THE TWELVE MAN BILBO CHOIR

AUTHOR: PETER STAADECKER

• Shortlisted for the 2018 Rakuten Kobo Emerging Writer Prize
  
  
  For Kindle from amazon.com ,
  and from your regional Amazon website ( amazon.ca , amazon.co.uk , amazon.com.au , etc. etc. )
  Free Kindle reading apps are available for almost every phone, tablet, iPad, PC and Mac.
  
  In paperback from amazon.com ,
  and from selected regional Amazon websites including  amazon.ca ,   amazon.co.uk , etc.
  and by request at your local book store
  
  For Kobo for Kobo, Nook and other ePub ereaders from Kobo (USA), Kobo (Canada), Kobo (UK) and other Kobo country sites.
  
  
• A mystery, a scam, a prison escape, a love story, a philosophical debate ...
  
  Meet Pango Brown, loving husband, father of two, and as decent a person as you could wish to meet. He's also a convict, sentenced for manslaughter. He freely admits his guilt and remorse. The mystery is "what did he do?" Pango won't talk about it.
  
  Inmates and prison staff in Pango's story include Zabriski, the guard who spits in the inmates' soup; Jeb, a thug with a hair-trigger temper; Low Dog, who starts a race riot in a prison remedial high school class; Hiero, the innocent, convicted as a terrorist; Mrs. Haverman, who runs the prison library; her daughter, Julia; and Cory, convict master forger and confidence trickster. It's Cory who manipulates both guards, inmates and the warden into forming a twelve man prison choir - for reasons that have nothing to do with music. When Pango is released, he hitch-hikes out of the Deep South, bound for home in Maine. The Good Samaritan who gives Pango a ride uncovers layer after layer to Pango's story: justice, injustice, prison, escape, love. Most of all he is gripped by the growing mystery: what is it that Pango did?
  
  Inspired by actual events that made legal history.
  
  
  
• What The Readers Write:
  
  ... Staadecker is a modern day Steinbeck ...
  
  ... the characters climbed into my head and invaded my every waking moment ...
  
  ... what a wild ride ... at times darkly humorous, at times bleakly tragic ...
  
  ... a book on many, many levels; behind the most evident level of mystery, prison escapes and love story I think Staadecker is very subtly debating two contrasting philosophies ... the philosophy of the classic Greek tragedian vs. the much older philosophy of Jainism ...
  
  ... great choral music. Would love to see and HEAR this as a movie or play ...
  
  .... read this in a single sitting. What a wonderful, wonderful read. I went to bed at 2am sobbing ...
  
  ....enjoyed this book immensely. It could have been a follow up of Shawshank Redemption... There are many clues to how this gentle man ended up in this place, yet the resolution is still a shock. You will have trouble putting the book down ...
  
  ... beautiful writing. I just had to keep on reading to discover more of Pango's story ...
  
  ... a great read! Funny, sad, lovely ....
  
  ... I LOVED it. It was one of the books that I don't want to end so I read it slowly (even though you could read in one sitting). I wanted to soak in the words and have them roll around in my head so I could squeeze every bit out of the story...
  
  ... It's funny, clever, touching, unpredictable ... getting copies for all of my book club ...
  
  ... I loved this book ...
  
  ... I literally did not put the book down until I had finished the last page, and was both saddened and delighted to have got to the end. A wonderful piece of storytelling! It is a book I'll not forget. I haven't been able to look at people in quite the same way since - I'm always wondering what their story might be ...
  
  ... wonderful story teller. The language is sparing, but so direct and engaging. ... a gem in detail, probability, humour and character ... What a joy!
  
  
• Tags: mystery, prison, escape, love story, based on historical fact, justice, legal history, precedent setting, humour, humor, tragedy, injustice, EJI, Equal Justice Initiative, The National Registry of Exonerations, seafaring, sailor

 

NAARLEN

AUTHOR: PETER STAADECKER

• New! Now available.
  
  For Kindle from your regional Amazon site. E.g. Naarlen on Amazon.com, Naarlen on Amazon.ca, etc.
  Free Kindle reading apps are available for almost every phone, tablet, iPad, PC and Mac.
  
  In paperback from your regional Amazon site. E.g. Naarlen on Amazon.com, Naarlen on Amazon.ca, etc.;
  or by order from your local book store
  
  In epub format for Kobo and Nook etc. devices from your regional Kobo store.
  E.g. Naarlen on Kobo US, Naarlen on Kobo Canada, etc.
• "During the long Arctic winters, Naarlanders sink deep into a relentless gloom. Then comes summer with its 24-hour daylight. Summer flip-flops Naarlanders between manic optimisim and random outbursts of sleep-deprived rage." So begins Per Pederson's laugh-out-loud account of Arctic chaos. Per thinks he's the only sane Naarlander, but every time he helps his fellow citizens, he leaves a trail of rubble, ruined lives, and destroyed romances. He's a well-intentioned human wrecking ball. Plus he's easily tempted. He loves his wife, but there's her friend Anne. And there's the lovely Olga, although Olga wants to kill Per. In fact, while half Naarlan thinks Per is a hero, the other half want him dead. And who's on which side keeps changing. It's all rather complicated ...
  
  
  
• What The Readers Write:
  
  ...So clever and funny. I love the story ... The writing is totally superior. A delight  ... really lovely and makes me snort and laugh out loud — which not many writers can do, but Staadecker does ...
  
  ...I laughed aloud, all the way through ...
  
  ...How does Staadecker come up with these things? I loved his Bilbo Choir, this is as good, but TOTALLY different ...
  
  ...Per Pederson is a human wrecking ball. But I love him ...
  
  ...The reader watches [Per Pederson] step unwittingly into all kinds of disasters and remain blissfully unaware of the chaos he has caused. I want to shout out to him and [warn him] ... like in the pantomime shows where the kids shout out "He's behind you!" and the character can't get it ...
  
  ...I can't figure out Per Pederson. He's mesmerizing, but complex. And what it is it with him and the Swedes? Can't they just get along? But then again, where would be the fun in that? ...
  
  ...When I read "All characters in this book, with the exception of Elvis Presley, Salman Rushdie, Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention, are fictitious" I knew this would be my kind of book. Twisted. Rude. Funny. I was right ...
  
  
• Tags: Arctic, Nunavut, Baffin Island, Ellesmere Island, Beaufort Sea, Svalbaard, Spitzbergen, North Pole, Canada, Yukon, North West Territories, James Bay, Hudson Bay, Alaska, Naarlen, Iqaluit, Kirkland Lake, Ottawa, winter, summer, ice, snow, frozen, ice bergs, sea ice, ice-free harbours, mining towns, frontier towns, northern settlements, Arctic Circle, arctic nights, midnight sun, husbands, wives, flirting, lust, frustrated lust, mistresses, boyfriends, girlfriends, courtship, heroes, villains, melting pot, cultural mosaic, fugitives, dreamers, no-hopers, isolation, isolation pay, northerners, Inuit, Greenlanders, Faroese, Alsaskans, Canadians, Swedes, Norwegians, Danish, Finns, Scandinavians, Canucks, polar bears, ornithology, Arctic birds, ptarmigans, snow geese, seals, salmon, laugh-out-loud, laughter, humor, humour, comedic, coastguard, Canadian Coast Guard,  arctic char.
  
  

THE ILLYRIAN VOYAGES, BOOK 1:

DROPPING INTO DARKNESS

AUTHOR: PETER STAADECKER

• 
  For Kindle from amazon.com ,
  and from your regional Amazon website ( amazon.ca , amazon.co.uk , amazon.com.au , etc. etc. )
  Free Kindle reading apps are available for almost every phone, tablet, iPad, PC and Mac.
  
  In paperback from amazon.com ,
  and from selected regional Amazon websites including  amazon.ca , amazon.co.uk , etc.
  and by order from your local book store.
  
  
• Adventure, humour, sci-fi, epic fantasy, the ecology of a future world ... a marvelous read for all ages 13 to 113
  
  After three eco-catastrophes, the world has reverted to a feudal, agricultural society. Led by a sadistic Duke and some very strange cults ... The Monks of St. Bacchan brew a wine with famously unpredictable effects. The Monks of St. Ephebius enlighten the world to the opposing powers of dark and light. By smacking randomly chosen strangers and then giving them rich gifts. The Monks of Han-Bu want to destroy the world. The Tectonic Monks want to save it. Don't even ask about the Great Green Lettuce Gods.
  
  Nyx thinks she's escaped the Duke's vengeance. She's wrong. Sal thinks he's escaped an assassination attempt. But now he's on a journey that will probably kill him anyway, accompanying a physician with a violent past.
  
  To quote Svalbaard, the monk, "It's all fun and games until some poor soul loses an ‘I’".
  
  
  
  
  
• What The Readers Write:
  
  ... fantastic ...
  
  ... I love all the various elements that Staadecker weaves together, ecology, adventure, humour, ingenious inventions, science fiction and characters who are so likeable ...
  
  ... I'm blown away...
  
  ... a fabulous book ...
  
  ... Staadecker is a marvel ...
  
  ... your story gave me the same pleasure that I experienced as a young child reading an utterly absorbing story. So thank you for that wonderful nostalgia ...
  
  ... I didn't want it to end ...
  
  ... reminiscent of Neil Gaiman's storytelling ...
  
  ... a book I will read many times and get more details and insight with each read ...
  
  ...I LOVED this book! ... incredibly difficult to put down ...
  
  ... I want more ...
  
  ... a mix of adventure, humour and sci-fi that's rich in baroque asides on history, sociology, natural history, medicine and ecology ... a great read for both teens AND adults ...
  
  
• Tags: adventure, comedey, future, cults, religions, gods, escape, assassination, assassins, resistance, underground, rebellion, eco-catastrophe, science, ecology, lynx, caracal, wine, moths, science fiction, sci-fi, mutations, mutants, mutate, oracles, dragons, volcanos, volcanic winters, feudalism, agricultural societies, chaos, chaos theory, fractals, theories of disease, archery, draft horses, outrageous puns, puns, romance, boy meets girl, horses, riders, monks, monasteries
  
  

THE ILLYRIAN VOYAGES, BOOK 2:

A GLIMMER OF LIGHT

AUTHOR: PETER STAADECKER

• Nominated for the Prestigious Trillium Award!
  
  For Kindle from amazon.com ,
  and from your regional Amazon website ( amazon.ca , amazon.co.uk , amazon.com.au , etc. etc. )
  Free Kindle reading apps are available for almost every phone, tablet, iPad, PC and Mac.
  
  In paperback from amazon.com
  and from selected regional Amazon websites including  amazon.ca , amazon.co.uk , etc.
  and by order from your local book store.
• After two attempts to assassinate him, the boy, Sal, has found refuge in the Illyrian Monastery. But just when he's making a new life there, why does the Oracle at Om tell him to go to Shad? Shad is a long, hard voyage. Shad is high mountains, perilous jungles, on odd priesthood and a strange tiger cult. Shad is so off the beaten track it's almost a myth. No-one from Illyria goes to Shad.
  
  And then there's Tamblyn. Is he a minstrel or an assassin? Why is he stalking Sal? And why is Tamblyn about to sink the ship he's on in mid ocean? If that wasn't puzzle enough, there's Tamblyn's assistant, Dimitrios. Nobody knows much about his past. Dimitrios doesn't answer questions. Tamblyn is beginning to suspect Dimitrios is more than he seems...
  
  Finally, here is the sequel to "Dropping into Darkness" that fans have been waiting for. An epic fantasy ideal for fans of Terry Pratchett, Neil Gaiman or JK Rowling
  
  
  
  
  
• What The Readers Write:
  
  "... Staadecker has created a wonderful geography ... and peopled his magic world with great characters and wild adventure... "
  
  "... a delight ..."
  
  "... I made an audible 'AAAAAAHHH' as I read the part where you we're doing a sequel! (my wife immediately came downstairs as she thought something was wrong ) I was not expecting a sequel, and so soon! So I am very elated at this news. It was a great read, truly ..."
  
  "... the writing is assured and fluent ..."
  
  "... what a mix, fantasy, hard science, adventure, larger than life characters, and even a budding romance ..."
  
  "... a compelling read with Staadecker's characteristic and wonderful blend of adventure, ecology, religion, philosophy, love story, pirates and outsmarting of baddies. Lovely to connect with Sal and Bach again, and I like Tamblyn as the main narrator ... a shrewd and likeable character ..."
  
  "... another really lovely adventure which I need to re-read in a more leisurely way ..."
  
  "... I am in awe ..."
  
  
• Tags: adventure, comedey, future, cults, religions, gods, assassination, assassins, resistance, underground, rebellion, eco-catastrophe, science, ecology, poisons, toxins, science fiction, sci-fi, mutations, mutants, mutate, oracles, volcanos, volcanic winters, feudalism, agricultural societies, draft horses, outrageous puns, puns, monks, monasteries, tigers, pirates, piracy, minstrels, blockades, diplomacy, hacking, recruitment, military recruitment, philosophy, philosophers, economists, economics, myths, romance, boy meets girl, sculptures, sculpting, sculptors