The Valley of Shadows by Mark Terry

I began reading this book mostly (okay only) because it was a free download for my Kindle. I have a feeling this will turn out to be a habit of mine. I like free and best of all I can always afford it. You don't even need a kindle to take advantage of the free books. If you have an iPad or an iPhone or a computer or any other compatible device you can partake in the lovely freeness (yeah I just made that up) that is the kindle store.
I began reading this book and was pretty much sucked in. It was fast when it needed to be and never really slowed to a crawl. It is a typical terrorist doomsday book, but it was different. It was interesting because the events happened in the United States and it contained all the bureaucratic BS that usually occurs when working with any Government entity. It contained enough detail to keep you interested but not so much that it was distracting. I have read other authors who are way too detailed and to be honest, nobody really cares as much as the author. Derek Stillwater, the main character, could have easily been named Jack Bauer. He had the same "accomplish the mission at all cost" attitude, but was relateable (not really a word) as a patriot. The scenario in the story is plausible and left a lingering feeling of "what if." It was not a typical hero story and Stillwater is not a typical hero. He doesn't escape unharmed or without serious injury. It would have been interesting to get into the head of Derek Stillwater, but the series is not over and I have a feeling that every book will have a little more history in it. I have a feeling that the other characters in this book might not have big parts in the next one, but might have had parts in previous books. I will let you know when I actually read the previous books. I asked Mr Terry if the books were written in order and he assured me that all the books are in-deed standalone. They can be read in any order with no problem what-so-ever. That is a good thing, because his other books are not free. I may have to wait for them or just buy them outright. They are only priced at $2.99 on Amazon (Link Below.)
Back to the book. The writing was good and the story telling was fast. There wasn't a lot, if any, back story and none was really needed. Just a bit of Derek history and we were off for a great ride. I also appreciated that it was not full of Muslim stereotypical BS that often accompanies books of this genre. He really understood that not many Muslims are bad and, like any religion, it is the radical extremists that usually cause the problems. It was good and definitely worth the few hours that it took for me to read it.
You can get it here for $3.99!!
http://www.amazon.com/The-Valley-of-Shadows-ebook/dp/B004WOS1QU/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1324609913&sr=8-9
Also Mark Terry's blog is pretty decent and he's got a little novella going on that might interest a few people. http://markterrybooks.blogspot.com

A new direction

I would like to say that I have found inspiration or I am doing something totally and completely new and maybe I am, but maybe just new to me. I have decided to write about something that I enjoy talking about and truly enjoy doing. READING. I am going to write about books I have read and am currently reading. The goal is a book a week. If I don't read a book a week, and I usually take less than that to read a book, I will simply go back to a book I have read on the past and talk about that. All of this being said I want this to become a kind of review/conversation about books. I mostly read fiction and do not really stick to any one genre. I have my favorite authors and try to branch out but often fail miserably when I do. Those failures might be something that I talk about, but the best part will be the successes. The books that surprise me with their awesomeness, will be the treats and the thing that keeps me writing. I am not trying to win a prize or even really inspire others. I am really just trying to write down my thoughts on the books I read so that when I am old, bald, and senile I can look back and remember what it was that I loved about reading. I have recently read some really great books, and some "okay" book, but rarely do I bother finishing the terrible boring books (Nicholas Sparks exempted) that I have trouble making it past the first few chapters. I am going to list some of my favorite authors in nor particular order:
John Grisham (Yeah yeah, it's the same story, the same characters, and oftentimes in the same locations, but when he branches out he creates truly amazing stories, ie A Painted Houe)
Stephen King (except the Dark Tower Series, what a waste)
JK Rowling
Dan Brown
Michael Durant (not a fiction writer or really even a writer, but tells an amazing story)
Mark Terry (Jack Bauer type of stories)
Suzanne Collins (I really just mean The Hunger Games books)
Clive Cussler (When I want some cheap entertainment)
Frank Perretti (Stephen King + Jesus = Frank P.)
The Twilight stories, not the writing or the author, just the idea of the story. even the execution sucked.
Francine Rivers (what a great storyteller)
Brad Meltzer
This is just a sample and I hope to begin to branch out. I am going to try and read The Kite Runner and hopefully it works out and doesn't suck. Happy reading to all.