Review of Orion's Belt

Review of Orion’s Belt,

Birth of the Hunter

Written by John Peter Ferris

Reviewed by Author Roy Murry

Another super hero is born in one Johnny Orion, Mr. Ferris main character. He is an endearing ex-Navy S.E.A.L., who, because of his physical and readiness abilities almost dies in saving another’s life.   

At the moment of his demise, Orion is brought back to life, using super biological technology never injected into a human. As with Superman, his strength and new persona develop into an action figure.

He has an incredible support team, mostly his ex-Navy cohorts and a medical research corporation to support his endeavors of fighting evil where it may appear.

Mr. Ferris has put much thought into this first book of a series for futuristic and adventure readers to enjoy. His detail is immense and at times overwhelming, but worth the involvement. It’s the basis for future Orion adventures that needs to be outlined.

Orion’s Belt is an easy to read story of good over evil. Good doesn’t always overcome, but Johnny Orion and his A-Team will fight off any enemy of those in the right.

The other main characters have their strengths and help propel the story along when they’re sent to save New York City from an attack, but it is Orion who saves the day.

If you like super heroes and their adventures, this series is for you. Mr. Ferris has found his niche and will shine.

http://



amzn.to/1niyQ2s

http://amzn.to/1niyQ2s

Interview with John Ferris

Interview with John Ferris
Author of Orion's Belt
Birth of the Hunter

Interviewed by Author Roy Murry

Can you tell me a little about yourself?

I'm a former construction mason & carpenter. I'm a father & grandfather to the best kids out there. My passion is in motorcycles, and modern day & futuristic science.

I was a member of the Armed Forces (USN) in the early 70's. From that time, I involved myself in reading & researching different sciences throughout the world. I always had the passion for writing, but raising a daughter on my own took preference.

Back in 2010 an injury from 36 years ago forced me into retirement. That is when I started on my Sci-Fi thriller that I was dying to write.

Do you remember the first story you wrote?

Not really, in school I was really good at using my imagination in my writing in my early years.

Were you inspired by someone or something?

Oh definitely, since I was young I would read H. G. Wells, Jules Verne, Isaac Asimov, Robert Heinlein, Philip K Dick, and other renowned Science Fiction authors.

What do you like about writing a story?

I love envisioning my work on the silver screen as I write, and then even act out the character parts to reveal the intense dialogue, I bring to my readers.

Can you tell us about your book?

The book is the 1st in my trilogy series that starts with the lives of two different people who have endured separate tragedies, and then to become involved with each other to triumph as one. To emulate it all, it is a continuous thrill ride full of twists and turns that will definitely capture my way of writing.

What genre best fits your book.

Sci-Fi Fantasy thriller, no question about it.

Are you working on something new at the moment?

I'm currently working on the 3rd installment of the "ORION'S BELT" trilogy. "Full Moon Fever". The story comes full circle.

Do you have any tips for aspiring writers? 

Sure do. If you're passionate enough in what you're trying to do, then keep forging ahead. Only if the passion is what you need to portray comes out, it will sooner or later catch the interests of those who feel it too.

Where can people go to read your work?

Amazon has it in paperback & kindle. Barnes and Noble have it on Nook and Kobo.com has it on e-reader.

Do you have anything to add?

I've only just started in my journey into the literary world of Science Fiction. But my main thing is to show my beliefs and philosophy in what I write. I hope in all this it will bring an epiphany towards knowledge and reflect possibly a thought of empathy & strive for the good of all mankind. Maybe my writing will scratch part of the surface.

Review of Prince of the City

Review of Mackenzie Brown’s

Prince of the City:

     The Cat’s Whiskers

Reviewed by Roy Murry, Author

Bombs are dropping, people are dying and missing, animals are roaming the city of Liverpool, England during World War II. This is the background for the start of Mackenzie Brown’s thrilling series, featuring the great-grandson of an African prince, Vic Prince.

A fast pace introduction into his new series, Mr. Brown places his character in a world of suspense that begins with a lost cat of a wealthy client and the missing son of another. Brown leads the reader on the trail of adverse events that keep him interested.

This novel is easy to read the adventure. Vic Prince tells his story introducing the reader into an international crime world of interesting characters. Hitler’s troops are planning the takeover of Europe, while the day to day living in fear surrounds and intertwines both of Vic Prince’s cases.

It’s a good beginning of a series that keeps the reader awake and interested. Mackenzie knows how to lead the reader on to his story’s twists and turn. And he leaves the reader hanging on the edge with no other choice but to purchase book #2 in this full read. Purchase:  https://amzn.to/359kxaY

Interview with Mackenzie Brown

Interview with Mackenzie Brown

Author of Prince of the City

Interviewed by Author Roy Murry

A little about myself:

I was born and raised in Liverpool, UK, and these days live just outside the City with my wife, two daughters and pet cat. 

My inspiration for writing was borne out of wartime stories shared with me by my grandfather and personal hero, Angus Mackenzie Brown, a character featured in a book I hope to release in 2014.

I have many interests including running that helps me keep mind and body together. Literature is my passion though and I love to read and write.

I've published four novels to date and I’m soon hoping to release part two of the Prince of the City series – Nine Lives, after the process of proof reading and editing has been completed.

I feel genuinely humbled by the help and support afforded to me by fellow authors and feel part of a global writing community.

Do I remember the first story I wrote?

The first proper story I wrote was called ‘The Bearded Man’ and it charted a particular story my grandmother shared with me. It was a traumatic incident from her childhood and features in a book about my grandparents due for release in 2014.

Was I inspired by something or someone?

As stated above I was inspired to try and write after hearing my grandfather’s wartime stories. Previously I’d favored sketching as a pastime and was told I was rather good at it.

What do I like about writing?

I think I’m an improving story teller and I love a challenge. But my favorite part of the process is reading and editing the first draft. A rough first draft means I have a raw material to work with and I enjoy trying to improve upon it.

Can I tell you about my book?

Prince of the City is a homage to the works of Raymond Chandler and the like.  It’s a nior thriller with a nod to the United States, but set firmly in the City of my birth, Liverpool. Vic Prince is the great grandson of a man brought to Liverpool on the last ever slave ship and he lives in the black community during wartime 1940. 

Unable to enlist because of flat feet and asthma, Prince works as a private investigator and becomes embroiled in case that involves national security.  Five books are planned in the series, the second to be released in early 2014, but this book introduces 

Prince and a variety of characters featured in forthcoming releases. Prince is a man of high moral standards, who often finds himself dealing with those who do not always follow the same code. I’m pleased with the finished article and early reviews have been very good.

What genre fits best for the book?

Pulp fiction, detective story, crime thriller series, historical fiction, hard boiled thriller.

Am I working on something new at the moment?

Once Prince of the City #2 – Nine Lives is released, I plan to rewrite a book charting the early lives of my grandparents. The Book is called Annie’s War and takes place between 1914 and 1945. Then I plan to write part three in The Prince of the City series.

Do I have any tips for aspiring writers?

If you start something, particularly a first draft, complete it, even if you’re unhappy with the results. Once the first draft is completed, then the real work starts, honing and improving your raw material.

Get someone you trust to give you an honest review before you release it and take criticism on the chin, trust me it will make you a better writer in the long run.

Get your work proof read, edited and formatted before release. If you want somebody to pay for your work, they’ll expect all the three mentioned as a minimum, and even then they still might not like your work.

Where can people go to read my work?

Go to my website http://mackbrown.weebly.com/ where there are links to my books. Alternatively all of my books are available for Kindle at the following worldwide links;

Prince of the City #1 – The Cat’s Whiskers viewBook.at/CatsWhiskers-B00FJ6MT3G

Lost Boys (The Black Knight Series #1) viewBook.at/B00BUVICVW

The Shifting  viewBook.at/TheShiftingTheShiftingTrilogy

The Book of Souls (An Imelda Stone Adventure #1) viewBook.at/TheBookOfSoulsAnImeldaStoneAdventure

 They’re all available in paperback format at Amazon. US links for the USA are as follows;

Prince of the City #1 – The Cat’s Whiskers http://www.amazon.com/Prince-City-1-Cats-Whiskers/dp/1491285397/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1381082204&sr=1-2&keywords=prince+of+the+city

Lost Boys (The Black Knight Series #1)  http://www.amazon.com/Lost-Boys-Knight-Mackenzie-Brown/dp/1482754940/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1374442399&sr=1-1&keywords=lost+boys+mackenzie+brown

The Shifting  http://www.amazon.com/Shifting-1-Mackenzie-Brown/dp/1466496746/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1374442313&sr=1-2

The Book of Souls (An Imelda Stone Adventure #1) http://www.amazon.com/Book-Souls-Imelda-Stone-Adventure/dp/1477641157/ref=sr_1_7?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1374443010&sr=1-7

And Finally;

I’d just like to thank Roy Murry, a fabulous author and reviewer for this opportunity to showcase my work. His support is always gratefully appreciated and reciprocated as often as possible.

My social networking sites;

*Twitter: @mackbrownbooks

*Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6434456.Mackenzie_Brown

 *Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/MackBrownBooks

*Mackenzie’s website is: http://mackbrown.weebly.com/

*Mackenzie’s Blog: http://mackenzie-brown.tumblr.com/

*LinkedIn http://www.linkedin.com/pub/mackenzie-brown/48/579/72b

*Klout  http://klout.com/#/mackbrownbooks

*Pinterest http://pinterest.com/mackbrownbooks/

Review of Subtraction

Review of SUBTRACTION   

Written by Andrew Peters

Reviewed by Author Roy Murry

I don’t give books stars as my readers know. But I give this novel a thumbs up.

The Professor, the main character, in Mr. Peters’ novel Subtraction does some deductions to arrive at solutions to what seems to be a single death case.This one death case multiples into many.

Oh, the Professor is a math teacher and a non-detective who deduces. In his charming way, he performs services by helping clients who have a problem they don’t desire the police to get involved in. So Mr. Paris, the Professor, cleans up a problem for a client – somewhat of a sticky wicket that mushrooms into a continuous headache.

This is where the fun begins and its fast pace. With wit, but some consider terse and satiric, Mr. Paris tells this story of love, hate, and murder. Also, the reader gets a little taste of Las Vegas, Nevada, USA and its organised crime world.

Mr. Peters’ writing is smooth and comical - quick moving paragraphs spaced and flowing into each other with ease. When Mr. Paris says something you won’t get lost in euphemisms, you’ll get the well constructed point.

It’s a quick and enjoyable read for a snowed in or rainy weekend.

Andrew Peter’s links are in his interview:  http://bit.ly/1bpHyTD

Interview with Andrew Peters

Interview with Andrew Peters  

Author of Subtraction

Questions: R. Murry      

Hello, Roy...thanks for inviting me back. I see you've decorated since I was last here...hope you restocked the fridge. Ah....nice...no, no slice of lime.

Can you tell me a little about yourself?

Well, as you know, I’m a man of few words, most of them plagiarized. Since we last met, I've written another three novels, lost twenty pounds and bought two new suits. Sadly I then put on twenty-five pounds, so the suits don’t fit. I've become much less successful at writing and much less attractive to women. My cats still love me.

Can you tell us about your book?

This one is called “Subtraction” and its set in Las Vegas in the sixties. It features Mark Paris, who makes a living gambling small and assisting people who don’t know where else to go for help. He has quite an interesting back-story, but I’d prefer that people found that out for themselves. The book is as much about him as about the mystery.  story starts when he gets called up one morning by a vague acquaintance who’s woken up in bed next to a gorgeous blonde...who sadly appears to be dead.

I’ll leave the synopsis there, as I really do like readers to find out the story as it unfolds. .

Most authors complain about 1* reviews...me I just assume that that guy bought the wrong book, or is too stupid to appreciate my brilliance. The ones I dislike most are the 5* reviews that insist on telling the reader everything that happens in the first hundred pages.

What genre best fits for the book?
I think this one’s as near as I’m likely to get to a straight crime story. Wry rather than funny, gris foncé rather than noir.

Are you working on something new at the moment?

No, I wrote ten books and three Kindle-only novellas between June 2012 and August 2013, and I think I might be done now, In my opinion the last three were the best, and I’d hate to drop the standard. Maybe I’ll think about writing something else once Amazon sell out of the existing ones

Do you have any tips for aspiring writers?
You should really have listened in your English classes at school and read a lot of very good books from different centuries twenty years ago. It’s probably too late for you now. Find a different hobby.

If you decide to persist, discard all advice that quotes Stephen King, Elmore Leonard or Ernest Hemingway and especially ignore all advice from American “editors” about removing adverbs and only using “strong” verbs. If everyone did what they advised, every book would read the same - Bland.

Where can people go to read your work?
I have about ten things available now, short story collections, novellas and novels and they can all be found on my Amazon author page.

http://www.amazon.com/Andrew-Peters/e/B008PDVKBM/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1

http://www.amazon.co.uk/AndrewPeters/e/B008PDVKBM/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1 

Do you have anything to add?
Merely to thank you once again for inviting me back...and to point out that my glass is empty.

Review of Hot Property

Review of Hot Property

Written by Susanne O’Leary

Reviewed by Author Roy Murry

Life in Dublin is not rosy for Megan when she comes into an inheritance that a distance relative left her – a house on a beautiful country property. This hot property is not in livable shape, but many desire it.

Here the real story starts, moves into relationships that moles Megan’s character for the better, and leads her into a new career. There are road blocks to overcome; and Megan moves on with her new life in Kerry country.

Ms. O’Leary presents a well written story of the Irish country-side that leads the reader into the quiet world that goes on there. It is a life without the day to day craziness of the city. The pastures and ocean described are presented beautifully in her Irish prose.

The reader will get involved in Megan’s plight, cheer her on, feel her pain when she is let down, and relish in her accomplishments. Also, there is a surprising ending where she finds out who is her true lover.    

This is a read that will move you, make you happy, and sad at times. It is a complete read that flows along comfortably.  

Where can people go to read her work? Mostly on amazon: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_9?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-text&field-keywords=susanne+o%27leary&sprefix=susanne+o