Fighting Writer's Block

I've had a few different jobs over the years, from my first job working at a movie theater when I was 16, to working in Collections for a year before I went to college, to working in the grocery industry for about twenty years after college. Though each of those jobs differed, they all had something in common - there was always that one employee... You know, the one who seemed to be ungodly slow, or somehow found a way to screw up even the simplest of tasks that I would end up having to either correct or completely redo.

 

I'm sure we've all got at least one story of a co-worker (either past or present) who comes to mind at the idea that we could talk about. Of course, in those situations, something can be done about them with some means of disciplinary action.

 

At least with those other jobs, there was a small sense of satisfaction when the problem was dealt with. Either said worker was disciplined, their work improved, or in some cases, they quit or were fired. And then there's my current job - the last job I hope I'll ever have. The one that, unlike my previous jobs, means so much more to me than being 'just another job'.

 

It's not handing out tickets, or calling people over past due bills, or stocking shelves. It's writing stories with the sole purpose of delighting and entertaining others. The hours are long, and the work is hard... harder than I ever imagined it would be when I dreamed of being a writer when I was little... but I love it nonetheless.

 

However, the job came with a catch: another employee. One who couldn't be disciplined. Who couldn't be fired. Who couldn't be persuaded to quit. One who would just come in whenever he wanted to, stay for however long he felt like it, and whose only purpose during his shifts was to annoy, harass, and keep me from getting a thing done.

 

I knew about him, even when I was little. We've all heard of him. He goes by the name of Writer's Block, 'WB' for short... or some other nickname that authors refer to him as, usually proceeded by an F-bomb or some other colorful word.

 

WB's most prolific 'skill' is coming to work when we least expect him to. How he's able to sneak in undetected, authors have no idea. We just look up and see him standing there. This is typically followed by "Oh, shit..." or some other colorful phrase.

 

He's also varied in his skillsets, which allows him to be the most annoying co-worker possible. For some of us, he can completely block our creative flow. For others, he'll change that flow in ways that when we finish a chapter, a scene, or even a few paragraphs, it just doesn't work for us. It doesn't flow the way we want it to... it doesn't feel right. And while we struggle to fix it, he sits back and laughs as he marvels at himself for how well he does his duties.

 

He's frustrating. Annoying. Hell, he's an complete ass. But we're not entirely powerless against him. We have our own weapons to fight him with. After all, if you can't beat him... turn the tables and piss him off instead. Give him a taste of his own medicine, fellow authors!

 

The first and probably one of the most used tactics is to simply save your work, get up, and walk away. Perhaps pour yourself a drink. You could sit down and read a book, watch a movie, or my personal favorite - turn on a game and blow shit up for awhile. I prefer games with explosions in them, or FPS shooters, something where you can see your target and think "There he is... take that!" *Headshot against another player (if playing in a multiplayer game) or explosion following which brings a sense of morbid satisfaction*.

 

Then there's the Rocky tactic. *queue Eye of the Tiger music* Keep fighting, don't back down... eventually WB wears down and Rocky... er, you the author, will come out on top and knock out WB for the count. Granted, he'll come back for a rematch someday, but the immediate victory shall be yours. Wave your Championship belt in his face and go back to working on your next great novel. 

 

Another tactic is the Evasive Maneuvers. If he's annoying a particular scene, leave it behind and move on to another scene - come back to it later. This one's easier for some than others. I can't use this particular tactic myself, since my writing style is specific: write from beginning to end, no deviations or detours. So personally, I'm left with the Rocky and the Blow Shit Up tactics, though I do like to mix it up and throw in the Read A Book and Watch A Movie variations just to keep him guessing.

 

So the next time WB clocks in for a shift, if you've been frustrated to no end with this part-timer who comes with the job and won't ever quit or get fired, remember: he may be an annoying ass, but that doesn't mean you have to sit down and take his abuse, hoping he'll get bored and leave quickly. WB doesn't usually work like that. He's a troll. Don't Feed the troll.

 

Blow Shit Up, Read A Book, Watch A Movie, Be Rocky, and use Evasive Maneuvers. He may be able to defend against some of them... but chances are, one or more of those tactics will work.

 

Write on, fellow authors!

 

 

 

Reasons for Writing

Being an author, I have my reasons for doing what I do. Some authors write for monetary reasons, others write just as a side hobby, and others do it simply because they love to write, to create new worlds and compelling characters for readers to enjoy. There are certainly others, each one tailored to the individual author.

 

For me, there are several reasons why I write. The first is simply because it was what I was meant to do. I know this. I've known it ever since I was little and first began writing stories. Back then, those stories were short (never more than a few chapters) because I'd have an idea and start writing, and after a few hours I'd write something that would spark a new idea. I'd latch onto that and start a new story based around that idea.

 

I discovered early on that writing came naturally to me. When we're little, I think that often we're given the knowledge of what we're meant to do, but at that age, we don't always recognize it as such. Some of us follow the paths we were destined to walk. Others don't, for one reason or another.

 

I was one of those who didn't - at first. I chose to direct my own thread, and it wasn't noticed for about twenty years. But I've found out that Fate is a fickle lady, and when we pull our own thread in a way that screws up her tapestry, she can be an outright bitch.

 

She used tragedy to put my thread back where it was meant to go. A few years later, I made an attempt to move my thread elsewhere again when I stopped writing to take a construction job that took me out of state. What I got as a response from Fate for me having the audacity to touch my thread a second time was a car accident that left me with a fractured rib and eight weeks of almost unbearable pain as I recovered. And still, I didn't learn. I took a job at a pallet building company within walking distance of my house. Decent pay, no fuel costs... great, right? Apparently, Fate didn't agree because I narrowly missed having my hand crushed by the machine several times.

 

I'd already had a pretty good idea where my thread was supposed to go by then, and yet despite her previous warnings, I tried a fourth time to veer from what I was meant to do. The unnerving part is that I started getting a constant tingling in my fingers and hands almost right after I'd made the decision, and the very day I was planning to drive to one of the bigger towns nearby and grab an application for a grocery store (I figured with my previous twenty years of experience in the business, I could get a job easily) my left leg went out. It was nothing but dead weight that I had to drag along for almost a month before it relented. I regained the use of it, along with being diagnosed with MS as well. Thanks for that particular one, Fate. I really appreciate it. *sarcasm* 

 

Now, some may call these incidents purely coincidence, and others may see them as signs. Personally, I've learned my lesson. I'm not about to tempt Fate again. I think at this point, she's pissed enough at me for daring to touch my thread on four separate occasions and mess up her tapestry. I know now that she does not like anyone except her playing with those threads. I won't go for a fifth attempt, especially not living here in Wisconsin. The next time she might not give me any more warnings and just have a deer run out in front of the car or something and cut my thread completely.

 

But it's not just Fate's sick ways of reminding me that I was given a gift for a reason and that I damn well better use it. I truly love what I do. Despite the long hours, the frustrations, the headaches, and having to deal with the part time co-worker who clocks in whenever he wants and spends his shifts harassing me (damn you, Writer's Block!), there are other reasons why I do what I do.

 

It's wanting my wife and our kids to be proud of me for doing something significant and meaningful. Something that's more than simply stocking shelves in a grocery store, which is what I did for nearly twenty years. Sure, I rose up to a lead position in a few different departments, I was an Asst. Manager in one other, and I had even gotten a Manager spot in still another department over the years.

 

I'm not putting down any other jobs, they're all meaningful and serve a purpose. Honestly, I guess I just want my wife and kids to be proud of me for doing something that for me is more significant and meaningful compared to what I used to do. When I think of the difference between the two, of what my wife and kids used to say when someone asked them what I did for a living versus what I do now, this is what I think of:

 

"My husband/dad works in a grocery store stocking shelves and building displays."

 

-versus-

 

"My husband/dad is an author."

 

Anyone can stock shelves. Hell, that was one of the first jobs I had twenty-four years ago, back when I was 16. I suppose that was one of the things that bothered me. It was just a job. I was good at it, but that's all it ever was - a job. I needed something more than to have what I do be more to me than just a job that almost anyone can walk in off the street and do. Being an author fills that need, because it's not something just anyone can do. Sure, we all had to do book reports and essays in school, but we were never assigned to write a 70,000+ word novel.

 

It's not an easy job, by any means. It's one of the most difficult things I've ever done, in fact. But it's also the most rewarding, because it focuses outwards. Its sole purpose is to delight and entertain others, and for me, that fills another need. A need to touch other's lives in a way that's more personal than just stocking shelves and working my ass off for little more than minimum wage.

 

When readers enjoy my books and leave amazing reviews, when they take the time to email me, whether it's to tell me what they loved, who their favorite characters were, how they literally cheered when a character they despised met his or her end, or even just to say hello and connect with me, it can turn around even my worst day in an instant. Those moments make everything - from the writing, the frustrations and headaches, the editing and promoting... and yes, even having that jerk WB clocking in at random times worth every single minute to me.

 

Another reason is because it's my legacy to my wife and kids, which is why I choose to write under my own name and not use a pen name for my Fantasy books, which are geared more towards the YA crowd but even adults have enjoyed, or my Paranormal Romance novels, which are for more mature audiences due to some strong language and steamy (not explicit) romance scenes mixed in with the action of the story.

 

Perhaps one day, when my time is up and I'm gone from this world, when my kids have children of their own, they'll have my books on a shelf in their own homes. Maybe they'll show their own children those books and say: "This is what my father/your grandpa did for a living. He was a writer." And perhaps my kids will watch those little eyes grow wide as their children look at those books, and it will spark something within them to read, perhaps even discover that they've been given a gift for writing themselves.

 

 

So what are my reasons for writing? Why do I do what I do? Because I was given a gift that was meant to be used, not set aside. Fate has reminded me of that on several occasions. Because as hard as this job is, it's also the most rewarding job for me, since it focuses outwards to others with the sole purpose of stirring their emotions. Because I want my wife and kids to be proud of me, to puff out their chests with pride when they tell others that their husband/dad is an author. And finally, because I want to leave a legacy for my kids with the books I've already written, and the ones that I have yet to write - books with my name on them. Books that one day I hope that they'll be proud to show to their own children when they tell them who I was, what I did, and why it meant so much to me. 

 

 

 

Make Wishes Come True

With the holiday fast approaching, while we're all scrambling to put up decorations, preparing for parties with co-workers and friends, and getting ready to take trips to spend the holidays with family, there are others out there - children, who are fighting against life threatening illnesses.

The organization I've chosen to donate to this year was founded with these children in mind, to help make their wishes come true. In so doing, they're helping these children feel better, both physically and emotionally. Wishes come in all shapes and sizes, just like the children who make them.

Life isn't about what we can get, but what we can give. Our lives are not defined by what we have, they're defined by what we do. I've taken part in www.extra-life.org to raise money for the Children's Miracle Network, helped raise money for a new library facility near me, and donated books to two different libraries. Now, for this holiday season, with your help we can make wishes come true for children. That's what the holidays are meant to be about, after all.

My latest release bundles all three books in my Exiled trilogy together into a single Collector's Edition. In a way, it's very fitting that it's being released for the holiday season.
 

 

Here is the book description:

The complete story:

The Exiled

David doesn’t believe in the devil or angels. But when he’s hunted by one and protected by the other, the veil is lifted, and David discovers that his beliefs don’t matter. He holds the key to Lucifer’s prison – and Lucifer will stop at nothing to get it.

The Exiled: Continuation

The story continues as the impossible is made possible, and Lucifer begins a new game of deception. When 22-year-old Kaly becomes his target, her normal life is shattered beyond belief. The veil lifts once more as Kaly discovers who she really is, and that some horrors and nightmares are real.

The Exiled: Infinity

The veil is torn away and nothing is held back as the ultimate battle for survival begins. Kaly faces off with Lucifer, which begins a journey that will test her beyond anything she’s ever imagined. While the angels fight to defend Heaven and the old gods battle for Olympus, humanity faces the Apocalypse. Every story needs an ending… and this one will last until Infinity.

 

The Exiled Trilogy is a Paranormal Romance that weaves an action-packed tale of honor, duty, deception, betrayal, desire, and love... while taking a hard, emotional look at humanity. It was meant to be written. Destined to be told. Even fiction has truth within it.

 

**Due to some language and sexual content (not explicit), it may not be suitable for anyone 17 and under**

 

During the month of December, for every paperback copy of #TET that is bought directly from CreateSpace, the company that prints the book, $4 will be donated, and for every sale of it from Amazon (digital version included) $2 will be donated.

For Kindle Unlimited members, all of my books are available for you to read for free - the Tal'Avern Chronicles (YA Epic Fantasy) and the Exiled trilogy (Paranormal Romance - both in their individual books and bundled in the CE). As Amazon now pays authors whose books are in the program on a 'per page read' basis, you too can help make wishes come true... simply by reading my books. At least 50% of the profits I receive from pages read in December I will be donating. In all honesty, I'd love to bump that even higher, so the more books of mine that Kindle Unlimited members read, the higher I can raise that percentage.

If you need a gift for someone or even just want one for yourself, please consider picking up a copy of #TET. If you're a Kindle Unlimited member - read, read, read!! You'll be doing so much more than just giving a gift or reading  books. You'll be helping to make wishes come true for children battling against their illnesses.

You can help by spreading the word as well. Please, share this on your blogs. Post it on your Facebook. Tweet about it. Tell your friends and neighbors.

And if you choose to make a purchase or read with Kindle Unlimited, please come back here afterwards and post a comment on this particular blog entry and let us all know - because while I will be making the donation in the end, you are the ones who should get the recognition.

 

For your convenience, here are the links which will take you directly to the book's Amazon and CreateSpace pages:

Amazon:  http://hyperurl.co/c6ltbq

CreateSpace:  http://hyperurl.co/h4gqdg

And for you Kindle Unlimited members, here is the link to my Author Page on Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/author/scottborgman


Thank you everyone. May you all have a joyous holiday season. Now, let's get to work! We have smiles to put on the faces of children, and wishes to help grant!


All My Best,
Scott A. Borgman

 

 

Teaser Video For #TET

For the past week and a half I've been working... well, let's just say a LOT of hours every day. I put my current novel, the final book in the Tal'Avern Chronicles series, on hold for a bit to work on a very special side project.

While I've been picking away at this project for quite some time actually, the last week and a half was one of those 'focus on nothing else' type things so I could get it done and out before Christmas. And I'm pleased to announce that the long hours were well worth it, as I'm in the final stages now... which means that unless some catastrophic event occurs, it will be done and available on time as I had hoped.

With that in mind, I give you a teaser of what's in store for this holiday season.

 A Paranormal Romance story.

Meant to be written. Destined to be told.

From beginning to end.

#TET is coming.

Blood Master by Kirsten Campbell

Blood Master (Book 1 of The G.O.D.s Series)

By Kirsten Campbell

Genre: Urban Paranormal Fantasy

Blood Master Link on Amazon: http://amzn.to/1nzFYet

 

 

The Story

2052: Two-thirds of the human population have been killed by the Great War, the Clover Virus and the Death Plague. Only one man survived the Death Plague, an albino man named Griffin Storm. He’s the only albino in existence. No one knows what happened to the other albinos, but most believe the rumors that they were eliminated by the Guild Faction’s deadly experiments.

 

Griffin is hiding out in Underground Atlanta. He has special abilities. He can manipulate crystal and glass. He uses these abilities for good, raiding warehouses and old buildings for food and medical supplies to give to the abandoned children that live in the Underground. While on a raid he meets Tassta Vinetti. She’s a resident of the legendary Brotherhood Fortress. Griffin is taken to the Brotherhood and chaos ensues as Tassta, her twin brother Penn and her Uncle Lerin Sanctobous keep their new visitor and his untold powers secret. They can not disclose that the only albino in existence is now at their fortress or they could all be in great danger.

 

Fact is the Guild is hunting Griffin. He is the only survivor of their deadly experiments and his survival will have dynamic consequences. The Guild believes Griffin will transform into a G.O.D., a Genetically-enhanced Omni Dimensional being. If he transforms, he will have inter-dimensional doors within his body, doors that lead to heaven and hell. Griffin will become a Blood Master and he’ll be able to control the demons from the Dimension of Blood.

 

Will Griffin save the children of the Underground from their tragic life? Will he transform into a G.O.D. and become the Blood Master? Only time will tell…

 

 

My Review of Blood Master

 

 

Blood Master is set in a post-apocalyptic world in our near future after 2/3^rd of the population has been killed. This idea has been done before in movies such as I am Legend, The Postman, and Waterworld, as well as in video games such as Fallout and The Last of Us, with each having their own take on what the world is like after some kind of devastating event takes place. Until now, such movies and video games were my only experience with such an idea. In those movies and games, the visuals are given to us, but they don’t always impart the emotional depth of a book – at least, not to the same level that a book can.

Blood Master was my first book foray into the genre, and I was not disappointed. Between the book’s description and other readers’ reviews, there’s no need for me to repeat any of the storyline, or what has already been said by others for the most part.

I will say that the descriptions were virtually flawless, giving me a clear picture of everything as I read. The amount of detail and the way things were described made me feel that although I’ve never been to Atlanta, were I to visit I’m quite certain that I would feel as if I had been there before, having read this book.

The characters were well-developed, each with their own personalities. Penn was a favorite character for me simply because he brought a lightness to a devastated world, and the main character Griffin was as well because of his need to help the children. Among other things (which I don’t want to mention and give away spoilers), that humor and compassion being shown in such a setting is what sets Blood Master apart and makes it shine.

While the story did feel a little slow in the beginning, this is perfectly understandable as it provides the needed background for the rest of the book. In fact, as the story progresses one is grateful that the author took the time in the beginning to give that background, as it adds a depth to the story that movies and games set in the same type of world simply don’t do.

The other thing I will add is that after reading the author’s bio, it’s clear that there is an emotional depth beyond what the story tells, and that the author incorporated part of herself into it. Authors often times do this, and while it isn’t always apparent to a reader when an author places something personal to him/her within the story, it makes Blood Master shine even brighter.

This is a book well worth the read, and I highly recommend it.

 

 

About Kirsten Campbell

 

 

Kirsten Campbell is the author of several short stories and poems that have been published in Bewildering Stories, The Pittsburgh Quarterly Online, Ascent Magazine, The Fairfield Review, Poets-Artists & Madmen, Interracial Voice, Beauty Talk, The CoffeehousePress Journal, The Write Gallery, Sagazine Online, COBRA, and several other magazines.

 

Her novel, Blood Master – Book 1 of The G.O.D.s Series is an Urban Paranormal Fantasy novel that is currently available on Amazon.com in Adult and Young Adult version. Blood Master hit the Amazon Top 100 List. The second book of The G.O.D.s Series, Blood Rage, will be out by the end of this year. She is also the author of Darkness Calls, a book of Paranormal Short Stories. Her websites are www.kcampbell-gods.com, which is the site for all things Blood Master, and her Author’s Website, www.kirstencampbellbooks.com. 

 

She has two chapbooks that were published; one by Ladybug Press (Poetry from the Covert Bourgeoisie), and the other by Puddinghouse Publications (The Abandoning Kind). She is also the author of Perfect Chaos, a book of poetry that is currently on Amazon.

 

Website: http://www.kcampbell-gods.com/ & Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GODsSeries

To See Once More Through Innocent Eyes

This coming Sunday will mark the hardest day of the entire year for myself and my family. On that day five years ago, our lives were forever changed when the youngest member of our family passed away.

 

I've spoken before about Cameron, but never really talked about who he was. To most people, he's nothing more than a name that until now, you've never heard. But Cami was, in the most honest way I can say, my greatest teacher.

 

Like most people, I took things for granted. Mostly the little things, like how on a clear night you can just gaze up at the stars and truly appreciate the beauty of them. Or the simple sight of seeing a butterfly flutter past on a warm afternoon.

 

In grade school and junior high, I loved to read and discovered I had a natural talent and a love for writing. But I didn't realize then I had been given that gift for a reason. As I grew older, it was set aside and forgotten, left unused and gathering dust.

 

There's the old saying that goes 'when one door closes, another opens.' Sometimes I guess the door that closes has to slam in your face and break your heart before that other door opens. It certainly did for me.

 

I heard more than a few people during Cami's wake attempt to offer me comfort by saying 'he's in a better place' and 'God needed another angel.' I understand people tried to help by saying those things, but in all honesty, those words only made the grief deepen and for a time, turn to hate. What better place? What better place could there possibly be for a three year old boy than with his mother who he loved and adored more than anything in the world?

 

I know Cami loved us all, that was the type of person he was, but he and his mother had a special bond that was stronger than anything imaginable, and it was severed, suddenly and unexpectedly. There was no better place for him than right beside her, watching Thomas the Tank Engine or snuggling up with her on the couch. And the other one, that 'God needed another angel' saying... that only makes God sound selfish, putting his needs above anyone else.

 

So I grieved. I was angry. Yes, I even hated. And when I'd suffered through every emotion possible... that other door opened. It was opened by a three year old boy who through his loss, not only opened my eyes to what was truly important in life, he reminded me that I'd been given a gift, one that I was meant to use. A gift that could not just entertain others, but one that I could use to pass on lessons that needed to be taught. Lessons that it took losing a piece of my heart for me to learn myself.

 

That is what the Exiled trilogy is about. Underneath the simple covers, past the strong language and the few steamy scenes (it is a paranormal romance trilogy, after all), there's a deeper meaning. Lessons within the story. Lessons that took loss for me to find, but was meant to pass on.

 

The trilogy wasn't truly done until I had overhauled it several months ago. Perhaps it's just coincidence, or fate, or maybe it was something more - because this year Oct 18th happens to fall on a Sunday. I don't know what to call it. The trilogy has angels within it, after all, among other things. But it's not just a story. It wasn't written just to entertain, but to teach. To pass on lessons. It was written for a purpose.

 

People still tell me from time to time that Cami is an angel in Heaven now. If that's the case, then Heaven is right here, because I see him every day in the way our family dog, Jaena, greets my wife at the door, and how she clings to her just like Cami did. I see him in Jaena at night too, when she snuggles up to my wife just like Cami used to. I see him every time a butterfly flutters by, because it makes me think of a part in the first book of the trilogy where humans are compared to butterflies - that the energy within us that most people like to think of as their soul is wrapped around by our bodies like a shell, and when we die, that energy becomes something more beautiful, like a butterfly emerging from its own cocoon. I see Cami in every small act of kindness one person gives to another.

 

And I see him in what I do. This isn't just a hobby for me, like some people think. What made Cami my greatest teacher was his innocence, his unconditional love toward others - because his light hadn't been darkened by the greed, the lies, the negativity that the media constantly reports on, and the selfishness that blankets our world today. He radiated outwards, not inwards. And as long as I'm writing, as long as I refuse to give up this job that focuses out to others like he did, Cami is alive in me, too.

 

 

In honor of my teacher, who through his loss showed me what is truly important in life, this Sunday on Oct. 18th, I'm running a promotion and marking all three books in the trilogy down from their regular $2.99 price to $0.99 each. Life is about what we can do for others, and I want to do this for all of you.

 

The books are The Exiled, The Exiled: Continuation, and The Exiled: Infinity. Below are the links for the first book, and the other two can be gotten to from there.

 

US -  http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00L9NO5U8 (In Memory of Cami Promo begins at 12am PST)

UK - http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00L9NO5U8 (In Memory of Cami Promo begins at 12am GMT)

 

 

"To learn what's truly important in life, all one needs to do is look in the eyes of a small child - one who still looks upon the world with innocent eyes - who has not learned about lies, hatred, and selfishness, but knows only the emotion of love. It is they who are the real teachers. They are the ones we should strive to learn from, and be more like. If we could learn to see once more through innocent eyes, imagine how beautiful our world would become."

 

                                                                                            --- Scott A. Borgman

  

A Deeper Meaning

One of the things that every author hopes for is that readers enjoy the stories they write. This is no different for me. I love following along with the characters in Tal'Avern, writing down their experiences, their struggles - both physical and emotional, and I hope that readers not only enjoy the story as it continues throughout the books, but that they really come to love the characters.

But while the Chronicles are written purely to entertain, the Exiled trilogy rides on a different track. Besides being in a different genre (18+ Paranormal Romance rather than YA Epic Fantasy), the trilogy was written for a purpose... not just to entertain, but with a far deeper, more real meaning within the pages of the story throughout all three books.

So while I certainly hope that the Chronicles entertain, it's been my hope from the moment I started writing the Exiled trilogy 3 years ago that along with an interesting story, the deeper meaning within those books would be seen and felt. That was the purpose, and the reason they were written.

Recently, I received two reviews from the first book in the trilogy, which is simply titled The Exiled, which I wanted to share - not to brag about the 5 star rating they both gave the book, but because both readers sought to relay what the book was about. That may seem like an easy task, but it's far more difficult to write a review when you're trying not to give away any spoilers.

***** Reeling and left in awe

By K. Meador on September 27, 2015

Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase

 

I almost cried when this book was over and then I remembered it was only book one in a trilogy. I am looking forward to the next two books. The cover first caught my eyes with the black background and piercing green eyes, which are a representation within the story. Then the words: Hunted by one side. Sworn to be protected by the other. Truly, I was looking forward to the battle ahead just at the mention of those words.

The beginning of this story was very gripping. It made me catch my breath and wonder what was going to happen next. And with a twist I wasn’t expecting, it kept my attention and I didn’t want to stop reading. Curse us for the need to eat, sleep and work that prevented me from reading this book all the way through in one setting.

The rest of the story followed with action turning pages. You have characters that you loved and loved to hate others. I struggle to find the words to describe this book without giving away spoilers. There is an emotional depth to this story that touched me and left me having “wow” moments.

I highly recommend this book and will leave you with a quote from it:

“Nothing else matters except the one thing that is before you, the one goal that you’re reaching for. When you doubt in yourself, you create the one barrier that is impossible to overcome. The only thing that can stop you from reaching your goals is yourself David.”

(If there is only one book that you read this year, make it this one. Yes, it is THAT good.)

 

 

***** This book is beautifully crafted, brilliantly written

By Barbara Chioffi on October 2, 2015

Format: Kindle Edition

 

I finished The Exiled by Scott Borgman this morning and I have been thinking of what I wanted to say. There are literally pages where I underlined every word, so many, that flipping through them is a sea of orange.

This book is beautifully crafted, brilliantly written, and contains so much thought that I can hardly find words  to express my feelings properly. The eternal struggle between good and evil is portrayed with more understanding than you would expect from an author Mr. Borgman's age. His hope for humanity shines throughout the story and I found myself crying at the end, which rarely happens. I remember my son asking me when he was only five years old, "Mama, if Satan asked God to forgive him, would he?" The only other comment I will make is to say read this book for yourself to experience the journey into the soul of man. It is worth every minute of your time, if not more.

Outstanding, Mr. Borgman. The Exiled is one of my top books read in quite a while, and I am excited because there are two more books in this trilogy that I look forward to reading.

If I could give it a higher rating, I would, but I do give it the highest that I can. 5 stars.

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you'd like to check out The Exiled, here are the links for both the US and UK:

 

US: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00L9NO5U8/

 

UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00L9NO5U8/

 

 

Thank you for your support, everyone. I truly appreciate it.