Book Review of Paul Jones’ EXTINCTION POINT

If you’re a fan of Post-Apocalyptic fiction, you don’t want to miss this one. This is the first in a planned series reminiscent of The Stand, Omega Man and Invasion of the Body Snatchers…all wrapped into one. Check out my review.

Paul Jones has started a refreshingly unique Post-Apocalyptic series, unlike anything I have read in the genre. Set in the present day, Extinction Point starts out with news of an advancing world-wide phenomena… an intense red colored rain that falls mysteriously at 12:30 PM local time and abruptly stops a few minutes later. Emily Baxter, reporter for a Manhattan based newspaper, finds herself indoors when the thick crimson rain strikes the concrete jungle around her. Careful to avoid contact with the thick red fluid, she reports to work, expecting to find a flurry of activity. She finds the rest of her colleagues speechlessly glued to the news floor’s television monitors. Reports from western Europe are sketchy at best…Eastern Europe has stopped transmitting video altogether. As New York City descends into panic, Emily returns to the safety of her apartment, never to emerge into the same world again.

Extinction Point brilliantly increased the tension with each successive chapter, as the menace of Earth’s apparent demise slowly unravels around her. Nothing is what it initially seems, as Emily ventures into her new world. She is the apparent sole survivor of an extinction level event, but her loneliness is replaced by horror, as she starts to make inexplicable and disturbing discoveries.

The author has a talent for description, immersing the reader in the solace of an empty city. His true talents for description shine, as more of the “red rain’s” true purpose is revealed. Paul Jones’ ability to bring complex concepts to life through description and narrative is awe inspiring. Few authors could successfully create the world that emerges after the “red rain.” Even fewer could relate the experience to readers in such vivid detail.

I thoroughly enjoyed Emily’s transition into survivor mode. Shuttered in her apartment, she reluctantly comes to terms with the fact that she has to leave the city. The author chose to make this difficult for her…as a true New Yorker, she never learned how to drive. She is bicycle bound, which adds a whole new dimension to her survival story. Readers will enjoy watching her prepare for the trek out of the city, and may even argue with her as she shops empty stores and adds gear to the limited list she can carry.

The story is punctuated by realistic periods of slowdown and reflection, as the main character contemplates the strange phenomena outside of her apartment, but the author keeps the tension level high. The “new world” continuously changes around her, unveiling the alien-intelligent design of the world’s metamorphosis. I couldn’t wait for her to turn another corner.

I eagerly await the next installment in this series, which will clearly plunge Emily into an increasingly unfamiliar world, as she treks north.”

If you don’t have anything nice to say…

Then don’t slam me with an ill constructed review on Amazon. Post it to your blog. If you get as many blog visits per day as I do…I’m pretty sure that your review will live forever in obscurity.

However, if you have something nice to say, I’d like to help you get the word out to the masses. I found this unsolicited review of my book while conducting one of my daily vanity searches on Google.

http://nicksteckel.blogspot.com/2011/06/book-review-jakarta-pandemic.html

What a nice thing to find. Someone who took the time to write an extensive, meaningful, well constructed review of my novel. I actually felt guilty about some of the short reviews I have written recently. Here is someone that invested a considerable amount of positive, mental energy on my book…beyond just reading it.

I ask you to take the time to read Nick’s review. I couldn’t have written a more poignant review of the book myself. He really captured the essence of my intention for the story, and for his efforts, I think his blog deserves some attention. Many thanks, Nick.

One last note: I added a word count for my next novel to top right corner of my blog. I’ll post two dates, with word count, so you can send me a message if it appears that I have slacked off. A little personal accountability, with oversight. I started the week with 24,244 words.

Eagerly awaiting my 40th…

book review.

I turned 40 at the end of February, and the event was anti-climactic. I didn’t feel the decay of old bones, or slight degradation in my eyesight. One more candle, and a wonderful family birthday party. I was spared the surprise, “this is your life” event that I’ve seen unfold for other quadragenarians.

My book turned 30 last week, which kicked off an exciting flurry of review activity. I had high hopes for the 30th review…looking for a reason to celebrate. The title of the review? “Wow…this book.” And not in a good way. A one-star 30th birthday review for The Jakarta Pandemic. The review was quite lengthy for Amazon, and had nothing good to say. The only positive? I could tell that the reviewer hadn’t read the entire book, probably not more than 30 pages. Needless to say, I was a little irritated. I wrote a nice response and let it go. Not everyone is going to like this book…or any book. Little did I realize that this would be the first of nine reviews written in four days. Thick skin? I would have felt better suited up in Kevlar.

Every time I checked Amazon, I cringed. I took two more solid hits, and then nothing but good reviews. I have been solidly impressed by the quality of people reviewing my book, and the readers that have reached out via e-mail. I frequently invite reviewers to contact me, especially if I see something that worries me (misunderstanding of meaning or purpose of my writing…not for pointing out typos). The reviews help shape future works, and revisions of the Jakarta Pandemic. I’m self-published, so I can do whatever I want with the book. I have a free-lance editor (who reviewed my book and responded to my request for help) working on some improvements as I type. These are all reader suggested enhancements, which will be available in new editions by mid-May (I hope).

Before I check Amazon for more reviews…Fridays always seem to be the biggest day for The Jakarta Pandemic…let me share with you an example of how not to handle a negative review. Read the string of posts, if you can. It’s cringe-worthy. Warning: Profanity.

How Not To Handle A Negative Review

Wish me luck on my 40th Review…it’s out there somewhere. Maybe it’s one of you.

You Tube review of The Jakarta Pandemic

As all of you hopefully know, I encourage readers to contact me with questions or suggestions regarding my book, and I actually hear from some of them. Most of them are surprised to hear back from me, which I can’t believe. Hearing from readers is one of the most rewarding aspects of writing a book. It’s proof that someone actually read it, and didn’t just need to spend the remaining three dollars on their Amazon gift card. I suppose some of you will remind me of this post, when I hit the big time author circuit, and get swamped with fan mail. Back to reality Steve.

So the other day, I started a conversation with a reader from my home state of Indiana. After exchanging a few emails, he said he would do a review of my book on his You Tube channel. What? I thought people just posted videos that featured laughing babies on You Tube. I didn’t realize that some people actually used it for constructive purposes. I was wrong.  Below is the link to my first “live” review. The only thing that upsets me about this, is that I didn’t think of this first. Thanks, Hooser9mm for opening my eyes to a whole new marketing angle…and for a helluva nice review. Also, he offers a few additional videos that highlight some easy to implement, basic disaster survival strategies (for the family), which tie in nicely to the preparation strategies employed by the Fletcher family in The Jakarta Pandemic.

You Tube Review of The Jakarta Pandemic.