Category: Serpents Underfoot

Serpents Underfoot

Author Story: D.C. Gilbert

1106Design posted a nice little article about yours truly on their Indie-publishing news, education, and resources blog. 1106Design created the newest cover for my first book, Serpents Underfoot. And I think it was a fantastic cover. Check out the article.

D.C. Gilbert’s Author Story

D.C. Gilbert is an Army veteran and the successful author of the high-octane JD Cordell action-adventure series. After his dreams of becoming an Army Ranger were crushed by the Army’s discovery of his speech impediment, Gilbert served in the infantry. When his enlistment period was up, he decided to leave the military, and that’s when JD Cordell was born.

The adventures Gilbert imagined he might have had if allowed into Special Ops became JD’s adventures. Gilbert’s thirty-eight years of martial arts training and four years of military experience served as the bedrock upon which he built his series, and his extensive research only furthered the realism of his novels. D.C. Gilbert is just one shining example of how author experience and research can pay dividends when it comes to the success of a novel. But there’s much more to Gilbert’s success than that…

Read the full article here to read about D.C. Gilbert’s publishing journey and author insights.

Serpents Underfoot

Serpents Underfoot Wins Literary Award

As my old pal, Yosemite Sam, would say, “Great Horny Toads!”

Not only did Serpents Underfoot get a great review from Literary Titan, it also earned the Gold Book Award for May 2021! How about that! I was not expecting that and I am honored by the award.

And also, a bit humbled. It sets the bar even higher for the third book in this series, titled Reciprocity. But, I am hard at work, making sure that each book I publish is just a little bit better than the previous book. I am not sure I will always achieve that goal, but I can promise my readers that I will always try.

https://literarytitan.com/2021/05/03/literary-titan-book-awards-may-2021/

Check out all my books on my Amazon Author’s Page …

Author D.C. Gilbert

And let’s stay in touch! Sign up for my monthly author’s newsletter …

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Serpents Underfoot

My Spec Ops Fantasy

While I served in the US Army Infantry, I never had the opportunity to work my way up and into the spec ops community. However, I have had the honor of being good friends with several men who did, several of whom I met through the martial arts. So writing the stories I love to write involves relying on stories from those friends, research, and my wandering imagination.

Check out this author’s interview published on Titan Literary after Serpents Underfoot received another amazing 5-Star review.

Serpents Underfoot finds JD Cordell facing a terrorist group that plans to detonate nukes on US soil. What were some sources that informed this novel’s development?

This story grew out of thoughts I have had about what it would be like to be a Spec Ops warrior. I served in the military and spent most of my time overseas. I served in the Army infantry, and when I enlisted, I scored high enough on the ASVAB test to get Ranger School in my contract. Unfortunately, when they discovered I had a slight speech impediment, they would not send me to Ranger School. They were going to let me out because they couldn’t honor their end of the deal, but I asked to stay. Hell, I could still shoot pretty darn well. So, I guess it is, at least in part, a fantasy about what might have been.

Combine that with a lifetime study of martial arts, the political climate at the time, my interest in Asian culture, and you have the birth of this story.

The rest is simply a bunch of “what if” questions. For instance, what if a soldier in Vietnam married a Vietnamese girl who saved his life? What if their son became a Navy SEAL, and what if his team uncovered a major terrorist plot? What if it involved high-ranking US government officials? You get the idea …

JD Cordell is essentially a composite of several people I have known and respected. While I was a bit too young to serve in Vietnam, I was old enough to have several good friends who did. One friend, in particular, served as a medic on long-range reconnaissance patrols in the region the first few chapters of Serpents Underfoot is set in. I also know a couple of former Navy SEALS, one of which recently passed away. He was actually an Underwater Demolition Team member and served in the Mekong Delta region during the Vietnam War. The UDT teams were essentially forerunners of the Navy SEALs.

You can read the rest of the interview at:

https://literarytitan.com/2021/04/21/to-be-a-spec-ops-warrior/

Check out all my books on my Amazon Author’s Page …

There are several to choose from, all with great reviews.

Author D.C. Gilbert

And let’s stay in touch! Sign up for my monthly author’s newsletter …

Sign up by clicking the button below and receive a free gift! And, I promise, no spam! You can easily unsubscribe at any time.

Sign Up Here

Serpents Underfoot

Holy Moly … I’m an artist!

Serpents Underfoot just received a 5-star review from Literary Titan!

Here us what they had to say.

  • If you are a fan of thrilling action  adventure novels, you are going to enjoy reading Serpents Underfoot, by DC Gilbert. 
  • Author DC Gilbert is an artist when it comes to leaving the reader captivated and yearning for more at the end of every chapter.
  • Readers are treated to a good dose of action, but always with a unique buildup that always ensures the action oriented pieces have a reason, and because of this the novel feels … more authentic,
  • The story never loses focus on its characters who are consistently engaging. With multiple exotic locations throughout the novel, I always felt like the team, and the story, was on the move.
  • Serpents Underfoot is a fantastic start to The JD Cordell Action Series.

You can read the entire review here: https://literarytitan.com/2021/04/12/serpents-underfoot/

Check out all my books on my Amazon Author’s Page …

There are several to choose from, all with great reviews.

Author D.C. Gilbert

And let’s stay in touch! Sign up for my monthly author’s newsletter …

Sign up by clicking the button below and receive a free gift! And, I promise, no spam! You can easily unsubscribe at any time.

Sign up here

Serpents Underfoot

It’s Alive…

Serpents Underfoot is live on Amazon with its new cover.

Serpents Underfoot is out with its awesome new cover! 1106 Design did a great job, and they were a pleasure to work with. If you are ever in the market for a book cover, check them out. They will shortly be redoing the cover for Montagnard as well.

If you haven’t read it, click here to buy it now!

Buy Now!

Praise for Serpents Underfoot …

Resonant characters propel this consistently gripping terrorist tale.
All of the characters are well developed, producing genuine shock when certain individuals die.
The author writes in an unadorned prose that keeps the plot moving at a steady beat … the finale is … exhilarating.

Kirkus Reviews

Serpents Underfoot is the first book in the JD Cordell action thriller series! Full of Navy Seal action, the book will enthrall fans of action thrillers … The book has it all—authentic detail, breathless action, vividly drawn settings, and an exhilarating plot.

The Prairies Book Review

Check out all my books on my Amazon Author’s Page.

There are several to choose from, all with great reviews.

Author D.C. Gilbert

And let’s stay in touch! Sign up for my monthly author’s newsletter …

Sign up by clicking the button below and receive a free gift! And, I promise, no spam! You can easily unsubscribe at any time.

Sign up here!

Serpents Underfoot

Serpents Underfoot: New Cover Project

Below are the three new covers under consideration for my novel, Serpents Underfoot. I am always interested in what readers, supporters, and fans have to say about my work. It helps me improve as an author and keeps me motivated to work hard and keep my readers happy!

The question I am asking is not so much … which one do you like. It is more … which one piques your interest more or which one are you more inclined to buy?

Cover Design 1: This layout features a Navy SEAL at the top, balanced by the Vietnamese woman and Ajax below. The cover is filled with a subtle snakeskin texture.

Cover Design 2: This layout is a more traditional novel approach, with a large condensed title. The background is a subtle American flag.

Cover Design 3: This layout features JD Cordell and Ajax standing in front of the White House. There is a subtle snakeskin texture over the whole cover.

Okay, you’ve seen the covers! So, what do you think?

Serpents Underfoot

Kirkus Review: Serpents Underfoot

In for a penny …

My original plan, at the suggestion of my editor, was to submit Montagnard to Kirkus Reviews; which I did. A few days later, I got an email from Katerina at Kirkus, suggesting that, since Montagnard was a sequel, I should let them also review Serpents Underfoot so they would have a better picture of the story as well as me as an author.

While it made sense, anyone who has looked into Kirkus knows that 1) they are brutally honest, and 2) they are expensive. That is because they are the gold standard for book reviews and a good review from Kirkus can open doors and reach a large number of influencers like publishers, agents, foreign publishers, film executives, librarians, and booksellers.

I was hesitant because, while I know Serpents Underfoot is a pretty darn good read (its gotten lots of good reviews), it was also self-edited, and I was sure I would get raked over the coals. It seems, though, that this was not to be the case! Anyway, to make a long story short, I ponied up to have Serpents Underfoot reviewed as well. That was on June 16th. I received the “review completed” notification email today!

Here are a few excerpts …

Resonant characters propel this consistently gripping terrorist tale.

In this debut thriller, a Navy SEAL tries to uncover a terrorist plot.

… Gilbert’s action-oriented tale is dense with characters and personal histories … myriad subplots and backstories are often enthralling.

… All of the story characters are well developed, producing genuine shocks when certain individuals die. The author writes in an unadorned
prose that keeps the plot moving at a steady beat.

… the finale is … exhilarating.

Kirkus

Combine this with the Literary Titan August 2020 Gold Book Award notification on August 3rd, and my feet may not touch the ground for the rest of the week!

Anyone who would like to, can read the full Kirkus review by clicking here!

Serpents Underfoot can be found at Amazon.com

Please will take a few minutes and check out some of my other blog posts by clicking here!

And if you have read Serpents Underfoot, check out its sequel, Montagnard, on Amazon.com! It’s even better!

Serpents Underfoot

Buy This Book – you won’t be disappointed!

It takes work, but success will come!

Wow! Sales of Serpents Underfoot are growing. I knew enough to know that writing and publishing my own books would be hard work, and that any reward would be slow in coming. I mean … I am not exactly Tom Clancy!!

Also, there is a pretty long learning curve. How do I use Twitter or Instagram to market my books? How about Facebook, other book reviewers, book signings, etc.? And then, there is the mystery of Amazon Ads! It has taken time and work, but I am beginning to see the rewards.

I won’t lie. While the income certainly helps, for me the biggest reward and kick is simply knowing that someone read my work and got real enjoyment out of it. That makes being a writer really worth while for me!

More great new reviews for Serpents Underfoot

Newest Amazon Review

books by dc gilbert

Buy this book – you won’t be disappointed

A multi-generational story of perseverance, intelligence and craftiness, you will most likely find yourself rooting for Ajax and saying to yourself about the bad guys, “Uh oh – they shouldn’t have done that. Now I’m waiting for the sequel …”

Sharon Fowler

Thank you, Sharon Fowler, for the awesome 5 STAR REVIEW! Click here to read the entire review on Amazon!

The Prairies Book Review

I also recently received an excellent review from The Prairies Book Review. Tina S. at Prairies Review writes:

Full of Navy Seal action, the book will enthrall fans of action thrillers…

The book has it all—authentic detail, breathless action, vividly drawn settings, and an exhilarating plot. Action thrillers fans will be rewarded. Readers will wait eagerly for JD and Ajax to come together for another treacherous adventure.

Tina S.

Thank you, Tina, for the awesome review! Click here to read the entire review at The Prairies Book Review!

The sequel is coming!

The sequel to Serpents Underfoot, titled “Montagnard,” should be released at the end of this year or early next year. Serpents Underfoot was my first novel and it is doing amazingly well. But, I also learned a lot writing this first novel, so I promise that Montagnard will be even better!

However, you will want to read Serpents Underfoot before you read Montagnard, so I’d think about getting your copy pretty soon! It is available in Kindle format as well as paperback and hardcover.

Serpents Underfoot

Freedom … And Three Simple Steps to Something Free!

Freedom  And Sacrifice … And Thanks!

dc gilbert

Memorial Day Weekend Giveaway

Freedom is a wonderful thing, but it is certainly not free. Memorial Day is not a day to honor Veterans who are still here although we certainly appreciate it. Instead, Memorial Day is a day to honor those who give the ultimate sacrifice in the defense of our Freedom. In honor of those who have made this sacrifice, I am giving away free Kindle versions of my book, Serpents Underfoot, over Memorial Day weekend. Starting at midnight tonight and ending midnight on Monday the 28th, the Kindle version of my book will be available to download for free.

A Great Read!

Serpents Underfoot floored me!

Serpents Underfoot is a thrilling, compelling, exciting mystery that will keep its readers hooked from the very beginning. The plot of Serpents Underfoot is thrilling and incredibly clever. Serpents Underfoot is different because at the heart of its story is genuine proudness and respect for the military.

~Red Headed Book Lover Blog

4.5 Out of Five Stars

This novel starts with the deep background story of Cordell’s father when he was serving in Viet Nam. It carries forward to JD Cordell’s SEAL Team and other major characters in the plot. Far more background is developed in this novel than you would normally find. I also liked that the characters are down to earth with no “over the top” scenes of heroic combat.

~ John’s Notes

You can read other reviews (10 Five Star) on Amazon.com or here on my website. There are no strings attached or gimmicks involved. However, if you download a free Kindle version of Serpents Underfoot, enjoy it,  and feel compelled to give me a review on Amazon, I will not complain!

So here are the three steps:

  1. Click on the Serpents Underfoot Link!
  2. Download the Kindle book!
  3. Enjoy!