So "The Unwilling Recruit" has reached, what for me is a bit of a benchmark. The first 10 reviews on Amazon are in.
This probably doesn't sound like a lot to anyone else, but I feel it is a noteworthy achievement.
What makes this even more pleasing is that 9 of the ten reviews are 5 star. As always, I am going to share with you the latest reviews.
Darylyn writes :
"The Unwilling Recruit is a thrill a minute page turner. Great summer read. Can't wait for more!"
While
Amanda Rose writes :
"Very enjoyable read, once started I could not put it down. Brilliantly written the descriptive text immerses you into the suspense from the beginning through to the end of the first book. Eagerly awaiting second instalment. This supernatural thriller is a must read!"
So, there you have it. Thank you both for taking the time to share your views with myself and the public at large. I am so pleased that you enjoyed my story.
So, over the course of this last weekend I had the opportunity to get out and watch a live band in action. Something I really enjoy, but don't often manage to do.
This, however was something different for me as I had never before seen a "Tribute" band in action.
"Hotter Than Hell" claim to deliver a classic 1970's style KISS stage show right down to the pyrotechnics and blood. Now, speaking as a life-long fan of KISS, I can tell you, this is quite a claim to make and, in all honesty, I had my doubts. So, did they deliver?
The simple answer is, absolutely, unequivocally, YES!!!
From the moment they stepped onto the stage I knew we were in for something special.
The costumes and make-up were amazingly detailed and incredibly close to the originals, but it was more than that. The personalities were right there. All the mannerisms were absolutely perfect, from the stomping dragon claw boots and snaking tongue of "The Demon", to the evocative pouting and outrageous flirtation of "Starchild" and "Space-Ace" maintaining the perfect balance with his trademark hypnotic, enigmatic presence.
This was only a small venue with a limited stage which obviously impacted on some of the more extreme elements of the show (primarily in the fire-breathing department), but that didn't really matter. The boys used the available space to perfection and, for the next hour and forty minutes the entire audience was caught up in the show completely.
The music itself was absolutely "on point", with perfect vocals from all and some impressive guitar work from "Ace". They played classic tunes such as "Black Diamond", "Strutter" and "Firehouse" flawlessly and with an energy that was truly infectious.
Then, as if all that wasn't enough, the band took the time after the show to come out, still in costume, and mingle with the audience, taking photos and offering autographs (and before anyone asks, no, there was no extra charge for this). You know, I payed only £5 for an advance ticket to see these guys. They are worth a lot more than that.
I would recommend that any fan of classic 70's/80's rock and especially fans of KISS - go and see these guys. You will not be disappointed.
I know I'm looking forward to their return in November.
He is an independent Film-maker based in the Staffordshire area. "Crispy's Curse" represents Johns' third independent feature film in the last three years.
His first two films, "The Mothertown" and "The Slayers" have been well received with "The Slayers" picking up a number of awards on the festival circuit around the world.
So let's get on with it then:
"Crispy's Curse"
This film tells the story of the spiritual return of a malevolent clown, hell-bent on exacting revenge for his murder several years previously.
As he proceeds on his gruesome (and generally hilarious) killing spree he is pursued by three distinct parties who are intent on laying him to rest. There are the police, bumbling, inefficient and with all the tact and grace of a well aimed half-brick. Then there a group of self-styled paranormal investigators who call themselves the "Spirit Hunters International Team" or S.H.I.T. .........(need I say more?) . Finally we have "Messiah Fist", a Christian, Thrash Metal band who see the appearance of Crispy as an opportunity to test their faith and preach the word of the Lord in their own inimitable style.
In case you hadn't guessed already, let me spell it out for you, this is a gloriously gory comedy horror drawn from the deepest recesses of Mr. Williams' decidedly warped imagination.
There is an awful lot of good to say about this film. It is hilariously funny, with some superb dialogue and a ridiculous amount of blood and gore.
It was nice to see Pete Bennet (formerly of Big Brother fame) returning to the screen with another wonderfully wacky performance that fit perfectly with the mood of this film.
The appearance of David Acorah (T.V. Psychic and currently a guest of the Celebrity Big Brother House) was also a very welcome surprise.
For me, however the real stars of this film were the wonderful Darren McAree whose portrayal of the "real" psychic was so deliciously camp it was wonderful, and "Messiah Fist" (and yes - there is an actual CD of their music!!)
This is definitely the best film John has produced so far and if the last two are anything to go by then this one is going to be very, very successful.
Born in New Hampshire and currently residing there with his family, Keith is working on his third novel featuring Michael DiBianco. "The Newton Prophecies" represents the first novel in this series.
Michael
DiBianco, physicist, professor and best-selling author has his life turned
completely on its head following an unexpected visit from the FBI. Dragged into a world of secrets and
deception, Michael must fight for his own survival and, perhaps even the
survival of the world.
“The Newton
Prophecies” delivers an action-packed thriller in the best traditions of the
genre. It is an incredibly fast-paced
novel with twists and turns a plenty.
Steeped in intricate details, it is clear that the author has invested a
great deal of time researching the elements necessary to weave this fascinating
plot.
If you think
“Dan Brown on steroids”, then you won’t be too far off the mark. Having said that I found myself, at times,
thinking back to old Dennis Wheatley stories I used to read as a teenager and I
think, while this does not necessarily contain the same supernatural elements
that used to feature in Wheatleys’ work there is, nevertheless, a valid and
worthwhile comparison to be drawn here.
All in all,
this is a great novel and it is going to be interesting to see where Keith
Katsikas takes his protagonist next.
I am rating this novel 4/5
"The Newton Prophecies" is currently available in Paperback
To say that I am happy would be an understatement.
True to form, I feel I have to share it with you, so read on!
John Evans is an absolute natural, holding you on pins from the very start of this debut novel! The plot and character development couldn't possibly be any better as this thrilling novel unfolds! Evans leaves little to the imagination as he consummates each detailed scene with gripping hooks and knee jerking suspense.
The Unwilling Recruit is the perfect marriage between suspense/thriller & supernatural/horror. I must say, Evans is a natural mystery writer - a true quill master.
While this book is told from a second person perspective, it keeps the perfect pace. I found it difficult to put it down as I scrolled from one page to the next.
If you enjoy the suspense of Koontz and the horrors of King, look no further. John Evans is sure to be your next favourite author!
-Micah Richards, author of the "Touched By Darkness" saga.
As always, if you want to check out for yourself what all the fuss is about,
"The Unwilling Recruit" is available now in Hardback and Kindle versions
So, my first novel has been published in Hardback and Kindle versions thanks to the wonderful team at TopShelf Publishing.
It is being very well received thus far, gaining some excellent reviews from the UK, USA and even as far afield as China. And, long may this situation continue.
So, the real question now is, what happens next?
Not being one to rest on my laurels', work continues at a fairly steady pace. As you may have noticed I have begun writing a few selected book reviews, and there will be more of those coming in the very near future.
What people really want to know, however, is, what is happening with book 2?
Well, in all honesty, I finished the initial draft of Book 2 over a year ago. It will be titled "Fool In The Ring" and is already set for release around July 2018. Of course between now and then there is a lot of work still to do both by myself and by my publisher. Between now and the end of the year we hope to have the cover design and all of the major editing completed and I intend to keep you up-dated with our progress on that front as information becomes available.
Of course, writing continues and I am well over a quarter of the way into writing my first draft of book 3. I hope to have that completed by the end of November this year which will then allow me to fully devote the rest of this year to the completion of book 2.
So, for my fans out there, rest assured, the adventures of John Hunt will and are continuing well into the foreseeable future.
So, without further ado, let's press on with the review.
Touched By Darkness
“Touched By
Darkness” follows the story of Chris Blevins, a young and very successful
anchor man for a local news station in the apparently quiet island town of
Edisto. Everything in Chris’s life is
going exactly to plan primarily due to his own hard work and dedication. At least that is how it appears on the
surface. Edisto, however harbours some
dark and disturbing secrets and as Chris gradually becomes aware of these, his
entire ordered life begins to spiral out of control.
This is the
first novel of a proposed series and, as such it sets the scene fairly
well. Told from a first person
perspective, the author draws the reader into the dark world of the
supernatural with an easy, uncomplicated style.
I won’t be giving much away by telling you that the key supernatural
elements are Vampires and werewolves.
This is not, however, a “Twilight” wannabe tale. No “sparkly” vampires here. Micah manages to present some strong
traditional folklore mingled with some clever modern twists.
The story is
well structured and progresses at a good, solid pace that maintains reader
interest. Descriptive elements are well
written from Chris’ perspective and the picture presented to the reader is
clear and uncluttered.
On the whole
I found this to be a solid opening for what promises to be an entertaining
trilogy. Fans of the genre looking for
something new and fresh, this is definitely something you should cast your eye
over.
I am rating this novel 4/5
Micah is currently working on the sequel to this - "Touched By Darkness: Shadows of My Soul"
I look forward to continuing the story.
"Touched By Darkness" is currently available in both Hardback and
Recently I was asked to review a novel penned by a fellow author and good friend and I thought, why not?
The author in question is Dan Tobias Lewis-Dayle, an actor and writer based in Stoke-on-Trent. Dan has been writing for some time now, originally beginning with a four book fantasy/sci-fi series collectively known as the "Auriala Chronicles" .
Now he has ventured down a new literary path, namely erotic fiction. Currently set to release his third novel in the latest series I have returned to the beginning with book one.
There are a few points I need to make at
the outset. To begin with, this is not a
genre I would normally read, it is an erotic novel and the sexual content is very
graphic. While I am no prude, this is
not generally the material I would choose to read. The second issue I have with this novel is
the editing. I really feel that the
whole thing could have really benefited from a more robust editing process.
Now, having said all of that, let’s look
at the book itself. Connor Candlish is a
man with a libido that most men (and probably a few women) would kill for and
he is definitely not afraid to use it.
Following the death of his family he decided to follow his dream of
becoming a holiday rep, but the experience presents him with challenges and
dangers he never expected to face.
The book is written in the first person
from Connors’ perspective. Again this is
not a style I usually like to read but, despite that I did find myself getting
wrapped up in the intricacies of Connors’ world. The pace of the book is excellent and this is
largely due to the snappy writing style.
The story is engaging and involving and the main protagonist is a
character that you know you should hate, but somehow you don’t want to. There is a sense of tragedy in the story that
was unexpected and added a depth that, for me, made the whole thing stand out.
Although this is an erotic novel and
there is a lot of sex contained within those steamy pages, I was very gratified
to find that there was a genuinely well-conceived and intriguing story.
As I read this novel I found that quite
often it put me in mind of the series of sex comedies from the mid 1970’s. The “Confessions….” Series of films (of which
there were four) were based on a series of books of the same titles written by
Christopher Wood. Although I have never
read those novels I can easily imagine that they would read something like
this.
For lovers of this genre I would
recommend picking this book up so long as you are prepared to experience more
than mere titillation.
So there you have it. If you want to take a look at what Dan is doing then go and check out his blog page HERE
I always find it interesting reading the reviews that people leave after reading my novel "The Unwilling Recruit". I am, however, in the fortunate position of not having received a bad review so far. This is not a situation I expect to last. There is no possible way that I can expect my work to resonate with everyone who reads it. I will, however have as much respect for poor reviews as I do for the good ones. Ultimately I have to accept that and appreciate that those who write a poor review have taken just as much time and effort to share their thoughts with me as those who write good ones, and I have just as much to learn from them.
So, on to the reason for this post. As you might have guessed by now, I received a new review today, and I thought I'd share it with you.
"A book that is full of weird and wonderful surprises. A gripping
story from cover to cover, a very dark and mysterious, action-packed
read.If you are interested in all things dark and unexpected and even
if not, this book is definitely well worth the read. Definitely not what
I was expecting which made it all the more enjoyable! Thank you
and well done John! Can't wait for the next instalment."
Aimee Shenton.
Thank you Aimee. I am so glad you enjoyed it and incredibly thankful that you took the time to share your experiences.
For any author reviews are the life blood of their craft. It provides a direct connection to their audience and lets the author know if their work is resonating correctly with the intended targets.
More than that, however, reviews are our validation. There is nothing better than the feeling you get when you receive a five star review from a happy reader.
I have been very fortunate to have received some truly excellent reviews for "The Unwilling Recruit" . I am incredibly thankful and humbled by, and for, the thoughts and opinions my audience thus far has chosen to share with me. Your praise and your enjoyment of my efforts make the whole process worthwhile.
I wanted to share the latest review with you all. It comes from a gentleman by the name of Jon Land . He is a USA Today best-selling author with over 25 novels to his name already. I am extremely grateful that he took the time to read my offering and this is what he had to say about "The Unwilling Recruit" :
"The Unwilling Recruit serves up a terrifying foray into
the supernatural, offering a perfect blend of science and
superstition. John Evans' crafts his debut effort with the
polish and verve of a much more seasoned hand, proving
himself a master storyteller right out of the box. A must
I finally managed to get a book reviewer to take a look at my first novel "An Unwilling Recruit" . It was well worth the wait and all the effort. Here is a little taste of what she had to say: "Within the first few pages I was instantly drawn to the characters, and soon as eager as John to discover exactly what had occurred, and why he was suddenly so unique." If you'd like to know more then please go and read the full review at Darrienia: The Forgotten Legacies Series ~ K.J. Simmill
