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I Could Not Get Her Out of My Mind
Janie follows a woman who has lost all the people she cared about and sets out on a journey of self-discovery and adventure to find herself and her beloved despite seemingly insurmountable obstacles. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
Janie is a sequel to my first novel, Gunslingers. In that story, Janie became such a powerful character for me that I could not get her out of my mind. I started to wonder what would happen if Janie and Will, her beloved, switched places. The story gave me a chance to explore Janie’s character deeper than in my first book. It also gave me a chance to see facets of some other characters from Gunslingers and introduce a ranch full of new ones who show the resilience of the human spirit in the face of adversity.
Janie is a woman with strength. What do you think makes her a valuable and worthy heroine?
Janie might have just simply been the love interest in Gunslingers but she turned out to be so much more complex. Her father abused her, and she hated him and ultimately killed him. At the same time, they were father and daughter and loved each other. She learned from him, and those skills help her survive against all the forces that pursue her through the state of Jefferson. Despite all those hardships, Janie shows an ability to persevere and love. Janie shows us that there is always hope and that we may have more people rooting for us than we might suspect.
This novel is a genre-crossing novel with elements of a Western, Science Fiction, Romance and Coming-Of-Age as well. Did you start writing with this in mind, or did this happen organically as you were writing?
My interests tend to land more in the Science Fiction/Fantasy realm which frequently include Coming-Of-Age and Romance themes. In that sense, for me, the most surprising element in my novels is the Western. Once I decided to spend more time with Janie, the genres and themes just melded themselves together.
What is the next book that you are working on, and when will it be available?
Janie provides a satisfying ending but does leave open a few more avenues to explore. I have started to write down some of those ideas. Janie, Will, and Madison may be returning in the future. I also have the outlines of another story exploring a family of sisters and their adventures in a SciFi-Fantasy realm. I have to balance my day job and all the different ideas that want to make their way onto the page, but I am hoping to add something new by 2025 once the writing can get turned over to editing and polishing.
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But in the town of Victory, the sniper spared Janie’s life and shot Will instead.
Bereft of her only friends and betrayed by her mentor, Janie finds herself adrift in the state of Jefferson. She possesses one beacon of hope known by few others — a secret hidden beneath Governor Alistair Hogg’s mansion in San Alonso. Determined to use this knowledge to her advantage, Janie embarks on a journey fraught with obstacles, dangers, and moments of profound loneliness. However, she also discovers unexpected sources of support and learns the invaluable lesson that true companionship can be found in the most unexpected places.
With newfound allies by her side, Janie begins to believe that her search for happiness and a fulfilling ending may be within reach. Yet, to achieve her goals, Janie may need to sacrifice the very people who claim to love her.
Janie
In Janie, author Kendall Roberts masterfully weaves a narrative that transcends genres, brilliantly blending elements of a Western with the imaginative allure of science fiction. This sequel to Gunslingers embarks on an audacious exploration of the ‘what happens next’ question, presenting a captivating multiverse where destiny and love intertwine in the most unexpected ways.
Roberts crafts a story that is as much about loss and personal growth as it is about adventure and romance. The protagonist, Janie, emerges as a compelling figure, defined by her resilience and determination. Mourning the loss of her beloved Will, she is a gunslinger on a relentless quest to defy the barriers of space and reunite with him. Her journey, fraught with danger from Agents lurking at every turn, is an inspiring testament to the power of love and willpower.
What sets Janie apart is its ability to maintain a gripping narrative while delving deep into the emotional complexities of its characters. Janie’s character development is particularly noteworthy; she is portrayed not just as a figure battling external adversities but also as someone grappling with profound personal loss. Her resilience in the face of such adversity makes her journey both inspiring and heart-wrenching. Roberts’ skillful storytelling elevates this novel beyond the confines of its genre. While it is a must-read for Western aficionados, its appeal extends to anyone who appreciates sci-fi and intricate storytelling. The narrative thrives on its ability to balance action-packed sequences with introspective moments, making Janie an unexpectedly captivating read that is difficult to put down.
Kendall Roberts’ Janie is a finely crafted novel that offers a refreshing take on traditional genres. This Coming-Of-Age story resonates with themes of love, loss, and the indomitable human spirit. Roberts doesn’t just tell a story; he invites readers into a vividly imagined world that lingers long after the last page is turned. This book comes highly recommended for readers seeking a journey that is as emotionally enriching as it is entertaining.
Pages: 241 | ASIN : B0CKKDQGG5
The Mythos Of The American West
Gunslingers follows a young man living on a ranch who, after witnessing his family’s murder and cousin’s kidnapping, sets out to right the wrongs that have been committed. What was the inspiration for your unique story?
Since Gunslingers is a western, I was certainly inspired by the movies I watched growing up like Clint Eastwood westerns, the Young Guns series, and both versions of 3:10 to Yuma. While I was writing, I had the soundtrack to Paint Your Wagon playing in the background fairly often, but I don’t know if any of those songs bled into Gunslingers or not. I read much more in the science fiction and fantasy realm, and had just re-read Stephen King’s Dark Tower series when the germ of the idea for Gunslingers started to take hold, but it took another five years or more to blossom.
The mythos of the American west is all about independence, learning to rely on yourself, and standing up to those unsavory forces that are drawn to those areas where the traditional law cannot reach. Gunslingers is a classic coming of age story or heroes journey set in the backdrop of our collective imagination of what it means to be a cowboy on the frontier.
Will wants revenge but learns he can have more in life than rage and hate. What were some driving ideals behind your character’s development?
Will starts out living a fairly sheltered but typical life on a ranch in the old West, but his genealogy includes the original settlers and heroes who conquered the West, so when that comfortable life is snatched away from him, he falls back on that heritage of strength and resilience to buoy him and fuel that need for revenge. If we live off of anger and revenge, though, we are looking back on what we lost, and not forward to what we could still have or build. Along his journey, Will starts to see that there are more possibilities for his life than shoot-outs, bloodshed, and an early grave.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
Gunslingers touches on a host of different themes including the gap between our myths of the past and the actual history of that past, the treatment of women and indigenous people, and individual pain versus the societal gains in the name of progress. The overarching theme though for all of the main characters relates to our struggle to escape the obligations, burdens, and sins of our own past and the inherited past we receive from our families.
What is the next book that you are working on, and when will it be available?
My next book is called Janie and focuses on one of the other main characters from Gunslingers, Janie De Casas. As readers of Gunslingers will agree, Janie is too powerful a character to leave her where we did. Janie is currently in the editorial process and should come out later this year with the possibility of more to come after that.
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Will and Finn’s flight lands them under the protective wing of former Territory Ranger David McPhail who schools the young men in the lore and training of those fabled Rangers. With the addition of Janie De Casas, the daughter of one of Hogg’s Agents, the quartet of gunslingers set out to right the wrongs Governor Hogg and his Agents have inflicted on Jefferson.
Is revenge the solace Will seeks? Can burgeoning love save him from a path of destruction? Or will betrayal doom them all? Follow the quartet as they seek to outrun their legacies of pain, deliver justice to those who wronged them, and hope to discover a well-deserved peace. Find out if they are successful in Gunslingers by Kendall Roberts!
Gunslingers
Gunslingers is Kendall Roberts debut novel. This classic western follows the tragic story of Will Covington, a young ranch hand raised by his aunt and uncle. Will’s life is turned upside down when the local governor, Alastair Hoggs, has his fearsome agents burn down the family farm. If this isn’t bad enough, Will’s beloved family members are murdered, and his cousin, Kalirose, is abducted.
The story unfolds like a classic, old-style western story of revenge, where Will, the only known survivor who barely made it out alive, sets out to find those responsible for his family’s murder and rescue Kalirose. Throughout his journey, he is trained by a former territory ranger, David McPhail, who has his own axe to grind. Janie De Casas becomes involved in the story as the three roam the countryside, devising a plan to best seek vengeance.
I really enjoyed this classic western, which offers a rich storyline with romance, action, and tragedy. On the one hand, Will’s quest for revenge can seem like justice, but not without the risk of dire consequences. The author does an incredible job of shaking up the usual plot with a few unique plot twists, solid and adaptable characters, and a nail-biting journey that can lead to several outcomes. Will is a likable lead character from the start, and despite his tragic origin, he is never angsty and never loses sight of his goal.
While the book takes on a familiar classic western style, Gunslingers by Kendall Roberts is a promising start for a new author. It does a fantastic job of keeping the reader interested. Whether you’re a fan of western or classic action stories about revenge, you’ll enjoy this novel and its fascinating characters. It’s a unique twist from original western stories and well worth the read!
Pages: 316 | ASIN : 1639886842
LITERARY TITAN 