New York Night by Stephen Leather!

 

New York Night: The 7th Jack Nightingale Supernatural Thriller
Stephen Leather
Author Website/Blog Link www.stephenleather.com

Blurb/Synopsis of Book 
Teenagers are being possessed and turning into sadistic murderers. Priests can’t help, nor can psychiatrists. So who is behind the demonic possessions? Jack Nightingale is called in to investigate, and finds his own soul is on the line. New York Night is the seventh novel in the Jack Nightingale supernatural detective series. 
Jack Nightingale has his own website at www.jacknightingale.com
 
Review Quotes Praise for Stephen Leather's Jack Nightingale series:

'Another great thriller from Stephen Leather but this time with a devilish twist!' James Herbert

'Written with panache, and a fine ear for dialogue, Leather manages the collision between the real and the occult with exceptional skill' Daily Mail

‘A stunning masterclass in darkness from a ferocious talent who excels in putting the devil in the details’ Daily Record
 
Amazon Link www.amazon.com/New-York-Night-Nightingale-Supernatural/dp/095662037X/
Apple Link itunes.apple.com/gb/book/new-york-night-7th-jack-nightingale/id1057762247
Barnes & Noble Link www.barnesandnoble.com/w/new-york-night-stephen-leather/1122933866
Kobo Link store.kobobooks.com/ebook/new-york-night-the-7th-jack-nightingale-novel

My Review

Well, first, this is the 7th novel of the series, but I haven't read the others. Any of them. But no worries. I know that there are things I should know from reading the other books, but I also didn't feel like I couldn't get anything without them. It was well introduced in a way to make you feel like you weren't missing too much, and I like when an author can do this. Now, Jack is a working for Joshua Wainwright- a billionaire, who is a magical adept. He pays Jack to help his sort out some of the nasties that go bump in the night. Josh is an intriguing character and I'm not sure if he's a good guy, a bad guy, or what, but I can tell he's important by how Jack works for him and talks to him. So Josh sends Jack to New York, from the UK, to find out what's happening to a bunch of murdered people. There's a symbol that's demonic carved up in each victim. Josh also sends him to meet Cheryl, who like Jack, was a cop and is now a PI. But while he gets Cheryl to help him, he also has to keep her in the dark about all the things that are supernatural that she doesn't know about. 

This plot line was really cool. It was fast paced, full of magic and chaos, and a lot of mystery that kept the suspense in play. I loved that I didn't know what to predict about what was happening and who was behind it all. And it's definitely got the thriller part down with all the deaths and creepy demonic things. And I like that Jack is funny and weirdly superstitious. I mean, he's surrounded by magic, so superstitions shouldn't be so... common LOL. 

I like the author's style of writing as well. It kept me on my toes, and had me turning the pages. I think I need to go backwards and read some of the previous books in the series to see some of the past happening, but overall, I really liked this one. I think it was pretty fun to read and see how it all turned out. If you like supernatural mysteries, good suspense, and thriller type plots, I definitely recommend this one. My one complaint, there are just some things UK people say and do that Americans don't, and that made me cross my eyes but giggle. I expected it from Jack, but not the natives. But nothing terrible so don't let my little nonsense discourage you. :) 5 PAWS

 

Author Interview

1. First, tell me a little about your book and why you wanted to write this particular story….

New York Night is the seventh book in a series about Jack Nightingale, supernatural detective. Teenagers are being possessed and turning into sadistic murderers. Priests can’t help, nor can psychiatrists. So who is behind the demonic possessions? Jack Nightingale is called in to investigate, and finds his own soul is on the line. The first five Nightingale books were set in the United Kingdom but last year I moved him to the United States and I’m having fun moving him from city to city.

2. Do you recall how your interest in writing originated or did you always just know?

My uncle was a writer, mainly for classic TV shows in the 1960s such as The Avengers, Department S, Jason King, and The Champions. I think seeing him work first attracted me to writing as a career. For ten years after leaving university I was a journalist working for newspapers such as The Times, The Daily Mail and The Daily Mirror. I loved being a journalist but I always wanted to write fiction.

3. What inspired you to write your first book and what was it?

I wrote my first book while I was a journalist on The Daily Mirror in London. I had worked in Scotland for four years on the Glasgow Herald and my first book Pay Off reflects that. It has a Scottish hero and takes place mainly in Scotland. I was a financial journalist and the book does have a financial plot. Collins – Now Harper Collins – bought it for a very small amount of money, but my career as a writer was up and running.

4. Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?

Most of my regular thrillers are based on things I have either seen myself or have been told by my contacts in the police and intelligence agencies. Those books are very much based in the real world, but the Jack Nightingale books are a little different. As they involve devil worship and the supernatural they tend to be more a result of my imagination. That’s my story and I’m stocking to it!

5. Out of all the characters in your book, who is your favorite to write? There’s always a fan favorite to read about but sometimes it’s the side characters that are the most fun 

In the Jack Nightingale books it’s Jack himself. I love his sardonic sense of humour and his resilience. In my Spider Shepherd books, it’s Spider’s sidekick Jimmy ‘Razor’ Sharpe who is very un-PC in his opinions, though his heart is in the right place.

6. How did you come up with the lead character(s)?

Generally I take the physical appearance of one person, the speech patterns of another and the opinions of a third. By mixing them together you get a new character. Jack Nightingale has the look of a young Mickey Rourke in my mind, talks like a cop friend of mine and his sardonic view of the world is similar to a guy I was at school with.

7. Is your book part of a series, and if so, how many will there be?

New York Night is the seventh book in the Jack Nightingale series and there will be more! The next one should be Miami Night.

8. What are you working on now?

A book called Dark Forces, the thirteenth book in the Dan ‘Spider’ Shepherd series. Shepherd works for MI5, though in previous books he worked for the police and the SAS. It’s about an Islamic State terrorist outrage in London.

9. How do you chose when/which characters die in your books?

I try not to kill off characters, unless they are villains in which case they were created to die! Fifteen years ago I made the mistake of killing off a major character who had appeared in three of my books and I always regretted it.

10. Who do you look up to as a writer?

I am a huge fan of Jack Higgins, John Le Carre and Gerald Seymour, and in the world of self-publishing I am in awe of Joe Konrath,

11. If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your book?

I would check more carefully for typos and mistakes!

12. Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

I tend to be a bit slapdash and spend a lot of time looking for typos and stupid mistakes! I catch a lot, and so does my editor, but some always seem to slip through.

13. Who designed the cover? And do you help with them?

The wonderful Debbie at www.thecovercollection.com She has done many covers for me and is a joy to work with. We throw ideas back and forth and then she comes up with a great cover.

14. Did you learn anything from writing your books and what was it?

I spent a lot of time looking at a map of New York, I have visited the city many times but I needed reminding of where everything is.

15. If you could be one of your characters, who would you chose?

I love Proserpine, a demon from hell, and I would love to be her, just to have the power that she has. Plus I like her sense of humour. She often says things that make me laugh out loud!

16. Are there any books you think some of us should read, just because?

I don’t believe in telling anyone what to read, but my favourite book of all time is One Day In the Life Of Ivan Denisovich by Alexander Solzhenitsyn. I’ve read it many times and it always inspires me.

17. We all love Supernatural, so which Winchester brother is for you?

Dean. I’m an older brother too.

18. Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?

Thank you for reading my books, and for being so supportive. Without readers, writing is a pointless occupation.

19. This or that...

1. Coffee addict?  Oh yes – ten cups a day, easily. When I’m finishing a book I drink a mug of coffee every half hour.

2. What’s your favorite alcoholic beverage  Gin and tonic during the day, whisky and soda at night. Champagne when I finish a book!

3. Favorite Food? Full English breakfast – egg, bacon, sausage, mushrooms, black pudding and beans.

4. If you had to chose Coffee or Chocolate? –don’t laugh, I don’t like chocolate so it’s quite easy for me, but a LOT of people NEED both LOL Yes, both. But if you put a gun to my head, it would have to be coffee because I am addicted to caffeine!

E. Beach or mountains? Mountains.

5. Winter or summer? Summer.

6. vampires or werewolves? Vampires.

7. Cold or hot? Cold.

8. Favorite color? Blue.

9. Night or day? Night. Always night.

10. Moonlight or sunlight? Moonlight.

L. Bad boy or good guy next door? I try to be the latter but somehow I always fall short and end up the former.

About the Author



Stephen Leather was a journalist for more than ten years on newspapers such as The Times, the Daily Mail and the South China Morning Post in Hong Kong. His bestsellers have been translated into more than ten languages. He has also written for television shows such as London's Burning, The Knock and the BBC's Murder in Mind series. For much of 2011 his self-published eBooks - including The Bestseller, The Basement, Once Bitten and Dreamer's Cat - dominated the UK eBook bestseller lists and sold more than half a million copies. The Basement topped the Kindle charts in the UK and the US, and in total he has sold more than two million eBooks. 

The Children of Darkness Seekers Series by David Litwack!

The Children of Darkness

  (The Seekers #1)

by David Litwack 

Kindle Edition, 314 pages

Published June 22nd 2015 by Evolved Publishing

ASIN - B00ZL8TSY0

 

Get a copy:

• Amazon
• Stores ▾

 

"But what are we without dreams?"

A thousand years ago the Darkness came-a terrible time of violence, fear, and social collapse when technology ran rampant. But the vicars of the Temple of Light brought peace, ushering in an era of blessed simplicity. For ten centuries they have kept the madness at bay with "temple magic," and by eliminating forever the rush of progress that nearly caused the destruction of everything. ~ Childhood friends, Orah and Nathaniel, have always lived in the tiny village of Little Pond, longing for more from life but unwilling to challenge the rigid status quo. When their friend Thomas returns from the Temple after his "teaching"-the secret coming-of-age ritual that binds young men and women eternally to the Light-they barely recognize the broken and brooding young man the boy has become. Then when Orah is summoned as well, Nathaniel follows in a foolhardy attempt to save her. ~ In the prisons of Temple City, they discover a terrible secret that launches the three on a journey to find the forbidden keep, placing their lives in jeopardy, for a truth from the past awaits that threatens the foundation of the Temple. If they reveal that truth, they might once again release the potential of their people. ~ Yet they would also incur the Temple's wrath as it is written: "If there comes among you a prophet saying, 'Let us return to the darkness,' you shall stone him, because he has sought to thrust you away from the Light." 

 

 

Review

 

This is a really interesting take on a dystopian world from the younger group. Of course we get the adults or older teenagers, but we never think about the younger teenagers. I wished the beginning would have grabbed me a little quicker, but the book overall was really good. But I really liked the world building- ALOT! And I liked the adventures the characters went on. And I also liked the character growth, because they did grow and change. But with a fantasy type novel- even dystopian, I think I was expecting more action- something needed to blow up, have a natural disaster, have someone chase them for their lives. LOL This is more the epic adventure with a dystopian back ground coming of age. LOL I liked it, but I think it hurt that my expectations were way different than what I thought. I kept hoping a sword would fly around or a fire ball. I know, I like all the action stuff so please do NOT hold that against the author- I just happen to have favorites LOL Also, I wanted the characters to act their age- umm, 14 year olds do not speak that well without slang- I should know, I am around them all the time! And I need to remember that this is a different time and different place and I can't base all teenagers on us southern folks LOL. But I loved Nathanial, Orah, Thomas, and how awesome and real the author made them. And I felt a relationship with them. And it's also a coming of age and finding yourself story which is always good. So, with that, I'd like to see more action, or at least some more climax from each build up scene, and some more less formal dialogue. I want to feel like I could really hear the characters say that. And I would like to know what happened after the end because there's some pretty big openings to continue on, without being a major cliff hanger or anything, so I'll be picking up book two. :) 4 PAWS!

 

 Author Interview

1. First, tell me a little about your book and why you wanted to write this particular story….

The seed of an idea is a curious thing. I went for a walk along one of my favorite places on Cape Cod. On one side was Vineyard Sound, with Martha’s Vineyard rising from the fog, and on the other a series of inlets of increasing size. The first is called Little Pond and the next Great Pond. For some reason, I imagined young people growing up in Little Pond and envying those of Great Pond, wanting to find more from life than they had in their small village. From there, the story expanded. What if their limitation was not their small village, but a repressive authority that limited their potential to think and grow?

At the same time as I was developing this plot, the real world was changing. Increasingly, I saw on the news stories of oppression and rigid limits placed on freedom of thought: modifying school curriculum to restrict the sciences; rewriting history; destroying evidence from the past; restrictions on dress and diet; banning music and the arts; and severe punishments like stoning for daring to think differently.

Over time (several years), all these thoughts evolved in the Seekers dystopian trilogy.

2. Do you recall how your interest in writing originated or did you always just know?

The urge to write first struck me at age sixteen when working on a newsletter at a youth encampment in the woods of northern Maine. It may have been the wild night when lightning flashed at sunset followed by the northern lights rippling after dark. Or maybe it was the newsletter's editor, a girl with eyes the color of the ocean. The next day, I had a column published under my byline, and I was hooked.

3. Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?

Of course, everything I write has some basis in my own life. But fiction is less about recording reality than stitching together bits and pieces of things you’ve experienced and combining them with your craft to make a story—one that will hopefully let the reader add their own life experiences to it and be moved in some way. I’m not one to think a writer must only write about what they know (how else do you get alternate worlds?). But you have to write about things you’ve felt.

 

 

4. Out of all the characters in your book, who is your favorite to write? There’s always a fan favorite to read about but sometimes it’s the side characters that are the most fun 

I used to say that my favorite was Kailani from The Daughter of the Sea and the Sky. She’s so mysterious, but at the same time wise, naïve and vulnerable. Now that I’m nearly done with the Seekers series, I think I’d say Orah. She smart and passionate in her beliefs, and a natural leader, yet she always doubts herself and questions her decisions—a trait that would be a good thing in some of our real world leaders.

5. Is your book part of a series, and if so, how many will there be?

The Children of Darkness is Book one of the Seekers dystopian trilogy. The second book, The Stuff of Stars, has just published.

6. What are you working on now?

I’m working on the finale of the Seekers series, to be titled The Light of Reason. If all goes as planned, it will come out in November 2016.

7. Who do you look up to as a writer?

There are so many I love that have influenced my writing. I have always read cross genre. When I became an avid reader in my teens, I devoured fantasy and science fiction, but also literary fiction. I loved the works of Arthur C. Clarke, Isaac Asimov, and of course, Tolkien, but also of Hemingway and Steinbeck.

8. Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

Writing a novel may be one of the hardest things you can do, so it’s all challenging. But nothing is harder than writing the first draft. I don’t yet know the characters that well and, while I have a general sense of where the story is heading, I can take a wrong turn at any point and have to redo months of work. When I hit that point where I’m terrified the story has gone off the rails, I take a break for a few days. Almost always, it’s not as bad as I feared, and I can fix the problem with a modest bit of work.

Once I’m beyond the first draft, the rest becomes just hard work. I do lots of revisions, but I find it easier to fix the story than to write it from scratch.

There’s a reason why Hemingway once said: “Write drunk, edit sober!”

9. Who designed the covers? And do you help with them?

I’m fortunate to work with a wonderful artist, Mallory Rock (http://www.malloryrock.com/index.html ). We collaborate on the design but she is way better than I am at visualization. I tell her what I’d like to see, and she does a rough draft. Sometimes, when I see it, I realize my original idea was off base and we try again. It usually takes several iterations to get it right. You can see the quality of her work.

10. Did you learn anything from writing your books and what was it?

Learning to be a good writer is a lifelong task, and perfection is a high bar. Stay humble and keep trying to improve.

11. Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?

To each and every reader, we’re partners in the story. I use my craft, and you use your imagination to flesh out your own unique version of the story. If I’ve caused you to re-experience some of the most intense moments of your life, then I’ve succeeded as an author.

To quote Maya Angelou: “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

1. Coffee addict? No. I can’t even stand the smell. I get my caffeine from diet Pepsi and 5-hour energy drinks.

2. What’s your favorite alcoholic beverage – a nice Rosé.

3. If you had to chose Coffee or Chocolate? –definitely chocolate (see answer to A)

4. Beach or mountains? Mountains. I like to hike, and I get sea sick.

5. Winter or summer? Same thing. I summer on Cape Cod and winter in Florida. It’s always summer.

F. Cold or hot? I used to ski, so I didn’t mind the cold. Now I’m a spoiled snow bird, so definitely hot.

 Ok, that’s enough! LOL thanks so much for coming visit me, and thanks so much, for doing this with us! I appreciate it and I look forward to the next time!

 

About the Author

 

The urge to write first struck at age sixteen when working on a newsletter at a youth encampment in the woods of northern Maine. It may have been the wild night when lightning flashed at sunset followed by the northern lights rippling after dark. Or maybe it was the newsletter’s editor, a girl with eyes the color of the ocean. But he was inspired to write about the blurry line between reality and the fantastic.

Using two fingers and lots of white-out, he religiously typed five pages a day  throughout college and well into his twenties. Then life intervened. He paused to raise two sons and pursue a career, in the process — and without prior plan — becoming a well-known entrepreneur in the software industry, founding several successful companies. When he found time again to daydream, the urge to write returned.

In this new stage of his life, he’s published Along the Watchtower in June, 2013 and The Daughter of the Sea and the Sky in May, 2014. The Children of Darkness, the first of the Seekers series, a dystopian trilogy, was published in June, 2015. It’s sequel, The Stuff of Stars, will be out in November, 2015.

David and his wife split their time between Cape Cod, Florida and anywhere else that catches their fancy. He no longer limits himself to five pages a day and is thankful every keystroke for the invention of the word processor.

Find out more at his website-  http://davidlitwack.com/wordpress1/