Reader Views praises Clean

I've been a busy boy lately, hammering away at the keyboard until my fingers are sore and my head hurts, but the input from keen readers and reviewers makes it all worthwhile. Here's a bit of what reviewer Richard Blake from Reader Views had to say about Clean:

"The descriptions of Britain’s countryside and people were brilliantly articulated and gave the feeling of having been there. I now want to revisit England and see the country through Ben’s eyes."

For the whole review, or to find other fresh voices in this often stale industry, visit Reader Views.

BookIdeas.com Reviews Clean

Woohoo! Another excellent review of Clean can be found at the Book Ideas website. Click the link to go there and check it out. Here's a snippet of what the reviewer, Marie Jones, had to say:

"Novels of spiritual quests are not easy to pull off, many often sounding too intimate for others to relate to, too preach for others to stomach, or too boring for anyone to care about, but Clean is a solidly told story that just happens to be about an everyman on an amazing search for his own soul, and it works well, holding our captive attention as we feel the emotions driving Ben Whyte to seek what his soul craves, even if it costs him his life. Wholeness."--Book Ideas

WebRings

Anybody know anything about these? I joined a few today, to try and promote this site. Will it work? I have no idea. I guess we'll see when the counter starts racking up (or not.) Meanwhile, feel free to email me or leave comments here regarding your personal experiences or viewpoints with WebRings as a tool for self-promotion.

Salem Unbound Nears Release

Salem Unbound, which was co-authored by yours truly and the great Michael T. Danielson, is in the final stages of preparation for a public release. The book is to be the first of a trilogy. Here is the glorious front cover, designed by Mr. Danielson himself. A link to preview the book will soon follow. Until then, feel free to stare at this crappy scanned photo, and drool.

The synopsis of Salem Unbound follows: Do you remember your first love? How about the competition you faced for their affection? Two awkward young boys, both forced to uproot and follow their families to a town in southern New Hampshire, develop an unlikely alliance as they attempt to overcome the challenges of settling into their new lives. They also develop an amusing rivalry as they each attempt to woo the gem in Salem's crown, a popular and aloof schoolmate named Audrey. Thus begins a seething enmity that continues to rear its head 20 years later as the friends struggle to put together a book detailing their experiences. Set against the backdrop of the early 80's, Salem Unbound is a series of candid and hilarious memoirs about the challenges of growing up; an imaginative and touching childhood saga of love, jealousy, and ultimately, of friendship.

Clean Wins ATF Award

In addition to the fantastic reviews listed below, Clean was graced with the "Author To Follow" award. I would be remiss not to shove this laurel in a few faces (so there, Mrs. Gerber...with all my daydreaming and absences, I still accomplished something.) Click on the award badge to read all about it. In the meantime, I'd like to thank the academy, my parents, Jesus Christ, David Bowie...

Praise For Clean

A few editors, authors, and readers have been daring enough to review my first novel, Clean, and--shockingly--they have all had wonderful things to say. Of course, this makes me feel all warm and nice inside, like I just took a great, big shot of Jaegermeister. Here are some quotes from these wonderful, incredibly astute reviewers:

"It is a rare work, especially one as concise as Clean, that can bring together the many elements of serious fiction in one piece: the various forms of conflict (man against man, man against nature, main against himself), tangible settings, symbol, allusion, meaningful theme, nemesis, historicity, and exploration of the human condition. That Sweet has manages this in Clean without drawing attention to the manner in which this is achieved demonstrates Sweet’s deep understanding of and dedication to the craft."--Chevalier Editions

"I am completely fascinated by stories that adhere to Campbell’s cycle of a hero, basically a personal quest that follows along the lines of the Grail quests of King Arthur. Clean is a perfect modern example of such a quest. Moreover, this story meshes perfectly the world that we all live in and the Arthurian world of Knights and honour that many of us wish still existed."--TCM Reviews

"Ken Sweet has impeccably edited this self published novel and he's an excellent writer to boot. His imagery puts you right in the middle of the mystical old world locations over in Britain as Ben quests from site to site for clues to CLEAN."--P.O.D.LINGS

"I give it 73 stars out of a possible 22, which is quite favorable wouldn’t you say... "--Michael Danielson

"In the words of Socrates--"A life unexamined is not worth living." These profound words hold true for Ken Sweet's first novel Clean."--Cheryl Anne Gardner

"The author managed to pull us into the world of Benjamin Whyte, making his emotions our emotions, his desires our desires. We can share his points of view, his feelings, and his becoming of Clean, as he lets us into his most intimate thoughts."--Henry Martin