Book review: ‘The Last Sword Maker’ by Brian Nelson

Brian Nelson is a former Fulbright Scholar who holds degrees in international relations, economics and creative writing (fiction). His first book “The Silence and the Scorpion: The Coup against Chávez and the Making of Modern Venezuela” was named one of the Best Books of 2009 by the Economist. His work has appeared in the Virginia Quarterly Review, Christian Science Monitor and the Southern Humanities Review, among others. “The Last Sword Maker” is his second book and an action packed thriller about a high-tech arms race between the United States and China as they both strive to create the next-generation of weapons using a mixture of artificial intelligence, genetic engineering and nanotechnology.

“The Last Sword Maker” takes place in the not-too-distant future, between January 2025 and May 2026 as each chapter is given a time and place. The action begins with a prologue titled The Letter which informs of a letter written by Nobel laureate and biochemist Bill Eastman after he hosts a conference at the Millennium Institute in San Francisco in August 2018 for some of the greatest minds in science. The letter is modeled after Albert Einstein’s 1939 letter warning President Roosevelt about the possibility of an atomic bomb, but this one warns the current president of the possible dangers from emerging technology and is signed by Eastman and twenty-seven other leading scientists. The novel is divided into three parts: Part One: The Ends of Peace, Part Two: The Race and Part Three: Red Dragon Rising. Part One begins seven years after that infamous letter and has Admiral James Curtiss being called to the Pentagon for an emergency meeting about a massive genocide taking place in the high mountains of Tibet. This is not a disease, but a weapons test. Chinese scientists have developed a way to kill based on a person’s genetic traits. The real danger will come if they achieve “Replication” – the breakthrough that will tip the global balance of power. To try and beat the Chinese, Admiral James Curtiss assembles the nation’s top scientists, which include a promising young graduate student named Eric Hill, who could provide the missing piece to the replication puzzle. Sensing that the Americans have a leg up, the Chinese will stop at nothing, including kidnapping Eric, to force him to help them win this arms race.

Part techno-thriller, part political suspense novel, “The Last Sword Maker” is a thrill ride of a story. It starts off slow, but thankfully the action in the second half takes off and rewards readers for their persistence. The history of the conflict between the Chinese and Tibetan people is eye-opening and serves as back story for Sonam Paljor, a member of the Tibetan resistance who is kidnapped, fed propaganda and converted into an elite solider for the Chinese. The language is descriptive “From here, they could see the top floors of other tech giants—silver-and-glass towers jutting above the trees like Mayan temples above the rain forest” and the deep character building is impressive which makes them relatable. Sometimes the torture scenes can get too graphic and violent but luckily there are not too many of them. Standout moments include ‘Chapter 17: Replication’ during the artificial intelligence final test and replication testing: “They worked silently, like peasant farmers tending to row after row of computer code” and when Eric, Bryan Ying and Mei finally escape the Chinese facility. The programming drama should appeal to programmers who understand the satisfaction of successful programming. Hopefully, since it is advertised as the Course of Empire Series, Book 1, the Inventor, a cryptic ‘observer’ who seems to be a powerful and immortal being, comes back in subsequent books. There is something for everyone, from science, to politics, history and romance and that makes “The Last Sword Maker” a must-read page turner to rival the best from Tom Clancy and David Baldacci.

“You can’t know what it’s like until you’ve felt it. That was what he’d tell them. Bill, Jane, the admiral. When it was all over, he’d make them understand why he did it. Why he had helped the enemy.”

*The author received a copy of this book for an honest review. The views and opinions expressed here belong solely to her.

New release: ‘Near Dark’ by Brad Thor

Brad Thor is an American thriller novelist and The New York Times’ bestselling author of twenty thrillers. These include “Backlash,” one of Suspense Magazine’s Best Books of the Year, “Spymaster,” “The Last Patriot,” nominated for best thriller of the year by the International Thriller Writers Association and “Blowback,” one of the ‘Top 100 Killer Thrillers of All Time’ by NPR. He graduated cum laude from the University of Southern California where he studied creative writing under author T.C. Boyle. His new novel “Near Dark” will be released on Tuesday July 21, 2020 and features the return of Scot Harvath, one of America’s top spy. An excerpt is available on the author’s page.

In “Near Dark,” the world’s largest bounty has just been placed upon Scot Harvath, America’s top spy. His only hope for survival is to outwit, outrun and outlast his enemies long enough to get to the truth. For him to accomplish his most dangerous mission ever, one that has already claimed the lives of the people closest to him, including his new wife, he is going to need help. Not knowing whom he can trust, Harvath finds an unlikely ally in Norwegian intelligence operative Sølvi Kolstad. Just as smart, just as deadly, and just as determined, she not only has the skills, but also the broken, troubled past to match Harvath’s own.

New release: ‘The Only Good Indians’ by Stephen Graham Jones

Stephen Graham Jones is a Blackfeet Native American author of experimental fiction, horror fiction, crime fiction and science fiction. He is celebrated for applying more “literary” stylings to a variety of speculative genres, and for having published 22 books under the age of 50. He has won the Texas Institute of Letters Award, a National Endowment for the Arts fellow in fiction and the Bram Stoker Award (Long Fiction). His newest novel “The Only Good Indians” is available today and is being called “One of 2020’s buzziest horror novels” by Entertainment Weekly.

According to amazon, “The Only Good Indians” is a tale of revenge, cultural identity, and the cost of breaking from tradition from the Jordan Peele of horror literature, Stephen Graham Jones. Seamlessly blending classic horror and a dramatic narrative with sharp social commentary, the story follows four American Indian men after a disturbing event from their youth puts them in a desperate struggle for their lives. Tracked by an entity bent on revenge, these childhood friends are helpless as the culture and traditions they left behind catch up to them in a violent, vengeful way.

Top five best-selling hardcover fiction books in June

wherethecrawdadssing — ‘Where the Crawdads Sing’ by Delia Owens

Looking for something to read this summer? These were the top best-selling hardcover fiction books in June according to The New York Times. From coming of age novels to murder mysteries, there is something for everyone from favorites like John Grisham, James Patterson and Danielle Steel.

5. “Daddy’s Girls” by Danielle Steel
After the death of his wife, Texas ranch hand JT Tucker took his three small daughters to California to start a new life. With almost no money, an iron will and hard work, he eventually built the biggest ranch in California. But when he suddenly dies at the age of sixty-four, his three daughters inherit the ranch and they each find it impossible to believe that this larger-than-life figure is gone from their lives.

4. “The Summer House” by James Patterson and Brendan DuBois
The Summer House was once a luxurious southern getaway on a rustic lake but now it is a dilapidated crash pad and the grisly scene of a nighttime mass murder. Eyewitnesses point to four Army Rangers known as the Night Ninjas who recently returned from Afghanistan. To ensure that justice is done, the Army sends Major Jeremiah Cook, a veteran and former NYPD cop, to investigate. But the major and his elite team arrive in sweltering Georgia with no idea their grim jobs will be made exponentially more challenging by local law enforcement, who resists the Army’s intrusion and stonewall them at every turn.

3. “The Vanishing Half” by Brit Bennett
The Vignes twin sisters are identical twins. But after growing up together in a small, southern black community and running away at age sixteen, as adults their lives turned out different: their families, their communities and their racial identities. Many years later, one sister lives with her black daughter in the same southern town she once tried to escape. The other secretly passes for white and her white husband knows nothing of her past. While separated by so many miles and just as many lies, the fates of the twins remain intertwined. What will happen to the next generation when their own daughters’ storylines intersect?

2. “Camino Winds” by John Grisham
Bruce Cable owns a popular bookstore in the sleepy resort town of Santa Rosa on Camino Island in Florida but he makes his real money as a prominent dealer in rare books. Very few people know that he occasionally dabbles in unsavory ventures. Mercer Mann is a young novelist with a severe case of writer’s block who has recently been laid off from her teaching position. She is approached by an elegant, mysterious woman working for an even more mysterious company. A generous monetary offer convinces Mercer to go undercover and infiltrate Cable’s circle of literary friends, to get close to the ringleader, to discover his secrets. But soon Mercer learns far too much and soon there is trouble in paradise.

1. “Where the Crawdads Sing” by Delia Owens
For years, rumors of the “Marsh Girl” have haunted Barkley Cove, a quiet town on the North Carolina coast. In late 1969, when handsome Chase Andrews is found dead, the locals immediately suspect Kya Clark, the so-called Marsh Girl. But Kya is not what they say. Sensitive and intelligent, she has survived for years alone in the marsh that she calls home, finding friends in the gulls and lessons in the sand.

Texas Book Festival announces virtual festival

2019 Texas Book Festival — The Texas Book Festival will take place entirely online from October 31 through November 15. Photo: Texas Book Festival, used with permission.

For the first time ever, the Texas Book Festival will take place entirely online. Featuring two full weeks of free virtual programming, the 2020 Festival will run October 31 through November 15 and will bring together thousands of readers and authors across Texas and beyond for sixteen straight days of engaging, enlightening and educational programming. TBF’s vision is to inspire all Texans to love reading and this year’s virtual Festival will expand that vision beyond Texas to ensure book lovers across the country and the world can join in celebrating literacy, ideas and imagination. (Texas Book Festival, 2020)

The 2020 Texas Book Festival will feature more than 125 authors participating in virtual sessions, including programming for adults, young adults, middle-grade readers and children. The 2020 Texas Teen Book Festival will also take place during the two-week virtual festival, featuring conversations with acclaimed Young Adult authors aimed at teenage readers.

The TBF’s annual First Edition Literary Gala, which raises significant funds for TBF’s programs and is traditionally held on the Friday evening before the Festival Weekend, will also take place virtually on November 6, 2020. The first of its kind, this year’s Gala will bring together supporters of the arts, members of the TBF community and some of the world’s leading literary minds for an evening filled with good books and wonderful conversation.

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak and stay-at-home measures in the U.S., the Texas Book Festival has produced dozens of online programs with Texas readers and book-lovers. These include Instagram Live author interviews, children and middle-grade story times on Instagram Live, conversations and lessons from acclaimed children’s book illustrators, educational resources for students and parents and children’s story times from beloved authors and Texans as part of the Festival’s Read Together Texas series. TBF is excited to continue providing additional online programming in the months leading up to and through the two-week virtual Festival, offering even more book discussions, author panels and interviews and bringing exciting conversations from celebrated and emerging writers, journalists, artists, scientists, chefs and more into the homes of readers across Texas and the country.

The Texas Book Festival connects authors and readers through experiences that celebrate the culture of literacy, ideas and imagination. Founded in 1995 by former First Lady Laura Bush, Mary Margaret Farabee and a group of volunteers, the nonprofit Texas Book Festival promotes the joys of reading and writing through its annual Festival Weekend, the Texas Teen Book Festival, the Reading Rock Stars Title I elementary school program, the Real Reads Title I middle and high school program, grants to Texas libraries and year-round literary programming. The 2020 virtual Texas Book Festival Weekend will take place from October 31 through November 15. Thanks to generous donors, sponsors, and volunteers, the Festival remains free and open to the public.

“Nothing will stop us from bringing people together around books, including a global pandemic. We are committed more than ever to serving our community and excited that people from all over Texas, the country, and the world can participate in this year’s Festival.” – Texas Book Festival Director Lois Kim

Upcoming release: ‘Hawk’ by James Patterson and Gabrielle Charbonnet

James Patterson is an American author and philanthropist whose works include the Alex Cross, Michael Bennett, Women’s Murder Club, Maximum Ride, Daniel X, NYPD Red, Witch and Wizard and Private series. He has also written many stand-alone thrillers, non-fiction and romance novels. As a generous supporter of universities, teachers colleges, independent bookstores, school libraries and college, he has donated millions of dollars in grants and scholarships with the purpose of encouraging Americans of all ages to read more. The Maximum Ride series centers around Maximum Ride and her “flock” – Fang, Iggy, Nudge, Gasman and Angels. They are more than just ordinary kids; except they have wings – and fly. James Patterson’s new book “Hawk,” co-authored with Gabrielle Charbonnet, is a story for a new generation of Maximum Ride fans. It will be released Monday July 6, 2020.

“Hawk” is the story of 17 year-old Hawk who is growing up hard and fast in post-apocalyptic New York City until a perilous destiny forces her to take flight. Ten years ago, a girl named Maximum Ride fought to save the world but then she disappeared. Now she is just a fading legend, remembered only in stories. Hawk does not know her real name, who her family was, or where they went. The only thing she remembers is that she was told to wait on a specific street corner, at a specific time, until her parents came back for her. She stays under the radar to survive until a destiny that is similar Maximum Ride’s forces her to take flight. Someone is coming for her. Except it is not a rescue mission but an execution.

‘On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft’ by Stephen King – Twentieth Anniversary Edition

Stephen King is an American author of horror, supernatural fiction, suspense, science fiction and fantasy. His books have sold more than 350 million copies and many of them have been adapted into feature films, miniseries, television shows and comic books. He is best known for “Carrie,” “It,” “The Green Mile” and the Dark Tower series. The twentieth anniversary edition of “On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft” is now out with contributions from Joe Hill and Owen King. For those unaware, Joe Hill and Owen King are Stephen King’s sons, both writers, with Joe Hill being the author of “NOS4A2,” a best-selling horror novel whose second season returns tomorrow June 21 on AMC.

I have my own copy of “On Writing” and it is a must-read for writers. The best advice I took from it is:

“If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have the time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that. Reading is the creative center of a writer’s life. I take a book with me everywhere I go, and find there are all sorts of opportunities to dip in…Reading at meals is considered rude in polite society, but if you expect to succeed as a writer, rudeness should be the second-to-least of your concerns. The least of all should be polite society and what it expects. If you intend to write as truthful as you can, your days as a member of polite society are numbered anyway.”

From amazon:
Immensely helpful and illuminating to any aspiring writer, this special edition of Stephen King’s critically lauded, million-copy bestseller shares the experiences, habits, and convictions that have shaped him and his work.

Part memoir, part master class by one of the bestselling authors of all time, this superb volume is a revealing and practical view of the writer’s craft, comprising the basic tools of the trade every writer must have. King’s advice is grounded in his vivid memories from childhood through his emergence as a writer, from his struggling early career to his widely reported, near-fatal accident in 1999—and how the inextricable link between writing and living spurred his recovery. Brilliantly structured, friendly and inspiring, “On Writing” will empower and entertain everyone who reads it—fans, writers, and anyone who loves a great story well told.

Author Q & A: Ryan Gutierrez, Part II

With the formalities out of the way, it is time to get into the deeper topics of Ryan Gutierrez’ “Scars in Time: A Novel (The Nowhen Stories).” Here is the second and final part of my Q & A with the author.

Sandra Cruz: Have you ever considered going back in time for purely altruistic reasons?
Ryan Gutierrez: You know, if I could, I think I would have to. When you talk about time-travel, people often go to the baby Hitler conundrum. Would you kill baby Hitler to stop the Holocaust? Well, perhaps I’d just kidnap baby Hitler and help him find a nice adoptive family in our time, but I would have to do something. You can’t not try to stop the heinous murder of millions of innocents.

That’s why it was so important for me to limit the time travel in my story to a micro and personal level. I wanted Brennan to be limited to what he could do within his own lifetime only. I didn’t want him getting sidetracked stopping the holocaust.

SC: Your book reminds me of the movie The Butterfly Effect. Did it inspire your story?
RG: I haven’t actually seen that movie. I think it came out during this weird time when I was on an anti-Kutcher kick for some reason. I actually admire the heck out of him now and all he’s done for victims of the sex trade. I did, however, draw inspiration from the Butterfly Effect that is a part of chaos theory. Basically, a small change to proceeding events could have massive repercussions on the resulting consequences.

SC: Is this the first book in a series? I would love to read more of Brennan’s travels.
RG: Yes and no. It is the first book of the Nowhen Stories, but Brennan will be taking a backseat role to let others shine. I wanted Brennan’s focus to return to his family and living life well. However, Brennan’s travels through time opened the world to the effects of the Nowhen, the realm that functioned as a sort of way-station between times. The Nowhen is going to be for South Texas, what the Hellmouth was for Sunnydale, what the meteor shower was for Smallville, or the particle accelerator explosion was for Central City. A catalyst for supernatural and extraordinary.

The Nowhen Stories will tell those tales.

SC: Were you concerned that some readers might not understand some of the Spanish you used?
RG: I was. I decided to do it anyway because I wanted the book to reflect and connect to the heavily Latino roots of the RGV and South Texas in general. I wanted to tell a story that felt universal, but also felt close to the heart of Latinos who may feel underrepresented in pop-culture.

SC: Considering that it contains religious themes/topics, it is geared towards a Christian audience?
RG: Not really. I would love for Christian people to enjoy the book, though I think some of my fellow Christians might frown upon some of the language and the level of violence. I really want the book to express hope for people in general, whether they are or aren’t Christian. It’s a crazy and entertaining story, if I may say so myself, but it’s ultimately a story of hope and restoration. I think that’s a message we all need. It just so happens that in my experience, hope and restoration tend to be intricately woven up with God.

Author Q & A: Ryan Gutierrez, Part I

Ryan Gutierrez’ debut novel, “Scars in Time: A Novel (The Nowhen Stories)” is about Brennan Ramirez, a man determined to change his wife’s traumatic past by going back in time. As Brennan test drives The Machine, he begins to experience true power, true control, or so he thinks. With every trip, every choice, Brennan realizes that his newfound control may be an illusion. I found the book entertaining and enlightening so in an effort to get to know the author and his motivations for writing it, I recently asked him a series of questions. Here is the first part of my author Q & A.

Sandra Cruz: Was this a hard book to write or is this a story you have been thinking about for some time?
Ryan Gutierrez: “Scars in Time” was definitely a difficult story to write, but not necessarily in terms of creativity. The outline process took a few months and once that was complete, the first draft went quite smoothly. The most difficult part about writing “Scars” was the real life scars I was picking at, pun most definitely intended. There are real life events, real trauma, that I exaggerated and fictionalized for the story.

SC: How much research did you have to do into the topic of time traveling?
RG: Honestly, not too much. I’m a huge sci-fi geek, so in a way I’ve been researching for this my whole life. I think my biggest time-travel related influence for this story is 11/22/63 by the great Stephen King. 11/22/63 starts as a bigger-than-life journey, stop the JFK assassination, but it becomes this personal story of love and growth. That aspect definitely influenced me.

SC: Some authors base their characters on people they know, was this the case with Brennan? Is it in any way autobiographical?
RG: It definitely is. I’m not Brennan, but there are parts of Brennan that are definitely from me. The PTSD and feelings of powerlessness stemming from his time in CPS were a reflection of my own. The panic disorder symptoms in the book are basically a walkthrough of the panic attacks that I faced in my life. Brennan is the most like a real person, but there are elements of Deidre taken from my wife, elements of Abby taken from both my daughters, elements of James taken from my brother, and so forth.

SC: Do you consider Brennan a hero/superhero?
RG: No, I don’t. The thing with Brennan is that HE thinks he’s the hero. He wants to be Batman or Superman, but the more power he gets, the closer he is to playing the role of tragic villain. I think that when Brennan realizes he’s not a superhero, he notices the heroic characteristics of those around him. Abby’s immutable joy and unique perspective, Deidre’s resilience and strength, or James’ ability to look to tomorrow. He has to learn from them in order to take his final heroic turn.

SC: As someone who suffers from panic attacks, I sympathize with Brennan as he suffers through his. His experiences are hauntingly realistic. Is this your way of reaching out to those in similar situations?
RG: Yes, definitely. Brennan’s panic attacks are realistic because they’re based on the real attacks I suffered. I wanted people who have suffered with them to be able to relate to a character who is flawed and doesn’t overcome them by just having some feel good mantra or attitude. By the end, Brennan knows this may be a lifelong struggle, but he knows there is hope in that struggle. As for people who have never suffered from them, I wanted them to get a little peek into them, a way for them to better understand their loved ones who do have those struggles.

Book excerpt: ‘No One Will Hear Your Screams’ by Thomas O’Callaghan

Pearsol opened the mortuary cooler and pulled out the stainless steel tray supporting the victim. “Lieutenant, meet Jane Doe,” he said sliding the woman’s bloated body under Driscoll’s gaze. “Harbor Patrol fished her out of the muck. I’d say she was a feast for the gulls for a day. Maybe two.”

“What’s that smell? Paint thinner?”

“Phenol.”

“She was doused in phenol?”

“Injected.”

Driscoll’s eyes narrowed.

“The complete autopsy will fill in the blanks, but I’d bet my pension I already know what killed her. The who, and the why, I’ll leave to you.” Pearsol handed the preliminary lab report to Driscoll. It identifies a mixture of substances inside her vascular system.

“Phenol, formaldehyde and Chloride of Zinc?” Driscoll looked perplexed.

“The same Chloride of Zinc they put in dry cell batteries?”

Pearsol nodded. “There’s three more.”

“Myrrh, aloe and cassia,” Driscoll read aloud. “That’s a strange mix.” He glanced at Pearsol, who nodded. “Says here you drained 851 milliliters from her circulatory system. What’s that? About two pints?”

“Just under.”

“A body contains five to six quarts of blood. So the rest of this mixture?”

“Still in her.”

Using his finger, Driscoll pushed back a lock of the victim’s hair. “What could you have done to warrant this?” he whispered, eyes on the corpse.

“Right now the unofficial cause of death is phenol poisoning by arterial injection. Familiar with the German word, ‘abgespritzt’, Lieutenant?”

“No.”

“Abgespritzt was a method of genocide favored by the Nazis in the early 1940s. Hitler’s henchmen delivered instantaneous death by injecting 15 milliliters of phenol directly into the heart.”

“What kind of syringe injects six quarts?”

“More than likely he used a centrifugal pump. And he knew what he was doing.” Pearsol pointed to the side of the victim’s neck, where a semi- translucent latex adhesive covered a two inch stretch of rippled flesh between the carotid artery and the jugular vein. “An extreme method of murder, Lieutenant. He arterially embalmed her.”

Driscoll winced.

“There’s more.” The M.E. produced a transparent evidence bag containing a locket. It was an inch in diameter and featured Saint Vitalis of Gaza; his name etched in a half circle below his likeness. “I found it under her tongue. Someone apparently placed it there before suturing the tongue to the floor of her mouth.”

“What’s that about?” Driscoll wondered aloud.

“Good question. I’m not familiar with that saint. You?”

“She‘s the patron saint of prostitutes.”

“Well, there’s a lead. Oh, and there’s one other bit of information you’re sure to find intriguing. The myrrh, aloe, and cassia injected with the embalming fluid were once embalming solutions on their own. Sort of.”

“Sort of?”

“They were the purifying fragrances applied to the linens that wrapped the crucified Christ before he was laid in his tomb.”

***************************************************
Thomas O’Callaghan’s work has been translated for publication in Germany, Slovakia, Indonesia, the Czech Republic, China, and Italy. As an internationally acclaimed author, Mr. O’Callaghan is a member of both the Mystery Writers of America and the International Thriller Writers associations. His debut novel “Bone Thief” introduces NYPD Homicide Commander Lieutenant John W. Driscoll. “The Screaming Room” is the second in the John Driscoll series. The third book in the series, “No One Will Hear Your Screams,” is now available from WildBlue Press.

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