J. G. Sandom ~ Author

GOSPEL TRUTHS - November 2006 Excerpt

In anticipation of the republication of GOSPEL TRUTHS, we will be posting excerpts from the novel over the next few months.

The third post -- The Balcony -- is excerpted from Chapter 8.

To view this selection, click here.

NOVEMBER 2006

NEW AND NOTEWORTHY

THE UNRESOLVED has been nominated for the 2007 Best Books for Young Adults (BBYA) literary awards.  It will be discussed at the American Library Association's Midwinter conference (ALAMW), in January, 2007, in Seattle, and will be voted upon at the show.  [Note:  J.G. Sandom writes his young adult novels under the name T.K. Welsh.  Click here for more information.]

A warm thank you to all of you who nominated THE UNRESOLVED!

EXCERPTS
In anticipation of the republication of GOSPEL TRUTHS on January 30th, 2007, we'll be posting excerpts from the novel over the next few months, through February, 2007.  The third post - The Balcony - is excerpted from Chapter 8.

To view this selection, click here.

READERS' POLL
The results are in for the October, 2006, Readers' Poll, testing your knowledge of GOSPEL TRUTHS.  This one must have been tough because it was split 50% - 50%.  The correct answer was, "Lyman wrung his neck."  No, Marco Scarcella didn't poison the dog, although his henchman did feed him broken glass!

This month's poll (below, left) once again focuses on GOSPEL TRUTHS.  (Check the excerpts for clues!)

To view previous polls, click here.

REVIEWS (Excerpted in October)

THE UNRESOLVED -- Editorial Reviews

The Edge of the Forest, October, 2006
"The Unresolved, by T.K. Welsh (AKA J.G. Sandom), is one part historical novel, one part ghost story, and one part gorgeous, dark, evocative prose. It may be the most beautifully written novel I've read this year."

All About the Book, October, 2006
"The Unresolved is a great one. Mallory is the most well-developed ghostly character I've seen in a long, long time...I can't recall another story where I've felt so connected to the ghost...Welsh (Sandom) skillfully manipulates emotions and develops characters...and I found myself genuinely caring about these people."

Midwest Book Review - "Children's Bookwatch", October, 2006
"Turn-of-the-century Manhattan comes to life in a wonderfully different kind of ghost story."

Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books - Volume 60, Number 2, October, 2006
The Johns Hopkins University Press
"(Mallory's) search for the truth amid corporate greed, lies and cover-ups, and rampant anti-Semitism in the Kleindeutchland community is gripping...Villains and good guys are clearly delineated, details of the fire are rendered with grisly poesy, and an aura of creepiness pervades the entire novel, making this an inviting choice for teen melodrama aficionados."

THE UNRESOLVED -- Reader Reviews

Carlie, teen librarian, in Hackensack, NJ @ BCCLS Mock Awards
Listed as a nominee for the "Printz Award"

Kelly Herold @ Big A little a
"I'm reading The Unresolved, by T.K. Welsh (AKA J.G. Sandom), right now and it's a combination of historical novel/ghost story and it's so amazing."

Norgelia @ The New York Times, "Book News and Reviews" Forum
"I just read my daughter's latest book, The Unresolved, by T.K. Welsh (AKA J.G. Sandom), and it made me think that there may be hope for that genre...Well written, the book dealt with some weighty topics -- anti-semitism, death and dying, justice -- without losing momentum or becoming maudlin. Mallory, the main character, is a great young protagonist...I was impressed at how beautiful and evocative the language was."

For the full text of the Reviews, click here.

For more on THE UNRESOLVED, and the other works of T.K. Welsh, click here.

OCTOBER, 2006, READERS' POLL

The results are in for the October, 2006, Readers' Poll, testing your knowledge of GOSPEL TRUTHS.  This must have been a tough one because it was split 50% - 50%.  The correct answer was, "Lyman wrung his neck."  No, Marco Scarcella didn't poison the dog, although his henchman did feed him broken glass! Results Preview: How did George, Lyman's son's dog, die? 0.0% He was run over by a car. 0.0% He drowned during a fishing trip in the Lake Country. 0.0% He died after eating ground-up glass. 50.0% Lyman wrung his neck. 50.0% Marco Scarcella poisoned him. www.jgsandom.com

Kiss Me, I'm Dead

BookLoons Reviews, November, 2006

"On June 15, 1904 fifteen-year-old Mallory Meer boarded the General Slocum steamship. The morning was festive and warm as families from Kleindeutschland, or Little Germany, headed toward Long Island Sound for a church outing. Mallory's thoughts were on one thing - Dustin, whom she had arranged to meet on board. As the band played German love songs Mallory and Dustin snuck downstairs for their first kiss. Neither had any idea the day would end in one of the greatest disasters in New York City history.

"Author (J.G. Sandom) brings Mallory's story to life in the book, (Kiss Me, I'm Dead). Just moments after Mallory emerges from post-first-kiss-bliss, a fire starts on board the ship. The steamship, in a negligent state of repair, goes up in flames quickly. Lifejackets disintegrate, lifeboats are rusted to the side and immobile, and the captain steams ahead, despite the fact that the ship is burning and sinking. Mallory, like more than a thousand others, drowns. She narrates the story from above as the city is caught up in a rush of grief and the need to find a scapegoat. Religion, money, and power come into play as the story plays out. But in the end all lives are forever changed.

"Based on the true story of the General Slocum, (Sandom's) book tells the tale from an interesting perspective. (The) writing is fresh and vivid. Mallory takes turns inhabiting different minds and seeing what others see...this approach lends a depth to the book otherwise impossible. For an account of a little known tragedy (Sandom) does a tidy job of painting time and place...(Kiss Me, I'm Dead) is a tale of love, corruption, and revenge - which in the end is always a good combination."

What do you think of this review?  Click on Comments, below.

To order your copy, click here!

KISS ME, I'M DEAD

Historical Novels Review, November, 2006

"Fire! This is the greatest fear of passengers and crews of ships, both now and in the past. On 15 June 1904, fear becomes reality for fifteen-year-old Mallory Meer of Little Germany on New York City's Lower East Side. She is one of more than 1300 passengers aboard the General Slocum bound for Locust Grove when fire spreads rapidly through the steamship.

"Mallory and her baby sister are among the 1,021 who die amidst the panic and confusion as people try to escape while the crew attempts to extinguish the flames.

"Her unexpected death compels Mallory to recount what happened - her excitement of a secret tryst with Dustin Brauer, her disappointment when Bingham Goldstein's bullying ruins her first kiss. With so many dead, everyone knows someone who died; sadness turns to anger after Bingham accuses Dustin of starting the fire. This injustice, the Slocum's owners' cover-up of oversights, and love for her grieving family spur Mallory to induce those who know the truth to speak.

"This spellbinding young adult novel, based on a true story, overwhelms the reader with the tragic loss of so many lives and the sudden end to the promising life of one young girl. She tells her story without looking through rose-colored glasses and confronts the truths even when they hurt. Mallory will haunt you, just as she does those she leaves behind."

What do you think of this review?  Click on Comments, below.

To order your copy, click here!