Roman rule. I mean, the novel has been so well researched that you'd think by the descriptions that Mr. Young actually lived there! But all of the description is intertwined into an action packed storyline and you never get the feeling of long winded detail that some writers get into.

Another nice surprise is the action and the character of Barabbas in particular. If you've ever seen Brad Pitt in TROY then you'll get my drift when I say that Barabbas kicks major hiney!! In fact, Young does a magnificient job of portraying the whole group of zealots as hard-as-nails, crafty warriors that even the legions of Rome are hard pressed to deal with.

There's alot to love about this book and those who are already familiar with the brief account of Barabbas in scripture will find this a very interesting tale indeed. It makes you wish there was more on him in the bible, but then again, we might find that his personal story wasn't nearly as interesting as we find it here.

VIDEO TRAILER AND CHAPTER SAMPLES FROM SEAN'S PUBLISHER.

Enough of my yacking...On to the Interview with Author: Sean Young!!


1.) Sean, your novel, Violent Sands, has to be one of the best researched novels I've ever read. Can you give us some insight on your research process, what your most valuable resource for research has been, etc?

Well researched seems to be a common phrase from people who read Violent Sands, which is funny because I didn’t feel like I’d done an inordinate amount of research for the novel at the time. Looking back, I realize that roughly half the time I spent “writing” the book was spent in research rather than actual writing. The exercise taught me how valuable research is and how much it enriches a story. It’s all in the detail. I didn’t only research the period and the historic facts. I honed in on specifics, like what people ate back in the first century and how they told the time.

I spent hours down at my local research library studying ancient Israel ’s geography, climate, architecture, and even wildlife. In one scene, I remember, I had a bunch of bandits lying in wait for one of my main characters and I figured they would use bird-calls to communicate (much like Robin Hood and his merry men J). To that end, I spent hours sourcing a book that listed wildlife species in ancient Palestine . There are actually books devoted entirely to this subject! Who knew? I studied the book and went through its list of birds until I found a likely candidate – a shrike of some sort, if I remember correctly. Once I knew what the bird looked like and what it sounded like, I felt able to write the scene. Knowing your subject well gives you confidence that is reflected on the page. Even if you only use a fraction of all your research, the rest of your effort is far from wasted. It is somehow transferred onto the page through more than mere words. I like to think that’s what happened with Violent Sands.

As to my most valuable resource for Violent Sands, I found my local library had pretty much everything I needed. Its research section had a wealth of information on every aspect of the land, period and culture in question. Almost all of my research for this novel came from that single source. I’ve since learned the joys of internet research. However, the internet can be a double-edged sword. While there are many fantastic resources out there, not all of them are written by experts. You have to choose your resources carefully and cross-reference or double-check every fact. However, that said, it’s an awesome research tool. Just this week, I needed to do some research on Nashville , Tennessee and I found a site that was so well-written, it reflected Music City ’s very soul. By the time I was done, I felt like I’d actually been there.

2.) Would you say that you are a disciplined writer, or just a "when the moments hits" kind of author?

Definitely more of a “when the moment hits” writer. I tend to go through phases. Months might pass when I don’t write a word. For instance, I have a manuscript sixty pages in. It took me two weeks to write those sixty pages, but that was over a year ago. It hasn’t progressed one iota since Feb 2006. I find that’s always the way when I’m starting a new project. I have tons of ideas but, until one of them bites, I do a little research here, a little writing there. And months may pass where I don’t even look at a single manuscript. Then an idea begins to take shape and the hankering to write begins to rise within. When that happens, if I don’t spend hours every day in front of the computer, I become impossible to live with. My wife, Carolyn, is very understanding. When I feel the mood coming on, I warn her that it’s happening. She sends me off to my study & her only interruptions are welcome coffee-refill offers.

3.) How long did it take you to write Violent Sands?

I think it was three years from start to finish. That seems slow but roughly half of that time was spent in research and I was writing only in my spare time.

4.) Do you have a favorite novel?

I have lots of favorites but, if I had to pick one, I think it would be The Bourne Identity by Robert Ludlum. His lead character, Jason Bourne, has to be my favorite character of all time – all the power and sheer ruthlessness of Fleming’s James Bond or Cussler’s Dirk Pitt but with a deep-rooted fear of his own psyche. Matt Damon captured the character perfectly in the movie when he took down two policemen in the park (a scene that isn’t in the book, by the way). It took him a split-second to disarm them and smash them to the ground. And then he stared at them, incapable of explaining how he’d accomplished that feat, and terrified of his own capabilities.

5.) What thing or person do you credit with inspiring the direction of your writing?

Probably my Christian heritage. You know the old rule “write what you know”. I’ve been involved in various churches since as far back as I can remember, so that definitely influences what I write. As to how I write, I’m most influenced by the authors I read. My main influences are Robert Ludlum, Clive Cussler, John Grisham and Wilbur Smith. I enjoy their stories and style of writing. Suspense / Thriller is my thing. It’s what I like reading and, by extension, what I enjoy writing.

6.) What process did you go through to get the book published and how long did it take you?

How much space do you have on your blog?

It was a long road, filled with potholes of rejection. It took me far longer to get Violent Sands published than it did to write it. As the book has a religious theme, I started with Christian publishers in South Africa . Several rejections later, I turned my attention to US markets. It took me a while to locate relevant publishers and I began to approach them. It was then that I learned that, while I’d written a book with a religious theme, it was not necessarily right for a religious market. Many Christian publishers replied and said that they had enjoyed the story, but that it was too violent for the market in question. It was also too long. I learned the hard way that publishing is all about the numbers. Novels have a ceiling-price and in order to make a book financially viable, you have to keep your page count down to a reasonable amount. I approached bundles of publishers and even more literary agents.

Did you find the process of submission / rejection frustrating?

I suppose it’s always frustrating when you hang your hopes and dreams on a publisher or agent’s reply and then, after three to nine months of waiting, have them come back and say “Thank you for your submission, but…”

However rejection is an occupational hazard for writers. You have to take the positives where you can find them. I consoled myself in the fact that I very seldom got form-letter rejections. Most of the time, the publishers were impressed enough with the novel to come back with a personal note, or even a recommendation of other markets to pursue. In an industry where acquisitions editors have hundreds of submissions on their desk at any given moment, that kind of response is rare and should be appreciated even if the submission is rejected.

7.) What made you decide on Barabbas as the hero in Violent Sands?

I never chose Barabbas – he chose me. I got to thinking about how Barabbas was the first person in history to feel the direct effect of Jesus Christ’s crucifixion and death. While Jesus’ own followers were running around, still trying to work out what His death meant, Barabbas had already experienced the freedom it was intended to bring in a very tangible way. In that sense, Barabbas is a picture of all of us. The story was birthed out of the character so there was never any question as to who the main character would be. The question went more to “what is Barabbas’ story?”

8.) What is your favorite scene in Violent Sands?

Hmmmm. You want me to go with the crucifixion scene, don’t you? J

But I won’t.

While I like that scene, I don’t believe it’s overly-unique. It simply re-tells a story we’ve heard a thousand times from the perspective of a single person – namely Barabbas.

My favorite scene is also the one that was probably the hardest to write. And it’s my favorite because it was completely honest in its portrayal of character. It’s a fairly unimportant scene in the great scheme of things, where Barabbas and Levi corner Pontius Pilate’s aide on the docks in Caesarea . The man is a worm. We don’t like him much, but he’s a harmless, if irritating, sort. In the scene, Barabbas coerces this individual into offering up some vital information but this leaves Barabbas in a quandary – what to do with the man now? The answer is simple – silence him. As the writer, I found this solution repulsive. It’s certainly not the solution I would seek. Nor do I believe it’s the solution my potential readers would seek and, by extension, potential publishers. There were a lot of sound reasons to write this scene differently. And there was one compelling reason to write it the way I did; it’s what Barabbas would have done. As I wrote that scene, I realized that Barabbas had taken on a life of his own on the page. As the writer, I no longer had any control over his actions (this sounds weird, and it’s probably something only fellow-writers would understand). Like I say, it was tough to write a scene that might alienate many readers (and certainly turned my own stomach to boot) but it was thrilling to realize that my character had life and that he would make his own decisions outside of author agenda.

9.) What is your favorite fan comment or experience?

Someone said Violent Sands reads like Francine Rivers on steroids. I loved that analogy.

Experience? Probably a mail I received from a reader who told me that, while they’re not at all religious, they still rate Violent Sands as one of their favorite books ever. I’ve always felt that Violent Sands appeals more to a “religious” audience. My publisher believed I was wrong but I wasn’t convinced until this reader proved me wrong. It was really nice to learn that the book has managed to breach the chasm between religious and mainstream fiction.

10.) What can we look forward to in the future from Sean Young?

There are a few projects in the pipeline. I currently have one manuscript almost ready to submit. It’s a contemporary thriller with plenty of shoot-outs & a little internet hacking thrown into the mix. The cast comprises a computer billionaire framed for a murder he didn’t commit, a dog-collared priest who can’t get enough Bruce Willis movies and a secret organization hell-bent on destroying global religion as we know it. I have several other ideas in various stages of incompletion, one of which is a sequel to Violent Sands and involves Barabbas’ sons. Takes time though. Coming up with ideas is easy. Getting them down on several hundred pages is the hard part.


Cheers,
Sean

RISE OF THE WYRM LORD by Wayne Thomas Batson

The Rise of the Wyrm Lord by Wayne Thomas Batson is the second book in the Door Within trilogy from Thomas Nelson Publishers.

Here we have another beautifully designed book for young adults and young readers alike. The text in the books appears to follow the cover design--blue text or purple text anyone? One might expect it to be hard to read, but I was never distracted by it at all.

This time around, young Aidan Thomas, the hero from the first book, has returned to our world and soon meets the human twin of a glimpse he was fond of in the first story. Since Aidan has been told that he can only go to the Realm of glimpses once before he dies, he helps Antoinette, a young girl with a penchant for Kendo, to get into the Realm when she is summoned by Good King Eliam. Antoinette ends up being the main character in the second book and if you enjoyed Aidan in the lead role in the first book, don't worry...Antoinette is a great character and you won't be disappointed. And I gather, from the preview at the end of this book, that somehow Aidan returns to the glimpse realm for the final installment of the series.

This book is a great sequel and Batson shows purpose in bringing in the alternate lead character. I believe that both Aidan and Antoinette will be appearing in the third trilogy book, The Final Storm, and it just gives another unique twist instead of following one person through the whole thing. If you've read my review for the first book, The Door Within, then there's really not much I would add, since this book follows the same formula and delivers an enjoyable read. In fact, I'm hard pressed to decide which one I've enjoyed more! I will say that I'm looking forward to the third book and the conclusion of the story. If you can get readers through two trilogy books and have them salivating for the third, then I call that successful writing!

The Door Within by Wayne Thomas Batson

The Door Within, by Wayne Thomas Batson is a christian young adult fantasy from Thomas Nelson.

Now some may say, "why are you reviewing this book on P.O.D.LINGS?"

Well, to be honest, a good book is a good book and with few submissions I'm willing to review recently from the POD sector of self publishers and small presses, I figure people are still looking for a good book and this, my friends, is a good book.

First off, I have to say that all three books in this series, in the hardcover, are just beautiful to look at. I mean these are the kind you want to keep for years, for when your kids start reading. This should give a lesson on book design for small presses and self publishers. The cover and formatting and total book design is very important and goes that much further toward people seeing you as a professional and to be taken seriously. Now to the review...

The Door Within takes us on a pure allegorical ride with young Aidan who is described as sort of pudgy and an underdog, but when he gets into "The Realm" where glimpses dwell, he becomes a great hero. Now, the young underdog becoming a hero storyline is not new, but it can still be done well and Batson delivers. People say this is like the Chronicles of Narnia and what they mean is probably "The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe" but I've come to believe that people search for these archtypes of particular genres to compare new books to and perhaps for reference sake that's not so bad...so long as people don't automatically think "rip-off" of some other book. This book is it's own story and a good one. The pace is quick and although the knight-speak is heavy handed and seems stilted somewhat, the fact is, it's Knights that are speaking and so there you go. There's a rich world of wonderful characters, good knights, bad Knights, creatures you'd hate to meet in a dark cave and eerie places you'd be glad to read about, but would never want to visit. Wayne Batson is a world builder in this series and he's done a great job of helping readers to explore it with interest intact!

For any Christian with a decent knowledge of the Bible, the allegory will be very transparent yet handled in a creative and interesting way that only adds to the story. But even non-christians will enjoy this wonderful series because in the end it's fun and to be able to finish a book and say, "that was fun to read, I want to read the next" is what matters most!

INTERVIEW WITH AUTHOR JEREMY ROBINSON

P.O.D.LINGS contacted Mr. Robinson about sharing a little with us and he was glad to do so. The following is a short interview Jeremy did for us and gives us a bit of insight into the views and experiences of this up and coming novelist.

1.) Having self published your first fiction novel, The Didymus Contingency, in 2005, do you think you've benefited from the experience? If yes, in what way?

Absolutely. Publishing The Didymus Contingency myself was the best thing I’ve ever done for my career. It has sold and is still selling thousands of copies. I signed two foreign translation deals for the book ( Romania and Bulgaria ). I landed a top literary agent. And it provided me with thousands of loyal fans who are gobbling up my second novel, Raising the Past.

2.) I've noticed you're quite diverse, being both a published fiction and non-fiction writer. Which area do you feel most holds your heart and why?

My heart is with fiction. While non-fiction is good for the money aspect, it’s not nearly as satisfying for me personally. The Screenplay Workbook evolved from worksheets my friend and I were making for our personal use...and making a whole book just seemed like the next logical step. That we put it together in a month and sold it the next is a bit amazing. It was my first published book though, and in that way opened up a lot of doors. The second non-fiction book, POD People, was written out of necessity. I receive e-mails almost everyday (three so far today, two yesterday, etc, etc) asking for advice on marketing Print-On-Demand books. I like to respond to all of these e-mails, but it was eating up time that I’d rather spend writing. So I put the book together and now when I receive those e-mails, I just point people to the book.While those projects are great fun, they do little to satiate my desire to tell stories and entertain people through words. Thus, my heart is with fiction.

3.) Having read Raising the Past myself, I can honestly say that it was an excellent sci-fi thriller and had me furiously turning pages. Tell us the one thing that most excites you about the story, perhaps your favorite scene in Raising the Past, and why?

There is a lot I like about Raising the Past. It’s a blend of so many genres I love and its pace was as fun to write as I hope it is to read. But I really enjoy the twist at the end and the way the book tosses around the idea of free will. The novel is based on a screenplay I wrote years before and the screenplay, being limited by 120 pages, lacked the interesting ending and in depth theme. So those elements that make the story something special are what excites me most, because as it was in screenplay format, they didn’t exist.

4.) When you're writing do you find yourself to be an outliner and a disciplined schedule setter or are you more of a "when-the-mood-strikes" kind of a writer?

I'm very disciplined when it comes to sitting down and writing. Once I get into a novel I try to write at the same time everyday for the same amount of hours, usually from 1pm to 5pm. This only changes when I approach the end of the book, then I’ll write in the morning and late into the night as well.As for outlines, I start by laying out key scenes—things I know will be in the book, and then I come up with an ending—where I know I’m going to end up. As for a detailed outline, I create several “where I’ve been and where I’m going” outlines along the way, plotting out all the minor scenes from one key scene to the next. I do this perhaps four times throughout the writing process, mostly as a guide to keep me from forgetting anything important and to help continuity. They aren’t rigid though. I like the story to lead where it may and don’t bind myself to any outlines. This is how the cool new ending in Raising the Past came about. It sort of developed on its own.

5.) What one thing do you believe has most inspired you to be a novelist?

I can’t say I was inspired to be a novelist at all. I have always been inspired to tell stories. It’s been an innate passion of mine my whole life. First I started with art. This stayed true through college where I was an illustration major. I moved on to comic book illustration and ended up writing a few issues. From there I took up screenwriting and then moved on to novel writing. The move to novel writing (at first) was more of an odds choice. There are 300 movies made every year and something like 40,000 screenplays written every year. Those are bad odds, especially in an industry where who you know is more important than how good your story is. With books, the odds are better and I took a stab at it with The Didymus Contingency. I was pretty surprised that after spending so much time on art and screenwriting (not the most literary of writing) that I had a knack for novel writing. The Didymus Contingency was the first prose fiction I’d ever written. It shows (a little) but I’ve tirelessly dedicated myself to improving as a writer. Raising the Past was my second novel and the growth is evident, just as it is between Raising the Past and my recently finished fifth novel, Kronos.

6.) Having written both Christian fiction and secular fiction novels, briefly explain why you have chosen to write in both areas when most authors stick to either religious fiction or non-religious fiction?

I’m a Christian. It’s who I am, so it sneaks into my books, sometimes more blatantly than others. But I’m not a “Christian author” like Jerry Jenkins, Frank Peretti or Ted Dekker. I write mainstream books for a mainstream audience (Christian, non-Christian, etc) and sometimes they have Christian or Biblical themes / plot devices. Sometimes they don’t.

7.) As a consumer, what do you find to be the top three selling points for a fiction novel?

When I go to the book store there are actually three things I do to make a decision about buying a book. It’s pretty simple. 1. The cover. The book has to draw my attention...and then it has to hold it. If the cover gives me enough information about the story and it looks good, I’ll pick the book up and read the back cover. If that's good, then I move on to step two. 2. The author. I always read dedications and acknowledgements. I don’t think many people do this when considering a book, but I always do. They tell me what kind of person the author is. Most authors are nice and very gracious in their acknowledgements, but a few aren’t and I’m less likely to buy a book from an author who seems...unfriendly. 3. I read the first sentence. If it grabs me, I read the first page. If I find myself turning the first page to read the second, I’ll probably buy the book. I was a reader at a literary agency and this sort of became a habit, judging a book by the first few pages, but I’ve never disliked a book I’ve bought, so it seems to work for me.

8.) What is your favorite "fan" comment or experience?

My favorite fan letters have been from non-Christian fans of The Didymus Contingency who recognize the book as being a positive portrayal of Jesus Christ, but who aren’t put off by it. So far I’ve received fan letters from Buddhists, Muslims, Jews, atheists, agnostics and good old “I don’t believe in anything” types. All enjoyed the book regardless of their different beliefs, and that’s really what I wanted the book to be. It’s nice that people can appreciate my Christianity without feeling assaulted by it.

9.) Is there any area of your writing that you hope to improve upon?

I sometimes notice that in my haste to write action I sometimes forget details, things that make the story more tangible. I go back and add where it’s missing, but I’d like to get it on the first time through. Also, something I’ve worked on for a long time is my “cheesiness factor”. This is a hold over from my days writing comic books (and reading comics for years) and involves corny jokes and melodrama. It’s pretty much out of my system now, but I still have to watch out for it.

10.) What can we all look forward to, in the future, from Jeremy Robinson?

There is a lot on the table right now and I don’t have any specifics, but I’m expecting at least one 2007 release, perhaps two. I’m not going to speculate as to which of my novels these will be (though I have an idea). I’ll be writing my sixth novel this winter and spring and my seventh this summer and next winter....I hope. I’m researching both now and will decide which to go forward with in the next week.

There's a new sherrif in town

Well, not really, but we do have another great POD book reviewer on the scene. Submissions are open -- check it out--

www.podbookreview.blogspot.com "PODCRITIC"