Tag Archives: military fiction

First Line Friday — The Long March Home

5 May

Happy Friday! I am so pleased to feature The Long March Home, a WWII-era novel set in the Pacific from two great authors, Tosca Lee and Marcus Brotherton. Their collaboration inspired by true stories is sure to be an excellent book. Look for my review in a few weeks.

Here’s the first line:

I admire the new cut of my khakis in the latrine mirror, flexing just enough to test the stretch of the shirt across my shoulder blades.

Jimmy Propfield joined the army for two reasons: to get out of Mobile, Alabama, with his best friends Hank and Billy and to forget his high school sweetheart, Claire. 

Life in the Philippines seems like paradise–until the morning of December 8, 1941, when news comes from Manila: Imperial Japan has bombed Pearl Harbor. Within hours, the teenage friends are plunged into war as enemy warplanes attack Luzon, beginning a battle for control of the Pacific Theater that will culminate with a last stand on the Bataan Peninsula and end with the largest surrender of American troops in history. 

What follows will become known as one of the worst atrocities in modern warfare: the Bataan Death March. With no hope of rescue, the three friends vow to make it back home together. But the ordeal is only the beginning of their nearly four-year fight to survive. 

Inspired by true stories, The Long March Home is a gripping coming-of-age tale of friendship, sacrifice, and the power of unrelenting hope.

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First Line Friday — The Scepter And The Isle

19 Aug

Happy Friday! I am again spotlighting a guys book this week. My husband enjoyed The first book in The Islands series by Murray Pura and Patrick E. Craig. I picked up book 2, The Scepter And The Isle as soon as I could! Book one featured Guadalcanal, and this one is set in Tarawa and Saipan. A third book is also planned. Check this series out for those who love the WWII-era time period.

Here’s the first line:

The world has changed — at least for the men of the 2nd Division.

CHANTICLEER INTERNATIONAL BOOK AWARDS FINALIST — HEMINGWAY 20TH CENTURY WARTIME FICTION

It did not end with Guadalcanal. It did not end with one island. There were more islands… an island with snow-capped peaks, friendly people, blue seas, where Bud found love with his Tongan princess. Where Billy breathed the clean air of mountains where no danger lurked. Where Johnny found a way to drain the hate that drove him mad. They found life again after the death-filled frenzy of Guadalcanal. But the God of war was not done with them. More islands sent their siren call from beyond distant horizons and they were cast upon dark shores. Islands with coconut palms, dense green jungle and death. Islands that took more life than they ever gave back. Islands where women killed like men, islands filled with the most brutal soldiers the Japanese Empire could offer. Tarawa. Saipan. Islands that had to be endured. Islands they had to survive. There was no other way to bring the war to an end. There was no other way to get home again.

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Book Review: Rule of Law

19 Sep

What did the president know? And when did she know it?

For the members of SEAL Team Six, it was a rare mission ordered by the president, monitored in real time from the Situation Room. The Houthi rebels in Yemen had captured an American journalist and a member of the Saudi royal family. Their executions were scheduled for Easter Sunday. The SEAL team would break them out.

But when the mission results in spectacular failure, the finger-pointing goes all the way to the top.

Did the president play political games with the lives of U.S. service members?

Paige Chambers, a determined young lawyer, has a very personal reason for wanting to know the answer. The case she files will polarize the nation and test the resiliency of the Constitution. The stakes are huge, the alliances shaky, and she will be left to wonder if the saying on the Supreme Court building still holds true.

Equal justice under law.

It makes a nice motto. But will it work when one of the most powerful people on the planet is also a defendant?

Randy Singer is a critically acclaimed author and veteran trial attorney. He has penned more than ten legal thrillers, including his award-winning debut novel “Directed Verdict.” In addition to his law practice and writing, he serves as a teaching pastor for Trinity Church in Virginia Beach, Virginia. He also teaches classes in advocacy and ethics at Regent Law School and serves on the school’s Board of Visitors.

Find out more about Randy at http://www.randysinger.net.

 

My Impressions:

Rule of Law by Randy Singer is fiction, but to this cynical reader, it could just as easily be the depiction of a real-life scandal with wide-ranging implications. And that’s what makes this novel not just an unputdownable adrenaline-laced book with both courtroom and battlefield drama, but a really believable story of intrigue, deception, and cover-up at the highest levels of government. Filled with well-developed characters and a plot that is all too possible, Rule of Law is suspense at its best. It gets a very highly recommended rating from me.

Paige Chambers is a young prosecutor who specializes in appellate cases when she meets Patrick Quillen. Patrick, or Q, as he is known to friends and colleagues, is a dedicated and determined Navy SEAL. An all-in kind of guy, he soon wins Paige’s heart. But the unbelievable happens, and Paige is left to grieve. She soon becomes embroiled in uncovering a military mission gone horribly wrong. But power often corrupts, and Paige has to decide just who has caused the unthinkable to occur.

There is so much right with Rule of Law — page-turning suspense in the courtroom and in war zones, a plot that seems inconceivable, but you fear is all too plausible, and characters that you can cheer for as they fight corrupt government officials. Set in the highest halls of D.C., courts of law, and the war torn middle East, it portrays an Executive Branch that has seized power for its own agenda. Written before the 2016 election concluded, the novel is pure fiction, but draws on the actions of previous administrations and trends in our fight of terrorism. Singer has done his research to make Rule of Law highly readable and believable. A bonus to this military/legal suspense novel, is the faith thread that Singer weaves throughout the novel. Not preachy, it, nevertheless, makes a clear statement of the power and sovereignty of God in our lives. There is one chapter in particular in which main character Paige comes to terms with the turmoil and sorrow in her life. The images are profound and made me think long after I closed the covers.

If you love military or legal suspense novels, then you have got to read Rule of Law. I could not put this one down and will not hesitate to recommend it to everyone I know. Excellent and insightful, this novel will be on my best of 2017 list.

Very Highly Recommended.

Audience: adults.

To purchase, click HERE.

(Thanks to LitFuse for a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)

 

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Book Review: Resurrect

27 Nov

Book 1 in the Resurrect Trilogy.

Preventing his burning fighter from crashing into a neighborhood, Navy Commander Josh Logan ejects … too late.

Critically injured, he’s offered a new life and mission exploit highly classified military technology to stop a global cataclysm. The price? He’ll be dead to everyone he knows.

He wakes in a city hospital with a genetically enhanced body and no identity. With the help of his brilliant, Neuro ICU nurse, and guided by nothing but a voice, he must infiltrate the military-industrial complex to develop the world’s most powerful weapon … to protect humanity?

Excerpt

A Navy fighter pilot with hundreds of aircraft carrier landings, Commander David E Stevens holds degrees from Cornell and the University of Michigan with graduate work in astrophysics. He test piloted new fighters and received an aviation patent. With a Top Secret clearance, Dave served as Strike Operations Officer for the Persian Gulf during Desert Storm and led classified defense programs. He’s traveled to over two dozen countries.

Find out more about David E. at http://www.resurrecttrilogy.com/.

My Impressions:

Resurrect is part adventure, part science fiction that uses David Stevens’ military experience to capture an authentic feel. An interesting premise, a man is somehow saved from death and brought back to life with a new and enhanced body to combat a crisis facing the Earth. Josh Logan had no relationship with God, yet God has chosen him to accomplish mighty things, if Josh chooses to participate.

Resurrect is full of action and rich in scientific and military detail. But I just could not get into this book. I don’t think it is the fault of the book — the writing and characterization are well done. I just think I am not the target audience for it. So while it was not my cup of tea, if you like adrenelin-laced action combined with technology, pick up Resurrect.

(I received a copy of Resurrect from LitFuse in return for an honest review. The opinions expressed are mine alone.)

To read other reviewers’ thoughts, click HERE.

RESURRECT BY DAVID E. STEVENS | KINDLE FIRE GIVEAWAY, FACEBOOK PARTY AND BLOG TOUR

Welcome to the campaign launch for David E. Stevens new Resurrect Trilogy. Resurrect is an apocalyptic thriller based on real world threats from cutting-edge science. A Colorado Gold finalist for Best Action Thriller of the Year, it’s been optioned for a major motion picture by Producer Fred Miller (When Angels Sing starring Harry Connick Jr.).

To celebrate David has teamed up with his publisher, Kregel Publications, for a Kindle Fire Giveaway and Facebook Author Chat Party {12/4}.

One “thrilling” winner will receive:

  • A Kindle Fire
  • Resurrect by David E. Stevens

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on December 3rd. Winner will be announced at the “Resurrect” Author Chat Facebook Party on 12/4. Connect with David, get a sneak peek of the next book in the Resurrect Trilogy, try your hand at the trivia contest, and win some great prizes – gift certificates, books and a Book Club Prize Pack to be won (10 copies for your book club or small group)!

So grab your copy of Resurrect and join David on the evening of the December 4th for a chance to connect with David and make some new friends. (If you haven’t read the book – don’t let that stop you from coming!)

DON’T MISS A MOMENT OF THE FUN, RSVP TODAY. TELL YOUR FRIENDS VIA FACEBOOK OR TWITTER AND INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING. HOPE TO SEE YOU ON THE 4TH!

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Book Review: Paid In Blood

8 Nov

Special agent Will Coburn and his NCIS team are investigating the death of a serviceman near the Korean DMZ. When Will discovers that the body doesn’t match the identity of the murdered soldier—and that one of his own colleagues is wearing a wire—he wonders whom he can trust. Will he turn to God for the answers? 

 

 

 

Mel Odom is a full-time writer with many published works to his credit. Mel has been inducted into the Oklahoma Professional Writers Hall of Fame and received the Alex Award for his fantasy novel The Rover. The first novel in the Apocalypse series, Apocalypse Dawn, continues to appear on the best-seller list. Mel resides in Oklahoma with his wife and five children.

 

 

My Impressions:

Paid In Blood by Mel Odom is this month’s pick of my book club, By The Book. Although our preferred genre is suspense, I think this is the first military suspense fiction that we have read.  And I have a feeling that we won’t be choosing another any time soon if Paid In Blood is an example of what to expect from this genre.

I initially liked this book, despite the graphic descriptions of crime scenes and gun fights.   I enjoyed the processes the NCIS team took to uncover the intricacies of a crime scene and the identification of a a perpetrator.  However, the book soon evolved into the actions of a NCIS team that became more of a black ops team.  I just didn’t find it credible that forensic investigators were leading an attack to stop the launch of nuclear missiles.  Something tells me that Navy SEALS would not take a second seat in that kind of operation.  And it was stretching the imagination just a bit that they could also uncover in just a few hours time what the CIA had been working on for much longer.  There was some soap opera-ish scenes as well concerning the team members’ personal lives.

All in all, I guess I really didn’t like this one.  It will be interesting to find out what the other members of my book club think.  If you have read Paid In Blood, I would like to get your take on it.  Please leave me a comment.

(I did not receive this book for a review, just got it for my Kindle.  It was actually free at the time.  The opinions expressed are obviously mine alone.)

 

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November Book Selection — Paid in Blood

20 Oct

Special agent Will Coburn and his NCIS team are investigating the death of a serviceman near the Korean DMZ. When Will discovers that the body doesn’t match the identity of the murdered soldier—and that one of his own colleagues is wearing a wire—he wonders whom he can trust. Will he turn to God for the answers? 

 

Excerpt

 

Mel Odom is a full-time writer with many published works to his credit. Mel has been inducted into the Oklahoma Professional Writers Hall of Fame and received the Alex Award for his fantasy novel The Rover. The first novel in the Apocalypse series, Apocalypse Dawn, continues to appear on the best-seller list. Mel resides in Oklahoma with his wife and five children.

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Book Review: Kiloton Threat

20 Sep

Taken from what could be tomorrow’s headlines, Kiloton Threat is a novel that explores the frightening potential of nuclear weapons in the Middle East today. Out of the house churches of rural Iran, a Christian masquerading as a Muslim gains the confidence of a high-ranking leader in the Iranian nuclear program and opens his eyes to Christianity. The man’s newfound faith stirs his desire to flee to the West, taking with him intelligence that would allow Coalition forces to neutralize his nation’s devastating capabilities. But no one in such a position could ever escape unnoticed.

Enter Blake Kershaw, a highly trained U.S. Special Forces officer who has already made extraordinary sacrifices for his country that include faking death and losing his true identity. His mission to infiltrate Iran and extract the high-value defector strains the relationship with the woman he loves— one of the few people on earth who knows his real story. With even more intensity, it shows the price that must sometimes be paid when political correctness fails and a man has to stand up for what is right.

 

 

LTG (Ret.) William G. “Jerry” Boykin, author of Danger Close, spent thirty-six years in the United States Army, some of them as an original member of Delta Force, the worldÕs premier Special Operations unit. His life reads like an action-adventure film; Boykin helped capture Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega, hunted notorious drug lord Pablo Escobar, served in Vietnam, Iran, Mogadishu, Iraq, and Afghanistan, and worked with the CIA.

Tom Morrisey, coauthor of Danger Close, is an internationally known adventure-travel writer and all-around wordsmith. A rock climbing and backcountry ski instructor, certified cave diver, and NRA handgun competitor, he is also editor-at-large for Sport Divermagazine and author of the award-nominated novelsYucatan Deep and In High Places.

My Impressions: 

Kiloton Threat, the newest book by William Boykin and Tom Morrissey, is a fast paced suspense novel with the very real and frightening premise of a nuclear capable Iran.  The twist is the conversion of a key nuclear scientist to Christianity and his conviction that he must do what is necessary to stop the race to launch.

Blake Kershaw is a former Special Forces officer who is dead to all his family and friends, but very much alive in his role as a deep cover operative in the CIA.  He is given the mission to extract the nuclear scientist from Iran in order to stop Iran from firing on Israel.  Blake is a dedicated and patriotic character who sees the sacrifice he is called to make as necessary for the welfare of not only the U.S. but the world.  Willing sacrifice is the overall theme of this novel.  From loyal servants to assistant secretaries to top army officers in both America and Iran, sacrifice is shown to be not only the noble thing to do, but the only thing.

I am not really familiar with anything military, but the descriptions of procedures and equipment by the authors seem to be authentic.  That, along with breath-holding suspense, should appeal to those who like military fiction.  But don’t worry if you are like me, the details are not overwhelming to the story or too difficult to picture.  And it is refreshing to see American military forces and the CIA as the good guys!  Overall, I really liked Kiloton Threat and look forward to more stories featuring Blake Kershaw and his entourage of dedicated patriots.

Recommended.

(I received Kiloton Threat from Beverly Rykerd Public Relations in return for a review.  The opinions expressed are mine alone.)

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