NOEL CARROLL WRITING SHOWCASE

(Noel and Carol Munson)

Thrillers

Science Fiction

Humor/Satire

Editorials

Short Stories

NEW! Now available in all eBook formats

About The Authors

For years the husband-and-wife team, Noel Carroll*, has published novels and short stories in two genres: thrillers and science fiction. A third genre, humor/satire, permitted them moments of fun and mischief. Although unwilling to abandon fiction, they steadily gravitated toward political commentary, first in opinion editorials and then in the full-length non-fiction work, “If You Can Keep It.” All their novels, short stories and essays have received highly favorable reviews, many being awarded five-stars. (Visit "Reviews" for professional opinions.) They currently make their home in Ponce Inlet, Florida.

*a nom de plume (Noel and Carol also write under the names John Barr and N.C. Munson.)

Contact the authors

The works of Noel Carroll may be ordered in either print or digital form, the latter in all reader formats.

Printed Copies: Visit any of the many on-line suppliers (e.g. amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com, booksamillion.com etc.).

eBooks: Visit Smashwords, and select the book you wish to sample or download (You may sample up to 50% of the book)

NEW -- A LONG REACH BACK

(Science fiction/Thriller)

About to be killed by drug-runners intent on stealing her boat,

a young woman spots a naked man floating in an empty ocean.

A LONG REACH BACK Published in eBook format on Smashwords ISBN: 978-1-4660-0246-3 Also available in print under ISBN: 978-0-9658702-9-0

An ancient astronaut awakening from a 40-thousand-year sleep has no idea who he is or why he is floating naked in a world of water. Chance brings him to combine forces with a young woman on a passing sailboat about to be murdered by Bahamian drug runners. Driven by separate goals but increasingly attracted to one another, the two plot to turn the tables on a confused but determined mob.

As the astronaut slowly recalls his ancient past, the gripping story of how he (and we) got here unfolds.

Click here to sample A Long Reach Back . (scroll down the page to ONLINE READING and click VIEW)

For print, visit any of the many on-line suppliers (e.g. barnesandnoble.com, amazon.com, etc.)

For eBooks, visit Smashwords, and select the book you wish to download.

POLITICAL COMMENTARY

Benjamin Franklin, upon being asked what kind of government

the Continental Congress decided upon, replied:

“A republic, if you can keep it.”

IF YOU CAN KEEP IT Published in eBook format on Smashwords ISBN: 978-1-4523-4670-0 Also available in print under ISBN: 0-9658702-8-6 or ISBN-13 97809658702-8-3

Civilizations die from suicide, not by murder.

Arnold Toynbee, (1889 - 1975)

We are about to awake from the American Dream. This book is about the loss of a good thing, our country. It addresses the poor care we give to maintaining it, how we fail to appreciate the economic, social and even military “monsters” that collectively embody a crushing burden we are less and less able to bear.

It does not blame Republicans or Democrats or even politicians per se--politicians are prostitutes who will assume any position we require of them. It also does not blame the courts for being too lax (or too harsh), or the oil companies for their vigorous pursuit of profits and their resistance to energy alternatives. There is only one entity deserving of blame, and it lies closer to home.  As said best by Walt Kelly through his cartoon character, Pogo:  “We have met the enemy and them is us.”

REVIEWS

"A fantastic and unparalleled job of capturing in a nut shell

problems confronting this nation today"

"Thoughtful, thought provoking, and very well organized”

“Should be required reading for all politicians

especially the CANDIDATES”

Amazon reviews

Click here to sample If You Can Keep It. (scroll down the page to ONLINE READING then click VIEW)

For print copy, visit any of the many on-line suppliers (e.g. amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com, booksamillion.com, etc.)

For eBooks, visit Smashwords, and select the book you wish to download.

THRILLERS

THE EXCLUSION ZONE Published in eBook format on Smashwords ISBN: 978-1-4523-3226-0 Also available in print under ISBN: 0-9658702-6-x or ISBN-13 9780965870269

A wisp of steam, lightly dusted with ash, trickled upward from the northwest crater of Soufrière Hills.

The volcano had officially awakened

An unlikely combination of events combine to provide the backdrop for an attack upon the Queen of England: a wayward satellite ending its life in a spectacular way, a young couple sailing too close to an active volcano, terrorists hiding out within the volcano’s Exclusion Zone awaiting the right moment to strike.

REVIEWS

“Hang on to your hats, as this book will blow you away!”

“Picks up the reader from the first page”

“Non-stop action plot”

Midwest Book Review

“A fast paced thriller with a mesmerizing arc”

“Knits characters and scenarios expertly together into a woven tapestry

of an international political thriller”

eBooks NBytes

Click here to sample The Exclusion Zone . (scroll down the page to ONLINE READING and click VIEW)

For print, visit any of the many on-line suppliers (e.g. barnesandnoble.com, amazon.com, booksamillion.com, etc.)

For eBooks, visit Smashwords, and select the book you wish to download.

STARVE THE DEVIL Published in eBook format on Smashwords ISBN: 978-1-4523-4856-8 Also available in print under ISBN: 0-9658702-7-8 or ISBN-13 9780965870276

A defeated president, obsessed with the thought that only he can save humanity.

STARVE THE DEVIL is a very timely novel about Islamic fanaticism and one U.S. president’s covert effort to deal it a permanent blow. It is also about a young CIA agent who discovers the plot, sees only a government-sponsored atrocity, and goes all-out to defeat it. This is a powerful tale that will stir a rich soup of emotions then long linger in the mind afterward.

REVIEWS

“Quick-witted writing style.”

“Keeps nails short and edges of seats warm”

eBooks NBytes

“Not sure what worries me more, that I can actually

see something like this happening in the world today, or

that I understand the president’s action and partially agree.”

Roundtable Reviews

Click here to sample Starve The Devil (scroll down the page to ONLINE READING and click VIEW)

For print, visit any of the many on-line suppliers (e.g. barnesandnoble.com, amazon.com, booksamillion.com, etc.)

For eBooks, visit Smashwords, and select the book you wish to sample or download.

BROKEN ODYSSEY Published in eBook format on Smashwords ISBN: 978-1-4523-5328-9 Also available in print under ISBN: 0-9658702-3-5 or ISBN-13: 9780965870238

"I worry that I won’t get all this down, that before I’m able to do so I’ll run out of either paper or life. In my current state of mind, I view the former with as much tragedy as I do the latter, since there would then be no way of telling the why of what happened, what it was that led Nicola and me to this. You see, we were pushed by separate demons."

Carl McCormic longs to see Cuba, the land of his mother’s birth. Opportunity arrives in a beautiful young woman who only recently fled the island. Anger smoldering within her, she wants him to smuggle her back in – to destroy the powerful father she left behind!

REVIEWS

“Masterfully engineered tale

First class dialogue, spine tingling action”

Book Pleasures Reviews

“Excellently crafted

Keeps you on the edge of your seat”

Simi-Gen

“Made me feel I was there”

“Describes a Cuba most of us will never see”

“A page turner”

EBooksNBytes

"Reader engaged from opening lines"

"Startling and compelling plot"

"A well-written, mainstream story"

BLOSM.COM

Click here to sample Broken Odyssey. (scroll down the page to ONLINE READING and click VIEW)

For print, visit any of the many on-line suppliers (e.g. barnesandnoble.com, amazon.com, booksamillion.com, etc.)

For eBooks, visit Smashwords, and select the book you wish to sample or download.

NEVER BY BLOOD Published in eBook format on Smashwords, ISBN: 978-1-4523-6875-7 Also available in print under ISBN: 0-9658702-5-1 or ISBN-13 9780965870252

For Therese Elliott nightmare has gone beyond dream to gruesome reality. She is desperate in her need to know, not only what triggered the dream but why she finds it so impossible to let it go. And why she knows with a fatal certainty that, if it is not quickly sorted out, the Atlantis with her astronaut husband aboard will be sent crashing into the International Space Station.

REVIEWS

“All the hallmarks of a great whodunit, international thriller”

“A multi-layered exercise in what excellent writing is all about”

“A most amazing read”

Midwest Book Review

“Strap on your shoulder harness and get ready for a non-stop thriller”

“Keep(s) you guessing until its final pages”

“Descriptive style…fluid pace”

“To all readers who enjoy fast paced action,

international intrigue and suspense, with a dash of romance.”

Scribes World

“An excellent out of this world romp”

“Chillingly believable”

“Gives this skeleton some meat that most mysteries don't usually take on”

Sime~Gen

“Nicely paced, well written”

“Keeps the reader guessing … well worth reading”

A. A. Showcase

Click here to sample Never By Blood (scroll down the page to ONLINE READING and click VIEW)

For print, visit any of the many on-line suppliers (e.g. barnesandnoble.com, amazon.com, booksamillion.com etc.)

For eBooks, visit Smashwords, and select the book you wish to sample or download.

CIRCLE OF DISTRUST Originally published in hardcover by Hollis Books Published in eBook format on Smashwords, ISBN: 978-1-4523-1671-0 Also available in print under ISBN: 0-9658702-0-0 or ISBN-13 9780965870207

A young engineer takes his company's top secret listening device out for a little fun, a lark that plummets him into the midst of a deadly conspiracy. In short order, he is embroiled in a circle of suspicion that has his company, the FBI, and a murderous Black Moslem group aimed against him.

REVIEWS

“Triggered my interest from the first page”

“Keen sense of pacing”

“Noel Carroll brings us into the cold corporate world with a new approach”

“Multilevel, at times frightening, conflict”

“Climaxes in a daring but intriguing scene”

AA Showcase Reviews

Click here to sample Circle of Distrust. (scroll down the page to ONLINE READING and click VIEW)

For print, visit any of the many on-line suppliers (e.g. barnesandnoble.com, amazon.com, booksamillion.com, etc.)

For eBooks, visit Smashwords, and select the book you wish to sample or download

SCIENCE FICTION

ACCIDENTAL ENCOUNTER Originally published by Hollis Books Published in eBook format on Smashwords, ISBN: 978-1-4523-1671-0 Also available in print under ISBN: 0-9658702-0-0 or ISBN-13 9780965870207

An extraterrestrial mistake, a controlled space warp left open a fraction too long, a Wyoming hiker unknowingly walks into another world. His surprised and reluctant hosts not only have him to contend with, but they must also head off a potential disaster on earth as his lover pushes local authorities into a desperate search.

REVIEWS

“Grabbed my interest from the first pages...held it to the conclusion.”

“A very enjoyable book to read”

Aphelion

"The exciting twists and turns the book takes

makes this ..... a fascinating read."

Scribes World

Click here to sample Accidental Encounter. (scroll down the page to ONLINE READING and click VIEW)

For print, visit any of the many on-line suppliers (e.g. barnesandnoble.com, amazon.com, booksamillion.com, etc)

For eBooks, visit Smashwords, and select the book you wish to sample or download

HUMOR/SATIRE

Hey, God; Got A Minute? (John Barr) Originally published in the U.K. Published in eBook format on Smashwords, ISBN: 978-1-4523-1671-0 Also available in print under ISBN: 0-9658702-0-0 or ISBN-13 9780965870207

Good questions to ask the next time the Big Guy calls you in for a chat.

“I tried to lighten up the conversation by talking about the Big Bang, the thing that got the whole universe going. But when I said, "It must’ve scared the hell out of you when it happened," God stared at me for a long time then woke me up.”

Harold is a simple man long troubled by doubts about what he should or should not believe. He fears the loss of his soul if he does not soon discover which of the world's "indisputable truths" are truly indisputable. One night, alone and distraught, he falls asleep to the most realistic dream he has ever had, a dream in which he is approached by the "Big Guy" come in person to address his pain. Not one to waste an opportunity, Harold hails him down then begins a nightly grilling.

REVIEWS

“Sometimes lighthearted, sometimes introspective, always

thought-provoking and attention engaging”

“Unique insights worthy of contemplation”

“Lingers in the heart and mind long after the book is finished

and set back upon the shelf”

Midwest Book Review

“The perfect gift for anyone who muses about the deeper issues of life”

Scribes Review

“Brilliant”

Steelcaves

“A humorous quick read”

“Interesting approach”

“Amusing and thought provoking”

BLOSM

“I fell in love with it from the first paragraph”

“An interesting discourse”

Aphelion

Click here to sample Hey, God; Got A Minute? (scroll down the page to ONLINE READING and click VIEW)

For print, visit any of the many on-line suppliers (e.g. barnesandnoble.com, amazon.com, booksamillion.com, etc)

For eBooks, visit Smashwords, and select the book you wish to sample or download.

SOUL FOOD

(Published on the British eZine, STEELCAVES)

An irreverent but amusing look at the concept of the immortal soul,

where specifically it resides in the human body.

“Andy Rooney could have performed this”

BLOSM

Click here to sample Soul Food

For an eBook copy, visit CARROLL’S SHORTS at Smashwords (it is included in the Anthology)

SHORT STORIES

(SCIENCE FICTION)

CARROLL'S SHORTS An anthology of science fiction stories Published in eBook format on Smashwords ISBN: 978-1-4523-4881-0

A chronicle of science fiction short stories with a bonus humor/satire at the end to leave the reader with a smile. Though fiction, the science depicted in these stories never strays from the plausible and never fails to grip the reader with a sense of staring into the future.

REVIEWS

"Good stories: up past midnight reading them!"

"Grabs one's attention and refuses to let go."

"Easy to identify with the characters."

"Excellent use of descriptive language without being stuffy."

"Looking forward to reading more!"

Aphelion-WritersHood-Dementia-Steelcaves

Click here to sample Carroll’s Shorts

For eBooks, visit Smashwords, and select the book you wish to sample or download.

THE STORIES

SLIPPING AWAY: Published on four webzines: Aphelion, Dementia, The Outpost and WritersHood and in the magazine Lost Worlds. [Sample]

“I think it is a wonderful story. I found it engrossing and moving.”

“I hated that your astronaut played such a cruel trick on his comrades, but

it provides your story with a real kick in the end.”

Short Story Editor, Aphelion

THE GALAPAGOS INCIDENT: Published on Dementia webzine, WritersHood and Aphelion [Sample]

“I really liked your story, I would even say that it is my favorite in the issue.”

“I'm sure your talents would be appreciated in any of [our] genres.”

WritersHood

“A very good story, well plotted, and solidly told.”

Short Story Editor, Aphelion

SILENT OBSESSION: Semi-Finalist in Tom Howard’s Short Story Contest. Published on WritersHood and Aphelion webzines, and on the British eZine, Steelcaves. [Sample]

“You’ve maintained your high standard of quality.”

Science Fiction Editor, WritersHood

“This is another enjoyable and thoughtful story by Noel Carroll may the

husband and wife duo keep coming back with more cool tales.”

WritersHood

“Silent Obsession is a real killer story. You broke several rules, but the content

is so appealing that the reader who is just looking for an enjoyable read

is not going to complain. It works and it is highly original.”

Short Story Editor, Aphelion

“I felt the authors did an excellent job on the whole of

presenting the mind of a young girl.”

Aphelion

RECYCLED: Published on two U.S. webzines: WritersHood and Aphelion , and on the British e-zine, Steelcaves.[Sample]

“Noel Carroll did a good job: the ending surprises, but it is a fair ending. The reader has

a sporting chance of figuring it out. It is one of those [stories] that

gets even better upon a second reading.”

Aphelion

“A story that is an exercise in irony.”

Short Story Editor, WritersHood

THE COLLECTION: Published on two U.S. webzines: WritersHood and Aphelion , and on the British e-zine, Steelcaves.[Sample]

“Noel Carroll did an excellent job of building suspense and horror

without revealing any antagonist.”

WritersHood

“The Collection is well done. I could easily visualize the protagonist on the glacier

and I could feel the horror of the trap he fell into.”

Short Story Editor, Aphelion

“The Collection is a well-written and haunting story, telling us how

the greed of humanity seldom wins out over the raw power of nature.”

Aphelion

BUTTERFLIES: Published on the Aphelion webzine [Sample]

Also published in audiobook format by AudioRealms

....

“I have to compliment Mr. Carroll on his vision.”

Aphelion

STAIRWAY THROUGH AGONY: Published on Aphelion [Sample]

“I loved the story. Very original and emotional. You are very good

at conveying the emotions of the people involved.”

Aphelion

BEYOND SAPIENS: Published on the Aphelion webzine. [Sample] (Selected as one of Aphelion’s “Best of 2004.”)

“Courageous diary-like recounting of a classic "what goes around comes around.”

“Good irony. Good tale.”

“You really get a sense of the personality of the character.”

Aphelion

THE END OF THE BEGINNING: Published on the Aphelion webzine [Sample]

“Good story, … it made me think.”

“Thoroughly enjoyed the read.”

“That's some vision.”

“An intriguing read.”

“Obviously tons of work and thought went into this.”

“ I rate this story as one of the best.”

Aphelion

“Very original and interesting plot.”

Zeotrope Stories

BY INVITATION ONLY: Published on the Aphelion webzine [Sample]

“Very descriptive, and very idyllic.”

“Excellent research is evident. A fun read, indeed.”

“Loved the richness of the language and descriptions.”

“This is one that will stay with me.”

Aphelion

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