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Solan Atlas: The Atlantean

A debut novel full of adventure from another time and place.

In author Simmons’ debut novel, Solan Atlas, a 16-year-old prince of an unnamed island kingdom near Europe, sets out alone in his boat to experience the sights and sounds of France.

It is the late 18th century, and Solan expects his adventure to be something like the grand tour of the continent that wealthy Europeans embarked on during the Romantic period. He sets out alone. Ill prepared for the journey, he soon finds himself battling the elements. When he spots a galleon on the horizon, he thinks he’s saved, but Balfour, the ship’s captain, turns out to be a scoundrel. After treating Solan to tea and redirecting him toward the French coast, Balfour then blasts Solan’s boat with cannon fire. The young prince survives but ends up going through further misadventures on land, including being flogged and narrowly surviving a horrible accident. Eventually, he makes friends who come to his aid and is given protection and an education by the powerful Duchess of Cumberland. He then sets sail again, this time as part of Balfour’s crew, in pursuit of the even more devious Capt. Buckholtz. Solan’s adventures and tragic losses continue to amass as his story becomes further entwined with that of Balfour, his crew and his daughter Elsea until they reach eventual safety. Simmons’ novel recalls the picaresque adventure novels of the 18th century and is written in a similar style. While this approach may evoke the novel’s precursors, it can also read as old-fashioned. The main character is likable but frustratingly opaque. In a story with the wit or philosophical bent of Candide or Rasselas, that slightness of character development is fitting, but in a modern novel, most readers are looking for a fully fleshed out protagonist.

A debut novel full of adventure from another time and place.

Pub Date: April 17, 2013

ISBN: 978-1484136485

Page Count: 200

Publisher: CreateSpace

Review Posted Online: Nov. 1, 2013

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THE MATCHMAKER

An intriguing thrill ride through the nefarious underworld of black-market body parts will have readers on high alert.

An exclusive dating agency is pairing clients with more than relationships in this international thriller.

FBI agent Rebecca Ryan’s too-busy-to-date-to-find-a-mate sister Katharine brings home a dark stranger, David DeSilva, to meet her family of cops. The couple was quickly matched through the elite Matchme dating agency, which charges a $5,000 fee along with a required blood test—an exorbitant screening process that costs prospective clients much more than an arm and a leg. After a friendly interrogation, their Irish mother’s intuition radar is on high alert. Something is amiss. Meanwhile Boston cop James Conti, Rebecca’s ex, tracks the disappearances of young Americans abroad who all have one thing in common: the Matchme agency. Rebecca and James team up when a link is discovered between DeSilva’s offshore account in the Cayman Islands and dealings in Egypt. Could there be a connection to al-Qaida? Meanwhile, several children also go missing without a trace. They have one thing in common, the Future Dreams fertility clinic where mothers are subjected to intensive genetic screenings. A coincidence? Something evil is afoot, but for this crack team of one of Boston’s finest detectives and a Quantico-trained FBI agent it is a puzzle. Homeland Security is alerted; intra-agency inner workings are revealed; a lucrative, sinister business of selling harvested organs on the black market is discovered—all combine for an intense thrill ride. The compelling premise and nonstop pacing outweigh the predictability of the love story, the incessant restating of matriarch Ryan’s inbuilt Irish “radar that even rocket scientists could not improve on,” and the overly dramatic foreboding of impending danger at the end of nearly every chapter.

An intriguing thrill ride through the nefarious underworld of black-market body parts will have readers on high alert.

Pub Date: June 21, 2012

ISBN: 978-1470081225

Page Count: 220

Publisher: CreateSpace

Review Posted Online: July 30, 2012

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COMMON SENSELESS

A lighthearted primer for college freshmen out on their own for the first time.

A comedic memoir for the 20-something college student looking to laugh off embarrassing and awkward situations.

Miller, 22-years-old, shares kooky stories from her time as an undergraduate at the College of Charleston in South Carolina. Tales range from using a blow-dryer in an unsuccessful attempt to defrost a 13-pound turkey before a dinner party, suffering from a poorly timed bout of food poisoning during class, and learning how to embrace the dreaded b-word: budget. Some of the stories are amusing, especially those that adopt the revealing style of sharp-tongued comic Chelsea Handler. A passage about the importance of refraining from bringing credit cards to bars and late-night binges at Taco Bell is reminiscent of Handler’s stories. However, other stories fall flat thanks to unfunny punch lines. Miller uses part of her book to offer advice to young readers about how to survive college-dorm life. These golden tidbits include never shop on an empty stomach, don’t leave expensive jewelry in your suitcase and learn how to read road maps in case your GPS is on the fritz. Many of the tips, namely, don’t share personal info on the Internet, are obvious to most people. Miller’s work will not appeal to everyone. Those over age 30 will likely find the book to be a bit self-indulgent. But that doesn’t mean that the author can’t find an audience. The book’s amusing stories may attract college students who can relate to the shenanigans or teenagers looking for a preview of university life.

A lighthearted primer for college freshmen out on their own for the first time. 

Pub Date: June 19, 2012

ISBN: 978-1470008178

Page Count: 178

Publisher: CreateSpace

Review Posted Online: July 30, 2012

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