Greetings from Downunder...!

As you can see, I made it here in one piece, and I haven't fallen off...yet...

Off to OZ

The waiting's over, my bags are packed. In a few short hours I'll be on that looooooong road to 'Oz,' where I plan to polish "Adventures Downunder" to a state fit for publishing, and to otherwise just generally inflict myself on the locals. Many thanks Floyd, Hamilton, Chris et al for your kind offers of guidance and hospitality. I'll do my level best not to look too lost, at least to the point where my hand doesn't require holding in public.

Charlie Smithers: Adventures Downunder - Blurb

I think that it's time to share the blurb for the next book in the Charlie Smithers Collection, "Adventures Downunder," scheduled to be released in the Fall.
 
Flashman never experienced anything like this, not even remotely!
Whether it’s because of his gift of the ‘sight,’ inherited from his dour old Hebridean mother, or simply a sorely battered noggin (a result of his master’s appalling aim) the Australias hold one of Charlie Smithers’ most intriguing adventures to date.
Pirates, great white sharks, mermaids, scorching deserts, cannibals and a small army of sadistic bushrangers are only part of the story. A mysterious gunslinging sheila with emerald green eyes, and a shocking vocabulary, is another adventure all on its own.
And throughout the tale there is the innocuous message from the ghost of Charlie’s beloved: “You must learn to forgive…”

The Adventures of Charlie Smithers - "Terrific read, loved it!"

Thank you, Joan, I'm thrilled!

5Terrific read, loved it!

ByJoan P. Ashley "J.P. Lane"on August 24, 2015

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

Trekking with Maasai warriors across the Serengeti in the mid-1800s and barely escaping with your life only to embark on a hazardous journey by river with no end in sight. Such was the plight of Charlie Smithers in this thoroughly enjoyable novel, which I highly recommend to anyone who likes high octane adventure. Well written, interesting, and interjected with C.W. Lovatts’s special brand of humor, it’s one of my favorite reads this year. Loved it!

 

 http://mybook.to/tacs

 

 

Adventures in India - "Another brilliantly written book by one of the very best"

Thank you very much, Mr. Hawkes!

5.0 out of 5 stars Another brilliantly written book by one of the very best. 24 Aug. 2015

By Alec Hawkes

Format:Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase

What can one say about the writing of Mr. Chuck Lovatt that hasn't been said already? Well now, this is a challenge, and one which I will not shirk from neither! This book that I am about to rave about is the second in the 'Charlie Smithers Series', and what a fantastic read it is. Mr. Lovatt doesn't just write a little story with a beginning, a little bit in the middle, then an ending, as many seem to in these days of 'book market saturation'. Oh no, not a bit of it. He writes the entire story, with so much detail, so much graphic description - both of events and the character and personality of the main protagonists - that one can really feel so close to the action, the events as they unfold. It is a rare privilege to read the work of this author, one that must be savoured; every moment, every paragraph, every chapter. Chuck Lovatt is, without any doubt whatsoever, a writer of supreme talent and insight. His research into the era in which he plants our hero - Charlie boy - is quite exceptional. When one settles into the story after the author has set the scene with his usual aplomb; enough detailed information to know exactly where we are, and how the situation was - it is so beautifully written that one can almost see the story as it unfolds. You see, Chuck's attention to detail - often the tiniest of details that most overlook - is quite exceptional. He really leaves nothing to chance (save the reference to fifteen pence, for which a pardon is summarily granted!) - and this helps enormously to get the feel of just exactly what is going on in the story. As for the story itself; well, it would be monstrous carelessness to give away too much and ruin it for others. Suffice to say just this. The year is 1864 and Charlie Smithers has been 'dragged' off to the jewel in the crown of The British Empire with his master, the lovable buffoon that is Lord Brampton. As with many places under British rule in those days, skirmishes with those not overly happy to be ruled by the invader, were many and inevitable. As a former soldier of great distinction, Smithers' reputation has preceded him and he soon finds himself embroiled in a long trek north to 'sort out the revolting natives', as it might have been put by a stuffy British 'gentleman' of the time. Charlie, though, is a deep thinker - moreso with the passing of the years - and he very soon sees the folly of what he has been 'roped' into. The vainglorious head of the party undertaking the trek from Calcutta to the troublesome north is a total fool, a certain Mr. Eden. Charlie holds the idiotic Eden in contempt - a feeling not quite mutual as Eden is very aware of Smithers' undoubted talents as a soldier and decent fellow who has the ability to read the situation and act accordingly, unlike the pompous fool himself. Though Eden's vanity, it seems, know no bounds at all as the party he leads goes headlong into what could so easily have been unmitigated disaster. That it wasn't owes something to good fortune, but much to the good sense - not to mention the unwavering courage - of our hero Charlie. Along the way much happens, all described so brilliantly by the author, including some fierce encounters with those who would rather not be subject to The Empire, as well as several periods of deep contemplation by our hero. He falls in love along the way; he examines his own inner self deeply, but above all he upholds the good name of Smithers while doing his duty and so much more. In short, the legend of Charlie Smithers grows, as does his reputation as a fine upstanding fellow. The author must take a bow, for this book is another total triumph; written so well, with great insight and no little humour, vital for holding the attention of a discerning reader. Lord Brampton plays only a supporting role in this story, though his early encounter with the beautiful Madam Pirali is delivered with comic genius from the author. The only other thing that I will say before is closing is get yourself a copy of this magnificent book and indulge yourself with one of the best writers you will ever have the pleasure and privilege to read.

 

 

 http://mybook.to/tacs2

 

 

"A Wild and Funny Adventure"

"A Wild and Funny Adventure" ~ Deborah McGraw

http://mybook.to/tacs2

Josiah Stubb: The Siege of Louisbourg

From the best-selling author of The Adventures of Charlie Smithers.

"C.W. Lovatt possesses incredible talent, and it is my unreserved opinion that Josiah Stubb: The Siege of Louisbourg deserves a prominent place on any history buff's bookshelf." ~ The Winnipeg Review

"Fans of C. S. Forster's Horatio Hornblower and Bernard Cornwell's Richard Sharpe will love it!"

It is 1758 and The Seven Years War is raging. The military might of the British and French empires collide in a desperate bid to control the key strategic Fortress of Louisbourg and, in turn, Quebec and French-held North America.

One man caught amidst the bloodshed is the young grenadier, Josiah Stubb. Raised by a whore amidst poverty and incest, Josiah seemed doomed from birth to a life in the gutter. His attempt to leave his sordid past behind leads him to Louisbourg, but it comes back to haunt him in the form of a gifted officer, battling his own inner demons.

As the siege blazes towards its inevitable bloody climax, will Josiah live to overcome the formidable obstacles that keep him chained to his past, or will his aspirations for a better life die with him on the brooding shores of Ile Royale?

 http://mybook.to/josiahstubbl