Stephen White - Alan Gregory discussion

We'll be reading No Greater Sacrifice in June. John will be joining us for this event and he has offered a limited number of copies of the book to group members :-) I'll be setting up the event in the near future and sending out an invite, so watch your inbox!

As a reminder...

To receive a copy of No Greater Sacrifice you must:
1) Respond "Yes" to the event (once it's created)
2) Send me a shipping address (via Goodreads Message)

note: If you sent an address for Moonlight Falls, there is no need to send it again, simply respond "Yes" to the event.
another note: If for some reason you don't want to receive a free copy, for example if you choose to purchase the book or get it from the library, Please note that in your response comment to the event, so that someone else can take advantage of this giveaway.

If you receive a giveaway copy of No Greater Sacrifice you agree to:
1) Read the book
2) Make at least one comment in the group discussion (that would be this here thread) either while or after reading the book
3) Rate and Review the book on Goodreads

Thanks Everyone!

No Greater Sacrifice by John C. Stipa

No Greater Sacrifice is available on Amazon. Kindle version is only $3.99 :-) I know two people mentioned they might get buy the kindle copy. There are two paperback editions available that will cost $16.95 or $22

http://www.amazon.com/No-Greater-Sacr...

John, why does Amazon have this listed as Volume 2? Just curious.

btw, to clarify the "limited" number of copies - I just wanted to make sure people understood that not everyone in the group would be able to get a free copy. I think most people interested will be able to get a copy of No Greater Sacrifice. If you have Kindle, it'd be great if you can do the $3.99 to free up some copies for others :-) John has promised 10 copies, which I think is very generous. These 10 copies do not include the copy he has already sent, so right now, if you take out John, Myself and the 2 people who offered to buy kindles, there are still 4 copies available :-)

Dustin, thank for providing me this opportunity. I look forward to interacting with the group.

The "Volume 2" is a complication resulting from the publication processed used at CreateSpace.com. I did not know it would show up in the actual title (as displayed on Amazon). And now that the book is published, I can't edit the words. You'll notice it does not show up in the title of the Kindle version. Everyone should just ignore that, meaning there is no Volume 1.

The $22 version should also be ignored. It is an old version that was retired from Lulu, but Amazon refuses to remove it from their site despite my repeated requests.

Ah, the life of an independent author... never a day goes by without an obstacle to leap.

Sounds like there are some Amazon issues going on - that's kind of annoying and including volume 2 in the title when there is no volume 1 well, that's just stupid. Sometimes Amazon is just slow to fix problems - hopefully, they will get around to correcting this :-)

Thanks for referring this book to me Dustin. Sounds like it's right up my alley.

5 star review by William Potter of Reader's Choice Book Reviews - May 1, 2010

Looking for adventure, mystery, romance and loads of fun in your next summer read? Trek across Europe, search for lost treasure, defeat the bad guys, and much more as you enjoy author John C. Stipa’s entertaining debut novel, No Greater Sacrifice.

The author captured my interest from the prologue. A parish priest is murdered in a church at Rennes-le-Château in the South of France in 1917. Three men are framed for the murder and the seeds of a 100-year-old mystery are planted.

We meet our heroine, archaeologist Renée d’Arcadia, in present day Greece. It is a short time after she has learned she is terminally ill with leukemia. Her plan is to look around the well known sites in Greece such as the Acropolis. Instead, she explores the Temple of Eleusis. There she finds a small bronze piece with strange symbols and markings.

Renée is summoned to a church in France for the reading of a will. While en route, she meets David Arturo, who has been named in the will as well and the pair travel to Rennes-le-Château for the reading. Instead of wealth or property, the two are left more puzzle pieces like the one Renée found in Greece.

This touches off a whirlwind journey across Europe from Stonehenge to Frombork Poland to find the remaining puzzle pieces. At the end, unknown riches await that could be the Ark of the Covenant, the Holy Grail or even King Solomon’s gold. However, sinister forces are never far away. A murderous group of criminals are willing do whatever it takes to attain the bronze pieces and the treasure.

John C. Stipa has included all the aspects of great contemporary fiction: a captivating opening, wonderful characters, and a tight plot with plenty of twists and turns. He builds the tension, increasing the pace, keeping the reader glued until the climactic ending. Renée and David begin a classic, budding romance charged with sexual tension. David, the college professor, former military, calm and organized, is the perfect companion to the wild, spontaneous, act-first-deal-with-consequences-later Renée. The secondary cast is first rate with Renée’s best friend, the eccentric “Trout,” and the pompous Paul Meehutch adding enough contrast and support without overshadowing the heroes.

Any author writing in this genre risks comparison to the literary work of Dan Brown. I believe Stipa has done enough to distance himself from Brown’s well known books and movies. The dialogue is realistic and the narrative so descriptive that you begin to fear you and your couch will collapse into the next secret chamber along with the characters. The beautiful but tough, crossbow toting, take no bull, Renée d’Arcadia is the new Indiana Jones. Don’t miss this thrill-a-minute adventure! Highly Recommended.

http://www.readerschoice-reviews.com/...

I am really looking forward to this because it sounds very good. Like Slo, I'm a big Dan Brown fan although I was rather disappointed in The Lost Symbol. It took so many years to release The Lost Symbol because of Brown going to court and releasing his movies (very disappointed in the movies too btw). I still love The DaVinci Code, Angels & Demons, and Deception Point. I'd even try Digital Fortress again. I got hooked on Dan Brown back in 2004 and I've been looking another author similar. I've heard good things about Steve Berry but I haven't gotten into his books yet. I tried this book, but it wasn't very good:
The Genesis Code

So, I've got a couple of books to read before I start No Greater Sacrifice, but I plan to start reading before June :-)

yea! I got my book today! and it's signed! can't wait to start it, may not be able to wait until June :)

My signed copy surprised me too :-) I thought that was a nice touch.

My signed copy arrived today. Thank you so much! I cannot wait to start reading.

I think I got my book Monday but am not sure of the timing because I was out of town. I love that you signed it, John. Actually, I was expecting to buy the Kindle version that I would have to read on my pC so this was a surprise and a very welcome one. Now I can curl up on the sofa with my kitty on my lap and a glass of wine -- how could it get any better?

@Emily, Dustin, Janice, Susan: it's I who should say thank you for being brave enough to step into my world. This is very cool.
--John

Just got my signed copy today! Thank you John, can't wait to start this :)

I got my signed copy this week too, thanks so much John!!! I have others I need to finish, then will be ready to start No Greater Sacrifice.

I received the book today in the mail and am super excited to start reading it!

:-) Remember, you don't have to wait until June 1st to begin reading :-)

My signed copy was waiting for me when we got back from camping. Thank you so much, John. And Dustin, too, for putting it all together.

BTW Dustin - how the heck do you get picked for so many giveaways? Does it help to run a group? I don't have the computer skills to do that. Or are you doing, um, something less than honorable? That I could do.

Maicie wrote: "BTW Dustin - how the heck do you get picked for so many giveaways? Does it help to run a group? I don't have the computer skills to do that. Or are you doing, um, something less than honorable? That I could do. "

For the first reads giveaways my secret is to enter for lots of them - anything I would actually read and I pay particular attention to how many copies are being given away. I mostly enter for books that have 20-50 copies being given away. Drawings that only offer 1 copy, I only enter if I'm very interested in the book :-) I haven't won any 1 copy giveaways. Since March when I started entering, I've won 11 books through the first reads program. Being a group moderator doesn't have anything to do with first reads wins :-) but it does help get books from goodreads authors like John, Shaun & Vincent and since Tess Gerritsen is my goodreads friend and I moderate the Tess Gerritsen Fans group I got me and 4 others advance copies of Tess's 2010 release ICE COLD, which I just finished.

Ah gee. My mom says the same thing about the Colorado Lottery: You gotta play to win.

You know Maicie, you live really close to me :-) How did you like those storms that came through last night. I was watching American Idol (I think Lee is gonna end up winning) and trying to get the kids to bed during most of it. Did you think you were gonna have a tornado?

A couple years ago we had a tornado pass through our field. Instead of going to the basement we took some wonderful photos from the deck. The weather here can be fierce but it's also beautiful. We are really lucky to live where there isn't too much light pollution and the lightning storms are mesmerizing. Last night's storm just skimmed us but my husband was at a class in the Dacono/Fredrick area and he said they had a couple inches of hail. I love Colorado!

I do too. Unfortunately, one of my dogs is terrified of thunder and I think she can hear it when it's in Kansas. She becomes a lap dog then, even though she is a Dalmatian/Greyhound mix.

There is nothing to compare to viewing the stars from the top of Wolf Creek Pass. Gorgeous!

Hi John, I have read about 100 pages and I am enjoying the main charactors, Renee and David. I definitely feel sympathy for both, with Renee's illness and David's guilt. The mystery is getting very intriguing, as they start to put part of the pieces together. Thanks again for the signed copy.

Thanks Janice. If you're at page 100 already, then you're just past my favorite (well, one of anyway) chapter in the whole book (Ch11). It is a challenge creating characters that are likeable, one way is through sympathy for their plight. The poem at the end of Ch2 came from emotions I experienced at the death of my father when I was 19. It was a difficult scene to write, but hopefully that much more credible.

I'm ready to start chapter 18, not quite 1/3 of the way through the book, and am really enjoying this. I love stories where different artifacts and time periods are part of the mystery. The prologue grabbed me, had me guessing what was really going on. I thought some of the events in Chapter 1 happened a little too fast, but now I'm caught up in the story. Thanks, John!

Thanks for the kind words Susan!

going to start it tonight, can't wait 'til June!

Shawnee wrote: "Am I right to assume all the free copies of the book are gone?
"

John? :-) Shawnee just joined the group - is there another copy available?

so...I've only just started, but I have really high hopes. So far I totally LOVE Renee. I hope that she remains a strong female charater, they are rare.

Emily, you're great. I love that you love Renee. To say she remains strong is an understatement. Flawed? Most definitely, but strong.

That's great Shawnee :-) John has been very generous - The extent that you participate is really up to each individual, but here are the minimum expectations:

If you receive a giveaway copy of No Greater Sacrifice you agree to:
1) Read the book
2) Make at least one comment in the group discussion (that would be this here thread) either while or after reading the book
3) Rate and Review the book on Goodreads

I'm on page 123 (start of Chapter 19) right now and really starting to enjoy it. I'm liking the pacing so far and pretty curious to see where we're headed here.

Paul Meehutch is quite the little prince, isn't he? I think I've met him before. ;-)

@Jason: you're entering one of the best action scenes in the book - have fun and tell me if a new action hero has been created.

@Susan: Yeah, Paul can really be annoying, but he kind of grows on you after a while....

I'll have to take your word for that until I read farther, John. Right now, he is mostly just annoying but also is an interesting character.

Ch17 tells us a lot about Paul, but requires a bit of knowledge of mythology....

just finished...but don't want to spoil anything for anyone else, but BURSTING!!!

I've put it down for awhile, didn't want to finish too soon, but I think I'm going to have to go back and re-read chpt 17, see if I can pick up on the mythology thing despite my less-than-stellar knowledge.

I've got to finish Moonlight Falls and then I'll be starting No Greater Sacrifice - See y'all soon!

I am starting NGS tonight or tomorrow.

Page 50 right now, taking it on the road with me tomorrow

I am on page 56, just getting started, but already hooked. As an "armchair" archaeologist, I love most things that deal with digging up the distant past!!! And I am already wondering, John, what research you did for the writing of this book?

Yes, I was wondering if the author had a background in archaeology and/or church history.

**********SPOILER***********
I like Renee and I get a little shock everytime I remember she has leukemia.

Janice: I spent 3 days in 2006 touring the south of France culminating in a visit to the church at Rennes-le-Chateau. Fascinating place. Ancient. And spooky - no lie. Sitting in the church had a very creepy feel to it. Bunch of photos posted on my Facebook account. I stayed at the Hotel Mercure (fantastic food & service - highly recommended) with a grand view of the castle of Carcassonne out my back window. That's where I wrote the scene for Ch11. Google Carcassonne, unbelievable view at night.

Maicie: I have an advanced degree in Indiana Jones. Own all the DVD's, quote from the movies all the time - some are even referenced in the book. Love Harrison Ford. I was lucky to have a very Tom Sawyerish childhood - a lot of outdoor adventure. Exploring was just something we did. Plus my editor was an experience speelunker ;-)

Aside from the personal visit, I did mondo internet research on top of stuff I already knew about mythology, symbology & religion. I taught Confirmation class at our church for 3yrs so I guess that gave me more insight into church history. Ever wonder why the roof of a Catholic church is shaped like a boat? It's in reference to Noah's Ark. It took me a long time to put the base mystery together, but once I got that to "work" it made writing a heck of a lot easier.

The whole concept was for you to feel as if you were holding an archaeologist's journal in your hands (sorry Kindle readers!). You may have noticed how I gave you a page or two to try to solve the puzzle on your own before having Renee & David figure it out.

By the way, the interior illustrations were done by my daughter - very proud of her.

Probably more than what you wanted to know, but thanks for asking!

Thanks, John
I did something I never, ever do. I turned to the back pages to read about the author because I was so curious about his background. I love a fiction book that lists resources. Crichton does that, too.

You wrote:I taught Confirmation class at our church for 3yrs so I guess that gave me more insight into church history.

Interesting. No matter what a person's spiritual or religious background, the history of (the/a) church is fascinating.

Janice, you wrote: As an "armchair" archaeologist, I love most things that deal with digging up the distant past!!!

I love that. My father used to wake up every Sunday morning, with the travel section of the newspaper spread across his lap and ask, "Where am I going today?" Thanks for reminding me of that precious memory.

John, I got to the first illustration today, was delighted to see it included. Your daughter is talented!!!

Maicie, thanks for sharing that memory; just thinking about archaeology and digging is bringing back some memories for me as well.

Just finished the book earlier today! I won't spoil anything here but I really did enjoy it. Renee is such as kickass character. I wouldn't mind reading another novel or 2 with her as the lead character (hint, hint).

John, that is just awesome that your daughter did those illustrations! How cool was that to be able to include her like that into your book? You must be very proud of her.

@Jason: Working on another project currently, but I do have a 2nd book in mind. Renee would only have a minor role while I introduce additional characters. I'm toying with putting together a series where every book takes on a different theme. NGS is about Faith. If I'm smart enough, I'll weave them together like JKRowling did with the Potter series (brilliant how she did that). Not sure where it'll take me, but I'm confident the characters will write the story for me.

Yes I'm very proud of my daughter. She's very talented. Should look great on her resume.

@Shawnee: Thanks for the kind words and the shout out on your blog. I won't give anything away, but the cover contains a lot of clues to the story ;-)