Special treat today folks: The new cover art design is done!
I sent it off to the publisher and he likes it (though as a former Navy jet
jock he “wasn’t thrilled” about seeing Soviet stars on a F-14, no matter how
accurate to the book it may be). The new edition should be available on Amazon
in a few weeks, and to celebrate, Bluewater Press will be making the Kindle
version available FREE during an upcoming weekend (date TBD, check back here
for updates, I’ll let you know as soon as I do). Until then, here’s the new
design:
So for today’s review I have a bit of a departure from the
norm. It’s not a book but a web comic by Lora Innes, entitled The Dreamer
(it’s also available as a series of graphic novels so it still counts as book).
The Dreamer the title refers to is 17 year old Bea Whaley, a
pretty, popular teenager living in modern-day Boston…but one night she falls
asleep and suddenly she’s a prisoner of General William Howe, the leader the
British Army contingent sent to quell the rebellion in the Colonies. She is
rescued by a dashing American patriot named Allan Warren, the (apparently
fictitious) cousin of Joseph Warren, a very real historical figure (who was
killed in action at the Battle of Bunker Hill), and Allan seems to have been
very fond of her for a very long time…they return to camp where they meet Allan’s
commanding officer, LTC Thomas Knowlton. Allan is part of Knowlton’s Rangers, a
unit that was essentially America’s first Special Operations force, and to
which the US Army Special Forces trace their lineage. Bea also makes the acquaintance
of the ill-fated Nathan Hale. (She’ll later meet other figures like Alexander
Hamilton, and some obscure guy named George Washington). When Bea wakes up
again she’s back in 2013, but every night she’s back in 1776. At first they
seem like just dreams, but slowly she starts remembering things from a past she
never knew she had. Is Bea reliving a past life? Or is she actually travelling
back in time? 500 pages into it, that part isn’t clear yet. What is clear is
that the story is utterly engrossing, and very well researched. Tiny details like Allan and his brother John
(another real figure) digging up Joseph’s body (which had been pointedly buried
unceremoniously by the British) and identifying him by his dental work,
possibly the first recorded use of forensic dental identification, are spread
throughout the story.
Her dreams also play havoc on her modern life. When she
learns of Nathan Hale’s fate in history class, she’s desperate to get home and fall
asleep so she can save her friend, and may have OD’d on sleeping pills. (This
is where the story leaves off at the moment). Not to mention she’s torn between
the modern day football player she’s been crushing on for the last five years
and the soldier who was apparently the love of her life…in 1776.
Lora is a tremendously gifted artist and storyteller, and
she’s done her homework. If you know me you know I’m a big history buff, and so
while the whole “teen romance” thing didn’t really appeal to me, the historical
drama is so engrossing it’s ridiculous. And the characters are very believable
too (I wish the same could be said for the YA novel I’m struggling to read
right now). I can’t wait to see where the story goes next, too bad the next issue
doesn’t come out til January. Still, that leaves plenty of time for you to
catch up. Check out The Dreamer at www.thedreamercomic.com.
-Mike, Out
