Book Title: Conquist

Series: n/a

Author: Dirk Strasser

Publication Date: September 1^st, 2024

Publisher: Roundfire Books

Pages: 360

Genre: Historical Fantasy

Twitter Handle: @DirkStrasser @cathiedunn @MaryLSchmidt

Instagram Handle: @thecoffeepotbookclub

Hashtags: #HistoricalFantasy #MagicRealism #Conquistadors #Incas #BlogTour #TheCoffeePotBookClub

Tour Schedule Page: https://thecoffeepotbookclub.blogspot.com/2024/09/blog-tour-conquist-by-dirk-strasser.html

Book Title and Author Name:

Conquist

Dirk Strasser

Blurb:

Capitán Cristóbal de Varga’s drive for glory and gold in 1538 Peru leads him and his army of conquistadors into a New World that refuses to be conquered. He is a man torn by life-long obsessions and knows this is his last campaign.

What he doesn’t know is that his Incan allies led by the princess Sarpay have their own furtive plans to make sure he never finds the golden city of Vilcabamba. He also doesn’t know that Héctor Valiente, the freed African slave he appointed as his lieutenant, has found a portal that will lead them all into a world that will challenge his deepest beliefs. And what he can’t possibly know is that this world will trap him in a war between two eternal enemies, leading him to question everything he has devoted his life to – his command, his Incan princess, his honor, his God.

In the end, he faces the ultimate dilemma: how is it possible to battle your own obsessions . . . to conquer yourself?

Why novels don’t need subtitles

Dirk Strasser

The 2024 historical miniseries Shōgun features English, Japanese and Portuguese characters. In addition to those three languages, Dutch, Spanish, and Latin are also spoken at times. Interestingly, the only languages spoken onscreen are English and Japanese. The Portuguese, which have a significant role in the storyline, speak English, while the Japanese speak Japanese with English subtitles. The obvious question is why? Why don’t they all speak their own language with the appropriate subtitles for the audience? Or why don’t they all speak English?

The answer to this is worth exploring.

Shōgun (both the original historical novel and the current series) is based on real historical events and people. It’s essentially a story about the collision of two cultures, and cultures are intrinsically tied to their languages. John Blackthorne is the first Englishman to ever set foot on Japan. He can’t speak a word of Japanese and the Japanese characters can’t speak any English. This presents a whole lot of potential plot pitfalls. One way around it is for one or more of the characters to learn the other’s language, but that takes time and the urgency of the action can dissipate. Learning a new language as an adult is hard. And assuming you want to have a fairly sophisticated interchange between your characters, it would be a monumental task for anyone to get to that level without years of hard work and instruction.

The alternative solution the Shōgun filmmakers came up with was to have a third intermediary language, in this case Portuguese, that both could speak. This was both historically authentic, and it still allowed audiences to access the story seamlessly. But more than that, this use of an intermediary language and the various exchanges involving translation became crucial plot points.

Historical drama and historical novels both have the problem of needing to balance authenticity with accessibility, but screen drama and narrative fiction are different mediums, and the screenwriter and the novelist have different tools at their disposal when it comes to language. The major distinction is that novelists can’t use subtitles.

Much of the dramatic tension in Shōgun came from the fact that by reading the subtitles, the audience are aware of things that the characters were oblivious to. The subtitles became central to the plot rather than just being a mechanism for getting the viewers to understand what was happening. The character of Mariko acts as Blackthorne’s interpreter for much of the series, but we can see from the subtitles that she often protects him by moderating what he says with her translation, while at other times she omits details in her own self-interest.

When I was writing my historical fantasy novel Conquist and its screenplay in tandem, I became hyper aware of the differences in the ways I was able to treat languages. The main characters in Conquist are either Spanish or Incan, but since 1538 was quite some time after first contact, there was some understanding of each other’s languages.

Dealing with Spanish and the Incan language Quechua was relatively straightforward, but I had the extra complication of first contact with two fantasy races, the duende and the ñakaqs., each with their own languages. In an early draft I had the duende have the magical ability to instantly learn other languages and the ñakaqs able to learn languages quickly—but it just didn’t feel right. I knew it was a cop out. You can’t get away with it in a historical fantasy which depends on the authenticity of the setting and is grounded in a sense of reality despite its fantasy elements.

I couldn’t simply use a convenient plot device. I had to go back to the drawing board. In the end, I restructured the plot significantly so that Quechua became the intermediary language that crossed over with the others. This transformed the plot and deepened the world-building. The novel and the screenplay ended up being much better because I was forced to find a solution to how the characters could realistically communicate with each other.

As an example of the relative ease of writing subtitles in a screenplay, here’s a scene opening from Conquist:

INT. HUARCAY’S TENT – DAY

Huarcay and Sarpay sit on a nest of embroidered cushions surrounded by servants. Musicians play bone flutes and drums as a storm howls outside. They speak in Quechua, SUBTITLED:

SARPAY

You know these Spaniards are just

men under all that hair.

Huarcay sips a cup of tea raised to his mouth by a servant.

So, in this scene the two characters on screen are actually speaking Quechua with English subtitles. In the novel version they are speaking English and there is no comment about what language they are speaking. Context and convention indicate that they are speaking in their own language.

The filmed version would feel authentic, but how do you make the novel version provide a similar level of authenticity?

My feeling is when writing a historical novel, the representation of languages other than English needs to be unobtrusive. It shouldn’t interrupt the flow. The reader shouldn’t be pulled out of the story. However, I feel it’s best to try to achieve this while still giving a perception that the character isn’t speaking in English. How do you achieve the suspension of disbelief as far the actual language being spoken is concerned? My solution in Conquist, where most of the characters are Spanish, is to use some relevant Spanish words, usually ones that are similar enough in English that the reader can guess the meaning from the context, for example ‘entrada’ instead of ‘entrance’. I also have one of the characters swearing in Spanish, where it’s clear that he is swearing even if you don’t actually know what the word means. When a character isn’t speaking their first language, I also avoid contractions like “didn’t” and “wouldn’t”, using instead the more formal-sounding “did not” and “would not”.

I wanted Cristóbal’s diary entries to be in a totally different style to the rest of the book. My aim was to have the reader in two minds as to whether the diary had actually been found in the archives of a Peruvian museum. Based on a couple of reviews of Conquist I’ve read, I think I achieved that. Hopefully my approach strikes the right balance between authenticity and accessibility.

The key to verisimilitude in narrative fiction lies in the very nature of reading. Novels, of course, play out in your head, while films play out on an external screen. When prompted in the right way, the mind can achieve some quite striking effects. One of these helps you to convince yourself that characters are speaking in another language. Who needs subtitles when the magic of reading does it for you?

Buy Links:

Universal Amazon Buy Link: https://books2read.com/u/4AM52K

Publisher’s Conquist page: https://www.collectiveinkbooks.com/roundfire-books/our-books/conquist-novel

Author Bio:

Dirk Strasser’s epic fantasy trilogy The Books of Ascension—Zenith, Equinox and Eclipse—was published in German and English, and his short stories have been translated into several European languages. “The Doppelgänger Effect” appeared in the World Fantasy Award-winning anthology Dreaming Down Under. He is the co-editor of Australia’s premier science-fiction and fantasy magazine, Aurealis.

Dirk was born in Germany but has lived most of his life in Australia. He has written a series of best-selling school textbooks, trekked the Inca trail to Machu Picchu and studied Renaissance history. “Conquist” was first published as a short story in the anthology Dreaming Again (HarperCollins). The serialized version of Conquist was a finalist in the Aurealis Awards Best Fantasy Novel category. Dirk’s screenplay version of Conquist won the Wildsound Fantasy/Sci-Fi Festival Best Scene Reading Award and was a featured finalist in the Cinequest Film & Creativity Festival and the Creative World Awards.

Author Links:

Website: https://www.dirkstrasser.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DirkStrasser

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100054955883297

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dirk-strasser-1249a949/

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com.au/stores/author/B00CWMHGHO

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/203225407-conquist

Dirk’s blog: https://www.dirkstrasser.com/dirks-blog

Book Link

From Amazon:

Yikes! Fiona’s been having a recurring nightmare and it’s driving her to distraction—so much so that she’s allowed her kooky neighbor, Astrid Dingle, to search for the answer through her crystal ball. What could be the cause of the dream, and what lengths will Fiona go to get to the crux of it all? You’ll be chasing dreams with Fiona, Detective Landry and Astrid in this fun quick mystery!

My Review:

Mary Schmidt

5.0 out of 5 stars Short hilarious read Reviewed in the United States on October 2, 2024

Verified Purchase

This book was a delightful, short, and hilarious read. The author managed to impart fear into me via snakes, and bouts of laughing at antics of young children.

Book Link

From Amazon:

When the past and present collide, how can she step into her future?

All eighteen-year-old Rachel Webster has to worry about is keeping her mum and dad off her back. That is until she accidentally uncovers paperwork revealing she’s adopted.

That’s when things begin to spiral. A new revelation surfaces, the coil tightens, and Rachel’s entire world is under threat.

She’s dazzled by hope but has she opened Pandora’s box?

Peggy Davies is happily married with two children and her life is almost complete. When a teenager makes contact out of the blue, she believes her prayers have been answered.

That is until her dream turns into a nightmare and her family is in danger of being destroyed.


A 1970s family drama centring around strong women, love, and friendship.

Perfect for Reading-Group Fiction

Read as a standalone or as the first book in the trilogy

My Review:

Well. This book is totally a triangle and in an unexpected way. Where to begin? One family with money and one with less. One daughter adopted and searched for her natural parents. Young couples in love and mix in a bit of mental illness to be dealt with, an eating disorder that has killed women and girls in real life – think Karen Carpenter, and the nuances of the time period and clothing styles. Did I mention love? Abundant love, yet despair at the same time. The author takes the reader into this story and makes the reader experience the love, hurt, pain, despair, anger, and all other feelings. Those are qualities that make a book great!

Book Title: The Pirate’s Physician

Series: A Thrilling Companion novella to the Sea and Stone Chronicles

Author: Amy Maroney

Publication Date: September 5^th, 2024

Publisher: Artelan Press

Pages: 204

Genre: Historical Romance

Twitter Handles: @wilaroney @cathiedunn

Instagram Handles: @amymaroneywrites @thecoffeepotbookclub @MaryLSchmidt

Hashtags: #Renaissance #HistoricalRomance #PirateBooks #SeaAdventure #BlogTour #TheCoffeePotBookClub

Tour Schedule Page: https://thecoffeepotbookclub.blogspot.com/2024/08/blog-tour-the-pirates-physician-by-amy-maroney.html

Book Title and Author Name:

The Pirate’s Physician: A Thrilling Companion Novella to the Sea and Stone Chronicles

by Amy Maroney

Blurb:

When her world shatters, she dares to trust a pirate. Will she survive what comes next?

The Pirate’s Physician is the story of Giuliana Rinaldi, a student at Salerno’s famed medieval medical school, whose lifelong dream of becoming a physician crumbles when her uncle and mentor dies suddenly.

Faced with an unwanted marriage to a ruthless merchant, Giuliana enlists the help of a Basque pirate and flees home for the dangers of the open sea.

Will she make it to Genoa, where her only remaining relative awaits? Or will this impulsive decision seal her own doom?

A delightful seafaring adventure packed with romance and intrigue, The Pirate’s Physician is a companion novella to the award-winning Sea and Stone Chronicles series of historical novels by Amy Maroney: Island of Gold, Sea of Shadows, and The Queen’s Scribe.

Buy Link:

Universal Buy Link: https://mybook.to/PiratesPhysician

Author Bio:

Amy Maroney lives in the Pacific Northwest with her family, and spent many years as a writer and editor of nonfiction before turning her hand to historical fiction.

Amy is the author of the Miramonde Series, a trilogy about a Renaissance-era female artist and the modern-day scholar on her trail. Amy’s new series, Sea and Stone Chronicles, features strong, talented women seeking their fortunes in the medieval Mediterranean.

To receive a free prequel novella to the Miramonde Series, join Amy Maroney’s readers’ group at http://www.amymaroney.com.

Author Links:

Website: https://www.amymaroney.com/

Twitter: https://x.com/wilaroney

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amymaroneyauthor/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amymaroneywrites/

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/amyloveshistory/

Book Bub:  https://www.bookbub.com/authors/amy-maroney

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Amy-Maroney/author/B01LYHPXEO

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15831603.Amy_Maroney

Please welcome author Heather Lynn to my blog.  It’s a crisp day for September, Heather. Shall we chat near the fire this morning?

1. Please introduce yourself to those reading this blog post.

Hello all! I am a happily married mother of 3 young men—stay home mom turned author. Some may think I live in a fantasy world, but I don’t mind, I quite like it there.

My interests have always been in the area of biology, physiology, and the health sciences. And the possibility and impossibility of time travel has always intrigued me. I always expected I’d end up working in a hospital or lab somewhere; I never would have predicted I would want to write a book, let alone a fictional series, but here we are! My series is called The Sky Watcher Series.

• Has writing always been part of your life and when did you “know” that it was time to start writing your first book?

Actually, it wasn’t part of my life at all. My education and background are strictly science-y, so my writing experience was more a research/essay type of thing. Then came a day when I found I had a story in my heart. At that time, I was in my early forties and my youngest had settled into school. I thought “What the heck?” and started to do my research…

• How difficult was it writing your first book?

As a reader, I tend to favour series’. I read books that are standalones, of course, but I have found that I like a story that takes me through the different adventures and stages in someone’s life. I love to read on about the stuff that happens after the story ends. So, in that respect, the story I’m writing is an epic one (five books in total). The writing came surprisingly easily. I guess when the story is there just waiting to be told, the words come with little effort. They don’t come with perfect punctuation, though. I always thought I had that pretty much figured out but then I got my first MS back from the editor!! 😂

In truth, my biggest challenge was the length of the story. For the genre, this story is longer than agents/publishers will consider for a newbie. In fact, they won’t even give it a chance. There were several that told me if I could break it up into 2 stories, they’d be happy to consider it. I didn’t feel I could do that, I still don’t. A Shadow in Time (#1) is complete as it is and is the first installment of Sky Watcher’s story. Call me stubborn. In the end, I published the first two books with a self-publishing company who helped me put out my best story. I’ve learned much since then and have published the others on my own. I am a proud indie author!

• Have you ever wanted to give up and what stopped you?

I’ve never wanted to give up writing the story. It needs to be written to be read! The marketing aspect of it is another story. The effort MUST be made, but it’s time consuming and often for nothing. Since I began, social media has changed from the #writingcommunity sharing, helping, and always visible to each other for free, to algorithms that favour paid/verified profiles, leaving the rest with very low visibility. I often feel invisible out there. That is difficult.

• Who is the most supportive of you and your dream to be a writer?

My family is very supportive. They encourage me, read my stuff, they give me input, and always want to hear what’s new. They are proud of me for doing what makes my heart happy. There are also some special members of the writing and reading communities who are very supportive—offering advice, reading early copies, and leaving reviews without reminding. 

• How did your story evolve? What is your process?

To start, I’d say that in almost every book I read, whatever the genre, romance plays a part (small or large). As well, I’ve always enjoyed time travel stories, from Doctor Who and Back to the Future, to The Time Traveler’s Wife and Outlander.

When this story presented itself to me, I saw the whole thing . . . all of it! And it included romance and time travel elements. The bones of this story/series were planned from the beginning, resulting in what will be a 5-book series. As such, only the major events were planned, but everything was determined as I wrote the first two books. This is good and bad. Good, because I know where I’m going as I navigate my way through the story. Bad, because I am always sooooo eager to move on to the next plot point. Sometimes it’s difficult not to jump ahead to the next book. That being said, the final lines of the saga were written as I wrote book 3. I couldn’t help myself.

This story is about a young woman who deliberately travelled back in time for a specific purpose—to save a possible ancestor. I knew her basic personality traits, but I had to conceive of a way to get to 1818 that was as believable as fiction will allow. I considered everything—standing stones, a time machine, a clock, had already been done. Magic? Perhaps. As I researched a variety of beliefs and powers, two things came to me hand-in-hand, Wicca and the powers within stones and crystals.

My MC Charlotte is a Wiccan—she has a specific outlook, a way of celebrating her deities, and of living life in harmony with nature.

Am I a Wiccan? No. Do I find Wicca an interesting subject? Definitely! I researched Wiccan rituals, Sabbats, moon phases, and herbals and found it extremely interesting. When I stumbled upon the “magic” within stones and crystals, I was fascinated. I was driven to write by these new interests, incorporating them into the story, infusing them into my main character’s belief system.

As a girl who grew up handing in research essays, writing fiction was an about-face. And yet, as these new ideas/interests took shape, I found myself loving the writing and my characters.

• What is the best advice given to you (book or otherwise), and by whom?

“You can do anything you set your mind to.”

My parents always reminded me of this as I grew up. I should always try and have faith in myself. After all, you can’t succeed if you don’t try, right?

• What is your target audience and what aspect of your writing do you feel targets that audience?

The friendships, romance(s), and challenges in the story, together with characters you absolutely love or love to hate, makes this a story I would enjoy reading. The story appeals to women, young and not-so-young. But, don’t get me wrong, men read and enjoy it, too.

• How did the cover evolve? Did you work with someone to make it come together for you?

My covers have all evolved in the same way: I have an idea, with several specific images in mind; my cover designer and I pass the ideas back and forth until we come up with THE cover. Each is unique and perfect for the story.

1. What are you working on now? Can we get a peek, an excerpt?

At present, I am working on the last book of the series. It does not have a title yet and I’m afraid any excerpts would be spoilers, but I can say it contains a twist or two you won’t see coming!!

1. Any last words before we wrap things up?

A little more about my process . . . Love and destiny develop as a theme over the span of the series: kindred spirits, soul mates, and fate form a thin thread woven through the story. “Meddling with time” is an idea I will always embrace because it makes you think, “If that happened because she went back in time, then what if . . ?” So, some events in the story take a minute to think through. I would like to think a reader would enjoy the journey as much as me.

Navigating all things time travel is a tricky business. As an author, I can only apply my view of what would happen if one travelled in time: others would certainly take a different approach. However, since time travel doesn’t exist to date, my way works for me, plus, this is fiction so …

As I said earlier, when this story came to me, I saw the whole thing, i.e. when someone would travel, who would travel, and why, over the length of the story. Working it out? Well, that’s the fun part. Charlotte’s belief system has her “travelling” on the night of a new moon and arriving under a full moon. The dates and times of the moon’s phases throughout the series are accurate. This took time/research. Then there’s the question of how things in the present would change based on past changed events. Some nights, I lie in bed thinking about this and it all makes perfect sense—for a minute—then my mind says “WHAT?!!!”, my eyes open and I have to start from scratch. I’m pretty sure I’ve got it sorted out now.🤔

I hope anyone who reads book 1, finishes the last line and wants to read on, to see what happens in book 2, and the ones that follow. But when they finish that last book, I hope they feel satisfied, moved, like they learned a thing or two, and maybe just a little sad that it’s over.one who picks up book

BIO…

Heather Lynn, born in Toronto, Ontario, lives with her family just north of the city. Her education in biology and health sciences has supported an ongoing interest in physiology and the potential of herbal healing. In addition, she has been intrigued by the possibility and impossibility of time travel since childhood.  When she’s not writing, Heather enjoys family time, working in her garden, and learning more about the ‘power’ of stones.

Links 

author page:  

https://www.amazon.com/author/heather.lynn

website:          

https://www.HeatherLynnBooks.com

Facebook:       

https://www.facebook.com/SkyWatcher.hl

Twitter:           

Tweets by SkyWatcher_HL

Instagram:      

https://www.instagram.com/SkyWatcher_HL

Goodreads:    

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19550977.Heather_Lynn

Amazon:         

https://mybook.to/SkyWatcher

Barnes & Noble:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sky-watcher-heather-lynn/1132647231?ean=9781777791612

Chapters:      

http://www.indigo.ca/en-ca/sky-watcher-a-shadow-in-time/9781525541698.html

Kobo:            

https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/ebook/sky-watcher-2

Apple:           

https://books.apple.com/ca/book/sky-watcher/id1590662900

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Sky_Watcher_A_Shadow_in_Time?id=26VMEAAAQBAJ&hl=en&gl=CA&pli=1

Book Title: Ships of War — Murky Waters

Series: Ships of War

Author: Bradley John

Publication Date: 3^rd September 2024

Publisher: Historium Press

Page Length: 460

Genre: Naval Adventure Fiction

Twitter Handle: @cathiedunn

Instagram Handle: @bradley.john.author @thecoffeepotbookclub @MaryLSchmidt

Hashtags: #HistoricalFiction #NavalFiction #NavalAdventure #BlogTour #TheCoffeePotBookClub

Tour Schedule Page: https://thecoffeepotbookclub.blogspot.com/2024/06/blog-tour-ships-of-war-murky-waters-by-bradley-john.html

Book Title and Author Name:

Ships of War — Murky Waters

by Bradley John

Blurb:

1791 — England’s cannon remain ever silent as her shipping is ruthlessly preyed upon, a detestable state of affairs, though soon to be remedied…

England is ill prepared, Europe is in turmoil and the French Revolution is readying to sweep across the continent. A tedious uneasy peace poises on a knife’s edge. Brittana rules the waves, yet as more and more ships mysteriously vanish, it is rightly thought an act of war. However, England needs more time, or all could be lost.

With war looming, Lieutenant Hayden Reginald Cooper, Royal Navy, awaits in Portsmouth braving a bitter cold winter with half pay, beached in a constant state of penury. With little prospects, little “interest” and no chance of promotion or advancement, he is the perfect choice for the Admiralty: unknown, unimportant and wholly dispensable.

As so it begins, a turbulent action-packed naval adventure within the murky waters preceding war, the French piracy soon to discover the grit of a lowly Lieutenant, one who has very little to lose…

Excerpt

Ships of War — Murky Waters (excerpt)

Bradley John ©

Chapter 10

Agamemnon snuck around the shoreline like an African cat slinking about a waterhole, waiting hungrily on its prey. They were in the shadow of Sheppey now, the sun rapidly descending almost directly behind them. The ship started to make way considerably, the bow nodding heavily in descent and ascent, determined to scythe deep the murk of the Channel. The jacks were not ignorant either of their captain’s cunning. He had been as slippery as an old hand nicking the rum. It would take a lookout of some quality to now spot Agamemnon running fine in the afternoon shadow with the sun squarely disappearing. It was a point of honour to serve with a captain who was no fool and how they buzzed as they weathered the speed of the ship making way. The far horizon deepened, finally falling dim. Underneath the flash of battle flickered haphazardly, Thor’s hammer sparking within a darkened cloud. They could hear the cannon fire now, much the same as a faint thunder breaking the distance on a stormy night. The jacks popped up their good ears, waiting and listening, some older hands counting the intervals to attest the cannon crews’ skill, others immediately insisting they were six pounders on one brig and eight pounders on the other.

Cooper took the time to settle his thoughts, play through the relevant and most likely scenarios. A British ship was under fire, running for their very lives. He was required to render immediate assistance, there was no other course, lest he enjoyed hanging. But he had not a full complement and there was an uncertainty in the crew, something to which he couldn’t shake. They were new and were yet to fight together as such. Some had not been aboard a ship for years. This wasn’t the prudence for which he and Nelson had painstakingly planned. Should he come up on the action and suddenly find a seventy-four, or a squadron of pirates, all could be lost. It was a good guess no pirate would wait around to take charge of a third rate with some four hundred men. No, indeed, they would be of a mind to just sink her and be done with it. And with that, Cooper would also be sunk, his career and livelihood abruptly at an end, that is should he somehow manage to even survive.

Buy Link:

Universal Buy Link: https://books2read.com/u/br2gDZ

Author Bio:

Bradley John Tatnell (aka “Bradley John”) is an Australian novelist whose ancestry can be traced back to the Norman Conquest in England. His forbears lived mostly in Kent, Hertfordshire and the Isle of Thanet. Some were mariners and some were even of the aristocracy. His direct ancestors arrived in Australia soon after its colonisation in the late 1700’s, most of which were proud country folk. James Squire, a notable character in history, who arrived on the first fleet in 1788, was his (sixth) great grandfather.

Bradley John graduated from the Church of England Grammar School at age 16 and the Queensland University of Technology at age 19. His early life was spent mainly in the arena of law.

Bradley John has a love of all things ancient and historical, including golf, to which he plays with ye old hickory shafted clubs including the original heads from pre-1935. He also studies the ancient art of Korean sword, having attained master level. His love of language, in all its forms, now extends to the pursuit of conquering Hangul, the language of the Korean people.

Bradley John has been privately writing novels since 2003. “Ships of War — Murky Waters”, his first publication, births a series of naval adventure fiction intended to span the length of the French Revolutionary Wars. This of course is the much loved genre which includes the thundering Hornblower series by C.S. Forester, the Aubrey-Maturin series by Patrick O’Brian and the popular “Master and Commander” blockbuster by Peter Weir. Owing to Bradley John’s English heritage, no guesses are needed to determine which side the book’s heroes will sail upon…

Author Links:

Website: https://www.bradleyjohnauthor.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Bradley-John-Author/61555706665586

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bradley.john.author

Book Link

From Amazon:

A Hypnotic StarSeed

A Mysterious Island

A Cosmic Reboot

Gaia is perishing. The Wizard of Bondage has hijacked humanity’s existence in the astral realm using psychic warfare. In a last-ditch effort, Mother Earth sounds the alarm and activates the StarSeed Quest.

Roma, the Custodian of the Galaxy, has been captured and imprisoned on a remote island by dark forces loyal to the Wizard. She telepathically communicates with Jo to guide her perilous mission on a school trip to the Canary Islands.

While Jo and her friends learn the truth about the Ancient Galactic Wars, they are targeted by shapeshifting assassins and lured into a Compound where Darkness reigns.

Emotions, Reality, and Timelines collide as Jo is thrust into the center of an epic cosmic reboot. Will the Blade of Truth devour her Soul? Will the balance between light and dark finally shift?

My Review:

This book is a nice story regarding our planet and different realms, be they dark or light. Jo and her friends are targeted by shape-shifting killers. The book is epic and speaks deeply into the souls of each character. One must allow for light and transcendent beliefs. Astral planes and rising to refine her path across the rainbow bridge of a fourth dimensional realm and more. Let the story soak in.