Local author releases new book series

By PJ Martin

Editor

The Herald-News

 

Local author Shawn Martin (no relation) has released his new Book 1 of a three-part series entitled Echoes of War and Distant Thunder: Gathering Clouds on the Horizon.

This is actually Martin’s second book. His first book The Teacher was a gripping thriller released in 2019.

Gathering Clouds on the Horizon is the first book of a three-part series that began as one very long manuscript.

When asked how long it took him to write the series Martin said, “Well, the entire thing has been written. So, okay, all three books have been written. It started off as one complete book. Took me five years to write.”

“When the publisher got it, they wanted to keep it all together. And then after a couple of days, they called me up, and it’s like, would you mind breaking this up just a little bit?”

The way he had written the book, it was perfect to break it up into a three-books series.

When asked what Book 1, which falls into the science fiction genre, was about Martin gave the following synopsis.

Mankind has come out of World War Three and has spent 100 years rebuilding…before the war, they had managed to get a colony on the moon and Mars. With the rebuilding almost finished, all the governments are working together and they decide to go for another colony.

So, they started building a ship called the Ascension to go to Europa to set up a colony. With its power source, it can get to Europa in two years. As they’re getting ready to land on Europa, they hit a wormhole which takes them to the other side of the galaxy. Luckily, they find another planet they named Quail. Nice little turquoise planet, little islands, and two big land masses. On Quail, they have air, water, animals, and plants, they’re in good shape. Except, the planet is inhabited by six-foot-tall beings and its sun is about to go supernova.

There is much more, but we don’t want to spoil a great book.

You can purchase Book 1 from Amazon or Barnes & Noble, and the Audiobook is coming soon and will be available wherever you can get audiobooks, Apple, Spotify, Audible, etc.

Martin may decide to hold a book signing at the Metcalfe County Public Library later and he shared that he has finished writing a follow-up to The Teacher, which he added will begin the Ghost Academy series.  

 That’s a lot of reading to look forward to.

A bit about the author – Shawn Martin is a U.S. Army veteran and former airborne rigger who served at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Although he has worked many different jobs, he is currently a quality auditor for Nemak. His hometown is Edmonton, Kentucky.