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The Implications of Immortality
David Crane Author Interview
Price of Life follows immortals and the battle between the factions of immortals over the future of the human race. What was the inspiration for the setup to this thrilling novel?
The inspiration for this novel came to me from the 1990’s Highlander series starring actor Adrian Paul in the title role. The show was very successful and I was thrilled about the plot and the theme regarding the implications of immortality. The novel was also inspired by my studies of eastern philosophies and mysticism as well as ancient European tales of humans becoming demigods as a result of an accident or a test by the gods or mysterious alien forces.
You did a fantastic job of blurring the lines between good and evil in this book. What were some driving ideals you used while writing?
The driving ideals I used in my writing were about two worlds, one official,l dominated by humans, another secret, dominated by the immortals. I thought that it would be interesting to put these two worlds on a collision course and give each character human and immortal a unique voice that would define their personalities and be the driving force behind their actions. Just like in the human world, among many immortals in my novels the lines between good and evil are sometimes blurred depending on a situation they find themselves in.
Dina is one of my favorite immortals. Who was your favorite character to write for?
Dina’s character is also my favorite in the story and initially, I wanted to tell the story from her point of view but decided to give each character a chance to speak for themselves. Dina’s actions are good and decent, and her personality defines her strong moral code and sense of justice. She uses her powers to help people and on some occasions she punishes evil and the people who betray her and those whom she loves. The episode about trying to kill Hitler was actually a stand alone short story I wrote in 2010 and in that story Dina was a mortal person blessed with her extraordinary gift of foresight.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
I am currently working on some ideas for my next novel but would like to share with you the novels I wrote during the previous years. I will definitely like to submit another novel to you to be read and reviewed and hope you and your readers enjoy undertaking another literary journey.
Author Links: Amazon | ForemostPress
![Price of Life by [Crane, David]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51vDkrYdwyL.jpg)
At the dawn of civilization, a prehistoric hunter finds an unusual meteorite that offers him powers of life and death and makes him an immortal. Twelve thousand years later, his descendants, inheriting the gene of immortality, are living in secret among unsuspecting humans. Able to give and take life at will, they struggle for survival across the centuries.
When a group of human fanatics and evil immortals each come with their own horrific plan for world domination, other humans and immortals must join forces to stop them regardless of the cost. At stake is the survival of both races as they prepare to face the greatest challenge of their lives.
The Cabin: A Murder Mystery
The Cabin: A Murder Mystery by W.D. Frolick is the story of a burned-out detective who can’t escape a murder investigation even during his vacation. Buckley Woods is a homicide detective in New York City, until his partner, Cheryl Jenkins, a married mother of two, is shot and killed when she and Buck are trying to apprehend a murder suspect two weeks before Christmas. Unable to start working with another partner, Buck takes a sabbatical and returns to his hometown in Maine to face the demons from his past. He blames himself for his high school girlfriend, Doreen’s death. Back in Orono again, Buck plans to fix up the log cabin on Pushaw Lake that he inherited from his grandfather. But when he arrives at the cabin, he discovers a dead body with a single gunshot wound to the forehead. Will Buck be able to avoid being drawn into the murder investigation? And will he find proof that Doreen’s death wasn’t just a tragic accident?
The book begins with Buck and his partner chasing after a murder suspect, which pulled me into the story right away. I enjoyed the author’s writing style, and I liked that there were several female characters in senior positions within the New York police department. Most other authors that I’ve read seem to have a primarily male cast in law enforcement in crime fiction/mystery.
The author seemed to be dropping some very broad hints in the first few chapters, and I suspected who the murderer was pretty early in the book, even before Buck and Jim discovered the body (although the motive was unclear until much later on in the story). But then, other clues and suspects were introduced, providing a number of false leads, which had me second-guessing myself. I really enjoyed that the story kept me guessing about the identity of the murderer until the very end of the book. And the truth about what happened to Doreen came as a complete surprise to me.
Although I enjoyed the book, I felt that there were too many mundane details, such as what Buck cooked for dinner, and that there were too many unnecessary details about secondary characters that did not relate directly to Buck or the mystery. This slowed the pace of an otherwise entertaining story.
Other than these minor quibbles I think this book is a solid crime novel that uses mystery and intrigue in interesting ways. Bucks character is well developed and the story keeps you guessing until the end.
Pages: 212 | ASIN: B01MR0BGG5
Raven and the Code Book
Raven Anderson is a bad ass femme fatale secret agent detective killer who uses her skills, intelligence and sex appeal to get answers. This woman is not to be messed with or it may be the last thing you do. Raven was born into the life of a trained killer and secret spy working for an agency known as The Foundation. This is the third book in the Raven Anderson series and she is back to kick ass and take names. If you haven’t read the other two books, you will be fine with the brief synopsis at the beginning of this book. Soon you will get to know Raven very well!
Together with her friend Naci, she is given the mission to protect Professor Raymond Steele until he can reveal his groundbreaking solution to the world’s biggest issues, a solution, apparently, that has the big powers of the world scrambling to shut it down for fear of threats to power. Raven takes on the challenge with determination and killer instinct. It doesn’t take long for this mission to become intense. The Professor is in danger before Raven can get to him and his wife has been taken as a way to get the code book. From here, this book is a non-stop thrill ride punctuated by violence and sexiness, but also some light-hearted humor and interesting relationships. Its great fun as the author takes the reader all over the world, almost like getting to be a Go-Pro attached to an international spy! She goes up against some pretty rough characters, like the thuggish Boris Alexi, who is desperately seeking the code book. This story has a great arch with an exciting ending.
I quite liked the Naci Vacara character and thought that she balanced Raven’s character. Raven is a character that is intriguing because she is so well developed, nuanced, and dynamic. This is a labor of love and a truly enjoyable read that is both quick and fun. This is perfect if you are looking for something a little edgy but easy to digest.
Pages: 328 | ISBN: 1730750575
“Mama Sou”: Metamorphosis of a Mother
MAMA SOU is the true story of a young mother who gets her son taken away. This book is pure love and emotion and nearly had me in tears several times. As the story unfolds, you see how much love Maria has for her son, and how she will do anything to get him back. She is strong, independent, and ready to fight for what is hers. Aside from the incredible story that is being told in these pages, the writing is superb and beautifully delivers a fully realized vision of the characters and the places they inhabit. It is incredible the lengths that people go to for their family, and the fact that this is someone’s real story is both beautiful and heartbreaking.
Whether you are a parent or not, you will feel the love that went into writing this story, and the emotions between the people in the story. The author, the mother herself, pours her heart into every chapter. I’ve read some books like this one, where a young mother struggles to gain her family back, but there is something special about Maria’s story. Maybe it’s the year that it happened, which was some 40 years ago, when these types of things weren’t really talked about, or maybe it’s because it happened in Greece. Either way, it holds a special place in my heart, and I will not forget this story any time soon.
As someone who has suffered from depression most of my life, seeing how Maria handled her depression was inspirational. That fact that she was able to fight for what she so desperately needed, all while dealing with mental illness, was incredible. I fully enjoyed this book, I think that whether you have kids or not, you will find some special meaning within these pages. The story is sometimes harsh, sometimes sweet, but definitely full of lessons to learn for everyone that reads it. I only wish that we could learn more about Maria and her story, and more about her son.
Pages: 118 | ASIN: B0793VJFFG
Ellie’s Redemption – Trailer
The comforting aroma of fresh baked-and-buttered bread. The hearty spice of cinnamon-oatmeal bars and hot coffee. In 1912 Ohio, The Amish Charm Bakery is the sweet sustaining center of a faith-abiding town built on peace, forgiveness—and ever-surprising love . . .
Ellie Graber couldn’t be happier working at Amish Charm—and making good on a precious chance to reunite with her Amish community. Grief over her mother’s death made her rebel and try the Englischer world, but now she’s home to start again. And quiet, thoughtful Joel Wenger is one of the few willing to understand her as their unexpected friendship develops into something much more . . .
But no matter how hard Ellie tries, Joel’s mother resolutely refuses to approve of her—much less accept her as a potential daughter-in-law. And as painful misunderstandings and a beautiful rival for Joel’s affections threaten to separate the couple for good, can they bridge the gap between distrust and faith to secure a lifetime of love?
The Chosen
![The Chosen by [Corbitt, Ray]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/519eKijdsIL.jpg)
The Chosen by Ray Corbitt is an interesting that is perfect for the fans of the political thriller genre. It’s substantially deep and entertaining.
A program is put into place to create a pool of leaders who are trained from a young age with certain values not easily found within the societies they are destined to lead. The children are from a variety of backgrounds, but they all share the fact that they are highly intelligent and display the potential necessary to lead.
There are many positive aspects of The Chosen but the one that strikes the loudest is the realism that is interlaced with imagination. The people, the places, and even the situations are all believable to the point that it really doesn’t take much work on the part of your reader to picture everything being described as if it were news of some real event. The lives seem real, the pain and suffering feel authentic, and the author does a fantastic job leading the reader through the lives on display.
I felt that the character introductions, while well described, could have been a bit less formulaic. I would have appreciated more variety with the character introductions. That said, the characters were very well developed and varied making them both believable and easy to form relationships with. Creating characters that seem as though they have been plucked straight out of real life can be a bit of a challenge for even the most seasoned authors but Corbitt certainly has a talent for it.
The only other complaint is more of a preference issue than anything else. The descriptive style employed by Corbitt for The Chosen strays a bit from the treasured ‘show, don’t tell’ philosophy that controls how the writer’s world opens itself up into the readers mind. I would have preferred more contextual clues to the straight descriptions offered.
For a short read directed squarely readers begging for a good suspense novel, The Chosen deserves four out of five stars for its originality and ability to bring readers into the writer’s world.
Pages: 182 | ASIN: B0794Y4WLD
A Little Murder – Trailer
When ER nurse Angie Deacon buys a day of fishing on NH’s Lake Winnipesaukee for her husband’s fiftieth birthday, she has no idea they’ll wind up suspects in the boat owner’s death. Besides his wife Valerie, why would any of the five strangers on board want gruff, insensitive Nolan Little dead?
None of them knew her before today. Or did they?
As police storm the boat, Angie comforts the distraught widow, who quickly becomes the chief suspect. She was seen having an altercation with him earlier that day.
ut then…so did handsome Jamaican Montez Clarke, who by day is a computer geek. He even went so far as to pop Nolan in the nose.
Valerie begs Angie to help find the killer. If she refuses, Val swears she’ll ask Montez’s friend Sonny who is a bit on the shady side.
Will Angie regret her decision to aid Valerie once she learns the woman’s dark secret?
Why did Sonny bring two duffel bags aboard? They don’t appear to contain fishing gear. First they’re at the bow of the boat, then they are gone… And Sonny won’t talk about them.
Untruths aren’t the only cause for alarm as the pieces of the puzzle fall into place, leaving Angie wondering just exactly how her husband fit into the deadly equation… and if she is next on the killer’s list.
Six Minutes Early – Book Trailer
Max Kenworth, a former Delta Force officer and nuclear weapons expert, is tasked with stopping a major attack on US soil in this thrilling adventure.
FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia) has stolen a cache of man-portable nuclear devices from a secure American facility in Panama. The weapons end up in the hands of ex-special forces officer Bart Madison. With the help of ISIS, drug cartels, and a US senator, Bart is planning to use the devices to create an atrocity in the American heartland.
Max is briefed on the situation by SOCOM (Special Operations Command) and teams up with FBI agent Gail Summers and Mossad agent Danya Mayer to find the weapons before they can be used against American citizens. The three will face opposition from both foreign enemies and so-called allies as they follow Bart’s trail across the continental United States. Their foe is intelligent and well connected, but the three of them are determined to stop this terrorist before more lives are lost.
Patrick Parker tackles today’s most important issues in this sociopolitical suspense novel. He uses Six Minutes Early to explore the tension between intelligence agencies, holes in national security, and threats from around the world.
LITERARY TITAN 