Contest: Win A Copy of 'Tomorrows Guardian'!

As you know, this week I've been posting a lot about Richard Denning's book 'Tomorrows Guardian', an action packed time traveling romp.  Now's your chance to WIN a copy of the book!

Click the image above to go to the contest page! Entering is simple and takes a mere second!  Good luck to all who enter!!!

Review: Tomorrow's Guardian by Richard Denning

Title: Tomorrow's Guardian

Author: Richard Denning

Genre: Juvi, Sci-fi, Action, Adventure

Perfect for: reluctant readers who love time travel tales mixed with a bit of history

Star Rating: 3.5/5 stars

Taken from Goodreads, "When schoolboy Tom Oakley discovers he can transport himself through time, he draws the attention of evil men who seek to bend history to their will. 'Tomorrow's Guardian' is the 1st book of the Hourglass Institute Series. It is a Young Adult Science Fiction adventure."

I have a soft spot for time travel stories. There's just something about them that I've always enjoyed, whether it be traveling through flumes with Bobby Pendragon or traveling through time and space in a TARDIS, I've just always liked them. That being said, I enjoyed reading 'Tomorrow's Guardian' by Richard Denning. It has a good mix of adventure, history, and comradery and should catch the eye of the pickiest readers-- young, pre-teen boys-- while still being a fun read for other sci-fi buffs.

If you're a stickler about writing styles, then I have to warn you. While Denning is a fine writer, it gets a bit 'blocky' in places. For example, there are certain pages that are filled with monologues of text or that have a great deal of description that we really don't need as readers. 


Aside from that minor issue, however, his dialogue was spot on. There are a handful of instances where you will find yourself laughing or at least smirking at the characters interaction, especially when it comes to my personal favorite character- Septimus Mason.

Speaking of Septimus, it's hard to believe that characters so drastically different could work so well together on paper, but they do! Denning has a wide range of ages spread throughout his novel. For example, main character Tom is an 11 year old English boy who wants nothing more than to be normal. Septimus Mason, the Han Solo of the novel, is a quick witted Welshman in his mid twenties (and my favorite character).  Then we have the three heroes taken out of their time, two military men who fought in very different wars and a maid who started a great historical fire. Their ages vary, but even so, they all get along so well on paper! I don't remember a scene where it seemed odd that 11 year old Thomas was hanging around with people who were far older than him. Of course, this could have to do with the fact that Thomas reads older than he is and as he learns more about his destiny, he steps up and takes the lead.

One thing I have to point out is that this novel is written by a European author.  There are some terms and phrases that those outside of Europe may not understand.  If you are like me and watch a lot of BBC shows, then these references shouldn't phase you.  Younger readers or those who don't partake in the fantastic entertainment coming from the BBC might want to keep Google handy for some terms that pop up in this novel.

As opposed to time traveling through made up worlds, the majority of the time travel that takes place in 'Tomorrow's Guardian' is done to historical venues. We see a battle between the Brits and the Zulu's, a sea battle set during World War II, and even the great London fire. I enjoyed the variety of the various historical locations, even if I didn't know a lot about some of the battles witnessed by Thomas and the gang.  Where will Thomas go in future books? We can only imagine!

'Tomorrow's Guardian' is best suited to a reader looking for an action packed time travel adventure. It's not something I'd recommend to older teens unless they are into sci-fi or time travel, but if you're looking for a good read for a pre-teen or tween-- keep this in mind!  The action elements are attention grabbing, the characters are people I'd love to be friends with, and overall, this time travel romp is just plain fun to read!  This book gets 3.5 out of 5 stars from me!

You can grab a copy of 'Tomorrow's Guardian' on Amazon.com.  And don't forget to check out the author interview and fantasy cast posts for this book!  

Author Tour: Q&A with Richard Denning

The past few months I've had the honor of chatting with the author of 'Tomorrow's Guardian', Richard Denning. He's currently in the the middle of his blog tour and todays he's visiting this little blog. I had the chance to ask him a few questions about himself and here's what he had to say!

Author Bio:

Richard Denning is a Young adult sci-fi, historical fiction and historical fantasy writer. He also writes book and board game reviews and online articles on historical and gaming related topics. He owns his own small publishing house, Mercia Books and is part of a board game design house Medusa Games.

A keen player of board games and other games he is one of the directors of UK Games Expo (the UK's largest hobby games convention). He is a board game designer and his first Board Game, 'The Great Fire on London 1666' was published by Medusa Games and Prime Games in October 2010.

Author website: http://www.richarddenning.co.uk

The Q/A Session:

-Can you give us a sentence or two about who you are and where you're from?

Richard: I was born in Ilkeston in Derbyshire (UK) and I live in Sutton Coldfield in the West Midlands. I work as a General Practitioner (family doctor) with a North Birmingham practice. I am 43 and am married with two children (Helen and Matthew).

-When did you first decide to write in hopes of publishing and why?

Richard: I started writing about 10 years ago (although like many people I did scribble some words at school. Then I went off to university and I was a Medical student and a house officer and senior house office in hospital (what you would call an intern) and finally emerged into general practice. After I had settled into a permanent post I started to write again. I enjoy reading and through those long years of study I read avidly. I started to get ideas for plots and characters and one day began writing. It was only a couple of years ago that I made a serious effort to get published.

-Do you have any writing rituals (ie: listening to music, writing at night, etc)?

Richard: Generally I write best in a quiet room. This usually means when the children are in bed (late at night) or in the afternoons when I am able to get home for a bit. I find after the noise and chatter of day to day life at the surgery that what I need to get the mind working is solitude and peace. When I am the plotting stage of a book I am more likely though to be out and about. I tend to think through the plots whilst walking or driving about and if I can visit a castle or battlefield that also helps to spark the imagination.

-What inspired you to write 'Tomorrows Guardian'? Who's your intended audience?

Richard: I enjoy Time Travel as a concept in fiction – movies, TV and books. So I wanted to write my own Time Travel adventure. But I wanted to explore the perils and challenges involved in time travel. The book is written with 10 to 14 year olds in mind but has gone down well with adults as well. It is set in England and so it will be interesting to see what Americans make of it.

-Pitch your book in 7 words or less!

Richard: Time Travel sounds like fun until you try it! D’oh that’s 9 – can I get away with that ;-)

-In a movie of your life, who would play you? In the same respect, who would play title character Tom in a movie adaptation of 'Tomorrows Guardian'? Why?

Richard: Me? Well if I lose my temper I tend to stomp about all legs and arms rather like John Cleese (from Monty Python and Basil Fawlty) – except he would have to lose the moustache.

As for Tom? Well actually the chap who plays Edmund in the Narnia chronicles would fit my idea quite well (Skandar Keynes) although he is now a bit old for Tom. But just how he was in Prince Caspian would be about right.

-Will we see sequels to 'Tomorrow's Guardian' and what should we expect?

Richard: Yes you will. The sequel (Yesterday’s Treasures) is written and will be out later in the summer: Everyone is searching for pieces of 'The Crown of Knossos:' historical artefacts which when assembled allow control over all of history in this and in the Twisted reality. The Hourglass Institute, Redfeld's masters and even the Directorate are soon in the hunt. One by one the pieces are found but eventually Tom and the others discover who is really after The Crown and what their motivations are. It is only then that they realise the extent of the danger, for 'Yesterday's Treasures' can mean the destruction of tomorrow.

-If you could live in a specific book genre, what would it be?

Richard: Ohh that is a good question. I tell you what if I could live in Bag End (especially how it is portrayed in the Lord of the Rings Movies) I would love that. So I guess I am going to say Fantasy BUT I always rather fancied the world of Poirot: England in the 1920s or 30s. So murder mysteries in England country houses would come a close second.

-I love the idea of time travel! If you could travel back in time, where would you go?

Richard: Well I would love to visit the big moments in history and the great places. See the seven wonders of the ancient world. Be with Caesar as he crossed into Britain. Accompany Alexander the Great to the borders of India, see the first plane flight and witness the signing of the Magna Carta. I would be a Time Tourist crossing off a list of the big moments.

-Your book has been compared to Doctor Who... As a Doctor Who fan (or Whovian) I need to know-- are you a Doctor Who fan and if so, who's your favorite Doctor?

Richard: YES YES YES. OK that might be a bit over the top. Then again I am a huge DR Who Fan. I first saw the John Pertwee era DR Who live (in about 1970) and remember being terrified by the first episode with the autons coming to life in shop windows. The Third and fourth DRs occupied the classic era of DR who with some superb stories. I then went back and saw the first and second dr. I actually like them all. Matt Smith is superb at present. 

If I had to choose one Dr above all it would be Peter Davidson – number 5. Tends to get over looked but there was something about him I really liked – sort of kind, gentle but grumpy.

-If I were to look at your DVR (Digital Video Recorder), what television shows would I find on it?

Richard: Buffy and Angel (we are watching both these again with my 13 year old daughter. DR Who, Farscape, Firefly (one of the best Sci Fi series), Stargate, Star Trek (we getting a bit of a theme here), James Bond, Sharpe’s Rifles, Miss Marple, Poroit, Morse, Cadfael, Black Adder. How is that?

-One of the great things about blogging is that I get to spread the word about books I love. What's your favorite book and can you pitch it to our readers?

Richard: The Lord of the Rings had such a huge influence on me that I have to say if you have not read it you need to. Yes it can be tough going at times and is a bit dated but it has some wonderful passages in it. If I can sneak in a mention of two other authors I would pitch Terry Pratchett and Bernard Cornwall.

-Where can those of us residing in the US or Canada find your book?

Richard: On Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Tomorrows-Guardian-Richard-Denning/dp/0956483569

On Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Tomorrows-Guardian-Hourglass-Institute-ebook/dp/B004H4XDVI

At Mercia Books US site (both ebook and paperback): http://www.merciabooks.co.uk/buyingUSA.html

I'd like to thank Mr. Denning for stopping by the blog!  Be sure to check out my fantasy cast and the review of his book, posted in separate posts on this blog, and check out the official website for the book for more on this blog tour! 


Want to read 'Tomorrow's Guardian'?  Enter to win a copy of 'Tomorrow's Guardian' HERE!  

Fantasy Cast: Tomorrows Guardian

This week I'll be hosting author Richard Denning in honor of the release of the paperback edition of his novel 'Tomorrow's Guardian'. I thought it would be fun to create a fantasy cast for the book! Let's begin, shall we?


Alexander Ludwig (The Seeker) as Thomas:

Thomas- The main character in 'Tomorrows Guardian', Thomas is a kid on the verge of becoming a young man.  He's quick witted, smart, and a true friend.


Let me set the record straight-- while I pretty much hated the travesty that was 'The Seeker' (in which Alexander played the title character), I put most of the blame on the producers, script writers, and anyone at all included with pre-production. As an actor, you have to do the best with what's given to you and Alexander suffered from having to read a *really bad* script (think Hayden Christensen in the Star Wars prequels). 


Is this kid the most spectacular actor? No, but he's still growing. I think he has the look of Thomas (though his hair may need to be dyed darker) and good enough acting chops to play him. He's a little older than the original characters age, but in movies age doesn't always matter.


Colin Morgan (Merlin) OR Gregory Smith (Everwood) as Septimus Mason:

Septimus Mason- Septimus is a time traveler very much like Han Solo. In his mid twenties, you're not always sure of his intentions, but you want to always hope his intentions are good... 


I chose two actors similar to Mason's age in the story, but who both have baby faces. That way, it won't seem out of place for them to be hanging out with the younger Thomas.


Colin Morgan and Gregory Smith are both fantastic picks for this character. They're both solid actors who play believable characters every time they are on screen. They both also happen to be two crushes of mine. :-)


Jim Broadbent (Inkheart) as the Professor:

Professor- He is the person behind The Hourglass Institute, the Professor X of the cast.


Jim Broadbent just reads the professor to me. When it comes to casting this role, he is pretty much the picture in my head. I wish I had more to back this up, but I think he would be great.


Tom Ellis (Doctor Who) as Edward:

Edward- Edward is a soldier battling Zulu's in a battle that I don't recall learning about-- ever.  (So that's all the history you get in this bio!) But is he more than just a soldier?


I've only seen this guy in Merlin and Doctor Who, but according to his IMDB he has done quite a bit! I think he has the look and is around the right age to play Edward, a time agent taken out of his own time and thrust into a future *very* different from his own.


Zac Efron as Charlie:

Charlie- Charlie is a sailor fighting World War II.  Course... There's always more than meets the eye in sci-fi, right?


(Rest assured-- if I did cast a movie, it would have lots of pretty boys in it, don't you think.)  Why Zac for this character? Of the three people taken out of time by Thomas and Septimus, he's the youngest and from a time closest to present day. Zac fits the bill in age, physique, and acting ability.


??? as Mary:

Mary- Mary is a baker's assistant in during the London fire of 1666.  Through the course of the novel, she finds out that all talents are not to be ashamed of...


I had a bit of a problem casting this character because I just couldn't figure out her age. Well, I now know she's 16 years old...  Let me ponder this role for a bit and I'll add an actress in this post later!


Leonard Nimoy as the Redfeld:

Redfeld- Every series needs an unscrupulous character and this guy is it...


Believe it or not, I've only ever seen Leonard Nimoy playing Spock. A travesty, right? I'd really like to see him play someone a bit shady... And Redfeld is definetly shady!!!

And there you have it--- my fantasy cast of 'Tomorrow's Guardian'.  Somehow I managed to accidentally fit in three of my celebrity crushes and two Star Wars references...  


For those who have read the book, what do you think?  Who would you cast?

S.O.S Book of the Week

The S.O.S Book of the Week is where I let you in on what new releases I'm looking forward to! S.O.S comes from the term 'Strict on Sale'. It's bookseller speak for a title that you can't sell before a specific date-- think Harry Potter. While the books I have here may not be S.O.S titles specifically, they are all new!


The S.O.S Book of the Week is:

Taken from Goodreads, "When schoolboy Tom Oakley discovers he can transport himself through time, he draws the attention of evil men who seek to bend history to their will. Tom's family are obliterated and he soon faces an impossible choice: To save the world he must sacrifice his family."


Author Richard Denning is coming to the blog early February to promote 'Tomorrow's Guardian'. This book, a time travel adventure reminiscent of DJ MacHale's 'Pendragon' series, is a fun read for 'inbetweeners'-- those kids who are just growing out of traditional Juvi books, but aren't ready for hardcore YA title. (I've started it already... Though I'm not done yet, so it still fits in with the S.O.S requirements!)


I've read time travel books before and typically get hooked by them. The perfect example being the before mentioned 'Pendragon' series. 'Tomorrow's Guardian' seems like it will be an exciting romp through time!  For more on this title, come back 2/8/11 for a review and a quick Q/A with the author!