Category Archives: Action

Charge of the Light Brigade by Alfred Lord Tennyson

In the Web circles in which I cyber-travel, there is much discussion of Western civilization and legacy of Western culture. Also lamentations that it’s being lost.

My focus here is on one artifact of that disappearing legacy/culture.

American kids used to be exposed to Tennyson’s famous poem. You find references to it in hundreds or thousands of other creative work. It was through one such reference that I first learned of the existence of this poem.

Almost nobody in today’s government schools is introducing kids to this poem. In fact, there are certainly millions of adults in America who have never learned about it, or understand what references to it are still made.

(I in this clip, at about 0:24, the REMF* interpreter paraphrases part of “Charge of the Light Brigade.” Just as myself and probably millions of other veterans have.)

To put the narrative of this poem in context, we must know a little about the circumstances of a battle during the Crimean War:

25 October, 1854; the siege of Sevastopol. Lord Raglan is the  C.O. (commanding officer). The Russians are conducting a counterattack outside Balaclava, and capture British cannons. Raglan spots them running off with his artillery and wants to prevent this loss.

Raglan decides to send his Light Brigade after the Ruskies and get his field guns back. The Light Brigade is so-named because it is about a 600-man unit of light cavalry, which at this point in history meant the horses bore no armor (in contrast to the Heavy Brigade). The troopers carried sabers and light lances that were more like spears. Such units were quick and agile.

So far, so good. This is a sound, reasonable allocation of military resources to rebound from a setback. Raglan composes a message to his cavalry commander that says, basically, “Send the Light Brigade after those Ruskies stealing our cannons, and bring the guns back!”

Within his order was a careless neglect of specific detail that would make this a tragic day. From where  Raglan surveyed the battle space, it was obvious which Ruskies he was referring to. But the cavalry commander didn’t see what Raglan saw, from his position.

The message filtered down to Brigadier General Brudinell (the Earl of Cardigan or, simply, “Cardigan”), Commander of the Light Brigade. What Ruskies does Lord Raglan have in mind, he asks. The messenger waved toward the east. Attack, now, sez he.

Not that the cavalry knew, but the enemy was carrying off British field guns to the south, hidden by the terrain from their position. What lay to the east was something else entirely.

I’m sure Cardigan lost all color in his face.

Those cannons???” he must have wanted to ask.

In the direction the dispatch rider waved was an enormous Russian formation dug in on the high ground behind numerous artillery batteries on three sides. The valley they commanded was covered by a triangular crossfire. If any British, French, or Turkish unit was foolish enough to enter that valley, they would find themselves, in modern military parlance, inside a “kill box.”

The valley was a deathtrap. This was a suicide mission.

The Valley of Death.

The officers and men were obligated to take the orders at face value. They didn’t know the orders were based on a “blunder” of omission. I guarantee you, every cavalryman, from the C.O. down to the lowest enlisted man, was severely “dismayed” by the insane orders.

What followed was an age-old conundrum for a soldier.

A soldier has to obey the orders of the officers over him. Even when the orders make no sense. Even when the orders are crazy, idiotic, or suicidal. The officers have maps, and good vantage points, and knowledge that the common soldier doesn’t. Most of the time, orders that don’t make sense to a soldier at the time will make sense later, from a  strategic perspective, and prove necessary for accomplishing a mission. Some orders are, indeed, insane, and result in needless slaughter. But the common soldier usually doesn’t know which order is which. He must trust in his chain-of-command, and follow orders regardless.

It would be difficult-to-impossible to win wars without soldiers who will follow orders like those British cavalry troopers did.

Theirs was not to make reply. (Sir, this is suicidal! You’re sending us to our doom for no good reason!”)

Theirs was not to reason why. (“Why the bloody cack are we riding right into the mouth of hell, into the jaws of death? What purpose could this possibly serve? If we are to capture those cannons, send us in from behind, in the dark of night. And even then, with the advantage of surprise, it would be a forlorn hope!”)

Theirs was but to do and die. (Their job was to carry out their orders, even when it guaranteed their death.)

Boldly they rode, and well, while under murderous fire from the front and both flanks. As they grew closer to the enemy line, Russian gunners switched out the artillery shells for “shot.” That’s short for “grapeshot.” By this time grapeshot was more sophisticated, and starting to be called “cannister.” In effect, the smoothbore cannons were firing something like shotgun blasts into both “horse and hero,” with pellets the size of musket balls.

But once the survivors had broken through the line, Cossacks rode upon them. The troopers had to fall back through the Valley of Death, with the Russian artillery shredding them from both flanks and the rear. It was a bloodbath.

There’s a lot that can be said about that engagement. Tennyson concentrated on the honor of the steadfast troopers who rode knowingly into the Mouth of Hell. It was courageous, glorious, as he saw it. A cynic might be tempted to dismiss it as a foolish catastrophe. Were they fools for following orders that day? Not for me to judge. But nobody can question  their loyalty, their commitment to their duty, or their mettle.

One more thought: to preserve the stamina of their horses, the cavalry could not maintain a charge at a full gallop over long distances. They advanced at a walk, while already under fire. After half a league (a league is about 3 1/2 miles) they adjusted the pace to a trot. Later they accelerated to a lope or canter. Finally, a sprint. When read the right way, this poem’s cadence approximates the changing pace of the brigade riding into the Jaws of Death.

I’ll let Tennyson take it from here:

I
Half a league, half a league,
Half a league onward,
All in the valley of Death
   Rode the six hundred.
“Forward, the Light Brigade!
Charge for the guns!” he said.
Into the valley of Death
   Rode the six hundred.
II
“Forward, the Light Brigade!”
Was there a man dismayed?
Not though the soldier knew
   Someone had blundered.
   Theirs not to make reply,
   Theirs not to reason why,
   Theirs but to do and die.
   Into the valley of Death
   Rode the six hundred.
III
Cannon to right of them,
Cannon to left of them,
Cannon in front of them
   Volleyed and thundered;
Stormed at with shot and shell,
Boldly they rode and well,
Into the jaws of Death,
Into the mouth of hell
   Rode the six hundred.
(At 0:20 is a brief-but-spectacular shot of a cavalryman breaking through the line and sabering a gunner while his horse is in mid air hurdling the barricade.)
IV
Flashed all their sabres bare,
Flashed as they turned in air
Sabring the gunners there,
Charging an army, while
   All the world wondered.
Plunged in the battery-smoke
Right through the line they broke;
Cossack and Russian
Reeled from the sabre stroke
   Shattered and sundered.
Then they rode back, but not
   Not the six hundred.
V
Cannon to right of them,
Cannon to left of them,
Cannon behind them
   Volleyed and thundered;
Stormed at with shot and shell,
While horse and hero fell.
They that had fought so well
Came through the jaws of Death,
Back from the mouth of hell,
All that was left of them,
   Left of six hundred.
VI
When can their glory fade?
O the wild charge they made!
   All the world wondered.
Honour the charge they made!
Honour the Light Brigade,
   Noble six hundred!

This is my way of honoring the noble 600 and the charge they made, Alfred.

* “Rear Echelon Mo-Fo,” AKA “clerks & jerks.” The corporal is literally a clerk-typist, assigned to a squad of Rangers for the mission that this movie is about.

Man of Swords: The Knight Who Would Not Kneel – a Review

(Part 2 of a 6-part series by the INFAMOUS REVIEWER GIO)

“King Orrefiah was downed, bleeding, while all about him brayed death. On either hand his retinue lay slain, pierced and hacked, their faces trodden to the mud.”

 

After reading Eye and the Dragon, the first of the tales in Man of Swords (paid link), we might have assumed that perhaps this whole collection was going to be less story-driven and more gearing towards the ‘abstract’ and the ‘ethereal’…WRONG.

The Knight Who Would Not Kneel once again brings back the R.V. Mills we experienced in the Isle of the Shrine of the Sick’ning Scarab. Only BETTER, if that were even possible!

Let me explain: this second tale is something that sees more action, more glorious army battles, and more fierce individual combats than we can handle…and yet, that’s not how this tale truly sets itself apart from the rest. 

After saving King Orrefiah’s life on the battlefield, young Rohye–now in his late teens–finds himself reluctantly serving as one of the king’s official knights. He distinguishes himself on the battlefield time and time again against the barbaric hordes that keep threatening the kingdom through pillaging and invasions. However, Rohye frowns upon the extreme military tactics used by the king to completely annihilate the foreign tribes.

Fast-forward a year or so to when the kingdom finally seems to be experiencing a longer lasting period of  peace, but the king, now in poor health and hunted by his conscience, asks Rohye to accompany him on a pilgrimage to a mythical tower where a source of supernatural healing lies hidden.

The synergy between Rohye and King Orrefiah is the apex of this entire story. Rohye is not sure why he’s even willing to aid the ill king, but he can sense that there is a reason that would be revealed in due time. The king in his ill state seeks healing (but truthfully, redemption from his crimes of war he has committed). Combine a rich cast of supporting characters, a superb ‘Shakespearean’ prosaic style and you have a true masterpiece! 

The Knight Who Would Not Kneel should be read by anybody and everybody; it should be adapted to plays, movies, music; and it should be the topic of discussion of every literature roundtable across the globe. 

The fact that the story has so many layers to it would make it a challenge to cover it all in just 1 review. But that’s what makes it so special, it puts the reader in a position to explore and discover over and over again.

New legends in the making. History in the making.

Thank you Mr. Mills!

Island of the Lost by Milton Lane – a Review

Review by INFAMOUS 🦀

 

When I first decided to review this I was a bit nervous. What made me feel that way was the disclosure found under the book details on Amazon:

 

“Paperback and ebook editions have been revised and updated following customer feedback as of 31 OCT 23.”

 

To me that was an instant red flag as the term ‘revision’ these days can mean anything in a book. What was revised exactly is something I will further discuss with the author in an upcoming Q&A interview, so stay tuned.

By the time I was done reading, however, I knew this was going to enter our 5-star elite club here at VP! This novel absolutely delivers everything you would expect by looking at its cover (fantastic cover, by the way!). All my fears wiped away, Milton Lane absolutely crushed it by bringing back a traditional pulp classic genre that is authentic, respectful of those authors who pioneered the genre, and keeping a fine balance between fantasy trope injected with an acute sense of realism.

After surviving the mysterious sinking of the ship The Invincible, former Naval Officer Hannibal Harken (a.k.a. The Adventurer) finds himself stranded on an uncharted island with a group of other survivors. Now, facing not only the natural adversities that the island itself poses, but also some not-so-friendly locals, the Adventurer must rely on his skills, intuition, and a few unexpected friends, to survive and get back to civilization.

Pretty simple concept, and yet SO easy to bungle up if the writer doesn’t do his homework. Fortunately in The Island of the Lost (paid link) this is not the case. Far from it!

Lane is able to capture that retro pulp style we got to know in Doc Savage, Solomon Kane, and even The Shadow to an extent. The story moves along nicely beginning to end, the prose is classic 1930s-40s style with rich and witty dialogues. 

The characters are not dull and predictable. In fact, although there are a few good looking female characters featured, our main character does not get involved in a romance, or ‘demand’ a heartfelt kiss from the girl before going on risking his life. Not that there’s anything wrong with romantic tropes, but as an astute writer you also gotta know when this would aid the story or  simply feel too forced while doing nothing to propel the main narrative.

Last thoughts that really bring this review to a positive conclusion: this story is self-contained. It has a 1)beginning,  2)bridge, 3)climax, and 4)conclusion. You don’t have to wait for the next book in the series to find out what happens, yet, at the same time you hope there will be more adventures facing the Adventurer so that we can join him amidst strange lands, strange peoples, and the pursuit of TRUTH!

Catskinner’s Book by Misha Burnett – a Review

By THE INFAMOUS REVIEWER GIO:

 

Yeah, it’s a trap, and we know it’s a trap, and they know that we know, and so on and so forth. We go anyway, or we run away. I’m tired of running.”

James Ozwryck 

 

Imagine a quirky, dark humored, action/sci-fi movie directed by David Fincher and starring Edward Norton and perhaps Margot Robbie as co-star….THAT is what Catskinner’s Book felt to me the whole time I was reading! 

Of course, if you ask author Misha Burnett, he will tell you that the concept of this story is based in part on himself as he was diagnosed with Dissociative Identity Disorder, and part of his motivation for writing this was an attempt to convey what D.I.D. feels like from inside.

The other main inspiration for this quite unique and peculiar tale was William S. Burrough, specifically his Nova Express trilogy. 

This story is about James Ozwryck, a seemingly ordinary store clerk who believes he has an entity or alien form residing within him which he calls ‘Catskinner’. James and Catskinner communicate and even ‘argue’ at times, but the interesting thing is that when catskinner takes over James’ body he can find himself achieving physical feats otherwise impossible for a guy his size. As far as James can remember, Catskinner has always been with him since birth.

The entirety of Book 1 revolves around James finding out more and more about Catskinner and its origins, and to be honest, I was HOOKED! The story has good pace, good prose style that brilliantly reflects the urban language of our times, some jaw-dropping action scenes, violence and a dry sense of humor that-in this context-is very spot on.

If you were wondering what the book cover was about, that cover is from a photo shoot of Burnett’s roommate and those are the author’s hands you see. What the image reflects is the main character James wanting to care for and protect Godiva, the co-main character.

Now that I highlighted some of the positive aspects of this book, let’s turn our attention to some of the negatives which lead me to score this more like a 4 out of 5 stars…

 

The Closing Act:

As I always advise authors, no matter how many sequels in one particular series you plan to write, you still have to offer a ‘complete experience’ to your readers in each individual book. Unfortunately, I feel like this book fails to accomplish that. The conclusion felt rushed, hollow, and disappointing. We basically end up where we started from and we realize we have learned close to zero about what we were seeking along with the main character. The end is abrupt, almost like the writer didn’t know what else to do and decided to just end it there. I am all for cliffhangers and creating expectations to read the next book, but at the same time, each book must deliver some sense of fulfillment or that at least we have moved on from point A to point B… I just did not see that here, although the entire ride was extremely fun and suspenseful. Actually that in itself made the end that much more disappointing for me personally.

An Interview with Robert Victor Mills

As in the recent review of the author’s latest, this Q & A is brought to you by the INFAMOUS REVIEWER GIO.

Gio: This being only your second publication, how long have you been writing and what made you decide to publish your works only recently?

RV Mills: Well, on leaving university in ‘94, I decided to have a stab at this writing game. Over the next five years I wrote two fantasy novels, submitting them to publishers and agents. A different business, back then, just before the birth of the internet, when sample chapters had to be printed out and mailed in big brown envelopes. I stuck at it for about five years of silence and polite rejections, but, life forged on; family, a full time job and more college. I don’t recall ever consciously giving up on the dream, though I definitely gave up on the reality. All those papers were thrown into a document box and forgotten about.

Nearly twenty years later, 2017, with both my parents gone and me in the process of selling the old family home, I came across that document box. It was, shall we say, interesting and informative. One experience that a writer can never have, is to read his own work completely cold, with fresh eyes. Reading the contents of that box was as close as one might get, because I’d forgotten almost everything I’d written! Of course, the tale would be wonderful if I could romantically announce that I had rediscovered some lost masterpiece. Oh no, it was all terrible! Just awful! But, with that fresh perspective and an older head, I could see plain as day where all my failings as a writer lay. A very useful experience.

Should you be wondering, I burned those manuscripts in the garden in a steel bucket. The world has no need of such horror!

I guess, that would have been that. However, once again, life happened. The virus came, and lockdowns. Like everyone else I read books, watched movies, listened to music, picked up new hobbies, slow tortured by increasing boredom. It drove me to again pick up the pen. I started scribbling science fiction stories, just for my own amusement, nothing else.

Towards the end of that very peculiar period, three things happened, all seemingly the same week. First, I read an article which essentially argued that many talented writers were being turned away by publishers and agents for the sole reason that they didn’t fit a desired demographic, and that this had been going some years. Second, I caught a livestream by the comic book artist Ethan Van Sciver. There’d been an incident with a movie director that had him really riled. And he persuasively called on his viewers to have a go at creating, something along the lines of: “If you can draw, draw! If you can write, write! We need you!” Thirdly, that same night, I had a dream.

I quite often have vivid dreams. Boy, this was one! An entire story played out in my head, like a movie, of a mighty warrior with hair like flame, and his companion, a poet and bard with a tongue like quicksilver. Together they were rescuing a princess snared by a snake cult. Vicious fights, monsters, gore, glory. No names, no dialogue, just images and allusions, but as real as if I were there, involved. I woke up, it was as if a switch had gone over in my mind. I got up, sat down, started writing. And that, eventually, became the first story of Rhoye and Astropho.

Gio: The first thing that we notice when reading ‘The Isle’ is your prose. How did you come to develop and hone such a brilliant prosaic style?

RV Mills: Well, firstly, thank you for the compliment, that’s incredibly kind.

I suppose the short answer is, a long lifetime of reading. I grew up in the 70s and 80s, youngest of eight children, in quite a traditional working class family. Having five older brothers, there was always a lot of stuff left lying around to read, not all of it of a suitable age rating, either. I adored reading. I would read anything I could get: Bond novels, horror, movie tie-ins, comics, magazines, but I always gravitated to more fantastical stuff, myths and legends. Then, for Christmas 1982, my eldest brother gave me a copy of ‘The Warlock of Firetop Mountain’ by Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone. That gift pretty much started me down the path I’ve followed since. From reading those fantasy gamebooks I progressed to Tolkien. I remember saving furiously for weeks to buy a paperback edition of ‘Lord of the Rings’ in 1985. And from there to Mervyn Peake, Anne McCaffrey, Robert E. Howard, and so on. Those books also got me started on a decade of Dungeons and Dragons, first as a player and then, while I was at university, as a dungeon master. I long since gave my rulebooks away, but I still have the dice! 

Naturally, I suppose, my love for reading channeled me in that direction academically, which led to a degree in English Literature. That opened me to a deal of far older material, such as Homer, Mallory, Chaucer, Shakespeare, and classic novels and poetry. That’s chiefly where my reading interests lie now, in older writings, in heroism and chivalry. I often joke that the most recent book I’ve read is ‘The Return of the King.’

As you can tell, my jokes are seldom ripsnorters!

Gio: Your novella seems to be paying tribute to the greats of pulp narrative such as Robert E. Howard and Lovecraft. How do you prevent modern progressive culture to leak into your work, as we seem to be constantly bombarded with it?

RV Mills: Part of it for me, I think, is modern stuff just doesn’t interest me. I’m engaged, as a reader and now as a storyteller, in older ideas, of nobility, of chivalry, of duty, of sacrifice. And I think Van Sciver and the creators in the Iron Age movement are right, there has to be representation of those older strains of literature and entertainment for those members of the audience that still want and desire them. That’s where I’m at, and, honestly, it’s where I’ve always been. That is what my fictional world of the Wandered Lands represents, I think, a place where a reader can become lost in pure escapism, like Middle Earth, Hyboria, or Lovecraft’s old Arkham. My creations are never going to be for everyone. And I’m fine with that. Plenty of other stellar creators out there doing great, great things to satisfy other tastes.

Gio: Rhoye is your MC, however your novel is so rich in characters that he really never steals the spotlight. Was that something you did consciously?

RV Mills: You mentioned Howard. One of the aspects of his Conan stories I really admire is that, in quite a few of them, Conan is almost a secondary character, while the heroine leads the narrative. Valeria in ‘Red Nails’ springs to mind. I like that technique. I think it broadens the scope of the story and grants fresh perspective to events as they unfold. So in ‘The Isle’ we see Rhoye’s standpoint, Astropho’s, and Aona’s. Each offers a unique flavour, I think, which allows the tale room to breathe.

Gio: Speaking of supporting characters, I must admit the crabs were my favorite ones. How did the concept of an island so very much dominated by these crabs come about?

RV Mills:

Another dream, a nightmare, and with a very specific source. I’d been reading Dr. Jordan Peterson’s ‘Twelve Rules for Life’. That opening chapter, the one with the lobsters, really stuck in my mind. That night, I had a dream of two swordsmen dueling to the death on this hellish shore just swarmed over with the most disgusting crustaceans, not just lobsters but crabs and horrid sticky slimy things. So vivid, I just had to weave it into a story! So I got me a cup of tea, sharpened my pencil, and set to work!

As it happened I’d been working on an idea for a pirate story which really had very little direction. And I had another idea for a tale about a lost shrine. Suddenly these three ideas fused as one in my brain, and that was that. I had no real conception of how long it would turn out to be. I tend to just let each story dictate its own length. It came out long! But I’m exceptionally proud of it. I think it’s a very entertaining piece.

Gio: Can we expect more longer format stories similar to ‘The Isle’?

RV Mills: Yes, I have another finished novella which I’m hoping to put out in February. I’m waiting on artwork for that. It is called ‘The Girl with the Fire in Her Hair.’ It was written before ‘The Isle’ and is a little shorter, but I’ve included a back-up story which is a natural sequel and companion piece.

I’m currently writing the sequel to ‘Man of Swords’, hoping to put that out at the end of summer, which will contain further adventures of Rhoye as a younger man, his wandering through Bruthulia against the backdrop of the war with the Sarkaenid. About halfway complete on that project, as we speak. 

Gio: What inspired the title of this novel?

RV Mills: I struggled to decide on the best permutation! I wanted to mention the ‘shrine’, because shrines are mysterious, and the ‘scarab’, because also mysterious, and also ‘sickness’ to add a pinch of peril, but also the ‘isle’ to hint at location. I wrote it all down, read it back, and yes, it is indeed a mouthful. ‘The Isle of the Shrine of the Sick’ning Scarab.’ But I love it. The ‘e’ in Sick’ning was the only edit I could stand to lose!

Gio: Any plans for spinoffs? Astropho seems to be a very complete and well defined character who could possibly branch out and have his own adventures.

RV Mills: Astropho will return in ‘The Girl with the Fire in Her Hair.’ I have half a dozen other completed stories featuring the two friends together, I’m just in need of some connective tissue to link them into a narrative that is itself compelling, rather than just throw out a collection of disjointed short stories. But, yes, there’s more to come from Rhoye and Astropho, for sure.

Regarding spin-offs, I have two other characters that I am very endeared to, and have written two long stories with a third in outline. They are two templars of Erishala, Vicatiora and her mentor Kionates of Dalathopos. They are essentially sleuths in a fantasy setting, with Kionates being observant and wise if a tad senile, and Vicatiora being green, yet headstrong and quick. Together they solve very peculiar mysteries which abound in the city of Altamantia, and which usually have a magical bent.

But, that is a good ways off, as yet. Watch this space!

Note from Virtual Pulp: Stay tuned for a follow-up interview of Robert Victor Mills by Gio!

Isle of the Shrine of the Sick’ning Scarab – a Review

By THE INFAMOUS REVIEWER GIO

 

The tragic loss of Robert E. Howard from this world also represented the creation of a vacuum of creativity in a pulp genre unique in itself. Seldom had a writer been able to inject such vivid realism into a fantasy genre to such a degree that the reader could actually almost see, hear, and smell the places where they were transported via the written word such as Howard did…

Introducing Robert Victor Mills, an up and coming author who, by way of this 126-page pulp novella, seems to have boldly picked up the torch to continue into the footsteps of the late Howard.

The first element to jump out at us when reading this piece of pulp fiction is the…

PROSE:

Mills is a true master at carefully choosing every word, every noun, every sentence to elevate his work to a place where few other indie authors can reach. If you like a modern and direct style of written English language with plenty of modern euphemisms, this book is NOT for you! But if you long for a language that fully matches the world and characters we are presented with, and you care for tradition, ancient myths, and authenticity, then this might as well be your best pick of 2024!

CHARACTERS:

Mills is not just satisfied with good prose, oh no, he also has to indulge his readers with well thought-out characters that resonate with each of us individually. You won’t find dull characters or dumb villains here. Every player has a story, a vested interest, a strength and a weakness. By the time we’re halfway in, we can’t help but feel fully invested in these fellas and their perils.

PLOT:

What on paper seems a pretty straightforward storyline (which it is) in the hands of Mills becomes an ‘unpredictable hike’: you know where it starts, but it may suddenly take abrupt turns to only the author knows where. Again, that R. E. Howard’s realism makes this all the more interesting with the island, the elements, the beach crabs (LOTS of ‘em!), the turn of the tide, all intersecting.

Boys and girls, if this is not a 5 out of 5 pulp novella I don’t know what is. Robert in my opinion is destined to become one of the GREATS of our modern fantasy literature. Only the future will tell us for sure, but as the other Robert once said (and I’ll leave you chewing on this):

“I think the real reason so many youngsters are clamoring for freedom of some vague sort, is because of unrest and dissatisfaction with present conditions; I don’t believe this machine age gives full satisfaction in a spiritual way, if the term may be allowed. ”

Robert E. Howard

 

Come back soon for an author interview!

Coming Soon: Robert Victor Mills’ Isle of the Shrine of the Sickening Scarab

Got a couple treats coming up for you from guest poster IINFAMOUS REVIEWER GIO Probably next week, you’ll see the review right here–followed by an interview with the author.

Gio calls this a legendary tale in the tradition of Robert E. Howard.

Sounds like this book is a standout, five star read, so start the New Year off right and come back to check it out!

I’m a Steamroller, Baby

…And I’m rollin’ down the line.

So ya better get outa’ my way, now…

Ahem.

E-book and paperback  versions of the first Paradox book go live in just a few days. I have also edited the second book, which is scheduled to be published just before Christmas.

The color scheme for this cover has already changed, BTW.

I used the paperback proof again this time and caught all kinds of text that needed tweaking. Funny how that works.

But wait–there’s more! I may be done with the major tweaks to the third book. Well, based on recent experience, probably not. I’m about to order the paperback proof for that one–no doubt I’ll find all kinds of stuff to edit.

TZ Paperback on Sale, Too!

Curious about Amazon discounting my debut novel, I surfed over to the Retreads Series page and found that Tier Zero is also discounted. Right now it is $5.09–cheaper than the current discount on the Kindle version and less than a third of the normal price.

Notice the paperback version has the Mack Bolan-esque retro cover painted by Derrick Early. This is yet another good gift idea for somebody who likes to read about kickass operators bringing smoke on bad guys. In this case, the bad guys are modern pirates, human traffickers, a murderous black ops team, and a turncoat mercenary.

Just as with Hell and Gone, I don’t know how long this discount will last…but I do know that Christmas is coming up fast.

H&G Paperback on Sale!

Apparently Amazon does this sometimes: they have been discounting my bestsellers. I thought it was a mistake, but no.

What this means right now is that you can get the Hell and Gone paperback for less than a third of it’s normal retail price. In fact, it’s the same exact price they have discounted the Kindle version to: $4.17.

No idea how long this will last so you might as well strike while the iron is cheap hot! BTW, with Christmas around the corner this is a good gift idea for anyone you know who likes military thrillers, men’s adventure, action novels, or all the above.

With what’s happening in and around Israel right now, this book might be as relevant as ever.

Happy reading!