The Vengeance Squad Goes to England -- Now Available

The Vengeance Squad Goes to England is now available on Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle.

 

By Sidney W. Frost, author of Where Love Once Lived, The Vengeance Squad and Love Lives On.

 

Three reviews have been posted:

5.0 out of 5 stars--Another Great Read, January 14, 2014

By Dr. Rollo K. Newsom (Austin, Texas United States)

In this the most recent outing of the Vengeance Squad, Frost continues to use real places and times to lend credibility to the story. The reference to and use of real locations, existing institutions and restaurants as well as airplanes, trains and rental vehicles and schedules that are so obviously real practices in the real world that the story line itself becomes plausible. The main characters from an earlier case again make up the “squad” and their highly variable backgrounds, skills and weaknesses meld again to sustain them through seemingly unsurmountable and often very surprising difficulties and emergencies. The unexpected twists and rapid pace of the plot make this book a real “page turner.” These traits, real places, believable, interdependent characters and fast moving plots have become both trademarks and most desirable characteristics of all of Sid Frost’s fiction.

I can’t say much more without compromising the tension reader should feel reading this book (I’ll not be a spoiler.) but I do want to comment on a couple of others aspects. The villain(s) are appropriately deceptive and despicable. They may well get justice in the end but somehow I wish we could hurt them more. And the love interest that was hinted at in The Vengeance Squad advances and becomes enigmatic. Just who does this women work for? In this Christian novel the “love” is not physically consummated, well there are a couple of kisses that go beyond a peck on the cheek. The book then ends before we know when, if or how the impediments to this courtship and romance can be resolved. This is an important point to me because it gives me some assurance that we will be reading about these folks again.

 

***

4.0 out of 5 stars--Good read, January 18, 2014

By Joelle Teague (MILLEDGEVILLE, GEORGIA, US)

I enjoyed the book, but felt like I would have known more of what was going on had I read the others. For a standalone book, I kept asking myself questions about the characters that I'm sure were answered in other books. That being said, this one was very entertaining as the crew and their antics were kind of crazy at times. I found myself disliking Virgil as much as they did and really rooting for the romance between Chris and Angela. I also enjoyed seeing what might be in store for Liz if there is another one after this. Overall, definitely something I would recommend!

 

***

5.0 out of 5 stars--Chris and crew strike again! January 15, 2014

By Malia

In this latest book, the Vengeance Squad travels to England to help track down villains from a previous book. While it utilizes the story line from the previous Vengeance Squad book, it easily stands alone as a Christian mystery/thriller. Once again, you will follow Chris and his adventures, along with his fellow squad members.

I love how Mr. Frost uses place names so accurately. I am from central Texas, and know many of the places he mentions in his books. I've been to some of those places he mentions. He also researched the locations in Great Britain, which lends a great deal of credibility to the story and plot line. You are drawn into the images he creates, and it makes me want to visit the locations in Great Britain.

As you read the book, you are drawn into the story, wanting vengeance for the villains. You are also drawn to the budding relationship between Chris and Angela. Will things work out between them? What will happen next? You will just need to read the story yourself to see what happens.

 

***

 

318 pages
Paperback: $12.95
ISBN: 978-0983070887
Click Here to Purchase

Kindle Edition: $2.99
Click Here to Purchase

Naming Fictional Characters

I'm not in a critique group so my wife was the first to read my latest book. She found a lot of missing words, misused words, wrong words (installation instead of insulation), and she made comments about everything that didn't make sense. I made the changes and sent the manuscript to my friend Rollo. He's been a close friend since high school and he reads many books. With co-authors he published an anthology of mysteries set in Texas. I'm also sending a copy to three friends from church who have read the prequel and all three are readers, one an editor.

But, getting back to my wife's comments. She didn't care for the name of one of the characters because it was difficult to pronounce. Let me say first that I select character names carefully and have blogged about it in the past. See the following posts:

Find the Perfect Name for a Fictional Character Part 1

Find the Perfect Name for a Fictional Character Part 2

Find the Perfect Name for a Fictional Character Part 3

Find the Perfect Name for a Fictional Character Part 4

Find the Perfect Name for a Fictional Character Part 5

The name that bothered my wife was David Bownpole. She said Brownpole was easier to say. However, I don't like Brownpole because it is brown pole. This character's name was originally Kerwin Bownpole, but I changed Kerwin to David because Kerwin sounded too much like the main character Karen.

If you looked over the articles referenced above, you'll find reference to an online source for names. It is called Fictional Character Name Generator (http://www.jimwegryn.com/Names/FictionNames.htm). Well this is where I got the name Kerwin and Bownpole. I can't remember if the first and last name came together or not since there is a family of Bownpoles in my book.  

So, now I'm going the process of finding the perfect name. I even posting a request on Facebook for help. Doing all this reminded me of the blogs on the subject I've already written and thought you might find them interesting and useful.

If you think of a good name, let me know.

Reviews of The Vengeance Squad

Reviews for my latest book, The Vengeance Squad, are now available on Amazon.com and elsewhere. Plus, a number of people have promised to read it and review it soon. Here's what we have so far:

Another Winner – Dr. Rollo K. Newsom (Austin, TX)

The Vengeance Squad, is a one sitting read. I've warned you, don't start it until you have time to finish it! It is an emotional tear-jerking roller coaster, moving the reader rapidly through delight, tragedy, anger, hope, frustration, fear, gratification and if not vengeance at least comfortably satisfying resolution.

The characters, particularly the four main characters are not only physically described, but are most effectively developed as personalities through what they do and what they say. This technique creates a remarkable affinity between the reader and the characters. Very quickly and very emphatically I came to identify with these characters and suffer or thrill, bleed and heal right along with them and enthusiastically root for them.

In an earlier book Where Love Once Lived, Frost created believability in part by using real places for settings even though it is clearly fiction. I suspect the use of places he knows helps him write with confidence - it is real and so it reads real. The setting for most of the action in this book is several cities in Texas and New Mexico, but one episode takes place in Rowe, Massachusetts a place I had never heard of but now not only believe in but even feel as if I sort of know the place. And I'd bet a bundle that he has been there! In this book Frost uses real towns, restaurants, hotels, highways and specific locations like named malls, the down town Houston tunnel, the Galveston docks and so on. Even drive times are accurate and vehicles are appropriate. All these things are in fact real and real is believable.

In a similar manner emotions and values are so appropriate to the circumstances and action that the you just know it is all true. This aspect of the book is very important to me because I believe this emotional authenticity is what keeps this Christian novel from being too "preachy."

The careful attention given to the development of the main characters and the fact that they are all still functioning at the end of the book along with a little cliff hanger suggest that this maybe the first of a series. I sure hope so.

I received a copy of this book from the author for review purposes. I was not obligated to provide a positive review and all opinions expressed are my own.

Will not want to put this book down. – B.B. Hill

The Vengeance Squad by Sidney W. Frost is action packed, full of thrills, suspense and romance. When you get ready to read this suspenseful story make sure you have time to read without stopping because you will not want to put this book down. The title of this book intrigued me and after reading reviews I knew I wanted to read Chris and Sarah's story.

Sarah and Chris's love for one another is felt from the first chapter. You can understand why Chris is so devastated after her death and determined to search for and find her killers.

After Sarah's death, Chris thinks that God has let him down and want nothing more to do with God and church. Sarah's parents accept her death and know she is in Heaven but Chris is losing his faith fast. He keeps remembering the scripture, "Vengeance is mine saith the Lord" but he feels that it is up to him to search and find the killers. He had been unable to protect Sarah, it was his fault she was dead.

Chris, a PhD computer science professor, Percy "Tex" Thompson, a 40-year-old wheelchair bound ex-con student at the community college where Chris teaches, and Liz Siedo, the 65-year-old head librarian at the city library where Tex works become The Vengeance Squad. The three of them start researching the robbery and find information on their Internet searches that help them to start their journey.

Their journey to find the killers becomes very active and the adventure is filled with suspense and mystery. In Galveston, Chris re-discovers his faith and says his first prayer since Sarah's death. He also realizes God wants him to search for and find the killers. This is an action packed thriller and I loved the ending.

I do hope there will be another book to continue this adventure with another crime to solve. I have "Where Love Once Lived" on my wish list and can't wait to read Sid's first book.

You'll Want To Cheer For This Book – Inspirational Books (Orlando, FL)

You'll want to cheer the love-driven determination, sigh at the protagonist tender way he holds on to her memories. And you'll take notice how God weaves His plans that go beyond our own. The story leaves one wanting the next sequel to find out how once again, love wins, the love that goes beyond justice or vengeance."--Janet Perez Eckles, author.

Good book -- W. Marple "crochet addicted" (delano, mn)

This is the first book I have read by Sidney Frost. It is a good story with a unique take on the situation for the main character, Chris. For some reason the style of writing didn't grab me and I was not able to pinpoint why. That doesn't take away from the story line. It was refreshing to read a book that is different from the other Christian books out there that can have the same 'canned' type of path in their story.

It's Official—Come See Me at BookPeople

I've been bragging for some time now about the book signing I have scheduled at BookPeople in downtown Austin, Texas’ leading independent bookstore since 1970. In fact, my friend Rollo has called several times to ask me the date so that he could put it on his calendar and, hopefully, invite his friends.

However, yesterday, as I sat down to address postcards to my friends in Austin, I started wondering if the date was locked in or not. I had not seen any mention of the book signing on the BookPeople website, even though they have advertised such writers as Jimmy Carter, Laura Bush, and Fannie Flagg.

So, I sent an email to BookPeople to tell them my concern. A short time later, I checked the events calendar and found my name there.

So, it's official.

Check this: http://www.bookpeople.com/event/local-author-night-sid-frost-and-jennifer-hritz

It doesn't say much yet, but at least I know I have the right date and time. I don't know Jennifer Hritz, but I hope she brings in lots of friends.

That date again, Rollo, is January 15, 2011, 7:00 p.m. Tell your friends. I'd hate sit next to Jennifer and not have anyone stop by to see me.

My Book Is In the Largest Bookstore in Texas

Where Love Once Lived is now on the shelves of BookPeople, the largest bookstore in Texas.

BookPeople opened in Austin in 1970, and was named Best Bookstore in the United States in 2005 by Publishers Weekly. Many famous authors include BookPeople in their book-signing tours. Laura Bush was there recently and Jimmy Carter will be signing his latest book at BookPeople on October 29, 2010. They’re selling tickets to the Carter event for crowd control.

Even with their national fame, BookPeople has a special place on its shelves for local authors. Just inside the front door, on the way to the coffee shop, there is a shelf on the left with a sign that says Texas Authors. There are some famous names there, including one of my favorites, Susan Wittig Albert. Five of my books are in the same shelf. Well, hopefully, there are fewer now. My friend Rollo Newsom has written a community comment card for this shelf.

You’ll find five more copies of Where Love Once Lived on the second floor in the inspiration section right along with Jan Karon’s books. I picked that shelf because of Karon, and added a community comment card with quotes from Sandy Althaus’ review.

So what, you’re thinking. Bookstores sell books. They stock books. That’s what they do.

Well, most don’t stock print-on-demand (POD) books like mine. The big chain bookstores won’t stock Where Love Once Lived. They’ll sell it to you and get one for you, but only if you pay in advance and wait a week.

BookPeople in Austin and Hill Country Bookstore in Georgetown both stock my book because on their consignment programs. I furnish the books and they sell them. I end up making a little less than books sold on Amazon.com, but not by much. Also, I’m responsible for costs due to theft or damage.

Is this a reason to avoid publishing POD books? I don’t know yet. With a new book almost ready to pitch, I wish I knew. I’ll be looking at the pros and cons of self publishing and traditional publishing and reporting my findings to you in a future post. If you have knowledge about it, please comment here.

Another Book Review!!!

I was just talking about how much fun it is to start getting feedback from readers, and soon after that I discovered another review on Amazon.com. Read this...

*********************************************

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great first novel!, September 4, 2010

By Sandy Althaus - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)

This review is from: Where Love Once Lived (Paperback)

I am proud to say I bought Sid's very first book and loved reading it. Rollo has covered the overview so well, but I want to comment on the theme and characters. I thought it was so very creative to use the bookmobile as a center of so much action and activity, and much to my surprise it kept popping up throughout the book. It was so well described I could picture myself being there. I "got into" the characters quite early in my reading, and my interest kept growing. I especially appreciated the comfortable but truthful way the Christian message was presented. I know lives will be touched when reading this book. A Great first novel! Excited to read your next one.

*********************************************

I must admit that swelled my head a little. I said something about Rollo's review perhaps being written from a galley proof and could have been an exaggeration to help sales. What I didn't mention was that privately he did say it was well written. So, I'm celebrating both reviews.

Now, it's your turn. More reviews will help bring attention to the book. If you don't want to write something, then check the Yes button on the two reviews there to let people know you agree with what's been said.

Here's the link to the Amazon.com page: http://www.amazon.com/Where-Love-Lived-Sidney-Frost/dp/1451511817/

Thanks, Sandy and to all you who have commented on the book.

Reader Comments are Fun

I've started getting feedback from readers of Where Love Once Lived and I'm anxious to get more.

Rollo Newsom, who wrote the Amazon.com review, read the book from the galley proof, and besides, you can't trust him not to boast about the book just to help sell it. But, now several people have finished reading the book after it was officially released. Here are some of the comments I've received so far.

Peg Case (she is an author herself and had read an early draft of my book) sent this:

I finished Where Love Once Lived last night. It flowed really well and was most enjoyable. You have a great grasp of characters and clever ways of illustrating them with a few words, and your plot hung together better than I recall the first time I read it. I felt that there were some unresolved plot lines that made me wonder if you plan to use them if you write a book featuring Liz. (Like who is going to run the business now he owns it again and what happens to Laura....) I confess that I got annoyed with Brian - and to a certain extent, Karen - for obsessing so much over "should I or shouldn't I " and "will she ever forgive me? And "am I worthy of her?" Maybe it's a middle-aged guy thing. There were places where I wondered if they might be autobiographical - like Tony's history with singing, for example. All in all, it was a fine book, Sid. I look forward to your next which sounds like it is more my style.

Sandy Althaus (who bought the first book) writes:

I am enjoying your book so much. Wonder how Karen and Brian will finally get together again!"

Then, later:

Finished your book and thought you did a great job. Loved the way you incorporated the bookmobile and the comfortable way the message of Christ was presented. I will write a review as soon as I am off the iPhone and have a "real" computer at my finger tips!

Jimmy Clark (who bought the second book) wrote:

I will start reading the book soon. The cover art is beautiful. It really works well for your book.

Cathy Harris (who bought the first Kindle) sent this:

Sid, I just found and purchased your book on my Kindle! I am excited.

I started it last night and saw a few areas, but I read through them with no trouble. I didn't last long because it was late and we go to early church. I am enjoying it very much.

Website Design Suggestions

I hope you missed me. My computer has been down for three days and I haven't posted a blog since August 31. I don't usually post anything on weekends, but thought I better to keep up my monthly average.

I'm pretty sure the computer is fixed. It's a long story, but I think the problems were due to overheating. Pretty embarrassing for a computer person, but after moving it out five inches from the wall and three inches from the cabinet I had it up against from the time the problems started, it is miraculously working.

Even without a computer, I was able to keep up with the world with my iPhone. I could have done the blog on it, too, the tiny keyboard is difficult to use.

My friend Sandy Althaus finished reading the book last week and when I asked her about doing a review she said she would when she got back home to her real computer. She'd been communicating via iPhone all summer and I hadn't even noticed.

Since my computer was down, I haven't updated the website I showed you last time. However, I did get some great comments about it.

Rollo Newsom (who knows books) said this:

I wonder if it would be wise to make the links a little more prominent and include links to locally owned bookstores that you know have the book available? I'm sure B&N/Borders could care less, but BookPeople and the store you are signing in in Georgetown might like it and a link to them might even sell a copy or two. When I want a book right now, I occasionally go to a bookstore and pay full price rather than wait for Amazon to deliver it.

Also, maybe a link to your next book - just a brief preview and a "Coming Soon" note?

Roger Lawrence (who knows art and design) sent this:

You have your book cover shown twice on your new website. This is Boring. I suggest that you enlarge the book cover with the Sales details and drop the big cover photo. Add a photo of yourself. Add a click below your photo to make it easy to read your bio. Everyone likes to see what the author looks like. You look very distinguished and very much like an author in your photo.

Peg Case (who is an author) wrote:

I never attempted to build a website, but for any kind of advertising the simpler the better. This tells all anyone needs to know, but it's plain, isn't it? As I say, I don't know what's good. When I want to find an author or a book I have heard about, I use a website called fantasticfiction.co.uk/ So far I have found everyone I've tried - and it lists the author's books in series, genres and chronological publishing dates. (So you know which is first in a series using the same character.) Don't know how one gets on their site...... but something like this would give you more exposure, hey?

Note to Peg: I checked fantasticfiction.co.uk/ and found Where Love Once Lived listed there. They have the cover image and a list of places where you can purchase the book. Unfortunately, you must know the ISBN to find it. The author search and the title search failed to find the book.

Thanks, everyone. I'll make the website changes suggested and I'll let you all know when to check it again.

WOW! Where Love Once Loved is a winner

Review by Dr. Rollo K. Newsom in Amazon.com

This is a Christian novel and more. Some of that more is a romance and more of the more is an unusual form of a coming of age story. Romance gone wrong due to incomplete communications and immature or irresponsible judgments lead to lives prematurely separated in young adulthood. Those separate lives are not all that bad but leave the principles feeling unfulfilled and incomplete in mid-life. Tensions in the novel stem from efforts and events that work toward reuniting the protagonists. But this is not easy and requires sometimes painful change for the two main characters. This is not the adolescent discovery of self and sex coming of age. Instead here we have two seasoned and basically successful adults who must mature spiritually. A number of things contribute to that spiritual maturation including painful discoveries of what went so very wrong years ago, forgiveness for those and subsequent events, understanding of the consequences and new empathy that comes from prayer and God's grace.

The setting is a mid-sized Southern city in the mid to late 20th century (Austin, Texas) and exceptionally apt descriptions of real recognizable places and accurate references to the "times" lend authenticity to the novel.

Much of the action takes place on a bookmobile including librarian-patron interactions and a believable chase scene. I think we all make inappropriate use of the word unique at times. But in reviewing Frost's Where Love Once Lived, I can honestly say his use of the bookmobile is unique to the point where it might be considered a supporting character.

In addition to the bookmobile peripheral characters are well developed, interesting in their own right and serve as impediments or more often facilitators of the action. Secondary characters enrich the story and contribute to the growth of the main characters by modeling and interpreting Christian principals.

In support of the main story line there are several minor themes including an interesting view on changing race relations. A related minor and equally interesting minor theme explores how older adults react to the developing loves, marriages and career aspirations of their children. Not blatant at any one point in the novel but clearly one key to the developing relationships and to resolutions to conflicts is a core group composed of several no longer young men that formed in their college age years. Such a core group is rarely found in the real world or in novels either.

This book is a page turner and early on you will begin pulling (praying?) for those folks to work it out.

The Bookmobile Series

Many years ago, while a student at the University of Texas, my friend Rollo Newsom helped me get a job as a bookmobile driver at the Austin Public Library. Although I was assigned to work with several librarians, one of my favorites was a lot like Liz in Where Love Once Lived. She was constantly doing more for the patrons than a librarian was expected to do. I started writing a book about my experiences that was something like Suds in Your Eye by Mary Lasswell. I never finished that book which was more of a series of episodes rather than a novel.

When I started writing Where Love Once Lived, I thought of Jan Karon's Mitford and decided to use a bookmobile to make the locale in my book smaller and more manageable than all of Austin, Texas. As it turned out, one third of the scenes take place on the bookmobile. So, I learned to love that vehicle and have included it in my next book and I have a plan for a third and fourth book that includes the bookmobile. Although there are some crossover of characters, the books are all independent.

I told you some about my next book, Vengeance is Mine, in previous posts, but I haven't mentioned it includes a bookmobile. Liz is the crossover character and she is now the head librarian. The city has now bought its own bookmobile, so, when Chris and Tex's van is damaged by gunfire received when they visit El Paso, Liz offers them the use of Brian's bookmobile for the trip to Galveston. It is wheelchair ready and has a Internet connection. When Liz travels to Galveston to bail them out of jail, she jumps in the bookmobile for the ride back to Austin. Before they leave Galveston, they learn the killers are in Houston. Chris encourages Liz to fly home, but she insists on going with them. So the bookmobile is back in action, with Liz aboard.

Let me know what you think about this use of a bookmobile. Many of my friends don't understand it, but I like it.