{Review} Sarah Quanli by Jackson Keene

Sarah Quanli by Jackson Keene
Published 26 October 2012
Genre: Historical Romance (Mature)
Source: eARC (from author in exchange for honest review)
Buy: Amazon

The beautiful yet deceitful Rossalyn McDonald had twisted the knife deep in David Adam MacDougall’s big heart. He was extraordinarily handsome: chiseled muscles, kindly soul, thoughtful personality, and totally faithful. Any other lass in his Scottish Highlands village would have cheated her own sister to become his bride.

Now David’s entire being felt broken into a thousand pieces. Now he only wanted to reach the faraway city of Beiping China where he was called to be a missionary. But before arriving in that mysterious mistress of the orient, he would face uncertain dangers.

The year is 1904. The bloody Boxer Rebellion is only four years past. Much of northern China still seethes with undercurrents of resentment and hatred of all things Western. If David can just make it to the ancient city with body and soul intact, if he can just survive, there he’ll find his new purpose, his new home, and his new people.

There, he’ll meet the woman he comes to believe is the love of his life. The lithe, athletic, saucy, highly intelligent and equally independent Xiu Li! (From Goodreads)

MY RATING: 3 out of 5 Stars

Sarah Quanli follows David's hastened journey to China as a missionary after a painful betrayal from his loved one. There were some dangerous situations which David were in. I'm happy to read that he overcame all of those situations and there's even something about basketball!

The story was enjoyable, even though I find it difficult to follow for the first part of the book due to the slang used by the characters. It got better after David left for China and things started picking up from there, which made me glad that I continued reading. Also, the book emphasizes heavily on religion so it will definitely appeal to readers who prefer a more religious read, combined with romance and some action.

Today, I have Jackson Keene, author of Sarah Quanli, with me on the blog.

Hi Jackson! Thank you for taking time to stop by for a little author interview!

How would you describe Sarah Quanli in a few sentences?
Sarah Quanli is a historical fiction that includes heavy doses of action and adventure, with light romance at the beginning and at the end.  Several subplots weave in and out of the story.  While the characters, dialogue and action are fiction, the major threads of the dangers of travel, the hardships of missionary work, and the spread of "Basket Ball" to China are based upon true-life facts.  In some ways, the story reads more like an autobiography than first person fiction.

What inspired you to write Sarah Quanli?
I’ve loved the sport of basketball since childhood. I greatly like Chinese people and China as a country. In fact, I have several Chinese friends with whom I play pick-up basketball games most every week. In addition, I’m an evangelical Christian. I love action and adventure, both in movies and in reading. I’m a very passionate (romantic) person. So it almost seems natural I would write an historical novel with romance and danger that combines all these things into a unified story.

What is your favorite part of writing Sarah Quanli?
The voyage and travel to China, with all its dangers and adventures.

How did you come up with the title for your book?
Since one parent is Chinese and the other Scottish, and the continuing book series will be about their daughter, I wanted a typical Scottish name for the daughter's first name (Sarah), and a very meaningful Chinese name for the middle name (Quanli).

Is there any particular author or book that influenced you in any way either growing up or as an adult?
In some ways, the continuing saga of Sarah Quanli has elements of both The Good Earth and East of Eden. It’s all about the lives and loves of several generations of a Chinese family, begun when a handsome Scottish missionary marries a beautiful Chinese girl. The newly published Book One covers the time period from the birth of David Adam MacDougall in 1882 to the birth of his first child, a daughter, named Sarah Quanli MacDougall in 1916. Books Two, Three, and Four—still to come—will take the reader through the brutality and turmoil of strife-torn twentieth century China, and later, concurrently, through the social upheaval of the 1960's and beyond in golden California.

Do you ever experience writer's block? How did you overcome it?
Yes, several times.  I had to sit back and think about the "big picture", where I ultimately wanted the story to go and to end up.  Doing that helped me get the juices flowing again and hopefully knit the various sections of the story together in a compelling way for the reader.

Is there anything that you would like to say to your readers and fans?
Having earned undergrad and grad degrees in history, plus having spent a year toward a doctorate in same, I’ve always had a healthy fascination with long ago events and individuals (whether common folk or famous personages), with major trends and traditions, and how such evolved through time. It’s interesting to dig deep into how people carried on—how they managed—during the great epochs of past; how they lived, loved, survived, overcome, left legacies and lineages to carry on their name and bloodline. How each generation is beholden to the last, but still tasked with creating its personal stamp for the next generation to come.

Thanks again for being with us today!

Author Interview: Mr. Jackson Keene - author of Nolichuck! TJ's Wild Frontier Adventure

I'd like to welcome Mr. Jackson Keene to my blog today!

Read on to find out more about Mr. Keene's book: Nolichuck! TJ's Wild Frontier Adventure. 

Summary from Amazon.com:

TJ s just an ordinary fourteen year old kid with extraordinary problems at home and school: A broken up family from his parents bitter divorce, evil bullies almost every afternoon, failing grades, boring classes, snobby girls, mean teachers, cut from basketball tryouts, few friends. Life is rough for TJ Cockrell.

And then that mysterious little green book had to go and throw him into the past. And not just any past, but into the untamed forbidding forests of 1802 eastern Tennessee along with the savage Indians, wild beasts, bloodthirsty robbers, backwoods ruffians, and log cabin living! Yup, it s definitely not 2011 Knoxville anymore.

And he thought his present life was bad news! But TJ s adventures are only beginning. Along the way, he fights off killer beasts and bandits and braves, gains a world of confidence in himself, finds his first real love, and meets a fantastic frontier family who really has it together. When he returns to the present, he s a brand new person ready to defeat deadly robbers in his own home, beat the bullies at school, win the girl, gain friends, and make great grades. He even gets his family back together again. Sort of. In the end, the little green book is really cool. And TJ can t wait to go on another action-packed adventure into the perilous past!

Click here to read my review.

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Thank you Mr. Keene for doing an interview with us! Can you tell us a little about yourself?
I was was born "sometime" before the turn of the century in a little town that nestles close to the mighty Mississippi and not so far away from Graceland, the final home of the King, Elvis.  Millington, Tennessee was, until 1993, home to Memphis Naval Air Station, at one time, among the busiest and biggest of U.S. naval stations in the whole world.

I attended seven different schools, and lived in five states (TN, RI, CA, FL and TX) before graduating from senior high school with honors.  I obtained undergraduate and graduate degrees in History and spent a year toward a Ph.D. in the same field before abandoning my original goal of being a publishing professor.

However, I never lost my love of history, detailed research, or good historical fiction.

Rebounding nicely, I completed a M.B.A. in Economics & Statistics at the University of Oklahoma (leading my class), and gamely entered the gritty but fast moving world of business.  For the first half of my career, I lived the real life of an advertising Mad Man including a stint as Director at iconic Ogilvy & Mather as well as SVP at two other marketing firms.  In the second half of my business career, I was in senior management with several software, telecom, and data service companies.

These days, I indulge in another of my loves, basketball – coaching and playing on my own Men’s Over 40 team, as well as volunteer coaching youth teams.  A fitness fanatic, I work out as much as I write, which is to say, every day.  I also attend a most wonderful church, Bent Tree Bible Fellowship.

Yes, deep inside, I've always had the desire to write.  My first novel, a mix of historical & contemporary YA fiction, was published September 2011 by Treble Heart Books.  The manuscript for my next novel, a combination of historical romance & family saga, has just been released to the publisher for scheduling.  More news to come!

And already, I am beginning work on the second book in my YA Adventure series.

I live in Plano Texas with my wife, Barbara, soon to be joined by a chocolate female dachshund puppy to be named Sprinkles.  I have two grown daughters.  Emily, the oldest, finished her Ph.D. in Mathematics in record time and was awarded the prestigious Humboldt Fellowship.  Newly married, she currently lives in Berlin with her wonderful husband, Jim.  Renata, the youngest, is a proud graduate of Sam Houston State, and is in junior management with a large automotive dealer services firm.  Both daughters are avid runners, actively competing in marathons, half-marathons, 10K’s, and 5K’s.  Renata is also a classically trained dancer and cheerleader, and in her not-so-spare time is co-captain of a busy dance squad for a semi-pro sports team.

When and why did you start writing?

I've had the "itch" to write for 20 years,and finally woke up one day and realized that I'd be an old man if I didn't start soon!  I wrote plays and short stories as a kid, and have had several ideas for novels over the years, but never jump-started my writing in a serious fashion until NOLICHUCK came along.

What inspired you to write Nolichuck?

NOLICHUCK was a combination of many things stewing around inside.  I was born and lived in Tennessee as a kid, and knew some of its history.  Like TJ, the main character of our story, I had to constantly fight off bullies in school.  I always loved history, but wanted to write about periods of history that are less written and less celebrated than the great events -- a look at common people living everyday lives, so to speak.  Davy Crockett was a childhood hero, and I wondered what it was like for him as a teenager.  Of course, I originally planned to be a history professor, so naturally one of my characters HAD to be that.  I was never the star athlete in high school, so I emphasize with TJ's disappointments in sports.  Above all, I wanted a story that would deal realistically with hard life issues that far too many young adults face today:  Bullying, divorced families, struggling with grades, not making the "team", not part of the most popular cliques, mean teachers, boredom, unhappiness, few close friends, lack of meaningful communication with either parent, etc.

What is the hardest part of writing Nolichuck?

For me, developing the characters and creating believable dialogue was the hardest part.  Coming up with an imaginative plot with subplots is fairly easy, but fleshing it out with people and interaction that captures the reader is what it's all about. 

What is your favorite place to write?

In our den with its fireplace, couch (where I can catnap now and then), and my personal office set up is where I can fully concentrate on thinking and writing.  Although, truth be told, some of my best ideas and plot revisions come to me just as I'm drifting off to sleep at night.  I keep a notepad and pen next to the bed to capture "brainstorms" when they come.

Can you share a little of your current work with us? 

The next book in the YA series is Reds!  TJ's Wacky War Adventure.  In addition, I have just submitted the manuscript for my second novel to the publisher. Here's a teaser.

SARAH QUANLI, NOVEL ONE, THE BEGINNING (Tentative Winter 2012)

Och aye!  The beautiful yet deceitful Rose McDonald had twisted the knife deep in David Adam MacDougall’s big heart.  He was extraordinarily handsome––with chiseled muscles, kindly soul, thoughtful personality, and totally faithful.  Any other lass in his Scottish Highlands village would have cheated her own sister to become his bride.

Now MacDougall’s heart was broken into a thousand pieces.  Now he only wanted to reach the faraway city of Beiping China where he was called to be a missionary.  But before arriving in that mysterious mistress of the orient, he would face uncertain dangers:  Four gorgeous, lusty ladies on board fighting fiercely for his affection, unrequited, during the arduous voyage . . . Bands of marauding pirates off the coast of Shanghai, four devils already on the tramp steamer vessel cleverly disguised as passengers, plus a dozen more primed to assault the Ayrshire from the ship’s side in the swirling darkness of the sea mist . . . And a midnight attack on his small traveling party by murderous bandits along the unprotected road between Tianjin and Beiping.

The year is 1904.  The bloody Boxer Rebellion is only four years past.  Much of northern China still seethes with undercurrents of resentment and hatred of all things Western.  If David can just make to the ancient city with body and soul intact, if he can just survive––there he’ll find his new purpose, his new home, his new people. 

And there, he’ll meet the love of his life, his true soul mate:  The lithe, athletic, saucy, highly intelligent and equally independent Xiu Li!

The planned four-book series of Sarah Quanli tells the heart-rending yet ultimately triumphant tale of the MacDougall family––from the passionate love story of David & Xiu Li, to daughter Sarah surviving the wars, turbulences, and upheavals of 20th century China unto old age, to David’s granddaughter and great-granddaughters determinedly building a new beginning for themselves under the sunny skies of faraway California.

It also tells the secondary story of David and Xiu’s love for the newly invented sport of basketball, how roundball first came to China, and how their offspring inherited their great drive for the game.  

What do you like to do when you are not writing?

Reading good books, weight-lifting or playing basketball, coaching youth basketball, working with my developer to get my author website and blog up and running, spending time with family and friends.

Who is/are your favorite author(s)? Why? 

Rowling, Tolkien, Lewis, McMurtry, Hemingway, Steinbeck, Larsson, and Patterson, are among my favorites, to name a few.  Each one has his / her own merits and unique appeal to me as a reader.  Rowling, Tolkien, and Lewis are masters at characters, plots, dialogue, and inventing whole new worlds.  McMurtry is a absolute genius when it comes to dialogue.  Hemingway and Steinbeck I like for their evocative style of writing.  Larsson is known for his crisp, taunt pacing and plot.  Patterson is a best-selling author in large part because of his staccato action and pacing that carries the reader inexorably from scene to scene, without a chance to catch one's breath.

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About the author: Jackson Keene
 Goodreads

Purchase the book:

{eBook Review} Nolichuck! TJ's Wild Frontier Adventure by Jackson Keene

Nolichuck! TJ's Wild Frontier Adventure by Jackson Keene
Paperback, 281 pages
Published 2011 by Whoodo Mysteries

Source: Review copy provided by author in exchange for honest review
Rating: 3/5 Stars

Buy: Amazon, Kindle

Summary from Amazon.com:

TJ s just an ordinary fourteen year old kid with extraordinary problems at home and school: A broken up family from his parents bitter divorce, evil bullies almost every afternoon, failing grades, boring classes, snobby girls, mean teachers, cut from basketball tryouts, few friends. Life is rough for TJ Cockrell.

And then that mysterious little green book had to go and throw him into the past. And not just any past, but into the untamed forbidding forests of 1802 eastern Tennessee along with the savage Indians, wild beasts, bloodthirsty robbers, backwoods ruffians, and log cabin living! Yup, it s definitely not 2011 Knoxville anymore.

And he thought his present life was bad news! But TJ s adventures are only beginning. Along the way, he fights off killer beasts and bandits and braves, gains a world of confidence in himself, finds his first real love, and meets a fantastic frontier family who really has it together. When he returns to the present, he s a brand new person ready to defeat deadly robbers in his own home, beat the bullies at school, win the girl, gain friends, and make great grades. He even gets his family back together again. Sort of. In the end, the little green book is really cool. And TJ can t wait to go on another action-packed adventure into the perilous past!

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My Opinion:
Nolichuck is an interesting read about a lonely boy, TJ, going through the aftermath of his parents' divorce. He is often a victim of bullying in school, obtains undesirable grades and obviously not a popular guy in school. His sole confidant, his younger sister Natalie, was the only person he felt close to and often discussed anything and everything with her. Things changed when TJ found a green book in his father's desk, which was usually locked. That was the start of the greatest adventure of his lifetime...

What I like about the book is that it touches on many topics--parents' divorce, relationships, poor grades and bully. These are mostly relevant (especially the last two topics) in today's context. What made this book special is that it also involves a time travelling! How cool is that? I really enjoyed books that involves a little time travelling and this book does not disappoint. The only thing that I have against Nolichuck is the pacing. It seemed a little slow after the time travel incident, but that's probably because the author wishes to get the readers to be accustomed to the world in the past. In addition, this book also touches a little on religion, which is prevalent in the Robertson family so it will really appeal to those who enjoy reading a little about religion. However, Nolichuck do have a little element of surprise in it nearer to the end of the book which gives the time travelling incident a little closure. I'd love to read more about TJ's mom though. Even though I believed she played a major role because of the divorce resulting in the turmoil within TJ, the book did not discuss much about her.

Overall, Nolichuck is an enjoyable and exciting read which I believe will interest most young people.

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First Paragraph:
As he passed by in the crowded hallway, the tall blond-headed teen spotted his prey. He suddenly sped up, leaned in to the left and slammed his shoulder roughly into the back of the unsuspecting student, bouncing the other boy’s forehead off the metal wall.

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About the author: Jackson Keene
 Goodreads

Click to read the interview with Mr Keene!