True Story:
The week before Christmas in Brisbane was stinking hot. Work, which usually eases off at this time of year, was flat chat. I had to make a dash to get to the railway station in order to make the trip home. I boarded the train a wet, slimey mess and the makeup had long since slipped off.
Pulling out my IPad I continued on with a book I had recently downloaded. I’m a pretty focused reader so when I heard a man’s voice from the other side of the carriage asking if he could recommend a good book I was a bit dozy. I heard the question a second time. The gentleman, early 50s and well dressed, walked over and sat beside me.
Two important things to remember here:
* I don’t think I’ve ever been the kind of girl to encourage a strange fella to introduce himself on a train, or anywhere else, for that matter – even those days when I was younger, taller and thinner.
* I was most definitely looking like the Wreck of the Hesperus.
The book this gentleman recommended? His own of course!
James John Loftus has been interested in medieval history since seeing a book with a cover detailing the battle of Agincourt. The book engaged his imagination, and drew him to the period. Unable to read until in grade five some remedial tuition enabled him to commence on the journey from avid book reader to writer. He has one novel to date and a co-credit as a feature film writer, Underdog’s Tale.
The People you meet, hey…….
Review for The Australian Author Challenge :
Celtic Blood is set in 13th Century Scotland and begins with a shipwreck. The sole survivor is young Scandinavian, Seward, who is taken in by the community. A few years later the Earl of Ross is murdered by other claimants for Scotland’s throne, and Seward acts as protector to the 13 year old son, Morgund MacAedh.
The book follows Morgund’s journey from boyhood to manhood with a focus on revenging his father’s death, and includes numerous misadventures, including imprisonment, torture, sheltering in forests, bloody battles, and the occult.
Celtic Blood is a fast moving story exploring Scotland’s turbulent past. Think William Wallace in Braveheart and you’ll have some concept of the novel’s setting and pace.
Initially I found the syntax a little disconcerting, especially as the Middle Ages are not my thing, though by fifty pages in I had the swing of it and realised that it only added to the storyline.
Celtic Blood by James John Loftus is available in paperback and in Kindle. It is an enjoyable read and would make a good movie. I did find the ending abrupt and for this reason I wondered if the author was looking to make this Book 1 of a series. It also explains the existence of the McKay Clan.
Strike 1 for Indie Authors!
Brizzy Mays Books and Bruschetta 