'A Red Sky in Morning'

Hello N A Randall
book ' A red sky in the morning'

I read some of this book some 671 days ago and was very impressed-
came in to read some more of the seventeen chapters and again it equally impressed-
surprised that it is not higher up in the rankings as it deserves to be-

tom bye
book - from hugs to kisses'

From the synopsis alone I would back this book. The writing is first class, the premise is topical and still very relevent even with that pair of clowns now back in the circus. The characters are well thought out and the setting is just right (small rural village influenced by and a part of much larger events). Excellent work, I shall look forward to reading some more.

Backed when I can, best of luck.

Jack

Looks interesting. Added 'A Red Sky in the Morning' to our watchlist.
CC Brown
Dark Side

NA Randall,

I am going to back you book, A RED SKY IN MORNING. Sounds provocative! Please take a look at either of my two novels, DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS or MY GENTLEMAN FRIEND. Your backing will be appreciated.
Good luck and happy writing.

Dwain-Thomas

I’ve read the opening paragraph of a dozen books on here this afternoon, and this is the first one that I felt inclined to carry on with. There’s an interesting feeling of tension here between ideals and realities, a straining between rural continuity and change. Davy Green made me think of the tooth and claw of Ted Hughes and I like the juxtaposition of Catherine the Great amongst the eggshells and aniseed. This has personality aplenty. At the end of the first chapter, I’d like to carry on.

I am guilty of the same tendency, but I did wonder whether you ought to rein in the adjectives in your descriptive passages. In certain paragraphs they are conspicuous in their number. That’s my only niggle.

Sorry to see of your falling red arrow. I have enjoying your story, which has exceptional dialogue and well-drawn character development. Some of your wordings are unfamiliar to me, but then, I'm a Yankee, so, at times we speak a different language. With my personal politics, it was easy for me to understand the mindset, anti-Bush as I've been for so long, and by connection, Blair as well. This is a great story.

Wonderful writing, measured, exact and compelling - it deserves to be published.

Backed.
Cheers,
Andrew

Well written and interesting. Good story line.

backed.

Steven Lloyd
THE AUDACITY OF HOPE AND CHANGE

There are cliches and now what I'm calling "amateur artifacts" in the opening passages. "on nigh," "wet our whistles"...I really think for the majority of readers, these little things aren't so significant vs. the overall fluidity and compellingness of a story, but in terms of publishing anything, they're fatal. You will not get past slush readers with "on nigh." They'll switch off.

Maybe it's a problem of vividly dramatizing good actors speaking dialogue. I don't visualize anything, when reading, much like jaded publishing hacks.

What a great opening. Davy reminded me a little of a Somerset uncle who was something of a character. The scene is convincing from beginning to end and there's little in that first chapter to fault--perhaps the ending felt a little rushed, suddely the table's strewn with egg shells--but definitely something worth reading more of.

Backed.

Sorry I couldn't return the read earlier in the day. I had a few pages open but my internet crapped out. Just getting to post my comments now.

there is a great market for this sort of thing, because the war effects everyone differently, there are millions of story opportunities. But you've touched on a lot of issues here--not just the war. And the themes that result from these present day issues really will transcend the ages. That is what is great about having a character focused story. I adored your characters from the onset.

xBeccaX
The Forever Girl

I must say i enjoyed reading the first chapter of this book. You seem to have an easy style here that flows well.
I would definitely reach this one down from the bookshelf, but am a bit busy doing my next waste of time novel.

Farmer Stiles shunned the resposibility of doing the right thing and fork out for a stair lift that his sick wife required. After her premature death, it preyed on his mind, till eventually he committed suicide. The moral of the story is that unless you release the necessary expenditure and do the job right, where lifes are concerned, you'll have the inner turmoil of concealed guilt, and an outer turmoil of acusation and prostration.

Village life is disrupted when an American arms manufacture wants to use an old RA F base to test a new sort of ammunition. The MOD has negotiated a deal with the company, to do the tests on livestock from a nearby farm, so every one can profit, with the exception of the pigs. No wonder the reception was frosty when the Americans visited the local pub.
New Ammunition, only the old stuff seemed pretty effective.
Mad world culture is truly exemplifyed, all we need are the tears for fears ' A Red Sky Morning'
Backed with pleasure
Daniel Manning
No Compatibility.

Good setting, I haven't been in an English village for many years, but I recognised it. The characters are well drawn and defined by the dialogue.
Good luck with it. Backed

An intriguing setting and excellent dialogue. This shows a lot of promise and I hope the editors think so as well! All the best - Jayne

In today's political climate this is a timely subject. When one's own country seems to betray. The characters feel like real people, not fake at all. Backed. Give my book a read if you find the time.

T. Rhyder
In The Mud: An American Odyssey

Your book has a great premise. I love reading books from this time period and I also really enjoyed the way you began the first chapter, aka talking about what the father had told the son about what England stood for. The dialogue reads well and keeps my interest and Randy is a fantastic character who's speech greatly enriches your work. I'll be back to read more and loved what I've read thus far.

Have a great day!

- Scott, The Ark of Humanity

Very topical, very relevant, very current. Extremely well told with real, three dimensional characters that I immediately warmed to and felt at home with. It's so readable and the writing so smooth that reading it is a pleasure and I'm watchlisting to read more and back at next shelf change.
Polly
STONES.

Hi N.A. Randall . Apologies but I am not sure if my comments and backing got through to you y'day, as another reader said my comment did not get through; So I am re-mailing it and re-Backing you, just in case.

This is beautifully written and carefully crafted. My guess is that you took a lot of time to perfect this work. Backed with well wishes

Laurelle
One of the WAGS

I was drawn in by your pitch, especially the premise of social justice. I expected a more contemporary beginning so your approach was a surprise, but it's well written - your characters are authentic and the scene very convincing. I'm happy to back it on the strength of ch 1 and I hope to read more when time allows. One thing I would mention, though, is your use of adjectives eg in the para. near the start: "The ramshackle cottage....inside pocket." There are at least six nouns described by an adjective and I wonder if it might be possible to vary the rhythm by other means. This is something I need to look at in my own book after the same thing was suggested to me - which is probably why I now notice more in others' work - the true purpose of this site!
Thanks for your backing of & comment on mine. I will try to look at Tales of Ordinary Sadness tomorrow.
Best wishes, Adelina
A Distant Family

Sense here of modern England being investigated from a subtly historical perspective. The things that have changed and the things that haven’t sitting a little uncomfortably side by side. There’s also a poignant sense of the vulnerability of the individual and his/ her icons and of the pillaging nature of passing time in our decades. This is extremely accomplished writing and a brave grappling with big themes done with subtly and a fine-tuned intelligence. Enjoyed this very much.

You have a seamless style of writing that is very enjoyable to read. This feels like a world I am familiar with so I was doubly drawn in. Your pitch suggests that the book has some wonderfully juicy themes running through it certainly a book I would purchase for a pleasurable read.

Best wishes and good luck with the writing.

Richard

A gripping journey filled with surprises. Fascinating characters with real emotions. Excellent dialogue and narrative. Backed.

I've read chapter one and half of chapter two, and whilst I'm a little confused about the switch in location and character POV I assume that that will be explained later on.
I like your pitch, and the opening characters and scenarios are well presented in an easy to read style, so I'm backing this now with the full intention of returning to read more when I have more time.
Best wishes
Gail
NEW BEGINNINGS

An intriguing narrtive that is well written with rich diolouge that draws us in and keed us focused until the last word. C W

A Red Sky in Morning

A red sky in the morning is believed to herald stormy weather approaching. So it is in this work by NA Randall. Living in my little rabbit hole in Canada I’m always seeing current global conflicts from a Canadian/American view so it was very interesting to give this a read from a British point of view. Randall writes in a polished, very matter of fact tone that easily transports the reader to the hamlet of Great Twittershall. Very much reminds me of a work I read in school called The Achensfield (sorry, I know that spelling is completely off). Only had time for the first two chapters, but will come back.

Hi NA

I like the seriousness of the subject matter, although the first para seems a little bit like you're setting up your stall too explicitly. The long opening conversation with Davy works well to introduce us slowly into the milieu and village relationships. I wasn't entirely convinced by Davy's dialogue - it seemed to lurch around a bit, but then I'm not exactly sure which part of the country they're in - perhaps that's what they talk like there! Still, an interesting book and well worth reading further. Backed.

Nicole (Chosen)

This was beautifully written-the story was great. I was excited to read further after reading the pitch.
Good Luck
Backed with pleasure!!

Melissa Nielsen
The Guardian and the Book of Souls

Wow!

I totally admire your brilliant mind. Beautifully written - this story is an excellent metaphor for very important events... love it!

Backed with the utmost pleasure.

Johanna Kern
Master and the Green-Eyed Hope

NA, This is a good country-style writing in itself, set about with an excellent, deeper story. I'm certainly intrigued to read it and like what I've read so far. Best of luck with it, too.
Backed,
Ann Mynard (Windshadow)

Excellent dialogue and great characters in your first chapter. It had a very homey feel right from the start. You have a smooth easywriting style, with occasional turns of phrase that made me chuckle or nod approvingly. Backed.

Craig Ellis

Chapter 2, First paragraph:

Demilitarization project, could represent symbolically the dismantling of the military. Cleverly creative idea! I like it. Now let's see what comes of it. Paragraph 1, the furniture sold to schools, almost could have said, "swords to plowshares." Makes me chuckle. I suspect the author may have something intentionally symbolic going here. I hope so at least.

Oh ho, Parker, the narrator, is the military's PR guy! What story about the military would be complete without a spin doctor warding off the evil press? I love it.

Oh, it gets even better. The military is now looking for "swine merchants." Swine, in Judaic/Christian tradition, the "unclean animal" of the Jews but traditionally an Easter feast of choice by Christians. I wonder what is going on here. Is this author that intentionally symbolizing things or am I just seeing stuff because that's how my own mind works?

One will have to read on to find out for sure.

Well, I am going to have to move on now, but I wish this author success in getting published. I believe that I backed it earlier. I think the story is worth a second look. I hope more people will continue to back it.

F. Ellsworth Lockwood
"The Final Cruise"

I noticed that the book was just edited, the author may have been doing some re-writing?

I decided to drop by for a second look, and I just re-read the book description; maybe my assumptions were off in my earlier comments concerning the pigs' slaughter, but the basic comment still applies. Pigs are very intelligent animals and they do seem to understand enough about the slaughter to make me squeamish.

OK, let's take a look now.

Blood curdling! If you think you can't care about the welfare of pigs, and other animals used in experimentation, just read this.

I had skipped to Ch 10 to see if the writing remains consistently strong and ... I was not disappointed. Elevates the stakes in the whole ethical question of using animals for human medical research, by using intelligent animals ... pigs ... in truly heartless experiments. The pigs respond in what is chillingly human-like behavior. The story displays an irony of our inhumanity; as we seek to treat humans more humanely, we become more inhuman ourselves.

The writing remains as strong as ever, powerful, induces in the reader a powerful sense of pity and shame, raises ethical question anew, comes across as the believable, perhaps inevitable path of inhumanity towards which we are moving in our desperate grasp for human health and well being.

F. Ellsworth Lockwood
"The Final Cruise"

A wonderful beginning to a story, Ch 1. I think I commented this before but am coming back to it again. We always do return, sooner or later to "the good ones." This is among them. Shelved again.

F. Ellsworth Lockwood
"The Final Cruise"

I'm enjoying this - good straightforward writing without striving for special effects (which so often leads to laughable mangling of perfectly good words), lively dialogue with the characters clearly differentiated, and a bit of a gruesome mystery with a whiff of official corruption - BACKED with enthusiasm.

I love davy he is not sympathetic as a character but I love this in a novel people are complex and you have created well drawn and well written characters. backed happily.

HI N.A. A well written story, descriptive characters. A very intersting read. I BACK the book! Harold Alvin(ICON)Wesley

You write your characters really well and the dialogue flows very naturally. I was quite pulled into the conversation in chapter one, almost as if I was sat there myself listening to it. This was like a real glimpse into rural England.
Sam (Fallacy)

Just like the short stories...beautifully crafted with the kind of attention to detail that separates the real writers from the rest of the field...you make this look easy!
Well done
Stewart

Hi NA, I loved it. What a good start (only read ch1). I enjoyed your use of language: an 'unassuming summer's evening'; 'tubercular MG' and the character development was excellent. I could almost smell Davy! Backed with pleasure. Gordon

A very interesting read. The dialogue is good with just enough prose without slowing the story.
Keith - Unit T

I think that lots of people like myself will feel that the subject matter of A Red Sky In Morning is very important. I read the first two chapters. The first chapter is quite easy going & a gentle start. The second I found moving as it introduces the brother & sister looking after their brother. You establish your characters & themes well. This is a well written & relavent novel. I have placed it on my shelf. Tim (Vitality)

As someone who thinks Blair sucks, you hooked be straight away.
Shelved

Phil
Banny Murphy

This is the kind of book I would buy, quirky characters, setting takes me to (for me at least) new and unusual places, folksy, real yet unforgettable people. Good characterization, good job at setting up the reader, setting up the story and creating anticipation of what's to come. I like it. I recommend it.

F. Ellsworth Lockwood
"The Final Cruise"

Interesting characters like Davy Green make this a great opening. People who seem so unique and yet somehow so familiar. Rustic. I am liking this book already. I did back it, by the way.

F. Ellsworth Lockwood
"The Final Cruise"

The opening paragraphs are invitational and suggestive, making me want to read more. Your "dad" seems a lot like my own. The theme of revisiting, of returning to your native place and finding it changed, also awakens a sense of curiosity, and of identity ... many of us have had a similar experience. I like the way this story starts. I will back it and then continue to read as time permits.

F. Ellsworth Lockwood
"The Final Cruise"

Remarkably thoughtful and well constructed.

Philip John (Dead/Reckoning/The Ambassador's Last Post)

This drew me in from the first word and I really enjoyed reading it. The dialogue moves the story along and the characters are fully developed. Shelved, with pleasure.

Carol