Fan Art - Matt Rommel Series

"Writing is perhaps the greatest of human inventions, binding together people who never knew each other, citizens of distant epochs."  Carl Sagan


Matt Rommel's adventures are contemporary, no epochs to be traversed.  But, there is something magical at work between a book and the person that reads that book.  If the book is good enough, the reader sets aside time, opens his or her mind, and lives the adventure within.

As modest as my achievements are, thanks to Amazon Kindle, thousands and thousands of copies of the adventures of Matt Rommel, Carolyn Kast and her not to be underestimated daughter Aubrey, and that wildman of a septuagenarian, Gunny are spread across the United States and around the world.

I love getting a review.  The fact that someone I usually don't know has taken the time to share their thoughts is a gift and, usually, an act of kindness.

Then there are a few people who go to a place that no one anticipates.  I'm talking Fan Art.

I got this photo from Mike M. - a reader who saw a photo and wanted me to know that this is how he sees Carolyn Kast's living room, high in the Berkeley hills.

I may have shared this one before.  Mey S.F. sent this to me.  Two things are obvious to me.
1) Mey lives in a really nice house.
2) The quality and composition of this photo (and another set outdoors) are MUCH better than the promotional products of many professional photographers.

Sometimes a reader will visualize and re-imagine the entire book cover.  Look at these:

There's no denying it, these covers are pretty snazzy.  My sincere thanks to Ankit S.  I'm not going to show the one with the Oprah Book Club seal attached.  Those people would probably be on me in a heartbeat and I honestly don't need the grief.  Ankit also sent me this a few months back:

There are other Matt Rommel's in the world, and this one is currently the Homecoming King at Irvine Community College.  Congratulations to this young Matt Rommel.

I cannot thank these people enough for their kindness, imagination, and talent.  The overwhelming part of this is the thought that, because of the miracle of the written word, these people took these stories into themselves and created a special place in their memories for Matt, Carolyn and the gang.

Amazon Scout is also into Max Tomlinson

It was scarcely a week ago.  I was pleased to present Max Tomlinson's review of my most recent novel.  If you recall, I mentioned that he has a following.  If I didn't explicitly state that Max writes a great story, I hope you understood that to be true.

You know who else thinks Max Tomlinson is a talented, crowd-pleasing writer?  Amazon.  Yeah, that Amazon.

Amazon Scout is looking into Max in a big way and you can get in on it.

Come October 30th, go to the site below and read a nice slice of Max's new action adventure.
Then use the link to let Amazon know how you liked it.

Personally, I can hardly wait.  I followed J.A. Konrath as he came up from traditional publishing to breakthrough in popular fiction.

Now I get to watch Max Tomlinson do it.  And I get to get in on the ground floor and watch it happen.

October 30th and for a few days afterward.  Don't miss out!

http://maxtomlinson.wordpress.com/kill-city-meth-noir-out-in-2015/

Max Tomlinson reviews Beyond the Law

Max Tomlinson.  Are you thinking you've heard that name?  More likely, you know you have.  Max Tomlinson is the author of the Nina Flores series.  Max has a following so this is kind of a big deal for me.

Come to think of it, you should check Max and his creation Nina Flores out on Amazon.  You won't regret it!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

 Everyone's favorite ex-Marine/museum docent takes San Francisco by storm, October 2, 2014

By 

Max R. Tomlinson

Verified Purchase(What's this?)

This review is from: Beyond the Law (A Matt Rommel Adventure) (Kindle Edition)

He's back:

Everyone's favorite ex-Marine/museum docent takes San Francisco by storm in this thoroughly entertaining mystery--along with Chesty, Aubrey and other characters from Brand Loyalty.

Kahren writes so well, it's almost a crime. Some very good prose that does not take itself too seriously. If it did, it would be gracing the pages of literary magazines.

But then, it wouldn't be so funny.

And entertaining is what The Matt Rommel books are.

Oh, there are new characters --The Gay Avenger?

I guess you'll just have to read it to find out.

The Palace of the Legion of Murder

Matt Rommel, Carolyn, Aubrey, and Gunny have a new adventure in the works, an adventure tied to the Palace of the Legion of Honor and early 20th century San Francisco.

I've done enough research on Alma de Bretteville Spreckles, the Legion of Honor, and the Pan American Exposition of 1915 that I am beginning the story itself.  I know that I will have to scurry back and dig up or confirm facts as I go along, but the story itself is pushing at me.

Things want to happen.  They need to be recorded.

This work has references to historical figures, but is is a complete fiction.  I can't repeat that enough.  Those historical figures, to my knowledge, never contemplated the fictional acts in this work, let alone perform them.

Of course, it is a matter of historical fact that Adolph Spreckles shot M.H. de Young in a fit of anger.  Ironically, the two major fine arts museums in San Francisco were founded by Spreckles and de Young.

So, fictionally speaking, how did it come to pass that the socialites fund drive for WWI Belgian relief, the Pan American Exposition of 1915, and the founding of Alma's pet project simmered for the better part of a century only to erupt into:

The Palace of the Legion of Murder