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Road Trip
Fans of BEAUFORT FALLS will enjoy seeing familiar faces once more as fate brings them together again to embark on the ROAD TRIP of a lifetime. Those who have not read BEAUFORT FALLS will still enjoy this standalone adventure as our cast crosses America, never suspecting that god-like beings with agendas of their own accompany them on a journey that will decide the fate of all life on Earth. About The Born into a Georgia family of eccentrics and visionaries, Mari Sloan carries her heritage of storytelling from the Deep South to the hills of Southern California where she shares a home with her writer husband and a black Maine Coon cat. She works locally and is always the one who knows where the bodies are buried. On a good day, she will tell you.
290 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 22, 2013
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3 people want to read
About the author
Mari Sloan
4 books5 followersBorn into a Georgia family of eccentrics and visionaries, Mari Sloan carries her heritage of storytelling from the Deep South to the hills of Southern California where she shares a home with her writer husband and a black Maine Coon cat. She is always the one who knows where the bodies are buried, and on a good day, she will tell you."
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
February 2, 2013
Road Trip – Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat; Think With Your Taste Buds; A Book and A Dish
"Molly was the only person who knew what really happened in the cave and Anna realized she was never going to tell. When asked, Molly met her eyes with a dark, glazed look and walked away. Not one more word was ever said about J. D. by her; not about J. D. or the man he had killed – the itinerant preacher serial killer Charlie Callahan, whose hobby had been collecting and mummifying human heads. They both disappeared. Neither came back, and the residents of Beaufort Falls didn’t care. Gone, they made a better story, and one that grew each time the wind rustled the limbs of the ancient water oaks that lined the road to Sicily." -- From Road Trip.
After the murder of their mother, brother and the death of their father, Molly and her sister Tessie were taken in by Anna Johnson a one-time social worker. Anna adopted Tessie but Molly refused her offer to adopt her. She had always felt as though she wasn’t a real part of the family and it showed in her actions both at school and out. And when she met Charlie, who introduced himself as her uncle and told her that her real father lived in California and had sent him to fetch her, she made up her mind to leave just shy of her 18th birthday and find out just who she really was. Then she runs into the little man at the cemetery. He’s naked, seems lost and Molly can’t help but take him under her wing naming him Al. After finding an old truck in the junk yard, getting it running, hitching up an abandoned pink trailer, the 3 head west only to find their little group growing as they go… Roger the ‘Apple-Cheeked Bandit,’ Harry who has no idea who he is, Tu the Oriental prostitute who has been paying off her family’s debts and then there is the ‘black cat.’ Each member of the group seems to be carrying their own problems but together they make up a pretty good team. That is until Tu is grabbed by gang members who have been sent to retrieve her and something makes one of the members disappear, I think it might have been the cat. Disaster seems to follow in the wake of this caravan no matter where they go. Why? Is there something unnatural about someone in the group? Who is Charlie really and why does he carry around that canvas bag? Who is Al and where did he come from? Who is looking for Tu? Who is Harry and will he get his memory back? And who let that black cat into the group?!
Some time back I read Mari Sloan’s book Beaufort Falls and loved it. It was one of those books that you just have to force yourself to put down. Road Trip is even better. As each character was introduced I knew there had to be a connection but couldn’t seem to guess what it might be. The connections finally started to come together but then a new character Rick was introduced and it was Rick that put the whole story together. This book has drama but with humor. It’s so well written that even if it’s farfetched, you can still picture every event and character as they unfold. Mel Brooks needs to check this one out.
"Molly was the only person who knew what really happened in the cave and Anna realized she was never going to tell. When asked, Molly met her eyes with a dark, glazed look and walked away. Not one more word was ever said about J. D. by her; not about J. D. or the man he had killed – the itinerant preacher serial killer Charlie Callahan, whose hobby had been collecting and mummifying human heads. They both disappeared. Neither came back, and the residents of Beaufort Falls didn’t care. Gone, they made a better story, and one that grew each time the wind rustled the limbs of the ancient water oaks that lined the road to Sicily." -- From Road Trip.
After the murder of their mother, brother and the death of their father, Molly and her sister Tessie were taken in by Anna Johnson a one-time social worker. Anna adopted Tessie but Molly refused her offer to adopt her. She had always felt as though she wasn’t a real part of the family and it showed in her actions both at school and out. And when she met Charlie, who introduced himself as her uncle and told her that her real father lived in California and had sent him to fetch her, she made up her mind to leave just shy of her 18th birthday and find out just who she really was. Then she runs into the little man at the cemetery. He’s naked, seems lost and Molly can’t help but take him under her wing naming him Al. After finding an old truck in the junk yard, getting it running, hitching up an abandoned pink trailer, the 3 head west only to find their little group growing as they go… Roger the ‘Apple-Cheeked Bandit,’ Harry who has no idea who he is, Tu the Oriental prostitute who has been paying off her family’s debts and then there is the ‘black cat.’ Each member of the group seems to be carrying their own problems but together they make up a pretty good team. That is until Tu is grabbed by gang members who have been sent to retrieve her and something makes one of the members disappear, I think it might have been the cat. Disaster seems to follow in the wake of this caravan no matter where they go. Why? Is there something unnatural about someone in the group? Who is Charlie really and why does he carry around that canvas bag? Who is Al and where did he come from? Who is looking for Tu? Who is Harry and will he get his memory back? And who let that black cat into the group?!
Some time back I read Mari Sloan’s book Beaufort Falls and loved it. It was one of those books that you just have to force yourself to put down. Road Trip is even better. As each character was introduced I knew there had to be a connection but couldn’t seem to guess what it might be. The connections finally started to come together but then a new character Rick was introduced and it was Rick that put the whole story together. This book has drama but with humor. It’s so well written that even if it’s farfetched, you can still picture every event and character as they unfold. Mel Brooks needs to check this one out.
February 19, 2013
Road Trip
By Mari Sloan
ISBN: 978-0-9798858314, Softcover, Pages 290, $16.95, Publication Date: February 22, 2013, Fantasy Fiction, Published by It’s Me Ink Press
Fantasy fiction is a genre, which we do not often review, but when an outstanding story comes along, we have to arise and pay attention. Mari Sloan is an excellent author who spins a yarn among the best storytellers. “Road Trip” is one of those stories that grabs your interest from the start and never wanes until the conclusion. Readers will love the meshing of the characters as the story unfolds.
Mari Sloan in writing this novel continues to display her talents of descriptive dialogue and scene setting. Her previous novel, “Beaufort Falls” was a dynamic first endeavor and this sequel hits the mark once again!
Some fantasy books go very far away from reality, “Road Trip,” does not. Plausible scenarios that combine with an imaginative script are the rule rather than the exception. We start this journey in outer space and then mesh together with characters here on earth. There are combinations of conflict between good and evil that need to have resolution in order to save the earth and its people. Surprises unfold at every turn and the adventures of the characters will keep you enthralled as you travel with them.
“Road Trip” starts on the East coast and completes the journey on the West coast. Unique events show some very extensive research. Indian folklore, Chinese culture, and years of reading fortune cookies are only some of the glimpses making up this expedition into the unknown.
This is not a book for the youngsters as there is some very choice language and imagery, which is adult in nature. The use of language does not detract and is more for effect than shocking value. These two elements make this book seem realistic and many others will unfold as you read on.
One outstanding feature that transcends throughout is that the main character Molly is with her Dad, Charlie, and believes he is her Uncle. Charlie does his best to keep up this illusion because he fears that if she knew the truth his relationship with her would be lost. This theme permeates all facets of the saga as they travel along the highways and byways in a pick-up truck, an old Cadillac, and haul an antiquated pink trailer! Many of the events are great fun that makes this an enjoyable story, which you can visualize as a movie because of the vivid style of Mari Sloan.
I hope that “Road Trip” will propel Mari Sloan into the spotlight so that she will continue bringing more books just like this one that will stimulate the imagination.
Pick a nice quiet time to sit down and read this five star book. Wholeheartedly recommended as a fulfilling excursion, which culminates in a very satisfying conclusion wherein we arrive safely having survived calamities once again.
By Mari Sloan
ISBN: 978-0-9798858314, Softcover, Pages 290, $16.95, Publication Date: February 22, 2013, Fantasy Fiction, Published by It’s Me Ink Press
Fantasy fiction is a genre, which we do not often review, but when an outstanding story comes along, we have to arise and pay attention. Mari Sloan is an excellent author who spins a yarn among the best storytellers. “Road Trip” is one of those stories that grabs your interest from the start and never wanes until the conclusion. Readers will love the meshing of the characters as the story unfolds.
Mari Sloan in writing this novel continues to display her talents of descriptive dialogue and scene setting. Her previous novel, “Beaufort Falls” was a dynamic first endeavor and this sequel hits the mark once again!
Some fantasy books go very far away from reality, “Road Trip,” does not. Plausible scenarios that combine with an imaginative script are the rule rather than the exception. We start this journey in outer space and then mesh together with characters here on earth. There are combinations of conflict between good and evil that need to have resolution in order to save the earth and its people. Surprises unfold at every turn and the adventures of the characters will keep you enthralled as you travel with them.
“Road Trip” starts on the East coast and completes the journey on the West coast. Unique events show some very extensive research. Indian folklore, Chinese culture, and years of reading fortune cookies are only some of the glimpses making up this expedition into the unknown.
This is not a book for the youngsters as there is some very choice language and imagery, which is adult in nature. The use of language does not detract and is more for effect than shocking value. These two elements make this book seem realistic and many others will unfold as you read on.
One outstanding feature that transcends throughout is that the main character Molly is with her Dad, Charlie, and believes he is her Uncle. Charlie does his best to keep up this illusion because he fears that if she knew the truth his relationship with her would be lost. This theme permeates all facets of the saga as they travel along the highways and byways in a pick-up truck, an old Cadillac, and haul an antiquated pink trailer! Many of the events are great fun that makes this an enjoyable story, which you can visualize as a movie because of the vivid style of Mari Sloan.
I hope that “Road Trip” will propel Mari Sloan into the spotlight so that she will continue bringing more books just like this one that will stimulate the imagination.
Pick a nice quiet time to sit down and read this five star book. Wholeheartedly recommended as a fulfilling excursion, which culminates in a very satisfying conclusion wherein we arrive safely having survived calamities once again.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews