S. Burke

Biography

I am an Australian Author ...Which I guess qualifies me for AA. I live in the glorious Harbor city of Sydney. I'm currently in the process of writing three new books, and have just completed another two...Phew! Not too shabby for a sixty plus year old.

I love life, laughter, and my darling daughter and four-year-old grandson.

Never enough hours in my day to complete all I have yet to do....my bucket list grows every year. I'm delighted to be here and look forward to interacting with many of you. Stay safe...and stay happy.

Smashwords Interview

When did you know that you wanted to be a writer?
I didn't begin writing until later in life, I had often dreamed about it, but felt my lack of formal education would impede me too greatly. It has been a huge learning curve, but I am so delighted to have done it, and the joy of it is, I learn more, every single day.
What do you read for pleasure?
I have very eclectic taste. What I read tends to vary greatly, depending on my need of the moment. I enjoy anything written by the late Tom Clancy in the fiction selections, and will often re-read them in order. I'm not big on Romance novels, however I have read some wonderful works by Author Tom Winton ..."Beyond Nostalgia" is a stand out. I read and enjoy Erotica on occasion. About the only genre outside my comfort zone is Science Fiction...but having said that I have also read the 'Dune' series.
Read more of this interview.

Books

Acts Beyond Redemption
Price: $0.99 USD. Words: 101,770. Language: American English. Published: January 16, 2016 . Categories: Fiction » Thriller & suspense » Psychological thriller, Fiction » Thriller & suspense » Action & suspense
(4.75 from 4 reviews)
The most powerful nation on earth is under attack, from within. Those responsible are untouchable, protected by the lofty offices they hold. Those that are aware are afraid. Their lives will forever alter if they do what conscience dictates they must. Can the USA survive the corruption? The body count is increasing, and the powerful are not exempt from a sniper's bullet.

S. Burke's favorite authors on Smashwords

Smashwords book reviews by S. Burke

  • Color Me Grey: Book One of the Alexis Stanton Chronicles on July 23, 2010

    Author J C Phelphs has created a marvelously fast-paced adventure with the petite MC Alexis Stanton a package of 5'4" dynamite, with long straight hair and a serious attitude if you cross her. Alexis has a very interesting background including special services training{Private yet}. A wealthy and connected family, with an Admiral for a daddy. Alexis has to draw her own conclusions on just what it is daddy does for the government. Her inherited sense of adventure send her on an interview for a most unusual position. This is an unusual book, written for a market tired of adventures that only include the undead and people with a nasty overbite. It moves fast, the characterizations are clever yet believable, and the adventure is full on. I look forward to reading the other books in this series. I have no hesitation in recommending this for a fast paced read.
  • Demons and Other Inconveniences on July 24, 2010

    As dark as it gets with humor to match. This is a collection of horror humour interwoven with the things that go bump in our imaginations. Dan Dillard has crafted each piece with a masters hand. Don't read at night if you are alone, the sound of your own breathing can do frightening things. I recommend this and Dan Dillards other works without hesitation.
  • Whirl of the Wheel on Oct. 06, 2010

    "The musty smell of wood and chalk dust hit Connie’s nostrils. She fell forward onto a sloped wooden desk, knocking hard into her funny bone. ‘What on earth . . ?’ exclaimed Charlie-Mouse, his voice echoing around the empty room. He slid off the back wall and into a seat behind her, scraping hard at her combats. But she didn’t move a muscle. She couldn’t – even though her elbow ached madly and she wanted to shake away the pain ricocheting through her body. Neither could she make a sound  her mouth was sealed tight and her tongue glued to the back of her teeth. She moved only her eyes. Hanging portraits of kings, queens and prime ministers glowered back. The background scream of the overhead gas lighting, the whipping of the wind and the shrieks from outside added their challenges to her senses. Stay calm, breathe, and relax. Everything’s fine. Someone came into the room. Startled, she nodded and smiled politely, clicking her heels in perfect time across the polished floor. The outside noise built to crescendo as the lady opened the door and blew sharply on her whistle. At once the shrieks fell and the playing children – with small boxes dutifully strung across their bodies – hurried into line. ‘Be quick about it,’ the lady instructed. The room filled – they moved along the lines of desks – shoes plain and practical, laced and buttoned, and polished in black or brown. Two to a bench seat – their backs a combination of coloured cardigans, pinafores, pullovers, shirts and tanktops." ***An excerpt from this lovely book, children and the young at heart will all enjoy the tale. A mini history lesson easy to digest and the adventures a three delightful characters suddenly caught in a time and place unfamiliar and frightening. Author Catherine Condie is to be applauded, she has researched her book well, and anyone reading can be safe in the knowledge that her portrayal of War ravaged 1940's England and the evacuation of it's young people is accurate. The three central characters are a delightful cross patch with the volatile Connie, her brother Charlie-Mouse and the much misunderstood nasty character of Malcolm all coming to grips in a world they have no way of being prepared for. Magic, time travel and adventure all entwined in a clever fast-paced and most enjoyable book. A five star book to be sure.
  • 33 Days: Touring In A Van. Sleeping On Floors. Chasing A Dream on March 21, 2011

    We all have dreams. Some of us pursue them, relentlessly, and often to the detriment of anyone or anything that gets in our way. Some of us say, “It’s all too hard” and then spend the rest of our damned lives wondering...” What if?” This is about four amazing human beings that chased their dream. Without causing damage to anyone else on the journey…at least not with intent. In 1987, four young men shared a common dream. They hungered for that bright shining star in their sky, and they had the guts to go in search of it. They didn’t understand on the day they left L.A just how deeply committed they would need to be to the music and each other. The 33 days of their journey altered their lives forever. Bill See the author kept a journal of those 33 days that changed the lives of he and his friends. I am so glad that he did, for had he not; I may have never had the delight of taking that trip with him, here and now in 2011. For such is the quality of this Author’s work that you can’t be anywhere else, you are there, in the van, on the road, meeting sleazebags, saints, and sinners in all the wrong places at all the right times. Meet the band members of Divine Weeks: Bill See: The author of this book and the singer with the band it all begins with Bill; he was 22 years old and hungered after a dream. Not to be super famous, not to live a life of "sex drugs and rock’n roll", that’s not what this was about. He believed that it would be for the good of all and not merely about the dreams of one. His dysfunctional early life had him searching for a pristine moment of clarity, a moment when all the pain and the insecurity would merge and become a musical voice, a musical voice of honesty, a musical voice of integrity. The music and the making of it, the memory, the chance to do it and get it right! How many of us wish we had the balls to go for it and make it happen? I smell the back of the van after days on the road, no windows, no air, all fodder for memories he recounts that will make you laugh out loud just before your eyes fill with tears and you catch yourself nodding in agreement and understanding. Bill See is a fine author; he brings the pages alive and makes you belong for the duration of the journey... you share it from the inside. Meet Raj: The lead guitarist. A young man raised in the belief that family and tradition were all there was. Raised to believe that seeking an individual dream was somehow betraying what and who you were. Of the four band members, Raj’s and Bill's stories touched me deeply; they struggled with the yearning to make it as a part of this thing, this music, and this band. They fought against everything they had been taught to believe; to just once…just once; step outside the family and their demands and go for the dream. The moments of reflection into their individual personas show just how very close the band members became. They were brothers, unasked, and unrelentingly... brothers all. Meet George: The Bass Player. Larger than life and twice as funny…ultimately belonging to the band allowed him to move beyond his preplanned and preordained life. Meet Dave: The drummer Dave is a street smart survivor, with a huge heart and the gift of the gab. He has the ability to keep the guys centred when this road trip hits the dark edges. Meet Ian: The Road Manager...The only non band member on the tour…The doer of all things miraculous, Ian’s steady hand, and calm demeanor helped keep the dream on track. I read this book way ahead of schedule. Naively thinking I could pick it up and put it down over a period of time. Wrong! I began reading and the sunrise startled me into finding I had read all of it throughout the night and had lost myself in its pages. Do yourselves a favor folks, if you only read one non-fiction book this year make it this one. I am left with a knowing smile on my face and the realization that I have just shared in something quite wonderful. A couple of quotes from the book. "This book is for everyone who’s stood at their crossroads with a dream screaming inside wondering whether to choose the road that goes off the map or fold up their tent and head back home. " “It’s not about the having and getting, it’s about the being and becoming...we’re artists, wounded birds…descending, ascending…always chasing the muse."
  • Highland King on Dec. 07, 2011

    Jeff Blackmere has written a marvelous tale combining equal parts myth, legend, history and imagination presenting the reader with a thrilling and moving sequel to Draegnstoen. The waring factions in the Royal families of 5th century Scotland and Northern England have torn the country in parts for generations. Greed and lust for power has murder as it’s constant companion. This is more than a book of bloodied heroes and villains. It is a book of forceful and quite wonderfully graphic descriptions and you the reader are right there experiencing the fearsome sounds and scents of bloody and ferocious battle. Doncann is the man destined to become The Highland King. Doncann is banished as a child and wrongly blamed for the death of his cousin to gain ascension to the throne of…his grandfather. Doncann is raised as a Cruthnie of Maetae and he begins the long journey to gain his rightful place as the King that will unite the lands and bring an end to bloodshed. He is trained in the art of swordsmanship and battle techniques by the shadow goddess Scathach, Patron of The Cruithni. Doncann doubts his heritage, but stands firm in his desire to understand the legend and accept the responsibility of the throne he was born to sit. Author Blackmere has woven a tale of loyalty and betrayal, of deep seated hate and abiding timeless love. In a time when woman stood and fought alongside the men in the fierceness of battle and died a dreadful and bloody death. The characterizations are rich, the dialogues is perfect and the names given historically accurate. The depth of emotion of the central characters adds a warmth and dimension to this work, making it far more than just Historical Fiction, it has layers of splendid imagery, with battle scenes that are memorable and crafted well, a love story that spans a generation and dialogue that plays gently on the ear of the reader. I enjoyed this reading experience immensely and came back to reality with a jolt and the satisfaction of having read a book that took me to a different time and a different place. That in my view makes this an absolute must read.