If you follow my blog at all, you know Israel Parker is my writing partner. I’ve bragged on him, gushed about him in my books’ acknowledgments, and trumpeted the news of his cover reveals, etc.
Well, it’s nearly time for him to release his latest book, GREEN VALLEY, which has been several years in the making, and I’m proud and honored to say I’ve seen it since the very first word was written.
The plot is amazing. The characters are alive (well…) And best of all, the WTF-ery is off the charts. Delicious.
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REVIEW: GREEN VALLEY starts as a quirky sci-fi set a few decades in the future in what was once a pastoral town in my home state of Ohio. The reader is lulled into thinking, “Ah, another somewhat dystopian book with veiled warning of what’s to come if we don’t change our wicked ways.”
That’s when Parker yanks readers so far out of their comfort zones, they’ll be left thinking, “WTF did I just read???” And because we can’t look away from car crashes and trains running off the track, we keep reading to find out what on earth is happening in GREEN VALLEY.
The characters are well fleshed-out (heh, that’s an intentional pun), the plot is amazing and I still don’t understand how Parker is able to tie together all the story lines, but he makes it look easy when I know it isn’t.
A little bit sci-fi, a little bit dystopian, and a little bit horror, GREEN VALLEY sort of reminds me of Justin Cronin’s THE PASSAGE, the big hit of 2010. But unlike that giant brick of a book, GREEN VALLEY moves swiftly and breaks the tension with dark humor, some ingenious parallels (see if you can spot them) and good, old-fashioned, “OMG THAT DID NOT JUST HAPPEN.”
In short, GREEN VALLEY is a tour de force that will keep you reading up past your bedtime just to see what else is in store for the unfortunate souls of that poor city.
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Born into a musical family, Israel moved several times early in his childhood until eventually settling in Henderson, Nevada. After high school, he enlisted in the United States Coast Guard, later enrolling in the Coast Guard’s elite Helicopter Rescue Swimmer Program. He was one of only four members to graduate in his class.
In 2004, Israel was stationed at Air Station New Orleans, one of the Coast Guard’s busiest air, search and rescue units. One year later, Hurricane Katrina nearly destroyed the Crescent City. He participated in countless daring rescues. These experiences fueled his desire to tell his stories.
Israel currently is stationed in Barboursville, West Virginia with his wife Melanie, their two children and their faithful Basset Hound, Roxanne. He remains on active duty, serving his country as a Coast Guard Officer.
