Review of B.J. Robinson's Last Resort

Last Resort by BJ Robinson

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars


Last Resort in 140 characters or less: Girl meets boy. Girl denies obvious interest. Enter abusive ex, girl’s rival 4 boy. <3, shots, property damage. Co-conspirators? Suspense!

In Last Resort, the debut title on Desert Breeze Publishing from B.J. Robinson, Faith Roussell settles in a small, fictional Florida town after leaving a broken and abusive relationship.

Faith’s best friend, introduces her to Matt: a clumsy cowboy destined to win Faith’s heart. But the flirtatious Lilly, who rivals Faith for Matt‘s heart, makes her affection for him known while Faith openly denies her own.

Meanwhile, Fred, Faith’s jilted ex, pursues her with a vengeance. He wants Faith back at all costs -- enough to threaten her life on numerous occasions. But is he acting alone? Maybe, maybe not.

Last Resort is written in descriptive language that paints the picturesque southern backdrop well. Yet, it is not so thick that it makes for dragging exposition.

The romance, well-penned sensory details, and build-up action sequences are where Last Resort shines. Matt and Faith’s repartee is believable and light on the syrup. I easily bought into their courtship.

But elements of the book’s dual plot were lacking for me. It’s credible in spots, not so much in others. But Robinson baited my hook REALLY WELL in the book’s final acts.

If I sat down with B.J. and had three questions, I would ask the following: Why wasn’t Fred a prime suspect at first? Why did he willingly let Faith go in the first place? And if she “escaped” from him, wouldn’t the first place he would think she went is her old hometown?

For a story rich in southern charm, romance, and a redemptive Christian message, Last Resort fits the bill.



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DIY Publishing versus Self-Publishing: Good and Bad

I’ve changed book religions. I used to believe mainstream publishing (manuscript+query=agent; agent+publisher = SUCCESS!) was the way for me. It is not, at least not right now.

I advocate Do-It-Yourself (DIY) publishing over self-publishing. Both have advantages and disadvantages.

The DIYer’s trump card is that, while he did publish himself, he is not considered a “self-publisher.” He uses the same printer of a self-publishing company. He totes books around everywhere he goes. His books are Print-On-Demand — just like that of the self-published.

But he is not self-published.

When you self-publish, no major brick-and-mortar bookseller will carry you. Even in your book was the next great American novel, who would know it? If a reader can go to a building and see your book, it adds trust to your name.

The only difference between DIYers and mainstream publishers is that you put out one title a year and
they crank out 20. Because of that distinction, brick-and-mortar bookstores will carry you.
This Friday, let’s talk a little about how simple DIY publishing really is and how much the investment is worth.

Be blessed,

Brian Thompson’s passion is motivating and encouraging others to write and to pursue Do-It-Yourself publishing. He is also author of the Christian fiction thrillers The Lost Testament, and The Revelation Gate. You can read more about Brian by visiting his author site.

So You Think You Can’t Write?

In my experience, most people say can’t when they mean won’t. When I tell people what I do, most say, “I can’t write a book.”

Maybe they don’t write well, never learned to type or are devoid of ideas. They might have a hectic home or work life.

If I was a betting man, I’d wager the problem is verb confusion. They think they can’t do write a book, when the reality is they won’t.

So you “can’t” type. Even hunters-and-peckers can write 31 words in an hour (barely half a word per minute), right?

Would you say you send e-mails about 31 words long every day? I do.

OK, writing 31 word e-mails once per hour 8 times a day produces almost 250 words — a double-spaced typewritten page.

Multiply that by 251 days (assuming you don’t e-mail on weekends). In a year, you have written 62,250 words. That’s a full-length novel — longer, in fact, than my second novel, The Revelation Gate.

Well, maybe that’s not your excuse. You can manage the typing, but those are e-mails and you can’t think of an interesting book topic.

Sure you can.

What type of movies do you like? I watch action, adventure, and larger-than-life fantasy. That’s what I write. Write what you know, or study what you like and write it. Everybody has a story to tell.

Your mindset could be blocking a potentially lucrative writing career.

Author Brian L. Thompson is the president of Great Nation Publishing and author of the Christian fiction thriller The Lost Testament, and The Revelation Gate. You can read more about Brian by visiting his author site.