Being happily married, it's indeed a rare occurrence for me to EVER actually get the last word on anything, so I've decided to turn to my blog to ensure that this time I really do get the last word.
This will be my last blog for 2015, before we set sail on the "Slow Boat to China", also know as, the Manila-Occidental Mindoro roro ferry, for a much needed and perhaps even deserved break for Christmas in the tiny, little village of Rizal - the ancestral home of my wife.
If you have read any of my books (and if you haven't why the hell not! They're not too bad!) you will have already come across Rizal, a sleepy, little town in the hinterland of Occidental Mindoro, where the closest thing to excitement is relaxing on a hammock on the front porch, listening to the multifarious insect and bird noises - sheer bliss in my book.
It hasn't escaped my attention that many of my writer friends are domiciled in the dark, stormy, depths of the U.K. and U.S.A.winter, so at this time of year will be hunkering down for a cold, wet and perhaps even a "white" Christmas. 
Fear not my dear friends, I shall think of you as I luxuriate in the warm, gentle, waters, of the West Philippine sea. (Truly I will!!!!) 
​So, it being my last blog for 2015, it is entirely appropriate to indulge in some retrospection and navel-gazing! Have I achieved anything in 2015? What have I learned in 2015? and perhaps most importantly of all What is the meaning of life? Nah! Seriously, I'll leave that last one for the first blog of 2016 - it's sort of a biggie and deserves all my attention.

2015 Ha! Well, what to make of it? Let's just look at the numbers first of all.
I've published three books in 2015 - that seems like some sort of achievement in itself, right? It could have been four, but the sequel to The Second Coming is going the slightly more traditional route, through a publisher, albeit a crowd-funding publisher and we all know how long that takes. Still, Rise of the AntiChrist should be out in early 2016, so that's an exciting start to the new year.
My first book, The Second Coming, like our first-born child, will always hold a special place in my heart, despite a few shortcomings in the book.
I used a punctuation, style technique, in The Second Coming that hasn't resonated with everyone, but nevertheless, I'm immensely proud of my little, baby and still hold high hopes for it to be a big success. It's a great story and that's more important to me than the style quibbles. More important to me, anyway, are the twenty-two positive reviews received thus far and of course the Readers' Favorite 5-Star rating it received toward the end of the year. 
What I particularly love about The Second Coming is that it reaffirms our belief in humanity. As a species we are imperfect and often ruthless and callous toward each, but like JC in the book, I have great faith in the inherent power and good of the human heart. We shall survive.      

Check out The Second Coming here: http://bit.ly/1J1gkdz

My second book, Just A Drop in the Ocean, published in October, has a similar but slightly different message to The Second Coming.
​Just a Drop is a romance that transcends time and distance. It reaffirms, for me, that love truly can conquer all. I am a romantic at heart and this story is very personal and very close to my heart.
One of the most satisfying things I've experienced this year is the feedback I've had thus far on Just A Drop. One person who read it even said it was one of the top two books they read this year! You have no idea what that does for an author who. like most authors, has a morass of self-doubt over their works.
Thank you for the wonderful reception you have all given Just A Drop, it means so much to me.
​In this book we see exposed the very human frailties that The Second Coming talks about, but we also see the indomitable power of love and redemption, shining through. This book truly is an inspirational and heart-warming read - If you haven't already guessed, I love this book!

Check out Just A Drop in the Ocean here: http://bit.ly/1QA7eaz       

My third and final book for 2015 was equally special to me, but for a whole different reason. Paranormal Alley is a collaboration with my twenty-three year old son, Chris, who I believe has a real writing future ahead of him. 
He was bemoaning the fact, one day, that he didn't have time to write a full novel, just short-stories, so I gave him a challenge. I told him if he produced seven short stories on horror and the paranormal (his genre), then I would match it with seven stories of my own and edit and publish the resultant book.
I was thrilled that he accepted the challenge and then put me under immense pressure to fulfill my end of the deal, until early this month when we proudly published Paranormal Alley
This was the first time I had even attempted to write short stories, let alone in the horror/paranormal genre, so it was a steep learning curve for me that stretched me, as a writer and ultimately improved my work, no end.
We have no idea how this book will be received, although we are waiting with bated breath for the first reviews to come in. Regardless of the reception, I am just so thrilled to be able to do a project with my incredibly talented son and assist him to fulfill one of his dreams - to be a published author.
I think sometimes, in the hurly-burly of daily life, we can easily forget what we are placed on this earth for - to be happy and to follow our dreams. We should never lose sight of that. 

Please do check out Paranormal Alley here: http://amzn.to/1NxbLXe    

So, what have I learnt in 2015?
Well, to be honest, I've learnt so, so much, but today I'll just focus on three revelations that have come to me during the course of this year. 

1/ I AM NOT ALONE! 
​
Writing, by its very nature, is a solitary and at times lonely occupation. Unless your spouse and/or family are writers themselves, they just don't get it. They are incredibly supportive and in my case wonderfully, loving, caring and everything I could ever ask for, but the fact remains, they really don't understand what it is we do and how it affects us sometimes.
Thank God for my writing friends on Social Media. The biggest thing I've realised this past year is that "indie" authors are the most amazing, supportive, and helpful people on this planet. We're all in the same boat, struggling for recognition, struggling to be seen in the morass of printed words and without the affirmations and help from our fellow "indies", this writing lark could be extremely fraught and at times desolate. I am so grateful and blessed by the authors I've come into contact with this past year. 
I want to mention names, but the minute I do, I know I'll miss someone out and that's just not acceptable to me because each and every one of them is a wonderful support and an amazing author in their own right. They know who they are and I give my unreserved thanks and sincerest pleasure at being counted among their colleagues.
So, my biggest take from 2015 is this simple message to all my wonderful author friends: "Your success does not diminish me in any way, shape or form; rather, it inspires me to achieve the same standards and greatness you have achieved. Maraming, Maraming, Salamat Po!"   

2/ GET THICK-SKINNED QUICKLY!

If you are going to have the temerity to put your work out into the public arena, ask people to pay their hard-earned shekels for it and ask them to pass judgement on your effort, don't be upset if they don't like it.

I know it hurts - God, it hurts!

I well remember the first time I got a message from someone advising me they wouldn't be reading any more of The Second Coming because it was blasphemous. I was two-thirds of the way through my scathing reply, before I managed to rip my hands away from the keyboard, take a deep breath and consider exactly what that person had said. After some introspection, I erased my initial response and thanked the reader for her comments and expressed regret that she didn't enjoy my book. Seriously guys, that was possibly the hardest message I've ever had to write, but it was and is the only sensible response to criticism. 
Criticism of your work really is part of the process of becoming an author, an artist, or any creative person. Not everyone is going to like your work! Get that through your head early on and you will have a much more peaceful, less stressful and ultimately more productive existence.
When someone makes a critical comment in a review I look dispassionately at what they've said and if I think there's merit in their comment, I will take it on board and try and improve my writing next time. If, and this does happen, I think the person is talking a load of bollocks, I'll just smile secretly to myself and say; "ah well, they just didn't get where I'm coming from, did they? Their loss!"
The most important thing is to learn from the feedback (its not usually criticism) and use it to develop and stretch your talents even further. None of us was born with a pen or a laptop in our hands. Being a "good" author is just like any other profession, you have to learn your craft.
The most important take from all this is: "Learn from the positive feedback and ignore the barbed, negative, feedback; it's simply not important enough to get your "knickers in a knot" about. Be Zen!"       

3/ I WAS BORN TO DO THIS! 

My third and final takeaway from 2015 is just that; I was born to write. It is what fulfills me more than anything I've ever attempted to do before. 
​The startling revelation for me, is that I have found that place on this earth that I truly belong; in front of a computer screen, typing my thoughts and ideas. How many of us can reach that point in our lives where we can say we are completely happy with where we are? I can honestly say that.
I was actually thinking about this the other day and rueing the fact that it took me so long, in my life, to come to that startling conclusion...and then the epiphany hit!
If I hadn't been through all those experiences, trials, tribulations, highs & lows of my life, my writing wouldn't be what it is today. I write what I write because of who I am and what I've experienced.
I am, I hope, a much better person for this revelation and also I know, a much better writer. I would not trade where I am today for anything. I truly am "living the dream" and living it joyfully and happily.
So, my final take for 2015 is simply this: The past has shaped and formed who we are today, but it has no relevance at all to what we do today. Let the past go and embrace the wonderful, creative, joyful, present!    

So, that is my final word for 2015. It has been an amazing, fulfilling, and wonder-filled year. The best thing is; 2016, 2017, 2018, and on, ad infinitum, promise to be just as wonderful, just as successful and most of all, just as happy,
All that remains for me now is to wish each and every one of you the very best Christmas Season you can possibly have. Please remember, if Christmas isn't your thing and I do understand that not all the world celebrates Christmas, also remember that it is my thing, so don't be offended please.

To be on the safe side I will just wish you all:

A MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY HOLIDAY SEASON!

I hope that covers all my bases and I hope will see you right back here in 2016; same bat-time, same bat-channel, refreshed, enlightened and ready for an incredibly, awesome, year.

​Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to read my ramblings in 2015, especially those who have made the extra effort to comment or contact me on social media. It means so, so much to me and all my fellow authors to have that contact and know we are making a small, but important difference in people's lives.

Till next year, thank you for reading and have a peace-filled day!      

Well, here we are on the final stretch of the first ever, My Favourite Book Awards of 2015 (The Grunters), with just two more categories to go and then the announcement of the supreme winner. My Favourite Book of 2015: THE SUPREME GRUNTER!

It's been a long, but exciting journey for me down the memory lane of the books I've read this past year. I am constantly amazed at the quality of independent authors that I've been lucky enough to read. In fact, I can honestly say in all the books I've read, there have only been two that I would call "duds" and one of them was a legacy author, so there you go.

Anyway, I'm all atwitter! It's all very exciting isn't it? So let's get on with the final two categories before we recap and consider the Supreme Grunter.

The final two categories are Best Action/Adventure book and Best Horror/Chaos/Mayhem book. 

Best Action/Adventure Novel of 2015: 

The first nominee in this category has the most unlikely of names: Masturbating with Strangers, written by a young American by the name of Bodhi Alvarez. 

On Bodhi Alvarez' Amazon Author Page, it says; "Bodhi Alvarez always dares to push the envelope, and never met a curse word he didn't think looked great on paper." Most, if not all of those known curse words seem to appear at some point or another in "Masturbating With Strangers", so if you are easily offended, then this book is definitely not for you. Similarly, if explicit sex scenes are not your "cup of tea", then best steer clear of reading this particular novel. 

The principal actor in this tale, Kevin Saunders is your typical over-achieving College graduate who suddenly realizes that the "American Dream" that he was brought up to believe in and base his life on, just doesn't exist. Like so many College graduates before him, Kevin was faced with the reality of a shrinking labor market and the need to "suck up" to the boss just to get a "job" as an unpaid intern. It was after Kevin had rebelled at one of these interviews that he decided enough was enough - Kevin would reject the "American Dream" and voyage out by himself to explore the world and "make a difference". Taking the last of his tuition loan checks for funding his voyage of self-discovery, Kevin walks off a cruise ship in Mexico and disappears into the hinterland of Central America. The book follows Kevin's triumphs and travails through Mexico, Belize and Costa Rica.

I absolutely loved the wonderfully descriptive writing style of Bodhi Alvarez and I appreciated the many insights into both the male psyche and life in general that Bodhi wove into Kevin's journey. Returning for a second to the title, this really was an insightful analogy of what casual sex, which seemed to be the goal of every College student, really was; masturbating with strangers! I did appreciate the analogy. 

This is Alvarez' first novel. and I would just say well written - you have a rare talent. I look forward to seeing more from you in the future.

Check out Bodhi Alvarez here: http://tinyurl.com/zhogplc

The second candidate in the Action/Adventure category is a wonderful story of life as an expatriate in  Africa, titled Amie: An African Adventure by Lucinda E Clarke. 

Clarke is a master at painting a scene and telling a story, often a scene that most of us would struggle to imagine in our own minds, without her wonderful story to guide us. Amie: An African Adventure is quite simply a wonderful novel, a great story and it left me aching to read the sequel and to find out what happens next to our two heroes; Amie and Jonathon. 

Amie: An African Adventure tells the story of newlyweds Amie and Jonathon who leave their comfortable if somewhat boring lives in suburban England to travel to deepest Africa, where Jonathon will supervise the construction of a desalination plant for a corrupt and brutal regime. 

All is not well though in their adopted country, which is sliding into civil war as tribal conflicts quickly escalate into rebellion against the government forces. Caught in the middle and accused of spying, Amie escapes and begins a harrowing journey to walk to freedom and safety, in the next country. 

Clarke paints a wonderful picture of the conditions and privations of the African bush and the struggle for survival. She also raises some fascinating questions about the morality and the ethics of Westerners dealing with regimes that put the elite first and to hell with the peasants. Power is gained by force and held by brutality. This is a fast-paced, wonderfully related and sometimes brutal story of a white woman alone in tribal Africa. I loved this book!

You can check out Lucinda E Clarke here: http://tinyurl.com/zjl24cp

AND THE WINNER IS: 

Amie: An African Adventure by Lucinda E Clarke. Just an incredibly well told story.  

Our final category for nomination this evening is what I call the Horror/Chaos/Mayhem category. 

Best Horror/ Chaos/ Mayhem Novel of 2015:

The first nominee in this category is an ensemble-cast horror story by May J Panayi called Malbed Mews. 

Malbed Mews is without a doubt one of the very best novels (of any sort) I have read. Horror is certainly not my preferred genre and yet this wonderful book dragged me in and kept me totally captivated from the first page to the last. I was actually disappointed when the book finished as I had become so involved with the characters, action and events surrounding Malbed Mews. The basic plot is I'm sure one that has been covered before, but Panayi brought her own special touch and at times sardonic humour to this story. 

The plot revolves around a converted building that has been turned into a modern block of flats in London. As the first residents begin to take up residence in their shiny, new, modern homes, it is clear something is not as it should be. Our main character Guy does some research and discovers that the old building, much of which has been retained, in the redevelopment, was once a mental hospital. Between the spirits of the previously dead patients and the evil that lurks in the basement of this building, there is non-stop action and excitement from the opening page. I absolutely loved this novel. I will be checking out more of this author's work. She is clearly talented.  

Check out May J Panayi here: http://tinyurl.com/hyowpr7 

The final book we will consider this year is a debut novel from someone who is quickly turning into quite a prolific author of horror/paranormal. I am talking about Colin Griffiths and his excellent novel Underwood.

It may be a cliche, but sometimes there really are books that you just can't put down - books that get under your skin; well, Underwood was just such a book for me. Although there is nothing particularly unique about the premise; a family trapped somewhere, by a quirk of nature and having to confront supernatural beings in order to escape, the author's personal style draws you into the story and demands that you continue reading. 

As I said, the situation Peter Ford, his partner and their two young children found themselves in is not unique, they nevertheless have to find their way out of this non-existent town called Underwood, that exists in a 1970's time-warp and is ruled by a triumverate of evil; a sheriff, a judge and a vicar. To complicate matters some demonic form of creature lives in the woods that surround the town and requires to be fed at regular intervals with his favourite delicacy; fresh human meat. I won't spoil the story for anyone, but really Griffiths get his characterizations spot on and you do identify with them. Equally some of the little plot twists are well thought out and clever. I was impressed by many of the ideas he brought into his tale. 

Colin Griffiths is a relatively new author and from what I can see on his Amazon page, already a very prolific one. It is wonderful that new writers, with a story to tell and a passion for telling it, are now able to access the world of publishing. It appears to me that Griffiths is well worthy of this new breed and I will definitely be reading his other books in the future. 

Check out Colin Griffiths' full repertoire here: http://tinyurl.com/jlvsz97

AND THE WINNER IS: 

Again, this was a very close call, but for the ability to tie so many diverse characters together in one story, I'm going to award the Grunter to the woman I now refer to as The Eclectic Indie Author, May J Panayi and her wonderful novel Malbed Mews Congratulations!  

ell, that's it ha! It's been quite a journey; 23 Books nominated and 11 Grunters awarded.

BUT, there is still one task left for me to do and that is to award THE SUPREME GRUNTER for 2015; the book that truly is my favourite book I've read this year.

With so much talent to choose from, it will be a difficult choice, so while I'm busy scratching my brain and any other bits that might itch, why don't you just chat among yourself and recap the possible winners:

Non-Fiction Book of 2015:                      Finding The Rainbow by Rachel McGrath
Funniest Book of 2015:                           Travesty by Hayden Bradford
Fantasy/Adventure Book of 2015:          Darkspire Reaches by C. N. Lesley 
Chic Lit Book of 2015:                             Desire by K French 
Romantic Adventure Book of 2015:       Soup by Angela Gascoigne
Romantic Action Book of 2015:              Where Darkness Dwells by Lynnette Brisia 
Historical Fiction Book of 2015:             To Live Out Loud by Paulette Mahurin 
Young Adult Fiction of 2015:                   Have You Seen This Girl by Carissa Ann Lynch 
Science Fiction/Fantasy of 2015:            The Corsair Uprising: The Azure Key by Trevor Schmidt
Action/Adventure Book of 2015:             Amie: An African Adventure by Lucinda E Clarke
Horror/Chaos/Mayhem Novel of 2015:    Malbed Mews by May J Panayi  

So, there we have it folks - 11 Superb Books by wonderful "Indie" Authors. 

Who will take home THE SUPREME GRUNTER FOR 2015? 

DRUM ROLL PLEASE: 

After an incredibly long and tiresome discussion with myself, and after having changed my mind several times already, I finally decided to award a tie! The BEST TWO BOOKS I READ IN 2015 WERE: The Second Coming and Just A Drop in the Ocean, by that incredibly talented and underrated indie author Grant Leishman.

Yeah Right! I can already hear the screams of "FIX!" from here.

Seriously, though I am pleased and incredibly proud to award the first ever SUPREME GRUNTER AWARD TO an author and a book that I had the most pleasure reading this year:

AMIE: AN AFRICAN ADVENTURE by LUCINDA E CLARKE

Congratulations and what a lot of fun that was.

Please be sure to join me here the same time next year for the second annual Grunter Awards. I had an absolute ball bringing this to you and I hope you will try some of these offerings yourself. 


​REMEMBER INDIE AUTHORS ROCK!

​SOON WE WILL RULE TOO!  

Till then; thanks for reading and have a wonderful peace-filled day!  

...and on to the exciting third part of my Grunter Award Ceremony for 2015.

​Today we shall look at the following three categories: Historical Fiction, Young Adult and Science Fiction/Fantasy

​I am spoilt for choice when it comes to the Historical Fiction section, as I have been blessed to have read some incredible books, this year, in this category. Of all the genres, historical fiction is possibly one of the hardest to write. There are always readers out there who will delight in telling you when you have made an historical error in your books. This is a good thing, as it keeps us authors on our toes - but perhaps one of the reasons I have shied away from writing in this genre.

​After much vigorous internal debate (yes, I do talk to myself in my head - regularly) I think all authors do, to be honest, I've had to nominate three books in this category this year, simply because the standard is just so damn high. Bear in mind, these are independent authors (Indies), many of them without the benefit of fact-checking editors and yet they are producing historical fiction of the utmost caliber. These books are all right up there with the very best of the legacy published authors and each of these three, should be very proud of their results.

1/ Award for Historical Fiction for 2015:

The first nominee in this category is a book that takes us right back to the very earliest of civilizations, one which we have previously heard little of.

I The Sun, by Janet Morris,  is a monumental novel that details the life of a previously unknown Hittite King, one Tasmisarri or Suppiluliumas (literally - The Sun). As someone who, in the past, has read much historical fiction based in the double kingdoms of Egypt, I had only heard the Hittites mentioned in passing, prior to reading this book.

It is a long book at around 560 pages on Kindle, but it is well worth the read. To be honest, I struggled at times with remembering which minor character was which, more a function of their complicated realistic Hittite names, rather than any reflection on the author. At the end of Chapter One I was seriously wondering what I had got myself into and whether I could actually read the full book - it had been a struggle to that point.

I needn't have worried. Janet Morris' writing drew me into the world of the Sun King, his loves, his battles and his family. One thing I particularly enjoyed about this book was the thread of mercy and humanity that the author gave the main character. He was a King, he had ultimate power over life and death, and yet he was capable of gentleness, of understanding and of mercy. I had no trouble at all identifying with his dilemmas and his trials.

This was an incredibly well researched, well written, historical novel. I remember thinking on more than one occasion that nothing has really changed in the passing of 3,500 years. The problems faced by Suppiluliumus in ruling Hati are the same problems we face today; common human failings of greed, lust, envy and of course the search for meaning. One thing I really liked about this book was the willingness of the author to tackle major moral issues, that we all face, through her principal character and his relationships.

​You can check out Janet Morris here: http://tinyurl.com/gu3nzdu  

The second nominee in this category, in contrast to I The Sun, is a relatively short story at just 172 pages on your Kindle. To Live Out Loud by Paulette Mahurin is a fictional retelling of an historical event; the trial of Jewish Military Officer, Alfred Dreyfus, defended by the noted French journalist Emile Zola.

What this talented author did was to taken the famous J'Accuse letter of Emile Zola's to the President of France, in the late nineteenth century and weave a fictional account of his life during this period. This book is impressively accurate in the details that surround the libel case faced by Zola when he had the temerity to accuse the powerful French Army of a cover-up. The author has gathered her facts well and wound them around the tale of a bystander, a friend of Zola's, who watches his friend commit political and professional suicide simply because he is not prepared to stand by and watch an innocent man be incarcerated for a treason he did not commit.

I think more important than the tale of Zola's brave stand against anti-semitism in France and the entrenched powers that be that conspired to cover up the truth, are the big questions that are raised in the book; The rights of the individual to a fair trial, the importance of religious freedom and the separation of church and state. This is truly is a wonderful read and I continuously had to remind myself that this was essentially fiction, so accurate was the historical detail. A real credit to Mahurin.

​Check out Paulette Mahurin here: http://tinyurl.com/z8rdulg

Our third and final nominee in the Historical Fiction category is a wonderful tale of the Spanish Inquisition; The Errant Flock by Jana Petken.

​I do love historical novels at the best of times, but this one was definitely something special. Petken's attention to detail and clear understanding and knowledge of the period and the practices drew me in to a feudal world of Dukes, Viceroys and of course the ubiquitous Inquisitor, and rewarded me with a touching, at times harrowing, but always enjoyable read.

This book focuses on the dilemma faced by the ordinary soldier (applicable throughout all of history, no doubt), when confronted with an order from his superiors that he feels is morally wrong, in fact illegal. What does he do? You'll have to read the book to find that out, but truly it is an enjoyable and fascinating read.

I loved the characters in this book and I especially loved the way Petken posed the moral dilemmas and then satisfactorily answered them through the actions of the characters.

A highlight for me was to read and grasp the utter stupidity and futility of the whole idea of The Inquisition, as the Catholic Church sought to rid the land of heretics and especially the Jewish minorities in Spain at the time. It was a fascinating read. The author managed to convey the sheer horror and manipulation of the Inquisition, without resorting to language that was too graphic or horrible.

​Check out Jana Petken here: http://tinyurl.com/jqwples  

​AND THE WINNER IS: 

Hmmm...how hard to chose between three such exceptional books. It is with the caveat that all of these books are worth every cent and more you might pay for them, I award the 2015 Grunter for Historic Fiction to Paulette Mahurin and her masterpiece To Live Out Loud. What a wonderful book!

The Young Adult genre of books can cover a multitude of sins, so for my purposes I have decided which books fit into this category out of the ones I have read this year. I'm sure they also fit into other genres as well, but as I said at the very beginning of these awards, this is my story and I'll tell it the way I want.

​2/ Award for Young Adult Fiction for 2015:

The first nominee is a dark and disturbing story by Carissa Ann Lynch, titled Have You Seen This Girl?  

My initial reaction to this book was one of awe. It was a nasty, vicious, and scary tale of a thirteen year old girl, Wendi, kidnapped, drugged, held as a child sex slave and discarded when she was no longer of any use to the traffickers. Told directly through the voice of the main character Wendi, it was personal and very easy to identify with and feel empathy for her. The telling of the story was so realistic that at times I thought I was reading the author's personal memoir. I can think of no greater compliment to Lynch, than to say that.

The twists towards the end of the book were clever and well done - I certainly didn't pick all of them and was surprised and stunned by one of them in particular. Yes, this book deals with some very serious and at times horrific issues, but they are well handled. The writing was brutally honest and didn't try to sugar-coat the reality of the situation. I absolutely loved this book and although it is a young adult novel, I would recommend it for the more mature of the young adults and parents everywhere.

​Check out Carissa Ann Lynch here: http://tinyurl.com/hc49ugd

The second nominee in the Young Adult Category for 2015 is Catori's Worlds by Murielle Cyr.

​Almost as a contrast to Have You Seen This Girl?, Catori's Worlds is a light and fluffy tale by Cyr that enchants the readers and takes the opportunity to impart some serious issues to its young adult readers. Using the concept of alternative universes and quantum physics the author takes the bullied, slightly different, teen, Catori from her world to one in which she is respected and admired for the very same differences she is bullied for in her home world.

The author uses the story to consistently press the idea of caring for our environment and the importance of plants and the natural world to our existence here on earth. Catori learns much in her visit to this alternate universe, but most importantly she learns about true friendship and about herself - how strong and how unique she really is. This isn't a preachy novel - it's simply a good story wound around some very sound environmental precepts.

I would think all young adults would find something to identify with in the author's words, but even us oldies can take some useful lessons and thoughts out of it. At the end of the day, that's exactly what we want from a novel - a good story and a lesson that makes us thinks about our own lives.

I thoroughly enjoyed Catori's Worlds and I look forward to reading the next episode of Catori's adventures. 

Check out Murielle Cyr here: http://tinyurl.com/z4tx4th

AND THE WINNER IS:

​The Grunter for the best Young Adult Fiction I have read in 2015 goes to Have You Seen This Girl? by Carissa Ann Lynch. Young Adults may find it hard to read at times, but it is a stunningly real depiction of what can lay out there in wait for young people who are careless with their safety.

Our final category for this post is Science Fiction/Fantasy.

3/ Award for Science Fiction/Fantasy 

​The first nominee in this section is Descent into Mayhem by Bruno Goncalves.

This book is pure Science Fiction, set far into the future on a distant planet called, Capicua. We initially meet some of the invading force on the planet, who are scouting out the surface for resources. The perspective then switches to a young, farm boy who has dreams of escaping his family and becoming a suit driver in the army. These enormous mechanised suits are one of the main ways in which war is waged in Goncalves' future world.

The young man goes through the typical basic training of any new recruit, which clearly hasn't changed much over the centuries, being subjected to physical, verbal and psychological abuse by the trainers in order to produce a fighting man or woman.

Before their training is complete however they are thrust into the heart of the battle against the invading army. There are a couple of little twists here, which I won't reveal, but they did make me smile and also showed off the author's clever thinking.

I think this was Goncalves first novel and as such he has done an excellent job with it. I have no doubt if you enjoyed his futuristic world, you will be clamouring for the next book in the Capicua Chronicles. An excellent read, especially if you like Science Fiction, but you still like human emotions and human frailties.

​You can check out Bruno Goncalves here: http://tinyurl.com/z585bg6

The second nominee in this category is The Corsair Uprising ( The Azure Key) by Trevor Schmidt.

The Azure Key is a good substantial read. Now, I'm a bit old-school and I don't get all the many and varied genres that get tossed around these days. It seems like there is a genre to cover just about every book ever written. I'd never even heard of "steampunk" or indeed "dystopian" until I started reading Indie Authors. This was billed as a "space opera"! What exactly is that? Jesus Christ Superstar meets Star Wars? Look, you can call it what you will, but The Azure Key is plain and simple, in my mind, a Science Fiction story. That have been said, it is an EXCELLENT science fiction story.

I used to read a lot of Science Fiction as a kid; especially Heinlen, Arthur C Clarke, and Herbert, but as an adult I've tended to veer away from the world of space and the cosmos - much to my own detriment I suspect. The Azure Key is a good, old fashioned tale of three people caught up in a set of circumstances beyond their control. The "hero" for the want of a better word, Liam Kidd, is your typical hard-man mercenary (freelancer), with a heart of gold and a true sense of justice, despite his tough-guy demeanor. The "love interest", Saturn Vera is, of course, beautiful, but as tough and fiery as Liam, as she well displays early on in the story. Together with Ju-Long, the trio escape an attack on the asteroid mine they are working on by shooting through a wormhole to the other side of the galaxy where humans have "never" been before.

What follows is a series of adventures and battles as the trio try to survive and find a way back. It seems the only way out of their predicament is to secure the elusive Azure Key. In attempting to do this they discover a lot about themselves, about the aliens and about the inhabited cosmos that they did not even know existed. The little twist at the end sets the scene for what no doubt will be enthralling sequels.

This was a great story, well told and kept me enthralled every second of the way. What it is, is a damn good read and I would urge everyone who likes a good science fiction yarn to go and get a copy.

You can check out Trevor Schmidt here: http://tinyurl.com/jbtafxh

AND THE WINNER IS:

​By a short neck; The Corsair Uprising (The Azure Key) by Trevor Schmidt.

​Well, that's our Grunters for today.

Be sure to tune into the next and final exciting installment of the 2015 Grunter Awards; same bat-time, same bat-channel, where we will hand out the Best Action/Adventure Award and Best Horror/Chaos/Mayhem Award.

Plus of course, the BIGGIE!

What indie book will take away the coveted Big Grunter! - The Book of the Year Award for 2015!

Don't miss it!

​Till then; thanks for reading and have a wonderful peace-filled day!  

...and, welcome back to the second installment of the now famous, Annual Grunter Awards (Grunters), where I detail my favourite books of the year. 

This installment will focus solely on the genre that I read the most of and the genre I consider my own books to fit best into, so I'm naturally excited to be presenting today's awards.

Romance ha! What can you say about Romance? It's what makes the world go round! There are so many types of romantic books, that it is hard to categorise them. Some would argue that almost all books have a romantic element somewhere in them and this would be true, however, I've had to draw my line somewhere, so my three romance categories are as follows:

ChickLit (Whatever that is?) / Romantic Adventure and Romantic Action. I'm sure there are plenty who will disagree with my categorisations, but hey! It's my blog, so I get to make the rules and if you don't like it, I'll just pack up my laptop, go home and no further correspondence will be entered into. 

So, without further ado...on with the show.    

1/ The Award for Best Chick Lit Book of 2015:

The first nominee in this category is the second of two books, based on the same characters, by an author by the name of K French or Keeley French. The two books in question are called Muse and Desire; short titles that hide fantastic and well-written stories. The nominee in this section of the awards is her second book, Desire.

Desire follows the continuing tale of a now eighteen year old Ava Hart as she comes to terms with her feelings and her emotions.

Ava is a typical teenager with plenty of emotional baggage already, for one so young. French manages to draw her though as a strong-willed, independent, young lady who knows what she wants...or at least thinks she does.

I could definitely see the development of this author from the first book to the second. Much like her character, Ava, she is growing in confidence in her own abilities and it shines through in her work.

For someone who is not technically a fan of chick lit (or love stories, just for the sake of love), I found myself enraptured by this book, its interesting and slightly oddball characters. I really believe K French is an author with talent and I will follow her progress closely. I can't wait to read what she comes out with next.

Please check out Desire here:  http://tinyurl.com/zlvls86

The Second nominee in the Chick Lit category is something completely different from Desire.

Light and Shadows by Estela Vazquez Perez is a beautiful book, written in the most evocative and romantic style. I really have not come across an author who uses words in quite the way Perez does. In my review I described the language of this book as lustrous and that's the best description I can come up with actually. It wraps you up in a warm blanket and takes you to a place where all things are perfect and wonderful.
 
Light and Shadows is a modern day tale of two beautiful, young, actresses Teresa and Eloisa who are both courted and loved by two wealthy Mexican businessmen who are the epitome of style, sophistication and gentlemanliness. Sound formulaic? I guess in some respects it may be, but Perez's ability to infuse a specialness into the story that I have found from no other author is what lifts this well above the standard romance. This is a beautiful, towering story of love and happiness. I was entranced by the four main characters from go to whoa. 

Estela Vasquez Perez is right at the top of my favourite "indie" author reading list. I think her talent is abundant and I look forward to reading more and more of her.

Check out Estelle Vazquez Perez here: http://tinyurl.com/jpsoeda

AND THE WINNER IS: 

This was an incredibly tough call, but I'll give it to Desire; by K French, by just a mere smidgeon. Both books are totally awesome examples of their genres. 

2/ Best Romantic Adventure Book of 2015:

I wish I could nominate my book Just A Drop in the Ocean here, because it is awesome and I did read it (many, many, many times actually) - Oh well, never mind!

Nevertheless, the two nominees for Best Romantic Adventure are:

First, is a book titled Music From Standing Waves by Johanna Craven. This book could easily fit in a the Young Adult category, but I've chosen to include it here, because although the romance was almost secondary to the main plot, it was beautifully woven through the entire story and an integral part of it.

 What this book is, is a wonderful story about a young girl from "the back of beyond" in Australia, who dreams of one day playing the great concert halls of the world, as a concert violinist. The story is beautifully written and the characters well developed and complex. We follow Abby from tiny, little Acacia Bay to the bright lights of the Melbourne Music Conservatorium and live through the pain and angst that goes with such a competitive, driven place. The author keeps us guessing right until the very end, as to how this journey would end up and that really was part of the immense pleasure of reading this book. 

Craven does a wonderful job of educating, even the musically illiterate, about something she clearly knows a lot about herself. I noted she had indeed attended the Conservatorium (Con.) and was able to impart her considerable knowledge of the place and its routines. 

Check out Johanna Craven here: http://tinyurl.com/znvvp5w

The second nominee in the Romantic Adventure award is a wonderful book by Angela Gascoigne, titled simply, Soup. I absolutely loved this story. 

One thing I adore about this author's writing is her ability to tell a simple, straight-forward romantic adventure and engage the reader with her characters. There's nothing blindingly dramatic or new about this story, Soup.

It's a simple story about a group of people whose lives get intertwined through first, a book nook/cafe and then, through a soup kitchen for the down-and-outs.

​It is a romance, but it's a human romance, without the hunks and the studs. These people are real and we can readily identify with them. 

If you think of it like a movie, Soup is an ensemble cast. There are no real stars in this book, just a parade of believable, real people who meet, find each other and ultimately fall in love. If you like feel-good, honest to goodness stories, then you cannot go past the books penned by this lady. She has the story-telling ability in spades.

You can check out Angela Gascoigne's work here: http://tinyurl.com/jjk57jc

AND THE WINNER IS:

Again, this was an incredibly tough decision to make. Both books are very different and both incredibly memorable for differing reasons, but on reflection, there has to be a winner and for me that is Soup by Angela Gascoigne.  

Our final category for this iteration of the Grunter Awards is that of Romantic Action. For me, this encompasses any book that is action oriented, but has a critical, underlying, romantic theme. 

3/ Best Romantic Action Book of 2015: 

The first nominee in this section is actually the very last book I finished reading, It was a fantastic story, full of action and sexual tension, called; So About the Money, by Cathy Perkins.  

It isn't anything new, but it is a damn, good, murder, mystery, romance, exceptionally well told. I think Perkins has done a wonderful job in fleshing out her characters and making them believable as well as well as easy to identify with. The basic plot is home-town girl reluctantly returns to help her Mother out in their accounting firm after Dad runs away with the yoga instructor. When Holly left for the big city six years ago she left behind a broken heart and a wrecked relationship. A strong, independent woman Holly is not one to let men push her around.

She accidentally stumbles across the body of a murdered friend, whilst hiking and the drama begins. Holly and her hiking companion are the immediate suspects, so Holly sets out to find out just who did murder her friend. This brings her slap back into the attention of her old flame, now a police detective, JC.

The sexual tension between Holly and JC was definitely one of the highlights of this book. Perkins handles the minor erotica exceptionally well in this story. It was easy to see where this whole scenario was headed, but that didn't diminish my enjoyment of the read. 

Check out Cathy Perkins here: http://tinyurl.com/zfv8z29

Our second nominee in this category is; Where Darkness Dwells, by Lynnette Brisia.

This is not your everyday action/romance. This is hard-core and horrific, but I also found it intensely moving and very special.

​At just 93 pages on Kindle, Where Darkness Dwells is not going to be the longest book you read this year, but one thing I can guarantee is, it will be one of the more emotional and heart-rending stories you will read. This is an horrific story of kidnap, sexual abuse and murder and yet it is easy to read and does not fill the reader with horror, more with empathy and sympathy for the poor victims. 

Caleb and Evie are just two normal seventeen year old high school students about to experience the usual teenage angst of attraction and shyness toward each other, when fate intervenes. Kidnapped one evening in the school car-park these two innocent young people are subjected to the most vile of abuse at the hands of professional people traffickers. Nothing can prepare them for the horrors and suffering they are about to experience. I won't ruin the reader's experience by giving away too much of the plot, but you will be mildly surprised and perhaps even shocked by the way this tale plays out. 

I think this is Brisia's first novel and it is a good one. It shows me that this author has real talent. Reading this book I was reminded exactly why I love reading "indie" authors. Their work is fresh, exciting and so very often, incredibly rich.

Check out Lynnette Brisia here: http://tinyurl.com/hhsxnnp

AND THE WINNER IS: 

Without a doubt the three romance categories have been the toughest for me to choose a winner from this time, but I will go for Where Darkness Dwells, by Lynnette Brisia. 

I was just doing my latest review of a book the other day when I realised, with a shock, that I had actually read and reviewed over seventy books this year (well, since about March actually, when I started taking this reviewing lark seriously). It occurred to me that since it is almost the year end, although I have no doubt I'll be doing a whole lot of reading over the holidays, it might be a good time to review what I've read and enjoyed this past year.

Sadly, I have to advise you that winning an award in the "My Favourite Book Awards" may not necessarily gain you the instant fame and sales you desire, but hey! Maybe by the time the tenth annual "Grunter Awards" roll around, there'll be some real prestige in this award. Even the Oscars started somewhere - right?

Also, sadly, there is no prize to be won and no flashy sticker you can paste on your book and boast about, but...there is the satisfaction of knowing you've made a crotchety, old man, enjoy his day a little more by reading your book. Who could ask for more? If you ask nicely, I could try and mock up a pretty, gold sticker for the award winners - no promises though!

Over the next few blogs, I will give you the awardees of the "My Favourite Book Awards" for 2015. I hope you find the time to try some of these and enjoy them as much as I have.

Indie Authors Rock! and in my humble opinion, many of them are as good as, if not better, than legacy published authors - of course I might just be a tad biased.  

So...without further ado (drum roll please) Our first award of the evening is for Best Non-Fiction Book of 2015!

1/ Best Non-Fiction Book of 2015:

To be perfectly honest, I haven't read too many non-fiction books this year, but the ones I did read were of the highest calibre. There are two standouts though.

Firstly - She has already garnered a number of awards for her poignant, heart-felt memoir of the joys, pains and dashed hopes of infertility and especially that little talked about problem of early miscarriage. 

I am of course speaking of none other than that exciting, new indie author; Rachel McGrath and her wonderful book; Finding the Rainbow.

This was one of the first books I read this year and still remains one of the highlights for me. It was a subject I'd never given much more than a passing thought to, but reading the pain in her words brought home to me, just how much strain and focus early miscarriage puts on those who experience it and of course on their partners.

This book was a joy to read!

Check out Rachel McGrath here: http://tinyurl.com/j9qvk4o

The second book also spoke to my heart of pain and sadness; this time, the devastation of losing a child to cancer. Written by S Jackson and A Raymond, When Angels Fly is an absolute tearjerker that crumpled even this grizzled, old, man.

If there is one line from this book that stands out and summarises the effect, on the reader, it is when the five year old boy, suffering in hospital from the awful side-effects of chemotherapy and radiation looks at his mother appealingly and asks; "Mummy, can I please go to heaven now".

​This book wasn't all doom and gloom though and there was immense inspiration, hope and yes, even joy to be found within the pages of this harrowing tale.

​The book is written as a journal of the little boy's life and treatment for cancer. We are taken though every treatment, every painful procedure and by the end of the book, you are left wondering where this mother got the strength to carry on. A wonderful story.

Check out When Angels Fly here: http://tinyurl.com/z4p6a7v

AND THE WINNER IS:

​In a close call, I'm going to have to give this one, by a nose, to Finding the Rainbow by Rachel McGrath. Congratulations Rachel! I hope she will treasure this award as much as the high profile ones she already has collected.

The Second Award of the evening is for Funniest Book of 2015!

2/ Funniest Book of 2015: Again, there are two nominees in this category.

The first book is an absolute hilarious romp, written by Michael H Kelly and called Rampant Damsels (Gutter Fantasy Book1). In the Rampant Damsels series (yes, there is way more than one, to laugh your way through) Michael Kelly has created a fictional world, based around a pub known as The Rampant Damsel. Every single character (I think without exception) is a caricature of an archetypal British personality trait. The character names, that I'm sure the author spent hours conjuring up, are, on their own, enough to have you rolling on the floor, clutching your stomach.

Rampant Damsels is no gentle read though. It is full of vile and disgusting scenes, so vividly written by Kelly, as well as your fair share of sex and smut. It is, however, uproariously funny and very British.

I am so looking forward to reading more of Kelly's wit and humour in the next year. He is a very talented author.

Check out Michael H Kelly's books here: http://tinyurl.com/jzczmzq

The second book in this category probably couldn't be much more different, in style, to Rampant Damsels, but is just as hilarious and displays, at times, withering and cutting satire. 

Written by Australian Hayden Bradford, Travesty is just that - an absolute travesty of good taste, manners and political correctness. I like to call Travesty a true, blue, dinki-di, Aussie, masterpiece.

Good satire is extremely hard to write, but Bradford has it down to a tee. There is not a convention, an institution, or an ideology that he was not prepared to hold up, examine and ultimately mock, in this wonderful book.

Travesty is irreverent, mocking, and in the words of the Author; "pee your pants funny". I'm not at all surprised to hear that Travesty will soon be made into a movie. It really is that clever, that funny and that good.

Travesty is the name of the main character, who dies far too early, but to his great surprise instead of going to Hell, as he expected, he ends up in Heaven and begins working with God, specifically to help sort out the economic crisis on Earth. Simply put - Travesty was an absolute joy to read and laugh along with.

Check out Travesty here: http://tinyurl.com/z462avu

​ AND THE WINNER IS:

​Travesty by Hayden Bradford. What a fun book! Congratulations!  

The third and final category we will award tonight is for The Best Fantasy/Adventure Book of 2015.

3/ Best Fantasy/Adventure Book of 2015:  

This is a genre that prior to this year, I had not read very much of. That was a mistake. There is something very special about the worlds that authors who specialise in this genre create. I am now a fan of the fantasy/adventure genre.

Again, two nominees in this category: 

​First is a book I enjoyed immensely; Darkspire Reaches, by C.N.Lesley This is a wonderful book that creates a new world full of interesting characters and exciting creatures.  

I was drawn into this book right from the opening gambit and like many others before me found I just could not put it down. The characterization is strong and the idea of inter-breeding between species and the possible permutations that might throw up, I found compelling and fascinating. 

I was impressed by the style and presentation of this book and I would just add the cover art is absolutely superb. This book is action packed, thoughtful and simply a damn good story, well told.

Check out C.N. Lesley here:  http://tinyurl.com/z72b98e

The second nominee in this category is a book I only finished a few days ago, but one that really got to me.

You know; when you begin to read a book that you think you're not going to enjoy and by the end of the first few chapters, you're saying; "shit this is good". Well, a book with the rather uninspiring name of Dirt took me by surprise in that way.

Dirt is the first of a series of books by an author known as C.C.Hogan and is set in a world of his imagination peopled by humans (although not always as we know them), thoughtful and clever dragons, wonderful exotic birds and unknown sea creatures.

Dirt, at its heart, is a simple love story, or a hero on a quest story, but the characters Hogan has pulled from his mind, lift it far above the simple or average. This is a really thoughtful and at times very insightful book. I loved the fact that the author used the story and his characters to illustrate and quietly mock some of humanity's less desirable traits and actions. This is a book that is much deeper and more interesting than its initial premise suggests. 

You can check out C.C. Hogan here: http://tinyurl.com/zr38vrj  

AND THE WINNER IS:

Darkspire Reaches by C.N. Lesley - A wonderful fantasy/adventure.  

My next blog will feature awards in Chick Lit / Romantic Adventure / Romantic Action, which is more the genre I understand and write in; so please don't miss that.

Till then; thanks for reading and have a wonderful peace-filled day!