I took on this mortal coil in 1976 in Omaha, NE. As an only child, my parents were able to devote their existences to catering to my every whim. My Mom started by reading the newspaper to me, ensuring I was up to speed on current events. Once I outgrew the newspaper, she moved on to Golden Books. I read my first novel, Cujo, in the third grade. It hooked me, and I took to main-lining novels and working the libraries like an eight-year-old junky looking to score his next fix. I’ve been an avid reader ever since, throwing my lot with Frank and Joe Hardy, the three investigators, and much later, Roland Deschain and his ka-tet.
I somehow fooled Uncle Sam into believing I’d one day make a great leader of men, and he promptly shipped me off to the United States Military Academy at West Point, NY, where I languished in a turmoil of emotions ranging from apathy to not giving a damn. This lent me to writing angst-filled poetry and short stories when I should have been paying attention in class or studying in the barracks, thereby resulting in the refinement of my craft and lending credence to that familiar idiom — you know, silver linings and all that.
In 1998, I graduated from West Point and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in Army Aviation. I attended flight school in Alabama, where I learned to wear cool shades and a leather jacket, and something about helicopters. Forgive me. It was some years ago, and my memory is fading faster than a cheap tattoo.
In 2013, I hung up my cool shades and leather jacket and donned a pocket protector and masking-tape-repaired glasses, transitioning from Army Aviation to Operations Research and Systems Analysis. I’d spent the last fifteen years refining my skills and building a solid foundation of knowledge, so I figured what better time than the twilight of my career to throw all that out the window and start from scratch in an entirely new field.
So how does the rest of my story go? I’ll tell you when I get there; it’s still a work in progress.
I am thrilled to say my first experience with Joseph John was a good one. From the opening scene to the closing paragraph I was riveted by the action and style of his writing. Great character development and well described scenes throughout. The story is better than the summary given in the books description. I'm hooked and will be following Shawn and Harrington until the stories conclusion.
Intriguing. This is very short - not a short story, but more like an episode of a tv show. It doesn't stand alone, and it definitely belongs to something bigger. I think I want to read more.
I enjoyed the different word choices and metaphors, although the aborted egg description for breakfast was a bit over the line for me. The writing style had good pacing and decent description. There was one section that dragged on - it's when the main character was giving a description to a sketch artist. I get that the author wanted to add some futuristic details, but that part got a little stale.
The most enjoyable part was the biography of the author. Mr. John sounds like a cool mind.
I have to admit I was extremely disappointed when I turned the page and found that I was at the end of what I did not know is cliff hanging serial. The characters caught on well and the story line promises much. But to get hooked and then find nothing more is akin to having a fish on your line and then lose it as you pull it from the water. I am going to look for it whenever the rest comes out.
I did not find this to be as good as Serial 1. It didn't really leave me wanting to read more. Slightly disappointed. If it had been a chapter in a book, meh. You can just move onto the next chapter. But as a stand alone, pay 99¢, it didn't do much for me. I don't feel the storyline advanced enough. There was a shift in character focus that didn't hook me.
Of course, I could just buy all the serials and read them back to back.
Just finished the first in the series and loved it. Right from the start it kept me engrossed with all the different plot changes. Can't wait to read the next book and see where the author takes he story would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys sci-fi and mystery.