Tag: novels

Book Reviews

Return to the Madness

Return To The Madness: A Vietnam War Novel (Promises To The Fallen Book 2

He returned to Vietnam for one last tour. But the war wasn’t done with him yet…

The year is 1970, and the war in Vietnam rages on. Sergeant Eddie Henderson returned home from his first tour of duty a broken man, haunted by the promises he made to his fallen brothers. Promises he failed to keep…

Now, he’s going back.

Leaving his new wife behind, Eddie returns to the war-torn jungles, where he is handpicked for a special recon-and-rescue squad. Again and again, Eddie and his team pull off the impossible, recovering downed aircraft, stranded pilots, and vital equipment. But the war takes an even darker turn for Eddie when his squad defends a hot landing zone, and he finds himself facing a brutal VC officer named Dang.

This savage killer has massacred hundreds of local villagers as punishment for helping American soldiers. As the conflict rages on, Dang and Eddie develop a personal feud that goes beyond the jungles of Vietnam. A private war that will leave Eddie haunted once more by a broken promise.

For the first time, will Eddie find himself putting vengeance before duty?

My thoughts …

This book is very much an emotional roller-coaster ride. It will take you through the complete spectrum of human emotion, and I am not ashamed to say that there were several points in this book where tears came to my eye.

I enjoyed reading this sequel to Promises to the Fallen very much. The Vietnam War is a fascinating topic for me from several angles. The author’s characters are authentic, and you cannot help but become immersed in their situation, You feel what they feel and become part of their experience.

While a work of fiction, Return to Madness places the reader in the middle of the American soldier’s experience in Vietnam. All of Glyn Haynie’s books give the interested reader a real glimpse of what the War in Vietnam was like for those who served.

I have enjoyed all of this author’s books and have seen his growth as a writer. Return to Madness is Glyn Haynie’s best work so far. I look forward to his next. This book is a definite 5 stars and I highly recommend it.

And if this book is your cup of tea, you might want to also check out Montagnard on Amazon.com.

Book Reviews

New Book Review Page

I have done a significant number of book reviews over the years, and it dawned on me that they become too easily lost among the other blog post in a typical blog feed.

Therefore, I created a new book review page called DC’s Book Reviews and will display images of the books I have reviewed on the page. Each image will contain a link to that book review in my blog. I have been working on this for several days, and it is now ready to go live.

Voilà! A lot less searching.

I guess I’ve done about 40 or so book reviews. However, 16 have been added to date. I will keep working at this until all of them are on the book review page.

I do enjoy good books and reviewing them for other readers. However, lately, whenever possible. I have turned to audiobooks. I guess my eyes are getting a bit older, and too many years of working at the computer have taken its toll. Audiobooks are a great way to enjoy books, even with tired eyes!

While I only review books I have an interest in reading, anyone interested in having an honest book review done by me can contact me through my contact form. I will reply as quickly as I can.

Click here to view my new book review page. It is also a menu option a the top of the page.

Also, please check out Serpents Underfoot and Adirondack Bear Tales available on Amazon.com. Montagnard is now in the hands of my editor and will be released later this summer.

Thanks for stopping by!

Montagnard

Editing Montagnard: The Beta Version

Have you ever used beta readers for a writing project?

For my first novel, Serpents Underfoot, I did not use beta readers. I did the editing myself with a great deal of help from my mother. Neither of us was a professional editor.

Needless to say, it took several content uploads before I had eliminated all of the typos, etc. And, I have to thank several of my early readers for pointing some of them out to me. I think Serpents Underfoot is in pretty good shape now, but you never know, there might be one more typo lurking in the shadows, ready to spring out on some poor unsuspecting reader!

Even as short as Adirondack Bear Tales is (only fifty pages or so), it took two rounds to get it to what I hope is now a typo-free state!

For Montagnard (the sequel), I am doing something new

I have read and re-read the draft of Montagnard several times. I have run through Microsoft Spellcheck and Grammarly several times as well. Unfortunately, I am sure there are still a few typos, punctuation errors, homonyms and homophones, and probably even too many adverbs.

So, sending a copy out to five beta readers is a bit intimidating. While these are readers whose opinions I respect, I certainly don’t want them to think, “Egad! How’d he miss this!”

On the bright side, I am hoping that if there are any plot holes, sections of the story that are confusing, or parts that simply suck, these five individuals will let me know. And the end result will be a much better novel … and a sequel to Serpents Underfoot.

Then the final step …

I figure that once I have gone through all the observations and edits suggested by my beta readers, I will be ready to send the manuscript to my editor for its final edit. When she is through with it, it will surely be ready to publish.

And, while all this work is being done, I should have time for some pre-release marketing, etc., as well as getting started on my next book project, a story of family, love, and sacrifice during World War II.

While you are here, check out a few of my other blog posts by clicking here!

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.

free
Book Reviews

Free Stuff … Review copies of Serpents Underfoot!

Free review copies of Serpents Underfoot are still available!

free

There are a limited number of free review copies of Serpents Underfoot available on BookFunnel for anyone interested. They are in both Kindle and epub formats. The only catch is that, if you take one, I am asking you to please leave an honest review on Amazon.com.

Do you like military action thrillers written with a real sense of pride in all branches of the U.S. military? If so, you will really enjoy Serpents Underfoot.

This military action thriller is already getting great reviews, but I need a few more. Reviews are very important to self-published authors. They are also very import to Sophie, because selling more books means I can keep her in dog biscuits! And, Sophie needs her biscuits!

free

So, feel free to snag a free Kindle or epub copy of Serpents Underfoot! Read it and enjoy it! Then, leave an honest review on Amazon.com … so people can read how much you enjoyed the book. This way, more people will buy the book and I can buy Sophie more biscuits!

Or, check out Adirondack Bear Tales!

free

Eleven delightfully charming tales of real-life encounters with black bears in the Adirondack Park of upstate New York.

This book can now be found in the Raquette Lake Library! It is selling well and has 4 Five Star reviews to date. The Kindle version is only $2.99. You can order a copy by clicking here!

These tales would be great for sitting around the campfire, bedtime tales for children, or just some pleasant light reading when when the mood strikes. The paperback copy makes a great little gift for a reader in your life at only $5.99. Please check it out, and if you enjoy it, leave a review on Amazon.com!

Check out other great posts by clicking here!

rice
Authors

Anne Rice … I write like Anne Rice?

I just learned I write like Anne Rice

A fellow writer shared a link on Twitter to a little analysis tool that allows you to paste in a chapter of your work or a blog post, etc., and then analyzes your writing to tell you who you write like. For kicks, I thought I would give it a try. I pasted a section of a chapter from Serpents Underfoot in the field, clicked analyze, and held my breath. A few second later, my results came back and I was informed I write like Anne Rice.

So, who is Anne Rice … in case you don’t know

rice

Anne Rice was born on October 4, 1941 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Her first novel, Interview With The Vampire, was published in 1976 and went on the become one of the best-selling novels of all time. Her many books have sold nearly 100 million copies, making her one of the most widely read authors in modern history.

I admit I am not sure what to think about this. I was sure I would come back with Tom Clancy, Robert Ludlum, or Fredrick Forsyth … but Anne Rice? To be sure, I am not knocking Anne Rice. I have read several of the books in her Lestat series and enjoyed them immensely. I just didn’t imagine that military thriller writers would compare to a writer of metaphysical Gothic fiction, Christian literature and erotica!

If you would like to check out this little writing analysis tool, click here!

I wonder if a sample from my book, Adirondack Bear Tales, would also come back as similar to Anne’s in style? Interesting question. I may need to check that out.

By the way …

If you happen to check out one of my books, please leave a review to let me know what you think. I would certainly appreciate it! Click here to read more of my blog posts.

Echo
Book Reviews

Book Review: Echo Volume 1: Approaching Shatter

Welcome to Echo Volume 1: Approaching Shatter by Author Kent Wayne!

Author Kent Wayne does a good job with this first book in his Echo series titled  Echo 1: Approaching Shatter. His writing style is lively and at times humorous. The characters are well developed, and it is truly a compelling story.

Shatter

His book is an interesting look at a futuristic version of humanity. Global warming has made Earth uninhabitable, and now humans live on similar planet called Echo. Governments and corporations have merged and created the Department of Enforcement to crush the Dissident rebels who are fighting to make their lives better. Much of Echo is in a rapidly deteriorating state, but the elite live up in the sky where they can ignore the chaos below … that is threatening to destroy Echo.

In Approaching Shatter, the main character, Atriya, is one of the Department of Enforcement’s highly-trained Enforcers. As a good soldier, he follows orders. However lately, he has been having second thoughts and strange ideas. He wonders about things that he shouldn’t and wants to do something, but is unsure of what path to take. This is the source of the story’s conflict and the narrative unfolds from there.

I do not usually read a lot of science fiction, but I do like military fiction, so I took a chance on it. This book was pretty darn good because it is not just about the action. It also explores the ideas of humanity, courage, strength, bureaucracy run amuck, war, and even religion.

I have one minor comment/complaint. I’ve always loved westerns, especially Louis L’Amour. But I could never get into Zane Gray. That was because Zane Gray included way to much detail. I have an imagination. Let me use it. Echo 1 is kind of that way. Maybe not as bad as Zane Gray!

But I must admit, whether or not there is too much detail, often depends on the reader. Many readers loved Zane Gray westerns. In my novel, Serpents Underfoot, a couple reviews complained I gave too much detail on things like military weapons or tactics. Then again, some readers eat that stuff up.  I guess the point is that a lot of this is subjective and depends on the readers personal preferences.

I haggled over 4 or 5 stars for this book for a few days, and settled in on 4.5 … which rounds off to 5 anyway. Military science fiction readers will love it!

Don’t forget to check out my novel as well!

5 star
Book Reviews

Another 5 Star Review for Serpents Underfoot!

Thank you, DeeDee, for the awesome 5 star review!

Serpents Underfoot just received another outstanding 5 Star review on Amazon.com. Thank you, DeeDee, for the wonderful review. It really means a great deal!


Outstanding! A Definite Must Read for Lovers of History, Action and All Military Folk … Past & Present

5 star

I loved this book — a lot! I got this book a couple of months ago but just started reading it last week. Result was I wished I had put it at the top of my book list when I got it. Literally once I started, I couldn’t put it down and I can’t remember the last time I not only could say that, but actually read a book well into the night. Reason was it was so interesting. I just had to see what would happen next. I found Mr Gilbert’s character development and overall story integration amazing. This book and what it was about just was so well done it gripped me. So I very strongly recommend this book!!  ~DeeDee

While chasing reviews should not become an end to itself, a good review certainly means a great deal to an author. It certainly does to me. I still remember just how much it meant to me when I got that first review from a stranger who enjoyed my book, and I realized that people (who, shall we say, were not biased in anyway) were actually enjoying what I had written.

There is also no question that the more good reviews a book has, the more other prospective readers will be inclined to purchase and read the book!

If you like a good counter-terrorism, military action/thriller with a touch of romance, I hope you will consider checking Serpents Underfoot out! I really don’t think you will be disappointed. When you’re finished reading it, please leave a review! I would really love to hear what you thought.

On Writing
Book Reviews

On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King

Stephen King is a master of the craft!

While traveling to Washington, D.C. recently, I thoroughly enjoyed listening to the audio-book version of On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King.  I could literally hear Stephen King’s “voice” in my head as I drove to Quantico, VA and then boarded the train to Union Station. That may have been because he narrated the book himself. To be honest, it was not what I expected at all.

Memoir of the Craft

This “memoir” was broken up into several sections, with the earlier sections devoted to different parts of his life. The last sections are devoted to his advice on the craft of writing. The chapters are preceded by three forewords. This memoir was fascinating to listen to. I was amazed by the way that King wove stories of his life, his craft, and advice to new writers together through the pages. It was inspiring to listen to what he went through to become the success he is today and to hear about how he struggled and worked hard for that success.

King’s advice on the “how-to’s” and “what to avoid” were very practical to a new writer. The term “actionable” comes to mind. It was also very interesting to get his views on writing classes and groups. They mirrored a decision I had recently come to. The important thing is just to write, as much and as often as you can. You should also read a great deal. I liked his comments about those who want to be a writer but are too busy to read.

Stephen King’s memoir, On Writing, is a fascinating and helpful book for both aspiring and experienced authors. It explores writing, the writer’s tool box, and the writing life.  I enjoyed listening to this book very much because I have always loved to read  … and now love to write.

On Writing: A Few Tools for the Writer’s Tool Box.

I am not going to go into great detail here. If you want that, read or listen to the book. But here are a few tips that might whet your appetite.

  • Identify your ideal reader. That one person you are writing the story for. For Stephen King, it’s his wife Tabitha.
  • Shut the door each day and keep it shut until your goal is met. Television is a distraction and a great time waster.
  • Plot and theme may not be the “be all and end all” of successful writing. Create a situation and let the story unfold. Let your characters tell you the story.

Hindsight is always 20/20, but I wish I had read his book before starting my novel, Serpents Underfoot. Don’t get me wrong. I think it’s a great read, if I may say so myself. And, everyone who has read Serpents Underfoot seems to agree. In fact, I wrote my novel more or less in the way he describes writing should be done. It is just that there were a lot of tips and advice in his book that could have made the writing process smoother and given me a greater understanding of my initial faltering steps in developing my own skills in this craft called writing. These tips will certainly help in my future projects.

Book Reviews

Review: SoulGuard by Christopher Woods

SoulGuardI had the pleasure of meeting Christopher Woods at McKay’s Used Book Store in Knoxville, Tennessee a few months ago.

A science fiction / fantasy author, Christopher Woods was holding a book signing for the newest installment in his series of five SoulGuard books.  Since I was also an aspiring author, I stopped by his table to chat for a few minutes. Christopher Woods was very gracious and even shared a few pointers that he had picked up along the way to becoming a self-published author himself. I figured the least I could do then, was buy one of his books in appreciation for his being willing to share a few tips.  So, I bought a hardcover copy of the first book in his series, titled SoulGuard, which Mr. Woods kindly autographed.

Over the last few weeks, I finally got around to reading his book. I must admit, upfront, that I am not a big science fiction / fantasy reader.  I typically prefer genre’s such as historical fiction, or spy novels and political thrillers.  This is probably why it took me so long to read it. But, this book was a pretty darn good read!  I cannot say I have been “converted,” but I probably will read the rest of the series.

This first installment centered around the main character, Colin Rourke, who has been doggedly hunted his entire life by a race of creatures known as Demons.  Demons  travel through portals to our world to kill or capture and enslave our people. The Soulguard, a mysterious warrior group  with knowledge of how to harness and use the power of the Soul to combat these demons, wage a secret war against them to protect the people of our world.

Colin, who is special, has been kept hidden and raised in secret by two legendary Soulguards. He has now reached the age where he can take his place in their ranks and help protect the people of our world. Colin has abilities that have not been seen a very long time (at least a thousand years) and his very existence has the potential to start an all out war with the Demons who are desperate to destroy him.  This war could quickly evolve into a holocaust that threatens to destroy our entire world.  Only Colin and the Soulguard have any chance of stopping what is coming.  Will they succeed?  Or, will our world become enslaved by this race of Demons?

I did enjoy reading this first book in Christopher Woods’ series! It is a great story with darn good dialogue. The action is fast paced throughout the book and keeps things moving nicely. The interaction between characters is nicely done. The character development is pretty darn good. I especially enjoyed the interesting thread of humor throughout the dialogue, but then … I do have a strange sense of humor.

My only complaint is that, for me, there could be a bit more development around the SoulGuard and their training or development and use of their “Soul” power.  But, that may just be the martial artist in me … I like the long-suffering, dutiful warrior arts training scenes! I guess not everyone needs that. I just think that would be interesting for me and perhaps, add just a bit to the story line.

All in all, I think this is a great first book in the series and would definitely recommend it to anyone, and especially those who really enjoy this genre!  As I stated earlier, despite being a genre I do not typically read, I will probably read the rest of the series before I am done.  It is available from Amazon Books.