Category: Reviews of My Books

‘The Underlying Spiritual Theme’ REPRINT

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From June 14, 2015

The other day my fellow blogger, Ajoobacats–she has a whale of a blog, totally dwarfing mine: just tons and tons of readers; I recommend her book reviews to all–honored me with a review of my Bell Mountain, which I am happy to say she liked very much ( http://leeduigon.com/2015/06/12/book-review-bell-mountain-by-lee-duigon/). I don’t think I’ve ever seen her review a fantasy before: but she admits that my book was about as far off her beaten track as she’s ever gone.

I must draw attention to one remark she made: “The underlying spiritual theme may not be in fashion…”

Well, that’s putting it mildly!

In fact, I know I’m out of fashion: it’s what I intended. The whole point of the Bell Mountain series is to “renormalize religion” by showing it to be a basic and indispensable component of the characters’ daily life, culture, and psychology: and more, to proclaim that God is a Person, the Supreme Being, who interacts with individuals, families, and whole nations.

My books have struck a few readers as odd because they have come to expect no trace of religion in any work of fiction, be it a novel, a movie or TV script, or anything else. But the total absence of God or gods in our fiction depicts an extremely weird kind of civilization that has never actually existed except in faculty lounges and some of the least wholesome, darkest corners of politics and business.

But how, asks the ninny, do you manage to fit God or religion into Zombie Apocalypse or Superheroes vs. Climate Change Deniers?

That’s the wrong question. If God is in your life, you may not have a yen to spend much time in Zombie Apocalypse. Not that you can never just veg out and relax by watching some nonsense or other. I love silly old monster movies. It’s only a problem when the nonsense takes over your life.

I believe it has done us harm, as a nation, to spend such vast amounts of time consuming “entertainment” from which the very concept of God has been excluded.

Go ahead, tell me I’m wrong.

‘Insensitive Things to Say to Authors’ (2019)

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390+ Trash Talk Stock Photos, Pictures & Royalty-Free Images ...

My writing career started long before the self-publishing revolution: the only way you could wind up in print was if a publisher was willing to pay you for it.

This was almost impossible to achieve; but after innumerable shoot-downs, I finally did. And here’s what happened next.

Insensitive Things to Say to Authors

There are many self-published books whose authors deserve to be paid, who shouldn’t have to pay the publisher. That really makes me growl. And there are books published and paid for by publishers who must have lost their minds and who deserve to lose their money, too.

“Oh, if only I had the time, I’d write a novel, too!” Like anyone can do it. Like it takes no skill, no study, no experience, and certainly nothing like hard work.

Grrr…!

Coming Soon: ‘Ocean of Time’

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OceanTime

Permit me a moment of exultation. “Hooray! (There, that takes care of that.)

Bell Mountain No. 15, Ocean of Time, is soon to go to press–which means it’ll be available in time for Christmas.

You’ve got to love that cover by Kirk DouPonce. He’s really outdone himself this time.

So! The Winged Bull, the insatiable conqueror of Western lands across the sea, has launched his fleet at Obann. The city of Durmurot, lovely but defenseless, will be his first target. Can it possibly be saved?

An artifact recovered from the distant past may have power to to save the city–or to destroy it. What are its powers? What will happen if King Ryons’ chieftains try to use it? The fleet is on its way, and Obann is running out of time.

All 14 of my earlier Bell Mountain novels are available from the Chalcedon store, at http://www.chalcedon.edu/resources/books . And of course you can see them all here in this blog. Just click “Books.”

 

One of My Books

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Every now and then something reminds me that one of the things I’m supposed to be doing on this blog is to drum up readers for my books. I don’t have any celebrity endorsements, no one’s made any of my books into a movie… so it’s up to me to find readers.

The Temple Vol. 8

Look at that wonderful cover art by Kirk DouPonce–does that say “Pick me up and read me!”, or what?

Come on, now–are you really gonna kiss off barbarian hordes, ancient secrets, and fantastic adventures? And best of all, it’s Christian fantasy–none of those annoying neo-pagan cliches that clutter up most fantasy novels, these days.

Click “Books” on the home page and read all about it.

‘Reviews, Anyone?’ (2020)

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Bell Mountain - (14 book series)

Every now and then it crosses my mind that one of this blog’s original functions was to call attention to my books and hopefully sell a few. Books without readers do no one any good.

Reviews, Anybody?

Reviews by readers are terribly important. Well, to the author they are!

Anyway, it’s been a couple of years since I’ve gotten any reader feedback. I would like to think that someone, in all that time, has dipped into Bell Mountain. Sometime in the not-too-distant future, Oceans of Time (No. 15 in the series) will be published, bringing King Ryons and his people to a natural resting-point. From there we’ll be going backward in time to King Ozias’ days.

Any thoughts, anybody?

‘Here’s the Webinar! “Thoughts on Being a Writer”‘ (2016)

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Bell Mountain Series

This was the first time I was interviewed by persons who had actually read my books, and I enjoyed it. Andrea Schwartz was the host.

Here’s the Webinar! ‘Thoughts on Being a Writer’

All my life, I wanted to be a storyteller. Getting together with Bobby and Ellen across the street, the three of us making up ghost and monster stories in their appropriately atmospheric cellar… I was ten years old.

‘Behold!’ Is In Kindle Now

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Behold! (Bell Mountain, 14) by [Lee Duigon]

The sales figures aren’t bad today, but I don’t have a single customer review on amazon.com and therefor have absolutely no idea of how my book has gone over with the reading public. In fact, I probably can’t prove there is a reading public.

Behold! in Kindle format will cost you $4.99. In paperback (so you can read it in bed, like I do) it’s an exorbitant $18. I think that’s less than it costs to go to the movies anymore. Yeah, that’s another nice little amenity in life that’s pretty much vanished. Unless you don’t mind shelling out for yet another comic-book movie with a wokie subtext… but I digress.

So how about it, Ms. and Mr. Public? Do you like the book? Don’t worry about crushing me by saying “no, it was bloody awful.” ‘Cause I know it isn’t!

Editing ‘Oceans of Time’

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Ancient salamander was hidden inside mystery rock for 50 years – new research

With Patty’s surgery set for Friday, we find it just a little hard to concentrate, and find a need for something else to think about.

I look forward each day to editing Bell Mountain No. 15, Oceans of Time. No. 14, Behold!, flows very nicely into it. Editing can be a soothing way to pass the time. Not that you can count on that. There are editing assignments that can be quite hair-raising.

Anyway, after Oceans we’ll have the story of King Ozias in three books, the first of which has been written–Ozias, Prince in Peril. Ozias lived some 2,000 years before the events described in the first 15 books, so expect a lot of changes.

Uh… Why do we have this picture of a great big salamander with jaws that could take your hand off?

Well, now, haven’t you read any number of books that would have been significantly improved by the addition of a giant salamander? I know I have. But in this case the plot demands a giant salamander. You’ll see…

‘My Hometown Fans’ (2015)

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46 Spider Web Book Old Bookshelf Stock Photos, Pictures & Royalty-Free Images - iStock

I don’t expect to be treated as a celebrity; but it’d be nice if my hometown library had my books on its shelves… especially after I’ve donated them.

My Hometown Fans

Well, our local library has degenerated into a Far Left elitists’ sandbox, so my books are relegated to the same shelf as Mrs. Clara Pinball’s recollections of downtown Sayreville. Which is not to insult Mrs. Pinball–but just try getting that book published professionally. And just try getting it onto the library shelves that people actually look at.

Not to be thin-skinned about it–but yeesh! Most people can’t even imagine how hard it is to get a book published by a publisher who’ll pay you for it. For every one who succeeds, there are thousands, or tens of thousands, who don’t. And it doesn’t even have that much to do with the individual merit of a book.

Maybe it’s voodoo.

‘A Superb Sequel Takes Bell Mountain Readers on a Wild Ride’ (2015)

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The Cellar Beneath the Cellar (The Bell Mountain Series ...

Every now and then I remember that this blog is supposed to get people interested in my books. Here’s a review by Robert Knight of Book 2 in the series, The Cellar Beneath the Cellar.

A Superb Sequel Takes Bell Mountain Readers on a Wild Ride by Robert Knight

How about it, folks? My Bell Mountain series has grown to 13 books, with two more being prepared for publication and another being written. I don’t mean you should skip No. 1, Bell Mountain, and start with No. 2: Bob’s review of Cellar just happened to be handiest.

Fantasies written from a Biblical point of view–that sums ’em up, I guess. It won’t cost you anything to click “Books” on our home page and get acquainted with them. And you’ll find some more reviews in the Archives.