ARIA; Left Luggage by Geoff Nelder — a review by G B Hobson

ARIA; Left Luggage by Geoff Nelder

Beware luggage left on your ‘doorstep’!

It must be incredibly difficult to come up with a unique and yet believable storyline for a Science Fiction novel. It appears that Geoff Nelder has done precisely that. The plot is simple and yet mind-blowing.

A simple-looking case planted by aliens on an orbiting space station makes the story of the Trojan Horse look like a mere nursery tale. The whole human race is threatened, not by hordes of odd-looking space creatures as seen on certain TV dramas, but by an unseen virus — Alien Retrograde Infectious Amnesia — that invades the brain as soon as contact is made. But there is nothing to indicate contamination, that is, until it is obvious that memory is being eaten away at an alarming rate. No one appears to be immune. With no cure, it does not take long for ARIA to become the gravest mankind issue the world, as we know it, has ever been faced with.

I know what it is like to have a loved one suffer from Dementia. It is a cruel disease and heartbreaking for all concerned. But to have the whole population in various stages of rapid amnesia — aggression, mounting diseases, starvation, bodies stinking in the streets and everything in a state of chaos and horror — is a dreaded nightmare from which there is no awakening… or so it seems. But all is not lost — YET.

Our heroes and heroines, highly believable characters who have, so far, escaped contamination are yet to make their mark in world history.  Dare we hope the alien force will relent and deliver relief before the END? Or must we put our faith in human resourcefulness?

An unusual, mind-blowing read. I look forward to the second book of the trilogy.

Go To Publisher’s website for more details

Can be bought at Amazon (Both UK and Amazon.com plus The Book Depository

 

What a laugh! A lady koala reading my book (NO she is NOT Edna Everage)

Australian Lady, Janny Inkletter, reads Red Boxes — delighted!

And what does charming Mrs Janny Inkletter say about it? (No, this beautiful lady is not related to Edna Savage. She is the wife of that extraordinary ruler of Phools Paradise — Payton L Inkletter, writer and philosopher, king of wit)

RED BOXES: Easy yet moving to read real stories, innocent yet powerful memories of growing up and living in England through 1939-80
I had been anticipating reading this account of Gladys Hobson’s life, for not the least reason that she hails from England, my birthplace.
I was raised on stories of the British Depression era, War time, and post War era till the early sixties, told me by my parents. We emigrated to Australia in 1964 when I was barely 7 years of age, and I was always fascinated by the experiences my parents shared with me and my younger brother.
‘When Phones Were Immobile and Lived in RED BOXES’ was very easy to read, it made me laugh, it made me cry, it made think of my deceased mother very much, who I’ve missed greatly these past twenty one years. A lot of Ms Hobson’s experiences were very much like my mother’s, and I was especially struck by accounts of the fashion industry, because my mother’s work, before she married my father, was in the retail side of fashion. Despite war time rationing being over, it was a struggle for her to find the materials for her wedding outfit; however, one of the tailors that Mum used to deal with hand made her a beautiful tweed suit and lace blouse as her wedding present – it was a worth a small fortune. This made Ms Hobson’s account of her early career in the industry resonate with me rather nostalgically.
Thinking of the times when Ms Hobson was carving out her vocation in the fashion world, she would have needed to be quite a courageous woman; she, it should be noted, was raising her new family as well.
Even though poverty was a constant in the early part of her life, Ms Hobson’s tenacious spirit saw her overcome the struggles that a lot of her fellow countrymen shared with her.
I would warmly recommend this book to anyone wanting to have an insight into this era in Britain, and the making of our current senior generation. There is a lot to admire about how they came through the challenges of their times; things that younger people today would not understand, and maybe not cope with should – let’s hope not – such hard times return.
Janny Inkletter

Thank you, Janny for that thoughtful review.
The (enlarged) Second Edition of When Phones Were Immobile and Lived in Red Boxes — 1939 — 1980 (£7.50) can be ordered from any good bookshop, Amazon etc or directly (post free in the UK) from Magpies Nest Publishing.
(Please note, The smaller first edition is out of print and cannot be ordered from the publisher, but second hand books are sometimes available on Amazon)

Never mind the title, feel the heat!

Reviews for the three books in my Love By Design trilogy — Awakening Love, Seduction, Checkmate are hotting up. Visit Fools Paradise to see Payton L Inkletter’s last review — of my Seduction! (a previous publication was known as Seduction By Design)
You can read it here but you miss the animation — you’ll laugh your socks off!

Also posted here is a review by Andrew O’Hara (Andy is deeply involved with the Badge Of Life. Visit the BOL site, for eye opening revelations about their work.)

Go to my author site Hobsons Books for more reviews

SEDUCTION BY DESIGN

Seduced by design. Designed for seduction!

“Seduction by Design” is a triumph. Entertaining, wild, erotic (sheesh :), and full of enough twists and turns to keep the reader engrossed. A great piece of reading, written with Gladys Hobson’s very typical skill! (Longer one below)
Andy O’Hara

Seduction By Design

I was keen to sink my teeth into this novel, ‘Seduction by Design’, Gladys Hobson’s second in her ‘Designed For Love’ series, because she had me hooked with her first, ‘Desire’ (known in the UK as Awakening Love).

These are no ordinary romance novels. They are written by a mature age author, whose abundance of wisdom invests the chapters with a fragrance rare. A young person simply could not achieve this, and the gems of insight Ms Hobson scatters throughout her story delighted me.

As for the characters, my dislike of the arch bastard Robert Watson magnified in this instalment, while my love for the beautiful June Rogers nee Armstrong was tempered – Ms Hobson portrays just what a flawed woman she is despite her enormous and rare talent for couture design; and to make matters more arresting for me, I am tarred with many of the same brushstrokes as June, if I want to be honest.

Thus I was not only entertained by this engrossing tale, I was a tad convicted.

It is the early seventies, the setting having jumped a couple of decades from that of ‘Desire’, and my word how well Ms Hobson has integrated the plot from that instalment!

The thermostat regarding eroticism has been turned up a few notches in ‘Seduction…’, and that’s saying something, and yet, as with her first, there is nothing dirty or obscene in her explicit portrayals, and I tip my hat to her for this achievement: sexually charged encounters aplenty, without impurity – trashy romance writers take notice!

Something rare for me: I was actually mesmerised in places as I consumed this believable story involving an assortment of characters that would exist in any big town and city. And as in my previous review, let me reiterate that, as a writer, I continued to be informed and educated regarding effective technique to convey and captivate.

Well done Ms Hobson, and when is the final novel, ‘Checkmate’, going to be finished for me to learn what happens to these characters, who have become such a part of my imagination?
Payton L. Inkletter (writer, thinker, humorist)

SEE INKLETTER’S ANIMATED REVIEWS AT Fools Paradise!

Seduction by Design (about to be published by Turquoise Morning Press as ‘Seduction’ by G B Hobson)

Here’s a book that carries the reader right along in a smooth, continuous delight of romance, erotic adventure and well woven suspense. Author Gladys Hobson kicks right off with a bang, introducing us to the sensual June Rogers. A fashion designer by trade, June is grieving the death of her husband, Arthur, and begins to take readers on a tangled journey of love and hate with the attractive Charles and the ever despicable Robert–and is he ever!

Trite as that might sound, Hobson truly brings these three main characters (and a surrounding cast of delightful cast members) to vivid life in her “Seduction by Design.” This book keeps the reader on one’s toes as misfortunes lead to twisted plots and motives, and then to one misunderstanding after another that almost lead to tragedy and final heartbreak and yet, in the end — well, the writer sums it up best as, “Deja vu,” which you will have to find out by reading this delightful piece of work!

Gladys Hobson is a well practiced writer, spinning a tale smoothly and naturally. She is economical and yet she is capable of painting entire scenes and montages with dialogue, a quick glance, the sparkle of an eye or the dart of a smile so quickly that a reader doesn’t even know it’s happening. This is a rare talent and a delight.

“Seduction by Design” is good reading. It’s flat-out entertaining, suspenseful, erotic, fun, and heartwarming!

Andrew O’Hara (editor of The Jimston Journal, author of prize-winning The Swan, Tales of the Sacramento Valley) lives in the USA and now runs the Badge Of Life.

Please note: My trilogy and Smouldering Embers will now be published by Turquoise Morning Press and my The Dark Mirror (previously published as When Angels Lie) is being published by Storm Moon Press

What a Difference Promotion Can Make!

Today I had my book Awakening Love (Stonehedge Publishing Ebook version) showcased at http://authorsandtheirbooks.blogspot.com by author Ernie Johnson.
There is a picture of the book cover and another of the author, plus a good snappy synopsis and one of the places to buy. 
The synopsis reveals why the locket on the cover picture is highly relevant. 
Visit http://www.ernierjohnson.net to find out more about this remarkable Ernie Johnson with his vast range of activities.

Not only that, but When Angels Lie (AG Press) is featured on http://bookeventcenter.ning.com. Carol, Author 101, is another remarkable author. She has showcased a great assortment of books by lesser known authors which are available on Amazon. It is worth taking a look. if you are an author in need of a good bit of publicity how about joining us?

Here is the synopsis for Awakening Love:
A tale of love, lust and passionate desire, authentically set in late 1940’s class-conscious Britain. Innocent, naive teenager, June Armstrong is determined to rise above her working class roots and succeed as a top dress designer. Her sexuality is dramatically awakened by war hero, and socially advantaged, Major Arthur Rogers (retired), twenty years her senior. The relationship, sealed by a gift of a locket containing a diamond for an engagement ring, is to be kept secret until June is eighteen. Various events, involving his family, job prospects and unforeseen factors to do with affairs of the heart, prove to be a challenge to their relationship.
Arthur’s ‘ladies man’ brother, Charles, is also in love with June but ruins his chances when he sexually assaults her. June becomes the catalyst for his remarkable redemption. She finds herself falling in love with the “new Charlie” when Arthur is abroad on business. Out of love for his brother and June, Charles withdraws from the blossoming relationship and returns to the Royal Navy.
But first Charles helps June gain employment as a trainee designer. Her boss and mentor — dynamic, sexy entrepreneur, Robert Watson — realises June’s potential and sweeps her along on a tidal wave of ambition. He has plans for a totally new business and she is to be his lynch pin. June is mesmerised by both Watson’s charisma and his renowned erotic sexuality (which she inadvertently witnesses in the stock room). 
Robert Watson’s ability to draw out June’s creative genius eventually creates a bond, dangerous but thrilling, which he ruthlessly exploits — to the full!

Awakening Love is twice award winner!

DAVID MICHIE — Pure Deception

“Pure Deception” by David Michie is another jolly good read, if a little drawn out in places.

Any performing artist, musician or singer hoping for a breakthrough, will be drawn quickly into this dramatic novel — but so will any reader who enjoys a well written thriller. The story-line follows singer Mark Watson, as he is snatched from obscurity to be drawn into the dazzling world of celebrity status. Mitchie cleverly draws the reader into a nightmare situation of pure deception, where he, along with the leading lady Isis (an icon modelled on Madonna?) are threatened in a most gruesome manner by an animal liberation group. Powerful characters and well-described scenes create an atmosphere of horrific reality. A surprise finale is in true theatrical tradition!

DAVID MICHIE — “Expiry Date”

The phrase “Couldn’t put it down” is used so often that it does not do justice to a book that grips you so tightly that jobs that need doing get forsaken!

Such is Expiry Date by David Michie.

Imagine an anti-ageing drug that prolongs human life by decades: a gene therapy that defies the expiry date written into our DNA. In a world already dealing with an exploding population and the world’s poor suffering starvation, I find the idea rather abhorrent. But as a treatment for sufferers of a dreaded ageing disease it would be a godsend. Although hinted at, the story does not delve into morality of such research, which is just as well as it is already a lengthy book. Dr Lorna Reid’s research puts a number of people in deadly peril, including herself. Murder and intrigue, characters so well described I can still see them in my mind’s eye, sub-plots and red herrings, carry the story to a climax and yet still comes up with surprises to the very end. The reader gets the feeling that even the smallest detail has been thoroughly researched. A story not easily forgotten, and a subject not easily dismissed.

Exit, Pursued By A Bee by Geoff Nelder

Exit, Pursued By A Bee will appeal greatly to those addicted to Science Fiction. It has all the ingredients to make a good sci-fi read: thrilling havoc on earth, a dramatic chase through space, unforgettable three-dimensional characters, a dash of love sprinkled with a little sex, humour to cause a smile without detracting from the action, and compelling story line that constrains the reader to speedily journey to the end.

A larger than life derring-do female astronaut, receptive to outer-space time travellers, her brilliant spaceship-designer partner (even if with unpleasant habits), and a French-Canadian lady-killer fellow astronaut, join a supporting cast of memorable part players: a psychic newshound, an ancient cave-dweller and his dog, a blast-em general, a likeable teenage lad and his lass, plus a cast of thousands!

For those not used to this genre, and Nelder’s writing, be warned — you may need a dictionary. It is certain the average reader will have his or her vocabulary enlarged by the end of the story. An extraordinary book! 

Visit Geoff’s web site for more details:

http://geoffnelder.com

For a truly compelling experience see a preview of Exit Pursued By A Bee at

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cnr-135u84c

Geoff Nelder studying where the exiting spheres are sited.

“EXIT, PURSUED BY A BEE” is not a book to be missed. It adds a new dimension to the reading experience!

 

 

James Patterson thrill-her (and it did!)

1^st To Die by James Pattenson is a first class pageturner. A book hard to put down (not much work done this week!) My hubby was as keen to carry on reading to me, as I was to sit listening. Mind you, I was feeling weary at the time and, after my household chores, not eager to get on with editing my book. 

 

The many twists and turns of the plot involving murder of couples on their wedding day, along with a subplot concerning the dire medical condition of the officer in charge of the investigation, plus her emotional involvement with the cop assigned to her, and her groupie friendship with a bright young female journalist, a female medical examiner, and her female superior at work, all call for stamina and concentration, made easier by the story divided into 127 chapters as they dash from scene to scene.

 

The only reservation for me was the very end, which I thought OTT after what had gone before and somewhat stretched credulity.  But…

The Seagull & Le Corsair by Brian Withecombe

Here we have a story in the Hornblower tradition. I am not going to compare this with any books of this genre because I have never read any of these sailing ship yarns, nor any other book that has anything whatsoever to do with the Royal Navy — past or present.   So why read this one? (More correctly, why has my hubby read the book with me listening?)  Well, I have to confess it was written by an acquaintance, but that alone would not be enough reason to read right through a book — and my husband doesn’t know the author anyway.  The book is of a different genre to what we usually read, it makes a change and the book has an interesting cover which suggests adventure.  Plus we both enjoy a “whodunnit“.  We were not ‘obliged’ to read the book and I didn’t think my hubby would do so for long, but we both got into the adventure and finished it within the week.   My hubby thought it would be a good ripping yarn for the middle-teen market, or any lad who enjoys Treasure Island and the like. Plenty of info on canons, old guns, sailing ships and naval procedure. (Absolutely great for those interested in sailing ships.) Plenty of blood and thunder and well-drawn characters to get emotionally involved with. The story sails along at a good pace too.  For those interested in history, it is a vivid portrayal of ‘war at sea’ with Revolutionary France and the battle for supremacy within the Caribbean, with pirates and privateers to contend with as well as the enemies of England.   A good yarn and, with a fairly large print, an easy book to read.  Speaking for myself, a few of the ‘explanations’ within the story might have been better in a glossary so as not to intrude in the story. (My hubby does not agree)