Our Client, Author Stephen A. Carter

Category: Literary and Film Project

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

ARTISTIC PROFILE: for Stephen A. Carter:

Website: OBAAT.CA

After touring the Southern states twice coupled with nine years of research and editing, Canadian author Stephen A. Carter has recently published the first of a series of four historical-fiction action/adventure novels. Book One entitled “BATTLEGROUND” is set in the turbulent period before the U.S. Civil War. It is the first of four contiguous novels set between 1854 and 1884. Although there are many themes, the primary emphasis deals with African-Americans and their involvement in the Civil War before, during and after the ‘great schism’.

He has also published a high school primer of 100 short poems, pictures and 200 word intros on Americana entitled AMERICANS R US. Unpublished works include two books of poetry and four stage plays. In 1985 he illustrated the world’ best selling fly-fishing book entitled ‘THE GILLY’. He began his writing career by writing travel articles for a local magazine. His website is OBAAT.CA

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

The son of British-Welsh immigrants, the author was born in 1946 in Vancouver, BC. Thereafter he graduated from the University of BC in 1968 with minors in English and Psychology and majors in History and Geography. For twenty-one years he taught high school social studies before touring Canada as a pen & ink artist. A stage 4 cancer survivor, he currently lives in Port Coquitlam, a Vancouver suburb. He plays senior slo-pitch softball, writes/edits five hours a day, walks his dog Tango, and spends quality time with his wife Daphne.

ABOUT THE BOOK –  THE “MATARI SERIES” – BOOK 1, “BATTLEGROUNDS”

“…an incredible page turner the likes of which compares favorably to ROOTS by Alex Haley.”

Product details

• Best Sellers Rank: #3,390,502 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
  • #19,011 in Saga Fiction
  • #40,485 in Family Saga Fiction
  • #80,421 in Historical Fiction (Kindle Store)

• Customer Reviews: 
• 5.0 out of 5 stars    1 rating

BLURB

A young John Saxton looks on helplessly as brutal slavers on the slave ship Wanderer throw their human cargo overboard to avoid capture by the American Naval Patrol. From then on, the Boston shipping heir and his giant Maasai mentor Matari (Marcus Brown) become implacable abolitionists.

A supporting cast of unforgettable characters are caught up in a web of murder, dark secrets and political intrigue. Saxton and his beautiful black bride Virginia survive in a dangerous milieu of Confederate espionage, high treason and the siege of Fort Sumter, all brought to the fore by one man… President Abraham Lincoln.

“BATTLEGROUNDS” Book 1,  is the first edition of an explosive series of 4 Books planned by the Author, soon coming to your book store and we’re aiming to see all these works in film. We here, are all eagerly looking forward to having a read of the Author’ journeys covered in his books, about to reveal their highly significant contents as the Author revisits our significant past, and heart-rending  history of  the  appalling mistreatment of a gracious peoples ever to roam God’s earth.

The novels will provide a keen eye-opener and window into the events that will touch the hearts of many.  It may serve also as a catalyst in awakening the more unsavoury and unpleasant memories of those whose grandparents, and great grandparents experienced the atrocities dealt them, and being denied their right to freedom.

Our deeds shall forever remain a blemish which can never be erased from the pages of our historical archives, nor from our ugly past where social conscience matters pertaining to human decency are concerned, and the cold hard facts and revelations of our recorded historical data set against the tapestry of our tempestuous American history, but also that of every nation on earth, where ‘Slavery’ and slave trading was employed and exploited so precariously.  Not only as a profitable commodity of commerce and trade, but how it was utilized as an evil form of decadence and self indulgence by despotic owners of  indigenous African peoples, sold to them as slaves. In this instance of exchange, both the buyers and the sellers stood equally guilty, but nevertheless despite the distant events of our past, have passed that legacy on to those descendants still living today, that will have to live with their questionable family histories.

The only reparation acceptable can primarily solely be achieved by changing our social and racial attitudes which continues to linger  and hover like a dark menacing shadow over Nations, and we must individually conduct a thorough searching of our hearts, and our consciences.  We are keen to represent these works to the film sectors, The Screenplay for Book 1, Titled “Battlegrounds” is fully completed and ready to go!).  We are of the opinion that there can’t ever be sufficient reminders of the extraordinary debauched abuse, torture and unacceptable degradation that was perpetrated against sacristy itself; and that of every individual’s basic human civil rights – but more importantly, our God-given right to ‘free will’.

Emerantia Parnall-Gilbert

Overview: 

A young John Saxton looks on helplessly as brutal slavers on the slave ship Wanderer throw their human cargo overboard to avoid capture by the American Naval Patrol. From then on the Boston shipping heir and his giant Maasai mentor Matari (Marcus Brown become implacable abolitionists.

A supporting cast of unforgettable characters are caught up in a web of murder, dark secrets and political intrigue. Arrayed against them are two arch villains Horatio Garrow and his hapless henchman Harley Blackstone. Saxton and his beautiful black bride Virginia survive a dangerous milieu of Confederate espionage, high treason and the siege of Fort Sumter all brought to the fore by one man…..President Abraham Lincoln.

“Battlegrounds” Book 1, contains the basic premise (in that it deals with the struggle of black Americans trying to gain their civil rights denied them by slavery in the South and the Fugitive Act of 1850 in the North.)

Boston, long before the Civil War began, was the nexus of a social/political struggle against slavery in the USA. For example, ‘Uncle Tom’s Cabin’ by Harriet Beecher Stowe was published there in 1852. After the famous ‘Tea Party’ of 1773 and the Irish immigrations of 1849, it is not surprising that Bostonians of all social stripes were considered anti-establishment. However because of the fractions, an insidious social divide between black and whites living there became apparent.

Shortly before the Civil War, Boston’s black population became socially estranged from the city’s white mainstream. This divide becomes quite evident when the book’s white hero marries a black undertakers daughter, the beautiful Virginia Rowland. Their consequent struggle mirrors the social and racist hypocrisy of pre-civil war Boston not only in the white community but in the black (as portrayed by Rev. Benson and his white counterpart Minister Norland.)

Therefore, in Battlegrounds, the conflict over the issue of basic human tights evolves from the visceral (the throwing of slaves overboard) through the subtleties of social hypocrisy. Eventually civil war erupts between two ideologies so diametrically opposed they are willing to die to preserve them.

Carried along on a tidal wave of hate and destruction are the sub-characters…Alan Pinkerton, Lincoln, Marcus, Belle and Virginia. Much like the desperate slaves aboard the slave ship, the Wanderer, they careen helplessly towards the abyss of civil war. Yet, behind the scenes as chaos explodes around them, these characters plot and counter-plot, their actions leading up to an unforgettable conclusion.

Two main characters form the moral pillars of two diametrically opposed societies, namely John Saxton (an enlightened heir to a shipping fortune) and Marcus Brown (Matari), a former slave/sailor and Maasai warrior (Moran) who amongst other black epitomizes the black dilemma in America.

White trying to retain his Maasai moral compass, Marcus is forced to obey the rules of a socially bigoted white majority in order to survive. This ethical miasma results in a conflict not only between him and those he loves but also between the forces of evil as portrayed by the villainous Horatio Garrow and his hapless confederate Harley Blackstone. Because Saxton and Marcus’s morals remain unsullied, their purity of character only serves to make the antagonists appear more evil and depraved.

UPCOMING TITLES OF THE MATARI SERIES ARE:-

SYNOPSIS : MATARI Books 1-4

SYNOPSIS: MATARI SERIES Book 1, Titled: “BATTLEGROUNDS”

Suggested subtitle:  0.

Author:  Stephen A. Carter

Genre: Hist/fiction

Word Count: 124,966

Number of pages:499

Line spacing: Double

Font/Size: New Times Roman 12

A young John Saxton looks on helplessly as brutal slavers on the Wanderer throw their human cargo overboard to avoid capture by the African Naval Patrol. From then on, the Boston shipping heir and his giant Maasai mentor Marcus Brown become implacable abolitionists. A supporting cast of unforgettable historical characters are caught up in a web of murder, dark secrets and intrigue. Arrayed against them are arch villains Horatio Garrow leader of the dreaded Deacon Gang and his hapless henchman Harley Blackstone. Can Saxton and his beautiful black bride Virginia, survive a dangerous game of Confederate espionage, high treason and  the siege of Fort Sumter that  concludes the book in their ‘Honeymoon from Hell’?

 

SYNOPSIS: MATARI SERIES Book 2 – Titled: “THE DIE GAME”

Author:  Stephen A. Carter

Genre: Hist/fiction

Word Count: 122,980

Number of pages:555

Line spacing: Double

Font/Size: New Times Roman 12

Suggested subtitle: 

Book 3,  Titled: “THE DIE GAME”

As the Civil War divides and devours a nation, a black American guerilla force is carried behind Confederate lines by a unique sinking ship, the SS Nimsi. Led by a giant Maasai warrior Matari, 30 black Rangers fight a determined and deadly foe from the eastern seaboard of America to its vast western plains. Even as the horror of war explodes around them, the Rangers embrace a common dream that emerges deep within the heart of Matari.

Cast upon a tidal wave of violence, John Saxton the heir to a Boston shipping fortune and his mentor Matari (Marcus Brown, a former Maasai slave) organize the Maasai Rangers, a force of black American sharpshooters bent on destroying the Confederacy. With a specially designed ‘sinking ship’ and the latest weaponry, this force is savaged by spies, sexual recklessness, betrayal and hand to hand combat from the Atlantic coast to the plains of ‘bleeding’ Kansas. But the most compelling force that bedevils Saxton and his Negro wife Virginia is WHY are over 150,000 blacks fighting for the Confederacy? Thus total war becomes the stage upon which real characters such as Abraham Lincoln, his generals and Allan Pinkerton carry out their vicious campaign to unite a Nation no matter the cost. An historical drama unfolds where victory is never assured and defeat is lurking over every horizon.

SYNOPSIS MATARI SERIES Book 3, Titled: “HARD ROAD TO FREEDOM”

Author:  Stephen A. Carter

Genre: Hist/fiction

Word Count: 123,006

Number of pages: 514

Line spacing: Double

Font/Size: New Times Roman 12

Suggested subtitle: “HARD ROAD TO FREEDOM”

Our Author proves not only apt with the quill in his story-telling, but also ranks as one of our most talented of Poets.  Steve creates poetry with heart and soul, and allows for the words to jump and materialize into tangible and vivid imagery.  A Poem he wrote recently for Book 3, gives a description of the deepest and most heart-rending emotions as John Saxton lies in a Confederate concentration camp, he then knows what its like to be a slave. He hopes the readers will you like it. 

My personal commentary on Steve’s fine efforts were: “Dear Steve, This war Poem is Fabulous!  You captured a vivid reflection of the extreme tempest and destruction that is wrought by man’s own self inflicted chaos, hatred and misguided nationalistic incrimination under the guise of ‘patriotism’, thrust upon their fellow human counterparts, where brother rose up against brother. and the consequential agonizing pain and hell both sides suffered.  The spilling of guts and bloods under the most harrowing conditions was also. further accentuated and impacted by nature’s own  contribution of wrath!

 Emerantia Parnall-Gilbert – March 2023   

                                  

HARD ROAD TO FREEDOM – Poem Dedication to Book 3

Freedom’s road is a heavy load,

That began on a winter’s day.

A battle lost, who knew the cost

When the rebels had their way.

I woke in shock, as a rifle’s stock

Pinned me down as I laid there,

On down the road heard shells explode.

Now  there’s bodies everywhere.

As I was found the sun went down,

Long with a wounded friend.

After the slaughter, had no water,

No rest for days on end.

An old steam train had once again

Wobbled south of the Dixon Line.

A prisoner’s road is a heavy load.

Train stopped where the sun don’t shine.

Into a camp where the mud was damp,

Saw men with one foot in a grave.

Heard screams and moans from skin and bones

As they died in a hand dug cave.

When life got tense, a twelve foot fence

Meant death if you broke and ran

Wore rags of cotton, torn and rotten,

Dreamed of food from a stolen can.

As time went by I thought I’d die

Like a slave who yearns to be free

If there’s a God, please spare the rod,

For the slave was just like me.

Poem By Steve A. Carter – March 2023

Below view “HARD ROAD TA FREEDUM” in the vernacular and as expressed by the oppressed slave!

By Author Steve A. Carter

Dear Emma: WOW!! What a review!! Thanks. It is a companion poem written in the ‘slave’ vernacular, same cadence, same rhyme scheme that I wrote years ago  when I was on FanStory.com for 18 months. Here it is and the response from one of the readers:-

With affection,

Steve

“HARD ROAD TA FREEDUM”

‘Tis a hard road ta freedum

Dat began across the sea.

A hard road’s in a slaver’s hold

Lyin’ ded in chains ‘side me.

I stand in shock ‘pon da block,

Bein’ bot ‘tis  mighty cruel.

A hard road ‘tis a humblin’ load,

Gonna nebber play da fool.

I woan be found wen sun goes down,

Wid ma brudders on of da fly.

A hard road ‘tis a fearsum load,

Wen I hear da bludhouns cry.

Kin’t werk no more, body’s sore,

Ma backside’s scarred an raw.

Whip’s away fer anudder day,

‘Tis back to da buckin’ saw.

I’ll hang ma head as ef I’s ded,

Wen a shotgun rides da lines.

A hard road ‘tis a tenny foot load,

Wrists scarred by da cotton spines.

Pray ta God, he spare da rod

An set dis nigger free.

A hard load ‘tis a lonely road,

Wen dere’s no one left but me.

But ef dat road ta freedum

Passes by da lynchin’ tree,

An no more loads ‘pon dat road,

I knows I’s walkin’ free.

I knows I’s walkin’ free.

Poem By Steve A. Carter

Below typical commentary and a reply from one of the many reviewers  on Fan Story.com:-

I loved this poem. Even though it was written

in dialect I found it flowed and was easy to read.

Are you a white or black man Stephen?

It sounds like you are black-but whatever, you have

produced a very good dialect poem. I can’t fault it.

A very moving poem written with great feeling.

I would be proud to have written it…

An impressed Reader and fan!

 

MATARI SERIES Book 4, Titled: “THE BASTARD GROUND”

John Saxton is captured and thrown into the horror of Salisbury prison and Castle Thunder. Pursued by Major Horatio Garrow and his hapless brute of a companion, Harley Blackstone, can Saxton survive? From his father’s grave, a vengeful Lucas Garrow is led on a torturous search for stolen treasure. But a love fueled by the “Cause” and poisoned by greed leads to a deadly confrontation. In post-war America, a drug-addicted Lucas Garrow allied with the Klan, is bent on creating a new Confederacy and in the process destroy America and a mountain top utopia called Harambee (Swahili for ‘pulling together’).

SYNOPSIS: MATARI SERIES Book 4, Titled: “THE BASTARD GROUND”

Genre: Hist/fiction

Word Count: 123,174

Number of pages:508

Line spacing: Double

Font/ Size: New Times Roman 12

Suggested Subtitle: “THE BASTARD GROUND”.

In a devious plot involving the paralysis of America through the distribution of billions of counterfeit dollars, Lucas Garrow and his KKK army attack a utopian mountain stronghold known as Harambee with the intent of creating of a new Confederacy. Though defeated he escapes pursued by the Pinkertons, the legendary lawman Bass Reeves, a school teacher with a deadly aim and a giant Maasai bent on revenge. A militant underground colony of religious zealots controlled by a cultist Noah Armistead, Garrow and the aforementioned forces are on a collision course deep within the heart of the Ozark wilderness known as the Bastard Ground. Can those who fought for a dream survive in a racist world that awaits them and still find justice and the lasting peace they long for after a forest fire destroys Harambee?

REVIEWS:-

Reviews can also be found on Steve’s Website: OBAAT.CA

Dear Thomas: WOW!! Many thanks. Much appreciate.

Cheers,

Stephen A. Carter

From: Thomas Anderson
Sent: Sunday, April 2, 2023 9:13 AM
To: saftpet
Subject: Literary Titan

Hello,

Thank you for letting us review your book. The book review for “BATTLEGROUNDS” Book 1, of the four-book MATARI Series is complete. Please find the book review below and let me know if you would like me to publish the review.

— Review —

Battlegrounds, the first instalment in a four-book series by Stephen A. Carter, offers readers an immersive and captivating tale set against the backdrop of the American Civil War. The novel opens with John Saxton, heir to a prominent shipping company, setting sail with his mentor and friend, Marcus Brown, a former slave. Together, they uncover a horrifying atrocity while intercepting a slave ship, which compels John to become a fervent supporter of the abolitionist cause. As the Civil War erupts, John and Marcus find themselves pitted against the captain of the slave ship, who is now attempting to smuggle weapons into the Confederacy. This initial conflict leads to a web of political intrigue and espionage that is sure to keep readers on the edge of their seats.

Carter masterfully blends historical accuracy with thrilling action scenes, creating a superb example of historical fiction. While the pacing of the novel can slow at times due to the inclusion of political intrigue and plotting, these elements contribute significantly to the story’s overall engagement, underscoring the high stakes and making each action sequence even more meaningful. The author’s meticulous attention to detail is evident in the realistic portrayal of characters and settings, lending a palpable sense of authenticity to the narrative. The numerous illustrations included in the book serve to aid the reader’s visualization of the characters and settings.

Overall, Battlegrounds is a vividly imagined and captivating work of historical fiction. Carter expertly brings to life the dangerous and fascinating era of American history through engaging and fully fleshed-out characters, many of whom are based on real historical figures. This novel is a must-read for anyone interested in thrilling stories of political intrigue and espionage set “against the backdrop of the perilous time leading up to the Civil War.”
5/5

Thank you,

Thomas Anderson

Editor In Chief

Literary Titan

INTERVIEWS:

From: Karen Almeid
To: saftpet  Stephen A. Carter
Cc: Thomas Anderson
Subject: Literary Titan

Hello,

Your book review is now posted on the Literary Titan website. Thank you for letting us read your book. Please use the attached instructions to add this review to Amazon’s Editorial Review section. I have also attached our new guide, 12 Ways to Use a Book Review to Sell More Books, which will show you different ways to use your book review to promote your book.

Please find the author interview questions below, answer them when you have time and send your responses back when you are ready. Thank you for your participation. I look forward to reading your responses.

Book Review: https://wp.me/p3cyvH-fJF

Author Interview – Stephen A. Carter

Karen: Battlegrounds follows a shipping captain and former slave who become involved in the abolitionist cause during the Civil War, working against the Confederacy. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?

Steve: As to inspiration, you might say I was curious for where I lived near Vancouver BC, there were  hardly any black people living there other than Hogan’s Alley a black enclave in Vancouver’s downtown area (later torn down for an expressway). American history, especially the Civil War era before, during and after came to my attention in an American History course I took at UBC (University of British Columbia).

Karen: What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?

Steve:  Well the major national themes were the issue of slavery, then abolitionism followed by succession of Southern States leading to civil war. Others were more localized such as racism in Boston not only in the white society (burning of the black church, the violent protests etc) but the black as well as demonstrated in the funeral gathering in warehouse #3. Finally on a personal level the effects of racism on John Saxton and Virginia as they struggled to clarify their love for each other despite the opposition from her parents and his high society mother

Karen: What kind of research did you do for this novel to ensure you captured the essence of the story’s theme?

Steve: Ah research, research! For every hour writing there was 2 hours of research or more. 14 years ago when I wrote the four books which later became the MATARI  series, the internet was more honest, more reliable than it is today. Because of my geog/hst majors at UBC and a 21 year teaching career in High School Social Studies, I was able to find the material I needed to embellish a story that would educate as well as entertain the reader. Later on I added pictures of various sorts to bring the characters, the settings and the book’s plot to life. In doing so, it gave the reader a better sense of the story. Along with thousands of notes scribbled down after watching historical TV shows, reading books, hearing a certain word worthy phrase or late at night getting an idea, I persevered but only after double checking the veracity of the information.

Karen: Can you tell us where the book goes and where we’ll see the characters in the next book?

Steve: As thousands of books of hist/fic are published anew each year around the world, very few really make an impact or become a commercial success because of it. Famous hist/fict authors such as Ken Follett and Wilbur Smith have an advantage after writing many books that became bet sellers. But they too had to start from scratch as I have done. Right now BATTLEGROUNDS is selling but slowly. As a writer I’m not in the same class as the aforementioned titans. Therefore the pictures etc. Hopefully have come to my rescue as well as my characters both real and fictional. In the next book THE DIE GAME, the characters remain the same, both good and evil as war descends upon them in all its fury. Here the tension escalates as characters we love die, or are horribly wounded or driven mad. War is all hell as Gen Sherman once said and thus Book 2 is living proof of that.   Can you provide links to any of these; I’m on Goodreads and facebook. My website is OBAAT.CA

GoodReads:

Twitter:

Facebook:

Website:

Thank you,

Karen Almeida

Assistant Editor

Literary Titan