The Blog/Diary of Novelist Sam Batterman

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Monday, July 19, 2010

Summer Blahs and an update on Maximal Reserve

Well, it's hot--I mean "out of control hot" here in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast Corridor. The lawns all look like the moon and I haven't had to mow the lawn in a few weeks now.

I am in the midst of the final edits on Maximal Reserve with Rachel Starr Thomson, the same wonderful editor that worked with me on Wayback. We've already made some big changes and reordered some chapters to make the story read better and get to the action as soon as possible.

I'm also finishing up getting endorsements for the book. I'm so happy with the list of authors who have agreed to write a blurb about the book even after reading early manuscripts that don't have all the polish to them.

I was interviewed on PID/BlogTalkRadio last week and you can listen to the interview here.

I also got a great review from Kerry Neitz, a fellow Christian Sci-Fi author and fellow Microsoft Alumnus. I reposted his review here with his permission. Grab one of his books - A Star Curiously Singing has received huge accolades and is doing very well in the marketplace. When I get a review like this from a fellow author it makes me happy :) Oh, and you can pre-order Maximal Reserve on Amazon now.

Wayback is a fun novel that I enjoyed from beginning to end. I love the way it reads--like a Michael Crichton thriller, both educating the reader and challenging him to think outside the box. In fact, I would say it has a more wide-open worldview than most Crichton novels, since it allows for both the secular approach and that of a reasoned faith.
Nazi experiments? Time travel to the time of Noah? Why not! Wayback has a cool premise, and the story itself is executed nearly flawlessly--again reminiscent of Crichton at his best. I was so tickled with the idea as I read, I kept wondering why I hadn't thought of it! Big kudos to Sam for bringing it all together.
Really, I can find little to criticize here. The only thing I wonder about is whether the secondary time travel plot--while thoroughly entertaining and well written--was even necessary for this story. There were so many fun elements in the main story; the secondary plot could've almost been saved for a second novel. (Which I'm sure I would've enjoyed too.)
Wayback is an awesome first effort by Mr. Batterman. I'm excited to see what he has in store for us next.