BY LOU COLUMBUS; PHOTOS BY LOU1492

Do you love to read?

If you do, then you probably also love bookstores. As an avid reader, I love bookstores.We still have a few in the area and I try to support them by shopping there for books or magazines. It feels extra good to support the people in our community and it gives me the opportunity to meet the shop owners and other like-minded readers.

Now, let’s take that a step further.Panama City, Florida is home to many artists and creative individuals –several local authors are selling their books worldwide. Romance, science fiction, fantasy, thriller, mystery, horror; well, you name it and you can find a local author who writes in that genre. I’m fortunate to be friends with two of the most talented writers in our local community.

Authors

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Tony Simmons

Tony Simmons began writing as soon as his childhood motor skills had developed enough to allow him to hold a pen. In fact, he fell so deeply in love with writing that he pursued a career in journalism.His name may ring familiar to you because he is currently a writer and editor for The Panama City News Herald.

If you read the local newspaper, you should already know that he is a gifted writer.But Tony has also written several novels and collections of short stories. While he doesn’t limit himself to one specific genre, much of his work is influenced by his love of science fiction, fantasy and horror.His latest novel falls into the horror realm.

THIS MORTAL FLESH deals with the currently trendy subject of zombies and the post-apocalyptic world, but it puts a fresh spin on the subject, one I’ve yet to come across. The premise of the novel asks, what if some zombies regained the ability to think and reason, while still maintaining their hunger for human (mortal) flesh?

Much of the action centers on Dan, a zombie who has recently gained his consciousness back and “woke up” and, in a parallel plot, on Jane, a young member of a band of human survivors.Chapters go back and forth as we watch both Dan and Jane fight to survive in a sad new world where zombies walk the earth.

As Dan learns to compete with other walking dead by actively hunting for living human beings, his thought process returns and he devises a plan to capture humans and feed himself.

Jane and her fellow survivors’ plights are compelling and emotional.The tension builds steadily as the story unfolds and you wait for the worlds of Dan and Jane to collide. The conclusion is action-packed and violent and, while things are tied up nicely, it does leave room for a possible sequel.

I will warn you that this is not a book for the squeamish.While there is not really any explicit gore, some of the scenes involving Dan’s experiments with keeping food fresh are a bit disturbing. It feels funny having to write a disclaimer like that because Tony is one of the nicest, kindest, most considerate people I know, and he’s a loving family man.It’s just that when he writes, he allows his imagination free reign, and that is the mark of a great fiction author.

Even if THIS MORTAL FLESH doesn’t sound like the kind of book you’d enjoy, I encourage you to check out some of Tony’s other books. He’s written a humorous bit of small town Florida fiction called WELCOME TO THE DAWNING OF A NEW CENTURY; a supernatural, fantastical meditation on faith and forgiveness called THE BOOK OF GABRIEL: AN ENDTIMES FABLE; and even a young adult novel named DRAGON RISING (THE SHADOW WAR BOOK 1). He’s also published several collections of short stories and a compilation of his award-winning newspaper articles.

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You can learn more and purchase his books by visiting his website at TonySimmons.info. [/box]

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Michael Lister

Michael Lister published his first novel in 1997. It was the first in a series to feature ex-cop turned prison chaplain, John Jordan.The title of the first book was POWER IN THE BLOOD and it launched Michael in a writing career that would encompass many more John Jordan mystery novels, as well as several other genres including non-fiction.

Michael’s latest release is INNOCENT BLOOD, the seventh book in the award-winning John Jordan mystery series. It is the latest in the series but the first volume to focus on John’s young life and is subtitled “The Atlanta Years.”

Many of John Jordan’s adventures are based on Michael Lister’s real-life experiences.Michael was a prison chaplain in Atlanta for a short time and it is going down memory lane when he describes John Jordan’s experiences.

Some of the book’s action also takes place in John Jordan’s fictional hometown of Pottersville, Florida, which is based on Michael’s hometown, Wewahitchka, Florida. Apart from the blurred line between fact and fiction, the latest installment in the John Jordan series, INNOCENT BLOOD is especially intriguing for two more reasons.

The story takes place during and centers around the Atlanta Child Murders and the chance meeting between the convicted killer and a 12 year-old John Jordan.John, through his obsession with the killings, decides to enter the ministry and combine his desire to solve crimes and provide spiritual guidance.Lister does a masterful job interweaving real life facts from the case into a compelling narrative. As I was reading, I would stop at times feeling the need to search the internet for video and dig deeper into certain events mentioned.Not only did I learn more about the investigation leading to the arrest and conviction of Wayne Williams, I also discovered just how thoroughly Michael did his research.This really added another dimension to the plot and further immersed me in the reading.

The second thing that makes INNOCENT BLOOD extra special is a surprise cameo by one of the most popular characters in contemporary crime fiction.I won’t come right out and tell you who, but I will give you a hint. The introduction to the novel is written by the No.1.New York Times bestselling author, Michael Connelly, who is a fan and supporter of Lister’s work, a fact that speaks volumes about the quality of the writing.

Since this is essentially an untold story from the very beginning of John Jordan’s career, it provides new readers a perfect jumping on point. I have no doubt that after you finish you’ll want to spend much more time getting to know John Jordan.

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You can learn more about John Jordan and his creator at MichaelLister.com. [/box]

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