LOSING HIS FATHER MADE HIM AN ORPHAN ON THE STREET.
NAPOLEON’S WAR MADE HIM A HERO ON THE SEA.
Paladin's War wins Chanticleer Gothe Award
Chanticleer Authors Conference in Bellevue, Washington: It's official: Author Peter Greene has won the Chanticleer Gothe Ward for Post 1750 Historical Fiction for book three in the Adventures of Jonathan Moore Series. Paladin's War was honored with the Grand Prize at the 2018 Chanticleer Authors conference.
Winner of the Adventure Writers Competition Grandmaster Award and the Independent Author Network's Book of the Year for outstanding Action/Adventure.
"A robust story of a young lad in the British navy during the Nelson years. A thorough insight and beautiful portrait of those days under wind blown sails and the creak of wooden hulls. Peter Greene has created a story that shines from every page. An excellent book. He truly nails an insight of nineteenth century sailing ships and their crews." - Clive Cussler Finalist in the Independent Author Network's Book of the Year for Action/Adventure.
"Chock-full of adventurous fun, Greene seamlessly weaves together several dynamic story lines—pirates, a stowaway, attempted murder and the dreaded French Navy—creating a rich, complex world for readers to enjoy. It’s driven by an eclectic, well-drawn cast of characters. Joining the crew is the irrepressible Miss Delain Dowdeswell, whose spunk and wit will appeal to young female readers. A spirited tale of high-seas adventure that will leave readers both young and old anxiously waiting for more." - Kirkus Reviews Finalist in the Chanticleer Gothe Book Awards 2018.
"Greene has produced another page-turner here, filling the seas with gunfire and knife fights, and London’s streets with a network of spies and traitors hidden in tea parties and foxhunts. He deftly alternates scenes of maritime and land-based exploits, creating a perfect mix of grisly nautical violence, urban skullduggery, and gentle takedowns of British high society. Delain is a delightful character who’s smart, funny, and independent; Jonathan and Sean, meanwhile, are heroes of the first order—tenderhearted, ingenious, and fierce in battle. Greene’s fluid prose ably handles the extensive nautical terminology, making it easily understandable, and the dialogue reflects both the pretension and the wit of the period.An exciting, satisfying historical novel with a touch of poignancy." - Kirkus Reviews |
About Jonathan Moore Books:"I’ve always loved classic sea stories: Stevenson’s Treasure Island, Forester’s Horatio Hornblower and O’Brian’s Jack Aubrey series. The excitement of tall ships during the age of sail, traveling to unknown shores, racing across stormy seas and hearing the roar of rippling broadsides always thrilled me. But I couldn’t help thinking that for most of us, unless one had supporting texts and companion guides to get through all the jargon and technicalities, one could easily become lost–and maybe surrender to something easier to read. That would be too bad. So I did something about it.
I kept the characters and the action as historically accurate as possible for a Nelson-era navy, but took it easy on the terminology and more unsavory aspects of life at sea. And the things you do really need to know, well, wouldn’t it be best to learn that along with the characters? The ones that started out as land-lubbers just like you and your kids? I also avoided all magic, superpowers and paranormal material. That’s all fun – but none of us will ever discover we have wizards or Olympians for parents or a mystical ability. For this series, I wanted to point out that real heroes do exist, and they have throughout history. The Adventures of Jonathan Moore books are about one would-be hero and his friends who try to succeed using only their courage, their wits and industry alone – no magic necessary. And though I can never fill the shoes of Stevenson, Forester or O’Brian, I can attempt to follow in their footsteps." - Peter Greene Send yourself back to the age of tall sailing ships and run away with Jonathan Moore, Sean Flagon and Miss Delain Dowdeswell on their adventures to the Caribbean, the Black Sea, Africa and all points in between. Beautifully illustrated by artist Michelle Graham, (Warship Poseidon and Castle of Fire) these books are bound to please. Each volume elevates the reader in reading level (from 4th to 9th). Book 1: Warship Poseidon stars the seemingly-orphaned, twelve-year-old Jonathan Moore, as he is abducted by a gang and pressed into service aboard HMS Poseidon, a forty-four gun fighting frigate of the British Royal Navy. However, there is more to the event than just a change of address. How is it that some members of the crew, including the captain, already know his name? Why do the officers seem to favor him above the other new crewmembers? As Jonathan endeavors to solve these mysteries, he is thrust into a daring mission to recover a hidden treasure on a remote Caribbean isle. Unfortunately, the crew and officers of the Poseidon are not the only ones searching for the prize. In a desperate race across the Atlantic to Skull Eye Island, Jonathan is pitted against sword-wielding spies, engages in terrifying ship-to-ship battles and in the end, must match his wits and courage against a ruthless and cunning French captain and his powerful warship. Book 2: Castle of Fire continues the adventure as Jonathan and Sean soon leave the comfort of family and London on what is considered by all to be a ‘peach‘ of a mission, and a chance for the boys to visit with the irrepressible Delain Dowdeswell, soon to be bound for London with her sisters. However, with the arrival of another midshipman holding a severe but unexplained grudge, life aboard HMS Danielle is anything but pleasant. Why are the new midshipmen his enemies? Who is stealing food from the ship’s stores, and why must Jonathan and Sean sneak into a heavily guarded Spanish fort in the middle of the night to do some burglary of their own? Jonathan must capture a stolen British ship from blood-thirsty pirates, solve the mystery of the surprising stowaway, and defend his honor and his life during a fierce duel to the death with a murderous adversary. Alone and vastly outnumbered, the crew of the Danielle engages in a violent battle on the wild seas south of the farthest tip of Africa. Only Jonathan, Sean and an unexpected guest can turn the tide of the struggle by unlocking the secrets of a mysterious island and re-igniting the ferocious power of the Castle of Fire! Book 3: Paladin's War. In the year 1802, Midshipman Jonathan Moore, Marine Private Sean Flagon and adventurer Delain Dowdeswell enjoy the company of family and friends during a delicate peace between France and England. However, mysterious spy networks now freely roam Europe's great cities, and the ships and armies of all nations remain on the edge of war. An elaborate scheme created by the intricate spy network of a mysterious Russian nobleman involves manipulating Jonathan, now aboard the eighteen-gun HMS Paladin, the Royal Navy’s fastest ship. Commanded by his friend and mentor, Lieutenant Thomas Harrison, their mission is to deliver an important treaty to a clandestine location. Remaining in London, and bored with endless tea parties and tedious school lessons, Delain encounters a shadowy black rider sneaking about the mansions of London’s elite. Suspecting foul play, she investigates and enters a web of secret meetings, spies, kidnapping and coded messages. At first merely interesting, Delain’s investigation soon turn deadly as she finds that all clues lead to the Paladin’s mission, and to her friends, now thousands of miles away and in grave danger. Once at sea, the boys are pursued by their sister ship HMS Echo, though she avoids all contact. A sabotaged gun, a mistrusted crew, and a vicious assault on their ship by a well-armed band of assailants has the men and officers of the Paladin anxious. Even Jonathan is uneasy, forced by agents of the king to withhold vital information from his officers. Led to waters far from home, the boys now fight for their ship and their lives against a rogue naval commodore with a war plan of his own. The answers to these mysteries will eventually be discovered by Jonathan Moore, if he can defeat his powerful enemies in the Black Sea--and survive the final conflict of the Paladin’s War. Warship Poseidon wins Independent Author Network Book of the Year award for Action Adventure!
Castle of Fire receives finalist distinction. Adding to the Clive Cussler Collector's Society's Adventure Writer's Competition honor in 2012, Warship Poseidon has now won the Action/Adventure category in the 2015 Independent Author Network Book of the Year competition. After becoming a finalist in the First Novel, Historical Novel and Action/Adventure Novel categories, Warship Poseidon (entered as Skull Eye Island) was announced the Action/Adventure winner on August 16th (at 12:54 AM). It was amazing," author Peter Greene said. "I heard my phone beep with an email in the middle of the night, and thought that I should check it because I heard nothing all day from the contest. I was resigned to accept a 'finalist' honor - still pretty awesome - but winning a category would be awesome-er! I read the email and woke up my wife to tell her. She mumbled "that's nice, sweetie" and went back to sleep." Castle of Fire, the second book in the Jonathan Moore series, was also selected as a finalist in the Action/Adventure category. "So I kicked my own butt, I guess," said Greene. |