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Long Lost Song
A virus is decimating America and Michael Decker is the culprit. Or is he?Is it the work of a curse recorded into a song by 1930's blues musician Ricky Jensen?Long Lost Song tells the story of Ricky and Michael as they battle personal and real demons while the world reaches end times of biblical proportions.One question remains. How do you stop a devil of a song made to break a crossroads deal?
- GenresHorrorFantasyParanormal
242 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 2012
3 people are currently reading
350 people want to read
About the author
Stephen C. Ormsby
10 books55 followersI was an IT professional for twenty years before deciding to lead a more creative life. I have always loved the idea of writing novels and had written four when Long Lost Song came along, demanding to be published.
A Store Manager during daylight hours, I try to write when I can. I am currently working on a high fantasy series, a cat detective series inspired on an idea from my daughter, and a few stand alone novels. I have a few books now completed in my back pocket!
A Store Manager during daylight hours, I try to write when I can. I am currently working on a high fantasy series, a cat detective series inspired on an idea from my daughter, and a few stand alone novels. I have a few books now completed in my back pocket!
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
August 28, 2012
Long lost song brings a fresh perspective on the widely used 'world's existence endangered' plot.
Stephen has used some subtle, and not so subtle references to his surroundings and the people in them at the time of writing the book.
Fresh and innovative, the book captured my attention from start to finish. The narrative going back and forth between past and present tense is a great way to keep readers aware of the links between Ricky Jensen's story and Michael Decker's part in the story so many years later.
Stephen has clearly done alot of research which is obvious in his many references to biblical passages thoughout the whole book. The biblical theme is constantly present, though not so much that it is overwhelming, just enough to be pleasant!
Overall a very enjoyable read and I highly reccommend Long Lost Song to any reader, good luck to Stephen on his newfound journey in becoming a published author :)
Stephen has used some subtle, and not so subtle references to his surroundings and the people in them at the time of writing the book.
Fresh and innovative, the book captured my attention from start to finish. The narrative going back and forth between past and present tense is a great way to keep readers aware of the links between Ricky Jensen's story and Michael Decker's part in the story so many years later.
Stephen has clearly done alot of research which is obvious in his many references to biblical passages thoughout the whole book. The biblical theme is constantly present, though not so much that it is overwhelming, just enough to be pleasant!
Overall a very enjoyable read and I highly reccommend Long Lost Song to any reader, good luck to Stephen on his newfound journey in becoming a published author :)
January 1, 2013
Inspired by the Faustian myth of Robert Johnson selling his soul at the crossroads, only in this case, there are much loftier consequences. The characters are rich and lush with realism as Ormsby moves us back and forth in time and through an all-too-real world filled with symphonic imagination, drawing his divided storylines closer together with a prose style that makes me think of Robert Frost crossed with Dean Koontz. A poetic and haunting page-turner, at times downright frightening, Long Lost Song is a wonderful read, and Stephen Ormsby is a great writer you should be keeping your eye on.
November 24, 2012
~4.5 stars~
What would you sell your soul in order to achieve? For Ricky Jenson it is for the title "blues guitarist extraordinaire" but will one man's dream become a curse upon us all?
Long Last Song by Stephen Ormsby switches between the past and present day in order to capture the full story of Ricky and the price he must pay for his deal. Can he turn the game on the "Black Man" or will music be lost to the world forever?
You'll have to wait until the very end to find out, but first you have to pick up your own copy. In a combination of urban fantasy, horror, and apocalyptic fiction, this is one wild read.
What would you sell your soul in order to achieve? For Ricky Jenson it is for the title "blues guitarist extraordinaire" but will one man's dream become a curse upon us all?
Long Last Song by Stephen Ormsby switches between the past and present day in order to capture the full story of Ricky and the price he must pay for his deal. Can he turn the game on the "Black Man" or will music be lost to the world forever?
You'll have to wait until the very end to find out, but first you have to pick up your own copy. In a combination of urban fantasy, horror, and apocalyptic fiction, this is one wild read.
November 18, 2012
Mr. Ormsby has created a tale of horror that grows upon the American folktale of promising the devil your soul in exchange for a talent. The horror bit comes in with whether the devil is more interested in the soul or escalating conflict to achieve larger goals. What interests the devil, as you read this work, will indeed be horrible on a grand scale.
The tying in of musical choices and descriptive writing covering both American and Australian locales produced many hours of enjoyment for me. I suspect it might for others also which is why I recommend this work for horror fans.
The tying in of musical choices and descriptive writing covering both American and Australian locales produced many hours of enjoyment for me. I suspect it might for others also which is why I recommend this work for horror fans.
November 30, 2012
I loved this book!! It kept my attention and I had a hard time putting it down..many of times I glanced at the clock to find it 4am..Yikes!! Well done, Stephen!!!
December 13, 2012
A very interesting, modern take on an old legend, with a surprise twist. The story is fresh and exciting, keeping you interested. Although there were a few issues with editing, none were drastic enough to detract from the great story. I was amused, however, at the author's slip in calling the US Congress 'parliment,' perfectly understandable when you realize he isn't from the US. Overall, the writing was excellent, leading me to believe that Stephen C. Ormsby is someone we will be seeing much more of in the future...and that's a good thing!!
January 13, 2013
A well written and very interesting story. Interesting use of storylines running side by side with good clear decriptive use of words. Although, I have to say,that there were one or two I didn't know the meaning of :) which is not a reflection of the but more of a need for me to expand mine. The Story was based on good verses evil with horrific consequences of ones man's desire of fame and fortune at the cost of his soul and the future of mankind as we know it. A good gripping twist and highly recommended.....
July 18, 2013
Long Lost Song is a modern take on the Faustian “selling one’s soul to the Devil” story. The story starts with the young musician Ricky Jensen, making a deal with the Devil in exchange for musical success. Ricky’s story of the 1930s is woven in and out with other stories from the present day, in which the retired rock musician Michael Decker is pulled from his quiet home in rural Victoria and convinced to travel back into the industry in the USA.
Meanwhile, a terrible pandemic has struck in both the US and Australia, spread by one of Ricky Jensen’s old recordings recently uncovered and spread like a virus via the internet and radio. Listening to the original track will kill outright, but watered-down remixes merely mind-control the listener so that the song can be spread further. Soon the whole world will be infected or dead, ready for the Devil’s final showdown. Michael is the only one who can stop the song’s spread, but he is being framed by the enemy as the instigator of the deadly virus, and he has no idea why he is suddenly America’s Most Wanted.
With plenty of unexpected turns, Long Lost Song is a story of the “end times” with a musical twist. There’s plenty of American and Australian music and pop culture references throughout and it’s clear that Stephen Ormsby must have an extensive playlist!
The pace stays high through the story – Michael gets more and more terrified the deeper he finds himself, and although the reader knows what’s going on with the song and its viral spread, most of the characters have no idea what’s really happening until right at the end of the story. This creates an air of fear and impending doom throughout – it’s very exciting storytelling and I found it difficult to put the book down. The jumping around between points of view (sometimes several times within a chapter) can get a little overwhelming and hard to keep up with at times, but each section helps to flesh out how the song is affecting people around the world.
The final chapter is very exciting and leaves plenty of opportunity for a sequel. Do you like the idea of a fast-paced thriller with a rockin’ twist? Give Long Lost Song a try.
This review was originally posted on The Oaken Bookcase as part of the Discover Aussie Fantasy feature during July 2013.
Meanwhile, a terrible pandemic has struck in both the US and Australia, spread by one of Ricky Jensen’s old recordings recently uncovered and spread like a virus via the internet and radio. Listening to the original track will kill outright, but watered-down remixes merely mind-control the listener so that the song can be spread further. Soon the whole world will be infected or dead, ready for the Devil’s final showdown. Michael is the only one who can stop the song’s spread, but he is being framed by the enemy as the instigator of the deadly virus, and he has no idea why he is suddenly America’s Most Wanted.
With plenty of unexpected turns, Long Lost Song is a story of the “end times” with a musical twist. There’s plenty of American and Australian music and pop culture references throughout and it’s clear that Stephen Ormsby must have an extensive playlist!
The pace stays high through the story – Michael gets more and more terrified the deeper he finds himself, and although the reader knows what’s going on with the song and its viral spread, most of the characters have no idea what’s really happening until right at the end of the story. This creates an air of fear and impending doom throughout – it’s very exciting storytelling and I found it difficult to put the book down. The jumping around between points of view (sometimes several times within a chapter) can get a little overwhelming and hard to keep up with at times, but each section helps to flesh out how the song is affecting people around the world.
The final chapter is very exciting and leaves plenty of opportunity for a sequel. Do you like the idea of a fast-paced thriller with a rockin’ twist? Give Long Lost Song a try.
This review was originally posted on The Oaken Bookcase as part of the Discover Aussie Fantasy feature during July 2013.
September 6, 2013
Long Lost Song by Stephen C. Ormsby 2 stars
This book started out so well! The prologue was almost poetry, I read it aloud to others just because it was so tight and just downright good. Then I hit the wall of Chapter 1. The plot disintegrated into a rather pedestrian slog through familiar characters (the 'mad bloke', the slutty girl, etc etc). The action such as there is jumps back & forth from present-day Australia to 1936 southern US with only the merest reasons why. The whole mess has religious overtones that don't really make sense within the plot and is dragged out way too long. Basically there are gruesome murders/deaths related to this song and someone sold their soul but there is redemption in the end...that's about as much sense as I could make of it. Another book I really wanted to like but after the prologue it was all downhill. 2 stars.
This book started out so well! The prologue was almost poetry, I read it aloud to others just because it was so tight and just downright good. Then I hit the wall of Chapter 1. The plot disintegrated into a rather pedestrian slog through familiar characters (the 'mad bloke', the slutty girl, etc etc). The action such as there is jumps back & forth from present-day Australia to 1936 southern US with only the merest reasons why. The whole mess has religious overtones that don't really make sense within the plot and is dragged out way too long. Basically there are gruesome murders/deaths related to this song and someone sold their soul but there is redemption in the end...that's about as much sense as I could make of it. Another book I really wanted to like but after the prologue it was all downhill. 2 stars.
September 17, 2012
I think this book could stand to have a good edit, but it was free from the giveaways, so thanks.
While I thought the story had a fun idea behind it (musically transmitted death is neat), the writing was a little lacking. Some of the explanations made very little sense, and the story came off as a bit racially insensitive. The guy who made the deal with the devil and the devil himself were black, yet a white guy was the destined hero of the story. And while a white hero is not a bad thing, having all the supporting black characters either have been the origin of the problem or unable to really assist all that much pulls the story into an unpleasant place.
While I thought the story had a fun idea behind it (musically transmitted death is neat), the writing was a little lacking. Some of the explanations made very little sense, and the story came off as a bit racially insensitive. The guy who made the deal with the devil and the devil himself were black, yet a white guy was the destined hero of the story. And while a white hero is not a bad thing, having all the supporting black characters either have been the origin of the problem or unable to really assist all that much pulls the story into an unpleasant place.
August 10, 2013
In Ormsby’s urban fantasy novel, Ricky Jensen would sell his soul for the coveted title “blues guitarist extraordinaire.” But does one man’s dream have the right to open the door for a curse across the land?
The story switches back and forth from past to present to allow the reader to capture Ricky’s story and the price he is willing to pay for this deal and why. Once he accepts the deal, he must rise to the challenge and turn the game around on the “Black Man” or risk the world losing music forever.
A wild combination of urban fantasy, horror, and apocalyptic fiction rolled into one. Well worth the time it takes to read!
The story switches back and forth from past to present to allow the reader to capture Ricky’s story and the price he is willing to pay for this deal and why. Once he accepts the deal, he must rise to the challenge and turn the game around on the “Black Man” or risk the world losing music forever.
A wild combination of urban fantasy, horror, and apocalyptic fiction rolled into one. Well worth the time it takes to read!
August 12, 2013
Whilst I found this an intriguing and interesting story, I was not able to enjoy it s much as I should have. The grammar, punctuation, spelling, missing words and incorrect word usage would have benefitted greatly from a good proof-reading, which would have certainly led me to give a four or five star review.
The story nonetheless is interesting and well researched. It certainly deals with music, drugs and other vices involved in this industry and a revised version with implemented corrections would make an excellent book.
The story nonetheless is interesting and well researched. It certainly deals with music, drugs and other vices involved in this industry and a revised version with implemented corrections would make an excellent book.
August 31, 2012
Thanks Shirley Chalmers: Rating: 4 out of 5 stars.
At first I thought this book was for the young adult reader but it wasn't long before I found myself, a senior, really getting into it. In fact it got to where I couldn't put it down until I'd made it right to the end. And what an ending, it blows you away. Well done Stephen, be it urban fantasy or speculative fiction, your book is a really good read. Thanks.
At first I thought this book was for the young adult reader but it wasn't long before I found myself, a senior, really getting into it. In fact it got to where I couldn't put it down until I'd made it right to the end. And what an ending, it blows you away. Well done Stephen, be it urban fantasy or speculative fiction, your book is a really good read. Thanks.
May 5, 2013
I read this novel to support a fellow Aussie author in the Indie industry. I was quickly drawn into the character's lives because the voices are clear and unique.
The storytelling style reminds me a lot of Stephen King's 'The Stand', we get a collection of characters and must watch as their lives interweave and head towards the inevitable horror that takes over society and humanities hope. Good strong writing.
The storytelling style reminds me a lot of Stephen King's 'The Stand', we get a collection of characters and must watch as their lives interweave and head towards the inevitable horror that takes over society and humanities hope. Good strong writing.
February 27, 2013
Long Lost Song has an old school swing, and a new school side, that draw together to make a solid piece of writing. Australian Author, Stephen Ormsby, seems to be cropping up everywhere; he is one to watch.
April 26, 2023
Excellent book!!!
May 25, 2013
The writer takes you on a journey through the old south to explain the chaos of present day. The characters are people you meet and instantly make an attachment.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews