Order all three parts of THE SPEAR OF DESTINY here

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This piece from John Castle, an aspiring novelist himself and (full disclosure) a good friend and frenemy,  is the kind of succinct, letter-perfect description of the THE SPEAR OF DESTINY I wish I’d had for the dust jacket, and the kind of review that leaves me feeling humbled and goose-bumpy at the same time. Here’s a taste:

Set in a skillfully crafted alternate history brimming with the unexplored technologies of Tesla’s generation and populated by creatures of legend and nightmare, Spear of Destiny has been described as, “acres of strange.” As fitting as that appellation is, though, I think Trey Garrison’s debut novel could also be described as a worthy successor to the best tall tales of literature. It places Trey Garrison in the company of writers like Robert E. Howard, H.P. Lovecraft and even Mark Twain.

I think that last sentence is a little overly optimistic, but it gives me something to shoot for in the sequel I’m hard at work on avoiding writing.

Read the full review here on John’s website.

Thank you, John. Now stop writing reviews and get on with your own novel, slacker.

Order all three parts of THE SPEAR OF DESTINY here

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Order all three parts of THE SPEAR OF DESTINY here

Amazon : Barnes and Noble : Books-A-Million : iTunes

We continue the long process first-time novelists undertake to build an audience, and in the meanwhile there’s a new review of THE SPEAR OF DESTINY at the Philadelphia Weekly Press.

Trey Garrison has the first part of his tale of Nazis of the Black Sun Reich (electronic from Harper Voyager) searching for the Spear of Destiny. It’s only 1928 but Hitler has been in power since 1922. They are worried in the Texas Freehold, the libertarian nation that is one of six North American nations, especially when Dr. Deitel smuggles out word that the Germans are working on a way to create unkillable vampiric soldiers. Soon he is paired with a pilot, Sean Rucker, and they have to face Nazi agents in the Union States of America. This is only the first third and sets a rollicking pace… Howard Hughes and Nicolas Tesla and cameos along with several other famous people of the time, but the fun is in the Raiders of the Lost Ark shtick that makes the tale irresistible. Alas this is only the first third of the tale.

Keep spreading the word. I’m hard at work on the sequel in what is my two-book deal.

Order all three parts of THE SPEAR OF DESTINY here

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I’ll have an in-store appearance at Zeus Comics & Collectibles at 1334 Inwood Avenue in Dallas to promote THE SPEAR OF DESTINY on Wednesday, Jan. 30, from 1-3 p.m.

Zeus is the premiere independent comics and collectibles emporium in Dallas. Come to see me and stay for Richard Neal’s awesome inventory of comic books, action figures, art works, and collectibles.

Critics and readers have praised THE SPEAR OF DESTINY as “an excellent debut novel, a book full of dry humor and page-turning action, sure to leave you wanting more.”

Order all three parts of THE SPEAR OF DESTINY here

Amazon : Barnes and Noble : Books-A-Million :  iTunes

Amazon : Barnes and Noble : Books-A-Million :  iTunes

If you’re wondering where to buy The Spear of Destiny, look no further. Part 1 and Part 2 are available now, and Part Three: Shadows Will Fall, is available for pre-order now. It downloads Jan. 22, the same day of the launch party at The Free Man Cajun Cafe.

Parts One and Two have gotten fantastic reviews and critical acclaim (see below), and it has something for everyone – action, adventure, comedy, romance, Nazis, cowboys, robots, and zombies.

Order here

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Here’s a taste of Mel Odum’s review. This review captures exactly what my goal was with THE SPEAR OF DESTINY.

Black Sun Reich: The Spear of Destiny: Part One of Three by Trey Garrison is a thrilling return to the halcyon days of pulps and Saturday matinee serials. You know the ones – where you’d show up for a Saturday, watch your heroes go through a whirlwind of adventures fighting the bad guys, then end up on a cliffhanger guaranteed to bring you back to the theater the next week…

Garrison delivers his equivalent in this three-book run in a steampunk world that’s interesting and provides plenty of peril for its protagonists…The books are almost hitting the weekly matinee delivery schedule as well…These are books meant to be consumed, not thought about or read deeply into. They’re just fun in a grand, old fashioned way.

To read the full review, click here.

Note: Margaret Wander Bonanno is a dear friend who encouraged me several years ago to take up writing fiction. She and I almost never see eye-t0-eye on politics, but it’s that difference that complements our discussions and keeps me open to different ideas.

Review: Black Sun Reich

By Margaret Wander Bonanno

As a lover of language, I get a kick out of learning regional expressions.  Here’s one I especially like: acres of strange.  Is it a Southern thing, is it a Texas thing?  Beats the hell out of me.  But it’s what’s going through the mind of Fox Rucker, the antihero-hero of Trey Garrison’s Black Sun Rising, as he unwittingly gets himself involved in a complex mix of espionage, vampires, zombies, mutant soldiers, necromancers, and, oh, yes, Nazis.  If there’s a simple way to describe this first of the Spear of Destiny novels, it’s that: acres of strange.

There are plenty of alternative history novels out there – novels where the South won the Civil War, novels where the outcome of World War I was very different from the reality we know.  Black Sun Rising blends the two with a soupçon of Vatican intrigue, to create geopolitical alliances that, while puzzling on the surface, ultimately make a bizarre kind of sense.

It’s hard to follow an opening scene as bloody horrific as a group of religious acolytes eviscerating themselves under the command of Der Schadel, a villain who can safely be said to put the “eeee” in Evil, but Garrison does so, with a rollicking steampunk journey for which the best advice, in Margo Channing’s immortal words, is “Fasten your seatbelts…it’s going to be a bumpy night!”

Enter Fox Rucker, flying ace and citizen of the Texas Freehold, two outcomes of the aforementioned How-the-South-won-the-Civil-War.  A little bit Indiana Jones, a little bit Mal Reynolds, a whole lot doer of great deeds kind of by accident, Rucker seems to know everybody who’s anybody in 1928.  The darnedest people keep showing up in his company, from Nicola Tesla to Howard Hughes to the woman who broke Rucker’s heart, who also happens to be a trained assassin.

Then there’s the hapless Dr. Deitel, as prudish a Prussian as was ever drafted into the espionage business, who carries dire documentation from inside the growing Nazi regime in his homeland, and whom Rucker’s in charge of babysitting so that the Gestapo doesn’t kill him before his information is delivered to those who can stop the threat.  Can this Odd Couple stop bickering long enough to get the job done before Schadel’s Nachtmenn – horrific creatures bred out of the chemical warfare of the Great War, and seemingly impervious to conventional weapons – are unleashed on a mission of global conquest, or will they kill each other first?

There’s humor as well as horror here, not to mention Easter eggs galore – references scattered throughout the narrative as a nod and a wink to fans of Star Trek, Firefly, and others too numerous to mention.  Black Sun Rising is one of those novels you’re still reading at two a.m., as you tell yourself “Just to the end of this chapter and then…oh, damn!  Just one more chapter, and then…”

And it’s only the first of three.  Acres of strange, indeed.

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You can find and buy Margaret’s extensive catalog of works here.

For my money, her novel BURNING DREAMS was my favorite, but I look forward to reading her THE OTHERS trilogy. Do yourself a favor and check her out.

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Here’s a taste:

This book is truly one of a kind, in my opinion. Containing the theme of a political background with a twist of steampunk, it will take the reader on a thrilling adventure with dynamic characters. With its twinges of humor, it allows the reader to be fully entertained…it can be a bit daunting at first, but if given the chance, this story will not disappoint you!

To read the whole review, click here.

And don’t forget Part 2 of the Spear of Destiny — Death’s Head Legion — downloads Jan. 2. Part 3 — Shadows Will Fall — downloads Jan. 22.

Order Part 2 and Part 3 here:

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Part two of THE SPEAR OF DESTINY: Death’s Head Legion downloads Jan. 2.

If you’ve enjoyed the adventures of Sean “Fox” Rucker, Chuy Lago and Dr. Kurt von Deitel so far, the adventure continues. The band of misfit heroes are in a race against a charismatic Nazi commando and a telepathic sadist to find the Spear of Destiny, a holy relic that could spell doom for all mankind.

Pre-order Death’s Head Legion here —

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At the risk of y’all being tired of this, I’m posting another review, this one by Bookworm Babblings, which gave me five out of five for part one.

Here’s a taste:

It was a fun novel for me, I honestly couldn’t put it down down and it’s also a quick read.  If you like adventure, science fiction, or a mix of both genres, this is the book for you.  I can’t wait for book two to see what happens next!

To read the whole thing, click here.

This is a review by “My Name is Sage.” Here’s a taste.

Trey Garrison begins his story with a violent scene in a Vatican cathedral where we meet the frightening, Der Schadel, also known as The Skull, and his team of Nazi storm troopers. The group is after the spear of destiny, and they aren’t the only ones who want their hands on this powerful blade. Texan pilot, Sean Fox Rucker and German physician, Dr. Deitel, are an unlikely duo working together against the Nazis, but the pair work well together. They also team up with a handful of other vibrant characters who are out to stop the Germans from unleashing an unstoppable darkness across the world.
Rucker is my favorite character in the novel because…

To read the full review, click here.

Thank you Sage!