book reviews |
book reviews |
Multi-genre, multi-volume author, Maurice Barkley introduces us to the second volume in the Lost and Forgotten series, “The Secret Path”: When on a mission to recover some stolen military grade hardware, retired Army Ranger, James Cagney and an elite team of FBI agents discover just how hidden, and just how shocking, the past can be. An Egyptian tomb reveals an ancient secret. A Nazi labyrinth hides a terrible power. And a quest older than civilization sends James and his team on an incredible journey to somewhere very far away. But what Mr. Cagney doesn’t know, is somebody has been there before them… What a great story of the adventures of the ever-growing Dance band! This story is so well written and the scope, indeed the series, is growing exponentially. I love science fiction and I love historical fiction, elements of the latter provide an interesting impetus and texture for the former. It is not often the two genres are combined in such an entertaining way. The author excels at dialogue and action, scene setting and description are in measured quantities that complement the story so very well. "The Secret Path" gets 4.8 stars from me. You can buy this book:
https://www.goodreads.com/-the-secret-path https://www.barnesandnoble.com/lost-and-forgotten-the secret-path https://www.amazon.com/LOST-FORGOTTEN-Secret-Path-ebook You can follow the author: https://twitter.com/MauriceBarkley https://www.facebook.com/Maurice Barkley The author has many other books in multiple series. My review of the first book in the series: www.wordrefiner.com/book-reviews/lost-and-forgotten-discovery My review of the third book: www.wordrefiner.com/book-reviews/enigma My review of the fourth book: www.wordrefiner.com/book-reviews/toward-the-unknown-region teleportation, galaxies, Nazis, aliens, quest, adventure, AI, artificial intelligence, science fiction Copyright @ 2023 Mark L. Schultz except for the author’s introduction.
40 Comments
Maurice Barkley
6/26/2023 03:22:27 pm
Looking forward to this interview.
Reply
Mark
6/26/2023 03:32:23 pm
Welcome back, Maurice. It is a pleasure and an honor to have you on the Word Refiner channel again.
Reply
6/26/2023 04:12:01 pm
I must admit that promotion is not my strong point. It appears on the bottom of my talent list, but I have to be honest, otherwise this is of no value.
Reply
Mark
6/26/2023 04:53:22 pm
Very few authors would list marketing and promoting their books as a favorite activity. Many would rather chew glass. But with more than a million books published each year it is necessary for an author to get their books in front of as many eyes as possible.
Reply
6/26/2023 08:12:54 pm
My first serious attempt, around the turn of the century, was my first tree house book. I had seven little houses in my yard, all connected by rope bridges. One visitor encouraged me to write a book and gave me information on Sterling Publishing. I had many photos and vector drawings of the houses and bridges and so I put together a book, took it to Staples for a comb binding and sent it on. My good fortune was the fact that Sterling was looking for such a book for their catalogue. During development the Sterling editor called me a lyrical writer and that’s when I got busy.
Reply
Mark
6/27/2023 08:46:32 am
Querying is very frustrating for all parties involved. Publishers and agents don't make any money unless a book sells well. They don't take chances on manuscripts that they think won't sell well anymore. Most authors are lucky to get one form letter of rejection from querying a dozen or more agents and publishers. The large majority of authors turn to Amazon just like you.
Reply
6/27/2023 04:50:30 pm
I quickly stopped seeking help formulating my query letters because I found that no one in my circle of friends of family was qualified or interested. I had no money to hire a professional. Based on my experience at that time, I can’t recommend turning to friends or family members for assistance. People were kind, but I could tell that they had zero confidence that I could be successful. They also lacked sufficient imagination.
Reply
Mark
6/27/2023 05:26:29 pm
Lack of imagination is a big hinderance for people much of the time. Not consulting friends and family for technical matters is also a good idea. They make decent beta readers, even good ones if they read a lot.
Reply
6/27/2023 08:45:10 pm
Oh boy, if this were an attempt to gather information for a biography it would lead one to ask, “How the heck did this guy ever get a single thing into the market place?” I have to think back for this and the history stored in my head goes back quite a way. I was twelve years old at the end of WWII. A neighbor across the street was a veteran of the Civil War. His name was Dan Williams and he did something with horses - that much I remember.
Reply
Mark
6/28/2023 06:58:38 am
That is an amazing historical connection that you knew a Civil War veteran!
Reply
6/28/2023 09:52:16 pm
Once again I must rummage around in one of the memory trunks in the back of my head. I recall that when I first published I chose one of the giveaways because at that time there was a lot of chatter on the web about that sort of promotion. Quite a few did download a copy, but sales were negligible. Not one to admit defeat so soon, I tried it a couple more times and received the same results. It seemed to me that I was a very minor player in a very large game. I was competing against a host of other players and indeed I believe that was the case. I felt the same about the paid promotions offered and so did nothing.
Reply
Mark
6/29/2023 08:24:57 am
Amazon and probably the other sales platforms keep changing the rules. It takes time to do the due diligence necessary to stay on top of the changes. A lot of authors struggle with the same thing. There are a lot of blogs that have been written about the tricks necessary to succeed on Amazon.
Reply
6/29/2023 08:41:25 pm
The worse for me was a person in the industry who should have immediately said no to my request, but for some reason kept stringing me along for several weeks, even though there was no reason to do so. This person seemed to agree with my questions and seemed to be acting upon them, but after many emails I realized the charade could go on indefinitely and so I quit. The no good *#$%@ of a $&*%@# did not even ask why or acknowledge me in any way.
Reply
Mark
6/29/2023 08:51:38 pm
That certainly sounds strange! What an odd situation you found yourself in. You did the right thing by getting rid of that person.
Reply
6/30/2023 03:25:28 pm
Again, to be honest, I must say that my emotions are easily fired by current events and that includes my reading habits. I’m sure many feel that this is a deficiency and perhaps it is, but nevertheless it’s been that way all my life and not likely to change, just like my tendency to write overly long sentences. (deal with it) My current lunch time read is A WOMAN OF NO IMPORTANCE, about an American spy in France during WWII. Although I am just finishing my first read—this one I will read again and again.
Reply
Mark
6/30/2023 03:56:29 pm
That sounds like a good book. Historical fiction is my third favorite genre right after science fiction and fantasy, first and second, respectively.
Reply
6/30/2023 04:47:25 pm
SOMETHING OF VALUE by Robert Ruark. I was born when FDR became president and Hitler became chancellor. There was also a depression that affected everyone. To my young mind, at the time, there was little in the way of segregation in my small town in New York State, but it was there and it was natural to a kid born into it—natural until I left town. In 1954 I was drafted and sent south. At the combination Bus/Train station I saw a neon sign over a restroom door that said, “COLOREDS ONLY”. That was my first wakeup call. Thanks to President Truman I entered a desegregated Army and by the time of my discharge I was fully awake.
Reply
Mark
6/30/2023 06:39:19 pm
Quite a momentous and tumultuous time. FDR left quite a legacy by desegregating the military.
Reply
6/30/2023 08:35:52 pm
You are testing my memory to the limits, but yes indeed, it was one of those big little books. I can’t remember the title. It was an action/adventure featuring a robot that looked like a collection of tin cans with a small propeller fastened to the top of its head. This particular story was set in a mountainous area somewhere in South America. There was a lot of jumping around. Even though I recall very little, I do know that I enjoyed it.
Reply
Mark
7/1/2023 08:56:57 am
Those are great memories! Writing books the children enjoy is a special talent.
Reply
7/1/2023 04:01:23 pm
Years ago I decided to write only what I like to read and that creates a problem when trying to rank all of my efforts—and it’s a private thing. I never talk about it unless I am asked and I am glad that you asked. Until recently it was a tie between LOST AND FORGOTTEN book 1 Discovery and SHERLOCK HOLMES Book 1 Adventure in Casablanca. But now it is a WIP. Perhaps it could be my best work we shall see.
Reply
Mark
7/1/2023 04:55:03 pm
As a young boy, I loved Sherlock's brilliant mind and read many of the stories Doyle wrote about his hero. Though in an abridged form, I must admit. I also admired the acting skill of Rathbone in his portrayal of the fictional detective until Benedict Cumberbatch took the spotlight. I also liked Watson as played by Martin Freeman.
Reply
7/1/2023 09:06:18 pm
First, the title of my fantasy short story is A PROPER WINDING. I’m sure that at some point it will change.
Reply
Mark
7/2/2023 08:22:15 am
That title has a nice ring to it. It also has a hint of steampunk. Another genre mashup I enjoy.
Reply
7/2/2023 03:06:52 pm
Okay, how do I handle bad reviews? Not well at all. If you don’t already, you should know I am a non-confrontational, Walter Mitty type introvert. When I first published LOST & FORGOTTEN book 1, I received only one bad review out of perhaps over 20. The reviewer also included a spoiler. I was ticked off Royally and Walter Mitty took over. I mentally imagined a wonderfully scorching response and even a meeting with the scoundrel. All of this was very soothing, but of course I did nothing of the sort, I did nothing at all and soon set the whole matter aside. This went on for a while and although I received very few low ratings, they did upset me and Mr. Mitty. I now have a solution—yes indeed. I ignore any bad reviews.
Reply
Mark
7/2/2023 04:05:03 pm
I am pretty similar to you. I don't like confrontation either. I think you did the right thing by not confronting the person who posted the lousy review. Nothing good would come from it if the person was trolling you. Quite a few trolls are out there and they seem to delight in causing authors anguish. The truth is a bad review validates the good reviews. It proves that the good reviews come from people other than members of your family.
Reply
7/2/2023 06:14:48 pm
These questions don’t get any easier or less personal, but I don’t mind. It’s like Popeye the sailor who says, ”I yam what I yam and that’s what I yam.” I think perhaps there are elements of healing and spirituality for me in my writing. When I write, I am GOD ALL MIGHTY, KING OF THE UNIVERSE. Events occur as I decree and people behave as I wish. Since I write some SF I am more aware of things beyond our solar system. To contemplate the size and extent of our universe indeed boggles the mind, but in the end, all of this tires me not. I am not discouraged, but It does make me wonder.
Reply
Mark
7/2/2023 06:23:37 pm
Being the author does seem like all control is in your hands. Yet, many authors report that they lose control sometimes, the characters take the reins and start giving instructions to the author. Most authors listen to their characters and are glad they did.
Reply
7/2/2023 08:49:14 pm
As the writing progresses, the characters become more real. It’s an automatic process for me. I can’t give them emotions; they reveal them as I write. I think this is vital. These people must be real to me in order for them to be real to the reader. Once these features are well established, the character or even the groups will guide me in determining the action. At times there are things involving the characters that stay with me long after the writing is finished and that’s okay. I know my explanation is a bit fuzzy, but I don’t often have a chance to talk about such things.
Reply
Mark
7/2/2023 08:59:51 pm
The realness or authenticity of the characters will be as real to the readers as they are to you. That is certainly the core of truth. I think it works the same for all writers also. The characters will fall as flat as a pancake if they are not fully fleshed out and relatable.
Reply
7/3/2023 03:36:33 pm
Unfortunately, no. My mind simply does not work that way. (In collaboration with others). I am fortunate that I found an editor I can work with. This non-collaboration does not only apply to writing, but to most aspect of my life. I am very handy at plumbing, electrical and wood working, but I have to do it alone. The few time I have worked with others has resulted in disaster.
Reply
Mark
7/3/2023 05:56:21 pm
There is no collaboration involved with NaNoWriMo. It is merely you against the clock and word count. The contest is an informal opportunity to reach a goal of 50,000 words of a first draft. Many writers join virtual groups for mutual encouragement and camaraderie. Some groups offer prizes through a random drawing to finishers. Some authors use the opportunity to work on a new idea or take a break from their WIP. Authors who are plotters develop outlines, character bibles and do as much research as they can before November first.
Reply
7/3/2023 06:29:54 pm
Definitely an over-writer. My editor had me cut over 40K from the first draft of book 1. I was more careful after that. I tend to add more detail and bring in side issues that interest me, but are not relevant to the story-that's what I'm told.
Reply
Mark
7/3/2023 07:37:54 pm
You are not the only over-writer out there. I think most authors fit in that category based on the responses I have received in my interviews. If I was a writer, I am certain I would land right in the middle of the category with you.
Reply
7/3/2023 08:06:53 pm
Only once was it a whole chapter that added nothing to the plot. I tend to worry about people moving from one place to another. I might add something along the way. I also consider mentioning things that occur daily to everyone, like stopping for lunch. I don’t have much of a problem with dialogue because I can visualize whole scenes with full color and audio. I haven’t yet figured out smell and taste
Reply
Mark
7/4/2023 10:12:21 am
That is pretty good! Bits and pieces most of the time are not too bad.
Reply
7/4/2023 03:49:40 pm
T[me for honesty again. The James Cagney character in My SF novels is not me, but the man I would like to be. This is okay because either I have the freedom to write anything or I do not. For me there is no middle ground.
Reply
Mark
7/4/2023 04:36:50 pm
There are noble people who have influence on those around them and sometimes those who come after. I think it's admirable to seek to emulate noble qualities and those who represent those qualities well.
Reply
Craig Crawford
1/4/2024 11:49:14 am
I read the blurb on your series (and now the interview) and this sounds like it's right up my alley for reading. Am buying the first book and I will review when I get it read!
Reply
Mark
1/4/2024 12:18:50 pm
That's great, Craig! I have no doubt you will enjoy the book and the series.
Reply
Leave a Reply. |
Who am I?An avid reader, typobuster, and the Hyper-Speller. I am a husband, father, and grandfather. Archives
October 2024
Categories |
|
"I'm very pleased with all your efforts. Twitter promotion and proofreading were beyond what I expected with a book review. Your suggestions throughout the process of refining both books helped me immensely. I look forward to working with you again." A.E.H Veenman “Dial QR for Murder” and “Prepped for the Kill”
|