Bowled Me Over, That's For Sure!!

To say I'm surprised right now would be one of the biggest understatements of my life, simple as that. So no, I won't use the word "surprised" at all. I will however freely use the following words:
*Amazed
*Astounded
*Dumbstruck
*Flabbergasted
*Jiggered
*Astonished
*Stunned
*Stupefied
*A Duh Duh Duh Duh Duh
*Goggle-eyed
*Dumbfounded
*Thunderstuck and
*Startled

See for yourself,

A terrifying picture of an author in its natural habitat.

And why am I currently feeling all these things? From the reaction to my latest book, Essence Of Betrayal. I never thought that little piece of work would cause such a reaction in people. I mean, yeah, I liked it. That's why I wrote the darn thing. The idea, direction and story in general thrilled me to bits every step of the way. But that's me. I felt like I was living the story, hence the reason why I found it so captivating. To have other people describe similar experiences has just blown me away.

It's only been out couple of months, and here's what people so far have said:

Mary said:
"Wow! I have taken advantage of the heatwave of the weekend to step into a world of intrigue! After starting to read "Essence of Betrayal" by Damien L Malcolm on the weekend I found myself pondering the questions, "Do I really need to eat?" and, "Do I really need to sleep?"... I spent every moment I could engrossed in the world of Jack Mullens and enjoyed every twist and turn to the last page! ... What an awesome read Damien! I enjoyed it right from the first sentence that sucks you right into a riveting read! Awesome book and I look forward to reading your next novel!"

Barbara said:
"I stayed up till 1am the first night, then again the next night. I just had to read to the end and find out what happened!" 

John said:
"What a damn rush! Great work mate. Had me going."

Teresa said:
"I just finished reading [the new] crime solving novel, Essence of Betrayal by Damien L Malcolm. It was a nail biting, page turner till the end and I am SUPER impressed! I couldn't stop reading it! Well done, Damien! I loved it!"

And also,

"I want my fingernails back!...It is very funny that book, as well as nerve wracking! You owe me big time, Damien. I had to get acrylic nails to hide my bitten natural nails! I haven't bitten my nails for a long, long time!"

Lorraine said:
"I couldn't put it down! I never guessed who the bad guy really was. Just amazing. From the first page I was hooked. Brilliant read." 

Doris said:
"I have to tell you I really enjoyed your book. I read the first couple of chapters the night I bought it, and said to myself 'Well, looks like I won't be getting anything done tomorrow!' You did a great job. Well done."

Helen said:
"What a book! I think I'm in love with Jack."

It has even had a 4 star recommendation from professional US online book reviewer, blogger and author, Kay Brooks from Confessions Of A Word Addict.

 

"Action and intrigue drove this story from point to point, whether it's following a lead or finding a place to clear his head. Once the first bombshell was dropped, the pace was quickly set. There weren't a lot of places where I found a lull in the action or plot. In fact, it seemed to me like this was twist after twist. When I thought I had a handle on where the book was going, another bombshell was dropped. Before the ending I didn't know what to think about who was on which side. Even the setting of the book provided a few twists of its own. The dialogue and clues didn't give much away before it was time and made the book enjoyable to read...I wholeheartedly recommend this book for anyone who loves a multi-twisting mystery or an action-packed thrill ride through an Australian town."

Read the full review here.

So now do you see why I'm so stunned at the reactions? I'm just a bloke living in a small country town, with now 2 books and a couple of short stories under my belt. Yes, I may have been writing since I was 15, on and off, but in the grand scheme of things I'm a nobody with zero history or exposure and hardly a pinch of decent life-experience to go on. At least that's what I see from inside this shell. There's an imagination, yes. Helped me through a lot, that little puddle of grey matter.

But the words in the opinions you read above are reserved for famous, great thriller authors. John Grisham, Agatha Christie, Matthew Reilly, Patricia Cornwell, and Michael Connelly. Not Damien L. Malcolm. Who the hell is he??

I just can't believe it. And for the first time actually being lost for words to write, all I can say is thank you. From the bottom of my heart, for all the support and encouragement, thank you.

Till next time,

-Damien.