writing

Review, “The House on Constantinople.”

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BLUF: Five flippin’ stars. Go get “The House on Constantinople” if you like time travel books with a hint of romance.

I’ve had a lot of problems reading lately, I’m not sure why. I’ve been a life-long voracious reader, and for some reason my old crutch has failed me as of late. It could be I have too many commitments, it could be the old gnawing low-grade stress, it could be the siren call of Apple News. In any case, it’s a thing, and it’s annoying.

So, when I got word of Howard Wetsman’s new time-travel book on John Birmingham’s website, I was interested and I bought it with the forlorn hope of ever getting it off my pile of shame in my Kindle.

I’ve loved time travel books since I was a kid. I remember getting a dog-eared copy of “A Wrinkle in Time” from my middle school library. If you haven’t read it, it’s a classic.

So is Mr. Wetsman’s book. It’s that good. I’m not going to put any spoilers in here, but let’s just say the book is a partial examination of a historical figure in an obscure but important piece of human history. He did a great job of research into this person, but not at the expense of ever coming across as pedantic or mired in exposition.

His characters were great—realistic, likable, and relatable. He provided just enough depth to them to move the narrative forward and see the world through their eyes. There was one section with a slightly confusing POV shift, this is an easy pitfall for a new author. However, I cut him slack over this because I know from experience how easy this is to do with a multi-arc story. Going forward, I’d recommend adding fleurons or spacing if a POV shift is intended. This is an easy visual clue for the reader. But let me emphasize that this was a minor bug, not a persistent problem. In no way did this minor flaw detract from the reader experience, which in my case was very positive.

The narrative itself was compelling, driving, and addictive. This is the first time in a very long time that I blew off my normal bedtime to blaze through to the (satisfying) end. I started after dinner and finished around midnight. It was weird—I couldn’t stop. The phrase “I couldn’t put it down” is frequently overused, but in this case applicable.

I took a few breaks to walk my dog, but that was about it.

So, there you go. Your experience may differ from mine, but Doc Wetsman’s book has earned placement in the select few books that I know I’ll re-read.

Other authors I’ve read and re-read- Haldeman, Stirling, Turtledove, Birmingham, and Scalzi.

Wetsman—in his debut novel, no less, has earned a place for me amongst the authors above.

This is impressive.

Recommend.

Latest Novel, “Light’s End.”

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Morning, all, from the pleasant late-spring weather of the Upper Ohio Valley.

2024 is shaping into an interesting year in regard to my writing adventures. First, I busted out the bridge novel in my STORYTELLER trilogy, The Storyteller’s World. Now, I’ve put the wraps on Book One of the End series—“Light’s End.” This is my take on the alien invasion trope. Because it is my take, there are no glamorous fighter pilots or a chiseled-chin President who save us.

No, none of that. My book focuses on regular people caught up in an unimaginable calamity, described in my style. It’s a mess. See below for the back-cover copy.

“An alien horde, subjects of the Queen, arrive in the Solar System without warning and launch a devastating attack on Earth, killing billions. Amid the apocalypse, a diverse group of survivors from around the globe struggles to navigate this new, hostile world. John, a father desperate to reunite with his daughter, teams up with unlikely allies. Others fight for power, seek revenge, or simply strive to survive.

In this chaotic landscape, trust is scarce and danger lurks at every turn. Meanwhile, the aliens, led by their Chief Decider, pursue a mysterious, holy mission on Earth, indifferent to human suffering. As humanity faces annihilation, the survivors must find a way to endure and perhaps, defeat and kill their extraterrestrial invaders.

Will they find safety, seek revenge, or succumb to the Queen’s deadly decree?”

The book is my longest novel to date, with about 113k words at the end-state. I think it took six months to write, and I am curious, as always, as to the reader reception.

It is available worldwide right now in two formats, ebook and audio. The paperback is done and approved, but it’s not available now. However, it should be soon for those among you who must hold dead trees (EDIT: Paperback available like ten minutes after I wrote this post).

This is just the beginning of this year. Another book, a co-authored deal that should be released next month, is waiting in the wings. This is the culmination of a seven-year effort, a book based on John Birmingham’s Cruel Stars series. I did some tinkering on this while in Australia, a very productive working trip where I capped off “Light’s End” and filled in the blanks on said co-authored novel. In addition, I came up with a premise for another alt-history series. I mean to begin in earnest on that immediately.

I have to start on that right away because I need to feed content to my crew over on my Patreon paywall page. By the way, this page is loaded with content. For three bucks a month, there’s a lot to be had. But I digress.

For now, suffice it to say that my latest has been quietly launched, and if you dig my writing, you can pick it up worldwide on the Beast.

In many ways 2024 looks to be ruinous writ large, but in terms of writing, it looks good. A paradox, I know. But at least I’ll keep you entertained while Rome burns.

Cheers,

J

The Short Black

/ jlambright / 9 Comments

Hello, all.

I’m writing from an undisclosed location, somewhere south of the equator, from which I will be be based for x amount of days.

In this Eden I’ve been surprised by the high quality of local food and drink, which the locals do not fully appreciate.

I do.

A simple trip to a very local supermarket reveals a staggering quality and quantity of food; the breads, cheeses, and meats are first rate and surprisingly affordable. While at Wally World in the States you can hardly escape with a few pathetic bags and your wallet lighter by a hundred-and-a-half, here, you can get the same amount of really first rate stuff, for less than half that amount.

Among the items of truly quality foods and drinks is the Short Black, a bracing, rich, black-as-midnight cup of Joe. This is not a cup of coffee in the US sense. This is an adrenaline producing, full-throttle, vicious jolt of pure, visceral essence of the esteemed coffee bean, while died well on the bottom of my tastefully appointed cup.

I have been instructed that one should never drink more than four of these guys in a day. I fear I have been remiss- and at some point I shall pay for my many sins.

The Short Black calls, and I should firmly resist.

But damn, are they fine. The perfect compliment to the sunrise; a trusted companion to the rising sun in the north-east.

This has been a surprising revelation, the Short Black. I was unaware that the denizens of this fair land are harsh critics of substandard coffee.

After this, coffee in Midwest diners will be an abomination, I’m afraid.

I’m ruined.