Guest Post – The Last Drive by John W. Howell #newbook @HowellWave

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Hello, and thanks for joining me today while I welcome Story Empire colleague, and fantastic author, John Howell. I’ve enjoyed all of John’s books but when he wrote Eternal Road, an unusual blend of history and the supernatural, which addresses the conflict between good and evil, I was smitten. So much, that I hinted around—erm, repeatedly—that the characters needed a sequel. I’m happy he agreed.

Today, I’m delighted to host John during his tour for The Last Drive, the long-awaited sequel. You can find my five-star review at the end of this post. In the meantime, please welcome, John!

Book cover for The Last Drive by John W. Howell, shows dirt road headed toward sea, greenery on either side

I am so pleased to be with you today, Mae. First, I want to thank you for helping to spread the word about The Last Drive. Although I had not planned to write a sequel to Eternal Road, I have you to thank for pushing me to return to the characters and the situation. It was an advantageous experience, and I must take a moment to thank you for convincing me it would be a good thing to do. As a result, I could explore additional areas of the relationship between Lucifer, Sam, and James. So, thank you, Mae.

Here is the blurb, and then we can get to a short excerpt from the book.

The Blurb:
In the sequel to Eternal Road – The final stop, Sam and James are reunited to look for two souls, Ryan and Eddie. Ryan was killed in Afghanistan, trying to avoid a schoolyard with his crippled plane. Eddie Rickenbacker, Ryan’s hero, is to guide Ryan to his Eternal Home, and now both are missing.

The higher-ups believe that there has been some interference in Ryan and Eddie’s journey by Lucifer, so Sam and James have the task of finding Ryan and Eddie to get them back on the road despite the evil interference. Unfortunately, the machinations designed to prevent Ryan and Eddy from completing their journey take the pair to horrifying testing grounds. The places visited represent the best work of the Devil. They are the trenches of World War I in France, gladiators at the Roman Coliseum, the sinking Titanic in 1912, Hiroshima 45 minutes before the bomb, and the Auschwitz concentration camp in 1943.

This book is for you if you like plenty of action, strong characters, time travel, and a touch of spiritual and historical fiction. So, join Sam and James as they try to find the missing souls while staying one step ahead of the Prince of Darkness, who is determined to destroy all that is good.

Banner ad for The Last Drive shows tablet with book cover beside cup of coffee and cell phone

An Excerpt:
The Archangel touches his temple. “I’ll come right to the point.”

“Thank you, Sir.” Sam’s eyes lock on the Archangel’s.

“We’re missing a soul and his guide.”

Sam’s hand goes to her mouth. “Missing? How is that possible?”

“Before we get to that, please have a seat, and let me give you the preliminary details.” He points to a chair.

Sam perches upright on the seat’s edge.

“You can relax, Samantha. This may take a while.”

Sam eases back into the chair. For the first time, she notices small lines on the Archangel’s forehead.

The Archangel sits heavily in his chair, sighs deeply, and looks Sam in the eyes. “The soul belongs to an American Air Force pilot. His aircraft got disabled over the Afghanistan countryside.” He pauses. “A lucky shot from an insurgent hit a vital place in his machine. Long story short, the damage forced him to bail out of the crippled craft, since it was on fire and no longer viable.”

A Link to the Trailer

Buy Links

The Last Drive is available in paper and Kindle editions on Amazon.
Here are the universal links.
The Kindle edition is on sale for 99¢ through mid-February.

Kindle  | Paper

Author, John W. Howell

Author Bio:
John is an award-winning author who after an extensive business career began writing full time in 2012. His specialty is thriller fiction novels, but John also writes poetry and short stories. He has written Six other books that are on Amazon in paperback and Kindle editions. 

John lives in Lakeway, Texas with his wife and their spoiled rescue pets.

Author links
Blog: Fiction Favorites  | Facebook  | Twitter | Goodreads Amazon Author’s page | BookBub

Eternal Road Buy links
Kindle Universal link  | Paper Universal Link 

I hope you enjoyed this post from John. Before you hop over to Amazon to snatch up your copy of The Last Drive, check out my review below and be sure to drop John a comment to wish him well. Thanks for visiting!

My Review of The Last Drive
In this follow up to the Eternal Road, departed souls, Samantha (Sam) and James are reunited to help a recently deceased pilot. Airforce captain, Ryan Sanders, died in a selfless act. Eddie Rickenbacker (yes, THAT Eddie Rickenbacker) is assigned as his guide on the Eternal Road but when the two veer off course, it’s up to Sam and James to get them back on track.

The four eventually connect, but their problems are far from over. Determined to claim Ryan’s soul, Lucifer lays trap after trap as the four hop through time using a 1956 Buick Oldsmobile as transport (trust me, the car is a brilliant touch).

It’s obvious Howell did his research—and there was certainly a lot! The reader visits Super Bowl I, the Battle of Britain, Gettysburg, Hiroshima, the California Gold Rush and ancient Rome, to name just a few of the highlights. I found the scenes onboard the Titanic remarkably touching, especially when Sam and James interact with the captain and crew.

S & J have excellent chemistry and their devotion to each other (especially when pitted against Lucifer) is part of what makes them such excellent characters. Captain Sanders also gets a personal spotlight, when the four journey into his past to discover what became of a woman he loved before entering the service.

An entertaining mix of history and the supernatural, The Last Drive offers a unique journey with four great characters as guides. The ending is wholly satisfying and left me with a wonderful warm feeling. If you’re ready for adventure, sit back and buckle in while James revs up the Olds. Next stop—history!

128 thoughts on “Guest Post – The Last Drive by John W. Howell #newbook @HowellWave”

  14. Great post, Mae & John! Can’t wait to read this one, myself, and I know I’ll be in for a treat! The trailer is fantastic and pulled me right in. As soon as my family returns home from their holiday visit, I’m going to get going on it!

    Congratulations, John, and I hope this one is a mega-hit for you! 😊😀😊

    Liked by 2 people

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  21. I am almost halfway through this story and loving James and Sam’s adventures so far. Mr. Howell certainly did his research, even down to vacant seat numbers on an airplane. Congratulations on this spotlight! Thank you, Mae, for hosting!

    Liked by 1 person

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  25. Buying it anyway. £12.90 in the UK. Purchased lol-though it may be a while before I read it. I really enjoyed “Eternal Road” and so I’m hoping for more of the same.
    I will let you know what I thought after reading it John. Lol, with so many books to read probably October or November. Kidding.

    Liked by 2 people

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  29. So, the WordPress gremlins are at it again. I’m not getting notifications from either of you. I found this post by wondering why John mentioned starting his tour but then never started his tour, so I investigated. Sigh.

    Congratulations, John. I was looking forward to this one.

    Mae, excellent review. Thanks for hosting.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply ↓

  31. I agree with what you said in your review, Mae. John must’ve done a huge amount of research: the Super Bowl I, the Battle of Britain, Gettysburg, Hiroshima, the California Gold Rush, Rome, and the Titanic. I’m placing this in my TBR and reading it soon! Congrats, John!

    Liked by 1 person

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  32. I was a huge fan of Eternal Drive and thrilled Mae convinced you to continue the story. Now I’m a huge fan of the series 🙂

    Thanks for hosting, Mae!

    Liked by 1 person

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  33. I finished the book yesterday, Mae, and thoroughly enjoyed the adventure. It was an interesting mix of humor and in many cases poignant tragedy. I agree that John’s research was impressive. Great review and Congrats to John. 🙂

    Like

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  34. Mae,
    This is a cleverly written review.
    I look forward to reading “The Last Drive”, especially as I had enjoyed “Eternal Road” a LOT!
    Thank you, Mae!
    Congratulations, John!
    🐂🐂🐂🐂

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply ↓

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