BOOK REVIEW: Alarm Clock Dawn

A Book Review.......

Books....Books....Books.....and, Even More Books, Please!!!!!

.......as seen through my eyes!

By: Jacqueline E. Hughes

Occasionally, within your busy, daily life, you unexpectedly run across something that turns your head, makes you think and helps solidify that what you and many others do is nothing short of......well, impressive!!!

When I began to write many years ago, it was a time decidedly punctuated by a lifestyle rife with reading as many books, classic and modern, fiction and non-fiction, as I could get my hands on.  My passion, my future was 'written in stone' around the age of ten and I have been quite comfortable ever since.  Life (marriage, children and work) intermingled with my writing and time certainly carried me away upon its illusive wings until our youngest, Corinne, began her freshman year of college at Michigan State University in 1997.  We had become 'empty nesters' at the ripe, young age of forty-six and my life changed in so many ways. 

Dan obtained a job with a multi-family building company out of Altamonte Springs, Florida, and moved down to the Orlando area about one year before I followed him.  This allowed me time to tie-up loose ends at my current position, as well as see Corinne through her first year of college....something I felt quite strongly about.

Even though I now 'lived in paradise,' I continued to work outside of our home.  However, my passion for writing, finally, had time and space to blossom into a feasible desire to be published one day.  Becoming a freelance writer afforded me the chance to hone my craft even more and, with a travel article published in the local paper, the Orlando Sentinel, travel writing seriously appealed to me....Big Time!

Social Media soon followed and I was addicted to it as my 'drug of choice.'  Among Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Tumblr, to name a few, I have not only initiated and shared my weekly blog, Moving On...2014, but the greatest perk through all of this has been the opportunity to meet so many beautiful people throughout the world, become friends and discover their talent and passions, as well.  Hence, my addiction....

Today, I am taking yet another giant leap within this amazing, colorful world via social media.  Because the talent (out there) beyond cyberspace and into the daily life of many gifted people is so prevalent, it deserves recognition on so many levels.  Authors, photographers, painters and sculptors....just to name a few.  People with day jobs, hopes and dreams, families and aspirations of being able to share their talents with others; entertain the masses.

Upon meeting Eric Vance Walton via Twitter and Facebook, I  familiarized myself with his writing and decided I had to showcase his work and give more people the chance to become captivated, as I was, by his debut novel.  Eric, you are my first author reviewed but, I guarantee you have set a precedence here at Moving On that I am so proud to be a part of.... and will be for a long, long time!!
  
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BOOK REVIEW: "Alarm Clock Dawn" by Eric Vance Walton


Alarm Clock Dawn, a brilliant debut novel by author Eric Vance Walton, is a chilling foreshadowing of the possibilities all of us might be facing if our paths continue to lead us through the controlled darkness and corruption of Corporate greed and the continued annihilation of the so-called Middle Class.

Power mixed with Idealism can be a lethal combination when applied to Johann Pfizer.  As CEO of XenTek, a leader in futuristic technology, Johann based his corporate success upon Middle Class consumerism with the constant desire to live competitively on the 'cutting-edge.'  By dictating for decades what he feels the consumer needs and must have, XenTek and Johann Pfizer have locked into the individual greed of mankind while creating depersonalized human robots and declassifying the art of individual thinking.

Adam Harkin, an employee at XenTek, while intelligent and carrying high degrees within his qualified resume, had become just another 'number' as he was plied with material rewards and impressive job titles.  (The more money you made the higher line of credit you enjoyed.)  When Adam left work each night heading for his sterile cubicle called 'home,' he was becoming more aware of his lofty consumer status as his number, based on his credit score, allowed
him privileges well beyond those with much lower scores.  Your status within society was color-coded depending on your credit and displayed on an identification card that must be carried at all times.  Adam knew his 'green' card reflected his exclusive lifestyle, just as he was more aware of the everyday souls whose lower credit line deprived them of looking forward to brighter futures and only allowed them to solely concentrate on maintaining their current lifestyle...as if, even this was possible.

Adam, becoming more disillusioned by the inequality of life around him, realizes that the time required to maintain his own 'green' credit status has left him alone and lonely.  His life is punctuated by routine and habit with little or no time for pleasure or the simple joy of laughter.

With opposition groups forming and others being enlightened by the possibilities of a better, more wholesome life, devoid of corporate control and the rising financial gulf between the world run by XenTek and the majority of people classified by conventional values and conservative attitudes, Adam fears for his own future.  He was growing tired of his puppet-like life of rising at dawn when his alarm dictated he must, in order to begin this charade all over again.  

With Johann Pfizer planning to disrupt the delicate balance of the world once again by introducing his latest scheme to try to control it, Adam's recent promotion within XenTek presents him with the 'dark side' of his company's corporate image along with the absolute disregard for all life, in general, falling below CEO status.  Adam's desire for change opens his heart to the possibilities beyond the walls of the city, to the people and camps continually filling-up with others disillusioned and hampered by greed and power.  He soon learns how these camps are comprised of seekers of freedom and truth!

Even though I, as a reader, quickly realized what a 'page-turner' Alarm Clock Dawn turned out to be and, how fascinated I'd become in finding out the ultimate plight of Adam Harkin and the fate of humanity, so many things about this novel intrigued my imagination and prompted me to savor their many nuances that had become unique segues throughout the book.  Like an intricately decorated, multi-tiered cake, Eric Vance Walton was able to fill each delicious layer with suspense, intrigue, understanding of spirituality, as well as his ideal use of images and indirect suggestions.

Eric Vance Walton, a renowned, published poet in his own right, has astutely enhanced his storyline by supplying us with ample poetry interspersed throughout his novel.  Not only do these wonderful, original poems offer insight and add continuity to the plot, they serve to blend various dimensions of each character into a human, artistic form and balance them within the storyline.

The harsh realty of this brilliant debut novel is uncomfortably familiar to all of us.  By the end of the book I wanted to scream wildly at the greed and stupidity of mankind.  Why do some people enjoy and respect the natural beauty God has lovingly bestowed upon all of us while others treat mankind and nature as expendable commodities?

If you are looking for a poignant read that is well written and includes a monumental "twist" at the very end....then, Alarm Clock Dawn should be placed on your e-book library shelf or personal bookshelf at home as soon as possible.  Is it ever too late to help change the direction our world is headed in for a better one?  This novel may encourage this change before it is too late for all of us.

I have heard that this project is the initial part of a trilogy and, after reading Book I, can only hope that Book II will be just around the corner.

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Author Bio provided by Eric Vance Walton:

Eric Vance Walton is a novelist, author and poet with a writing career spanning nearly two decades.  He has published several books in different genres and has won several awards for his work including the "James Thurber Treat Prize".  Alarm Clock Dawn is Eric's debut novel.


Facebook Author Spotlight Link:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Eric-Vance-Walton/320090161436012


 Lulu Author Spotlight Link:

http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/ericvancewalton


 Author Website Link:

http://ericvancewalton.wordpress.com/