jbronderbookreviews

The Mean by John Arthur Long

Told with elements of heart-rending pathos, nerve-wracking tension and scenes of disarming humor, THE MEAN is a riveting novel of school days that looks at the nature of true learning, the best and worst in public education, the drama of human relationships and the threat of violence that has recently become such an integral part of our lives.

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Author’s Bio

9/26/17 VOICE ARTS AWARDS NOMINATIONS ANNOUNCED: AUDIOBOOK NARRATION – John Arthur Long, Best Voiceover Nomination, AUTHOR PERFORMANCE: THE MEAN and AUDIOBOOK NARRATION – John Arthur Long, Best Voiceover Nomination / MYSTERY: THE MEAN

John Arthur Long’s latest novel, THE MEAN, is told with elements of heart-rending pathos, nerve-wracking tension and scenes of disarming humor. THE MEAN is a riveting novel of school days that looks at the nature of true learning, the best and worst in public education, the drama of human relationships and the threat of violence that has recently become such an integral part of our lives. In addition to the Kindle edition, THE MEAN is also available in print and on audio both as an audio download or Hardcover CD from Blackstone Audio, featuring Long as the narrator of the novel.

John’s previous hard hitting work of fiction was THE HARVARD MAN: He is brilliant, possessing intelligence most would classify as genius, and he has always believed he was destined for Harvard University. However, there is a flaw. He is also mentally unstable, a psychopath with violent tendencies. Harvard has rejected his application! Now, he is determined to exact revenge in sweeping strokes of violence that will display his brilliance and bring America’s most prestigious university to its academic knees. THE HARVARD MAN. If he can’t have Harvard, no one can!

John Arthur Long’s first published novel, THE SIGN OF THE GUARDIAN, was released in two separate editions and optioned twice for motion picture production for which Mr. Long co-authored the screenplay. THE SIGN OF THE GUARDIAN is now available as a Kindle book. EVE OF REGRESSION, Long’s second novel about the search for the grave of the first woman, has been translated into several different languages and distributed worldwide as a bestseller and was recently re-issued as a Kindle book titled THE GATES OF EDEN. Long is also the co-author of a children’s book, THE TOOTH FAIRY LEGEND, which was based on his original family musical for which he co-wrote the book and music that Liz Smith called “delicious,” in her column about its New York premiere which had sold out audiences. More information about the Tooth Fairy can be found at http://www.toothfairylegend.com. An illustrated version of THE TOOTH FAIRY LEGEND is available as a Kindle book.

Along with his fiction writing successes, Mr. Long has been active in theater, having directed many dramas and musicals. Most recently he was nominated for Best Director for an Off Broadway revival production of WAIT UNTIL DARK at the Chain Theatre in LIC. He is also co-author of CONSPIRACY, a musical of the Chicago Eight Trial, and the modern tragedy, THE FINAL PERFORMANCE OF THE MOBLED QUEEN.

John Arthur Long also works as a voiceover professional, performing audio voiceovers for websites both in the United States and Europe as well performing voiceovers for commercials and audio books.

All of John Arthur Long’s professional writing is available in digital form through Vellum Publishing, Inc. at www.newkindlebooks.com.

My Review

5 stars

Enter a high school and you will find all kinds of craziness. This story revolves around different events that can be found in almost any high school. You have a teacher discovering feces in a drawer because one student thinks it is hilarious to leave these little nuggets around the school. You have a young girl that is rebelling by dressing and acting promiscuous and finds herself with a stalker.

But it is not limited to just the students. A teacher is using Tibetan Balls to calm his class and is facing protests that this is not how to teach. Of course there are the interwork relationships and political hoops for the staff to jump through. And if that was not enough of a mess, a suspected terrorist has planned on releasing a nerve gas on this school.

This book had a little bit of everything in it. I was not expecting this book to go where it did. Yes, I remember some of the drama from high school so I was prepared for some of it. But I have to admit when I was reading about a student hiding feces around the school I was wondering what I was getting into. On my worst day in high school we never had anything like that.

This story reminds me of a daytime soap opera and one top of that you have a terrorist threat. You will reach all of the emotions as you go through this story. I really enjoyed it and recommend everyone check it out. You will be pleasantly surprised.

I received The Mean from Sherri Rosen Publicity for free. This has in no way influenced my opinion of this book.

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Mercury’s Son by Luke ET Hindmarsh

Valko can see the last moments of a victim’s life.

It comes at a price – a scrap of flesh cut from his brain and replaced with an implant. Bound to a drug that lets him use his insight but brings with it the pain of synthetic emotion, he’s at war with himself.

Now a killer has found a way to hide from him and two people are dead. Someone wants to keep their secrets buried. The trail leads out into the wasteland where death flies on the wind as nanotech dust.

Manipulated and betrayed, Valko must get to the truth before his time runs out.

If he only knew who to trust maybe he’d have a chance, but a man with an artificial soul can’t even trust himself…

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Author’s Bio

Author of Mercury’s Son–a dystopian and thought-provoking sci-fi thriller, described by one reader as “bursting with invention and ideas”–and the soon to be released 3:33–written past the witching hour and filled with enough creepiness that I had to turn the light on to rush across the landing to bed most nights I wrote it.

You can find Mercury’s Son on Amazon at the links above. Look out for a sample from 3.33 in the near future. But be warned! You might find yourself swept away to a future where you cannot trust yourself… or in sudden need of a night light! Before I gave up the real world for the darkness of the future and the graveyard chill of suspense, I worked as a Criminal Barrister in London for ten years. That doesn’t qualify me for making a good coffee, but it does mean that I saw the dirty, grimy and sometimes downright nasty side of humanity on a daily basis–and believe it or not, I have done an ‘axe murderer’ trial! Luckily, I love the human race, so while you’ll see the taint of my time as a lawyer, there’s hope in the pages I write too. I have a brighter side–my two young children who inspire me to stop writing on a daily basis to spend time playing the fool for them and my wife who tolerates the madness of my working life. Which is to say, she only tells me to stop talking about writing once an hour. I also teach Shinseido Karate, which is a traditional Okinawan system derived from Shorin Ryu Karate. Shinseido followed the tradition of taking its name from the senior teacher of the system–my dear friend and mentor Shinsei-sensei. The joys of this system are that it’s been tested in the real world–in the streets and in a ward for the extremely violent, criminally insane. So when I write action–which happens when it’s called for–, you can be sure it comes from my own experience and knowledge helped by the candid accounts of fellow instructors and students and given gritty realism from the sheer number of stabbings, shootings and punch-ups I dealt with in my previous career. Finally, when I’m back on this planet and my pulse isn’t racing with fear–I rock out on the guitar and burn off some nervous energy weight training or riding my motorcycle.

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My Review

5 Stars

The Earth has been destroyed and civilizations are living in small, over crowded cities while the Earth repairs itself. The Temple of the Wounded Mother is the religion that has risen to try and save the world. The believers hate humanity and kill numerous people yearly to try to help the Earth heal faster. Valko Gangleri is a Moderator in this world. He has an implant that lets him read minds and is basically a judge, jury, and executioner unless he is on the drugs that opens his empathy.

Valko is sent to investigate the death of a scientist and finds something strange, someone is hiding information from him which should be impossible. Valko starts to dig deeper and starts uncovering some unspoken truths. It’s easy enough to create truths as it is to create lies. It’s also very easy to brainwash people, create mind control, and have clones mucking everything up.

With the release of Blade Runner 2049, Mercury’s Son fits into this genre. Although Valko is struggling with his emotions and trying to determine truth from lies, he is supposed to look into the death of a scientist and another person. But this is just the tip of the iceberg. There is so much happening in this world. Religious cults, mass slaughter, government control, a ruined and desecrated Earth.

This is a very involved yet not over whelming story. I was kept guessing at who the killer was and why until the very end. I loved how dark and dirty this world is, the description if moving. If you like the dirty, futuristic thrillers I think you need to check this one out.

I received Mercury’s Son from Sage’s Reading Room for free. This has in no way influenced my opinion of this book.

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