New fantasy-adventure book makes
MBR’s July Fiction Shelf
July 12, 2011 (Durham, NC) -- “The Mahogany Door,” a new fantasy-adventure
book by J. Mark Boliek, accompanied by an all-original soundtrack CD, has
received a positive review and strong recommendation from the reputable Midwest
Book Reviews (MBR).
Under the headline “A fun fantasy
aimed at young adult readers,” MBR says of the book:
“Friendship can stay true through the worst of it all. ‘The
Mahogany Door’ follows amnesiac JT Davis and his two friends as in the efforts
to restore memory lead them through a Mahogany door and into a fantasy world
that will challenge their very concepts of reality and test their friendship to
the fullest as they look for a way to return and make things right. Complete
with a CD with music designed to go along with the book, ‘The Mahogany Door’ is
a fun fantasy aimed at young adult readers, very much recommended reading.”
Out of 1500 book submissions MBR reports that it receives
each month, MBR reviewers select only 450 to read. “The Mahogany Door” was one
of those and, as such, is placed on the Fiction Shelf of MBR’s July Small Press
Book Watch.
“The Mahogany Door,” with original illustrations by
California artists Lauren Gallegos, is the first title released by Split Rail
Books in Durham, NC. It is the first in a trilogy of books entitled The
Bruinduer Narrative, which will continue the friends’ adventures in the fantasy
Vryheids world of Bruinduer.
Established in 1976, the Midwest
Book Review publishes monthly book publications specifically designed for
community and academic librarians, booksellers, and the general reading public.
It is a major Internet resource for publishers, writers, librarians,
booksellers, and readers of all ages and interests.
For more information, go to www.midwestbookreview.com.
“The Mahogany Door” and accompanying CD are currently
available through the author’s website, www.jmarkboliek.com.
The Kindle® edition is available on Amazon and available for iPad on iTunes and
iBooks as well as Nook from Barnes and Noble. The CD is also available for
download from iTunes, Amazon Mp3 and many other online retailers.
Facts about The Mahogany Door:
Author: J. Mark Boliek. Publisher: Split Rail Books. Publication Date: May
2011. Genres: Fantasy-Fiction, Adventure-Fiction. Illustrator: Lauren Gallegos.
Age Group: 10 and up. ISBN: 978-0-9832900-0-1. Paperback: 353pp. Retail Price:
$27.99. Currently available: http://www.jmarkboliek.com.
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“The Mahogany Door” Soundtrack CD Now Available For DownloadingEight songs of various musical styles reflect themes from the new book.
June 1, 2011 (Durham, NC) -- The original music soundtrack that accompanies “The Mahogany Door,” a new fantasy-adventure book for young readers by J. Mark Boliek, is now available for downloading from iTunes, Napster, Amazon MP3, and a host of other online music sources.
“The Mahogany Door,” book one of The Bruinduer Narrative trilogy, is the story of three friends, separated by tragedy, who must come together again to journey back through the great Mahogany Door into the fantasy world of Bruinduer to correct a destiny they left unfulfilled years before.
Themes in the book are reflected in the eight-song CD, which range in style from rock and R&B, to country and one full orchestral arrangement. The titles are: “All Alone,” “Rear View Mirror,” “In the Afternoon,” “The Devil Can’t Help You Here,” “Here is My Anger, Here is My Pride,” “Kingsfold on Bruinduer,” “Goodbyes,” and “Five Years Ago”.
A musician as well as a writer, Boliek conceived of the CD soundtrack as a way to capture the moods and themes of the book in songs. He wrote or co-wrote all but two of the songs. Katie Basden, a new name in country music, wrote “Rear View Mirror” and has allowed him to use it on the CD.
“I was also happy that Katie agreed to sing the vocals for ‘Goodbyes,’” Boliek added.
Benjamin Young, Scott Jackson and Keith Wood, of the band Made By Saturdays, wrote “Five Years Ago.”
The process of creating the soundtrack was particularly special to Boliek because of the “closeness of friends and family” that it took to create the CD, he said. To honor that process, he is including the CD free of charge with signed copies of “The Mahogany Door” when orders are made through his website’s “Shop” at www.jmarkboliek.com/cart.
“It’s a pretty cool thing to put something together that you never thought you could, and it actually sounds pretty good,” he said with a smile.
He’s also been pleased with the reception the songs have received from young readers when he’s played them at school fairs and other events.
“At one event, a group of 12-year-old girls jumped up cheering after ‘In the Afternoon’,” he said. “I wasn’t expecting that!”
Boliek also includes the soundtrack in an enhanced eBook version of “The Mahogany Door” that is supported in applications for iPad, iPhone, and Kindle for iPad that will be available through Apple’s iBook store and Amazon soon.
All of the songs except “Five Years Ago” were mixed and produced by Triangle area veteran music engineer John Plymale (Squirrel Nut Zippers, Meat Puppets) of Overdub Lane Studios in Durham, NC. “Five Years Ago” was mixed and produced by up and coming engineer, Paul Leavitt (All Time Low, Dangerous Summer, Circa Survive) of Valencia Studios in Baltimore, MD. All songs were mastered by Brent Lambert at The Kitchen in Carrboro, NC.
The entire soundtrack can be heard on the website at www.jmarkboliek.com/the-music. For a complete list of where the songs can be downloaded, visit Boliek’s blog at www.jmarkboliek.com/blog.
For more information on The Mahogany Door; the 353-page soft cover fantasy-adventure book for young readers recently released by Split Rail Books of Durham, NC, visit. www.jmarkboliek.com and the author’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/JMarkBoliek.
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“The Mahogany Door” Makes Book Expo America’s New Title Showcase Split Rail Books gets its first title before international buyers, librarians and more.
May 25, 2011 (Durham, NC) – “The Mahogany Door” by J. Mark Boliek, a new fantasy-adventure book for young readers just published by Split Rail Books of Durham, is included in this year’s New Title Showcase at the BookExpo America (BEA) going on now at the Javits Center in New York City.
BEA is the largest book-publishing event in North America that’s attended by book buyers, librarians, editors, publishers, and literary agents, as well as book authors and illustrators. The New Title Showcase provides a way for publishers of all types, including small presses, to have their book titles on display at major international book fairs in prime exhibiting locations, and in official fair exhibits. Books in the Showcase are also included in a searchable, online database on the BEA website for one year.
“Most book expos are in the fall, but since this one is in May and my book has been officially released this month, it just seemed right that ‘The Mahogany Door ‘would be a part of the BEA,” said Boliek. “I’m delighted that it’s there for buyers, librarians and others to discover.”
“The Mahogany Door” is the first book in J. Mark Boliek’s The Buinduer Narrative fantasy-adventuretrilogy. Accompanied by an original music soundtrack CD, it is a story about three friends, separated years ago by a traumatic event, who are compelled to reunite so that they may once again pass through “The Mahogany Door” and into the fantasy Vryheids world of Bruinduer. They must fulfill a destiny they left undone nine years before to keep Bruinduer from collapsing. The eight songs on the soundtrack CD capture the mood and message of certain sections or themes of the book.
A 353-page, soft-cover book, “The Mahogany Door” features original cover art and interior illustrations by California artist Lauren Gallegos. It is intended for young readers ages 10 and up, as well as parents who like to read to their children. Signed copies of the book and CD ($24.95) are currently available on the author’s website www.jmarkboliek.com.
For more information on Book Expo America and the New Titles Showcase, visit www.bookexpoamerica.com.
For more information on J. Mark Boliek and “The Mahogany Door,” visit www.jmarkboliek.com.
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YA FANTASY GUIDE: "The Mahogany Door by J. Mark Boliek"
CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE ARTICLE
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The Mahogany Door: A New Fantasy-Adventure Book for Young Readers
Split Rail Books releases the first book in The Bruinduer Narrative Trilogy
May 23, 2011 (Durham, NC) -- After the last Harry Potter film is released this summer, what will young fans of fantasy-adventure fiction have to look forward to? Split Rail Books in Durham, NC, suggests its new title, “The Mahogany Door,” the first novel in a new fiction-fantasy-adventure series written by J. Mark Boliek of Durham especially for young readers.
And it comes with an original-music soundtrack CD.
“The Mahogany Door,” book one of Boliek’s The Bruinduer Narrative series, is told by an unnamed grandfather who captivates a group of children with his fascinating story, first out on a beach then huddled around the fireplace of a beautiful mansion by the shore as a fierce thunderstorm rages outside.
The story centers around three friends, separated years ago by a traumatic event, who are compelled to reunite so that they may once again pass through “The Mahogany Door” and into the fantasy Vryheids world of Bruinduer. They must fulfill a destiny they left undone nine years before to keep Bruinduer from collapsing. One of the friends lost his parents and his memory in a horrible accident and has no idea what to expect. One knows too well and has tried to forget. The third friend’s insistence that they must return to Bruinduer is mysterious and suspicious.
The friends’ journey back to the world behind “The Mahogany Door” leads to the book’s “teaching moments,” which resonate with the author’s own life – about things in life not always being what they seem, about the value of friendship and the importance of completing tasks, and about the secret to tapping into the power of a their only “guide” along the journey, a monstrous being they call “Billy.”
And the end is designed to leave young readers anxious for book two.
Author J. Mark Boliek is a former football player and military man, a computer programmer and musician, and the son veteran broadcast journalist Dave Boliek of WTVD-TV. He began working on The Bruinduer Narrative nine years ago. His initial 157-page draft turned into three distinct stories in which the first tale, “The Mahogany Door,” evolved into a 353-page children’s fantasy novel. He is currently working on the other two books in what he expects to be a trilogy.
“The Mahogany Door” features cover art an interior illustrations by California artist Lauren Gallegos. It is published in paperback with a typeface and size optimized for young readers ages 10 and up.
The songs on the accompanying CD, written primarily by the author, reflect certain themes in the book, from “All Alone” to “Here Is My Pride, Here Is My Anger.”
For more information about “The Mahogany Door” by J. Mark Boliek, published by Split Rail Books, go to www.jmarkboliek.com. Each track from the accompanying CD can be heard at www.jmarkboliek.com/the-music and the book with CD can be ordered directly at www.jmarkboliek.com/cart.
Facts about The Mahogany Door:
Author: J. Mark Boliek. Publisher: Split Rail Books. Publication Date: May 2011. Genres: Fantasy-Fiction, Adventure-Fiction. Illustrator: Lauren Gallegos. Age Group: 10 and up. ISBN: 978-0-9832900-0-1. Paperback: 353pp. Retail Price: $24.95. Currently available: www.jmarkboliek.com.
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In FANTASY BOOK REVIEW: "The Bruinduer Narrative Trilogy: A New Fantasy-Adventure Book for Young Readers"
May 24, 2011
"The Mahogany Door,” book one of J. Mark Boliek’s The Bruinduer Narrative series, is told by an unnamed grandfather who captivates a group of children with his fascinating story, first out on a beach then huddled around the fireplace of a beautiful mansion by the shore as a fierce thunderstorm rages outside...
CLICK HERE TO READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE 