I first met Brian when we were fellow editors
at MoonGypsy Press several years ago. He became my editor for one of my novels
A NECESSARY END, about Booth’s insane plot to murder Lincoln. We struck up a
friendship and recently collaborated on a historical thriller SHARING HAMILTON.
Brian is a prolific and successful author. He and his wife Juliet also rescue
dogs, and currently have ten. I’ve read many of Brian’s novels, but the most
touching are the two nonfiction books about Sasha and Sheba, two of his dogs,
and their heartwarming stories. My reviews, also on Amazon, are below, and read
on to meet Brian.
Will the
real Brian L. Porter please stand up?
The Books
Bestselling author Brian L Porter holds a rather
unique distinction in that his 10 (yes, ten), Amazon bestsellers to date have
been achieved under not one or two, but three different pseudonyms.
Sasha, Sheba, From Hell to Happiness, After Armageddon, and its
bestselling Italian translation Dopo L’Armageddon and Lest
We Forget all carry the Brian L. Porter name, Charlie the
Caterpillar, Alistair the Alligator and Wolf are
published as Harry Porter and his romantic poetry collection, Of
Aztecs and Conquistadors, is written as Juan Pablo Jalisco. Avenue of the Dead recently topped the
Amazon Free Books category during a weeklong free promotion.
Latest release and bestseller Sheba: From
Hell to Happiness is the sequel to
Sasha, a no-holds barred true-life story of the author’s dog, Sheba, severely abused, used a bait dog by dog
fighters, and finally thrown on a rubbish tip and left to die, a barely living
skeleton. Her survival, slow and at times painful recovery and eventual
happiness as a much-loved pet are told in this no-holds-barred dog rescue
story, complete with terrific photo images of Sheba’s life with the author. Sheba: From Hell to Happiness attained
the almost unprecedented distinction of achieving bestseller status on the very
first day it was made available for preorders, some three weeks before its
actual release.
Sasha is now an international bestseller, having reached the #1 spot in its category in the UK (twice), Australia (twice) and now in Italy as well as being a top ten bestseller in Canada, France and Germany.
Winner of The Preditors
& Editors Readers Poll Award for Nonfiction Books, 2016, Amazon UK bestseller Sasha was
a departure from the norm for the author. This true-life story relates the life
story of Sasha, the author's own very special 'miracle dog' whose bravery and
fortitude in the face of numerous adversities including the terrible affliction
of epilepsy has made her an inspiration to many dog owners around the world. As
well as its place as a UK bestseller, Sasha has so far been a Top Ten
bestseller in Australia, Canada and France and with over 200 worldwide five
star reviews already, plus a 7th place finish in the Best Indie
Book, 2016, Awards, this is a book not to be missed. Such is her popularity
that Sasha has her own Facebook page at
https://www.facebook.com/groups/270003923193039/
After Armageddon, an eclectic short story collection featuring a
number of post-apocalyptic tales including Toxic Bitch, After
Armageddon and Red Sky in the Morning, as well as tales
of murder, mayhem and even a hint of romance, contains a guest story from
horror author Carole Gill, who Brian is currently collaborating with on an
another work which is featured later in this biography. Mention must be made of
the story The Voice of Anton Bouchard, a chilling novelette
length story set in Paris, one long, hot summer, a real page turner with a
double twist in the tale!
To achieve bestseller status is always a
significant achievement for an author, but to do it under three different names
is something special and quite a testament to the author’s skills. In
addition, Brian’s thriller and mystery novels regularly achieve Top Ten
rankings at Amazon in both the USA and UK in one of the largest and most
difficult categories in which to achieve success.
As for his thrillers, his new series of mystery
novels based in his ancestral home town of Liverpool, The Mersey
Mysteries are achieving wonderful success and have succeeded in
expanding the author’s fan base exponentially.
The first in the series, A Mersey
Killing, set against a backdrop of the early 1960’s music scene in
Liverpool, has developed something of a cult following, with some superb reviews
to cement the book’s popularity. Second in the series, All Saints,
Murder on the Mersey is following in the footsteps of A
Mersey Killing, with some terrific reviews already received for the book.
The third book in the series, A Mersey Maiden is the latest
release in the series which will soon be followed by the fourth in the series, A Mersey Mariner, which will
surely further enhance the reputation of this series of books, all set in and
around the city of Liverpool, on the River Mersey.
His other thrillers include:
Purple Death, (A serial
poisoner at work in leafy Richmond-on-Thames).
Behind Closed Doors, (A serial killer strikes at young women on the
original London Underground Railway in 1888)
Glastonbury, (A search for the fabled sword of King Arthur is
not quite as it at first appears to Joe Cutler and his team)(Winner, the
Preditors & Editors Best Mystery Novel Award 2010),
Kiss of Life, (A modern day thriller based on the old vampire
legends of Transylvania)
Avenue of the Dead, (A serial killer strikes in Mexico City.
Mutilated bodies are dumped in the old ruined city of Teotihuacan amid fears of
modern day human sacrifice)
The Nemesis Cell, (A chilling tale of multiple murder, illegal human
cloning and a police investigation spanning continents)
Pestilence, (A gripping Cold War conspiracy thriller as a
small English village is struck down by an outbreak of pneumonic plague. With
links to secret experiments during World War Two, it soon becomes a case of
breathe…if you dare)
All of the above followed his original Jack the
Ripper trilogy, A Study in Red, Legacy of the Ripper and Requiem
for the Ripper.
Look out also for a new short story
collection, A Meeting of Minds, a joint short story collection of
Sci-fi and Horror short stories from Brian and bestselling horror author,
Carole Gill.
In another direction, Brian has co-written a
new historical fiction novel with me. I wrote to Brian
asking if he’d care to contribute to my book by creating an unusual serial
killer to feature as a back story. Look out for Sharing Hamilton, by Diana
Rubino and Brian L. Porter which will feature his newest serial killer
creation, the charming, handsome and very deadly Doctor Severus Black.
Awards
2016 saw Brian win The Preditors & Editors & Editors Readers Award for Nonfiction Books with Sasha, which also won its category and achieved an overall 7th place finish in The Top 50 Best Indie Books of 2016.
Brian was also the winner of the Preditors & Editors Readers Award for Best Author, 2009, and A Study in Red won the P & E Best Thriller award 2008.
As Juan Pablo Jalisco he won the P & E Best Poet Award in 2008 and as Harry Porter, won the Best Children’s Book award in 2009 for Tilly’s Tale, soon to be republished by Creativia. 2010 saw Brian pick up a double award with Requiem for the Ripper winning the P & E Readers award for Best Thriller, whilst Glastonbury picked up the award for Best Mystery Novel.
Many of his book covers have won awards for their designs.
As previously mentioned, Sasha has been nominated for the 2016 Indie Book Awards, as has All Saints, Murder on the Mersey.
For Children
As Harry Porter, all of Brian’s children’s books
contain not only fun stories for both parents and children to share but also
carry an educational aspect to them, with lessons to be learned about life,
friendship and the world around us. All of his children’s books have been
Amazon bestsellers.
A Touch of Romance
Some years ago,
during a difficult time in his life, Brian crossed the world and spent some
time in Mexico where he fell in love with the country, the people, the history
and culture of the country. On his return to the UK, he persona of Mexican poet
Juan Pablo Jalisco was born, and created the romantic and highly evocative
poetry collection, Of Aztecs and
Conquistadors, a number one bestseller in the USA, UK, and Canada. This
superb collection won the author the Preditors & Editors Best Poet Award in
2008.
Movies
Brian is also a screenwriter and co-producer for
ThunderBall Films, and all his books are signed to a franchise deal which will
eventually see them adapted for the screen, either for the big screen or for
television. Together with ThunderBall CEO Mario Domina, he is the co-creator,
co-producer and screenwriter of a new Docu-Drama series, Jack the
Ripper, Reality and Myth, currently in development.
And finally…
When not writing, Brian lives at home with his
wife Juliet, two step-daughters, and their ten rescued dogs. Avid dog lovers
and rescuers, Brian and Juliet devote all of their spare time to caring for
their ten extra family members who all share their home and their lives.
For the full list of Brian’s books, including
his pre-Creativia days, see his Amazon author page at http://viewauthor.at/brianlporter
Or for his Harry Porter
titles, http://viewauthor.at/HarryPorter
Juan Pablo Jalisco’s Of Aztecs &
Conquistadors is at http://viewbook.at/Aztecs-Conquistadors
My Reviews of SASHA and SHEBA
Sasha
A Special Dog
and a Special Owner—Will Tug at Your Heartstrings
*****
Brian and his
wife Juliet, owners of many rescue dogs, found Sasha as a puppy on a cold
winter’s night. I won’t go into detail, but she wasn’t in good shape—and when
they brought her home, they wondered if their other dogs would like her. But
that ever-wagging tail stole all their hearts. With her own bed after sharing
with Dinky, she began her comfy life with a loving home, plenty of treats, and
pet insurance—a very lucky girl.
Sasha is a
survivor in every sense—through surgery and seizures that she sometimes suffers
as an epi-dog, and the meds she must take, that tail never stops wagging.
Sasha’s story is
one of inspiration and hope. You don’t have to be a huge dog lover or owner of
rescue dogs to appreciate this story. Despite what the vet said, I wish Sasha a
longer-than-average life, full of the continued happiness she brings Brian and
Juliet. I also admire them for saving so many lives. They are a rare breed.
Sheba: From Hell
to Happiness
Heart-Wrenching
to Heart-Warming
*****
Brian and Juliet
are truly gifts from God, rescuing dogs from hellish conditions and giving them
warm, loving homes. They found Sheba in terrible condition, and concluded that
she’d been used as bait for fighting dogs and thrown away. Her story evoked
three major emotions in me—deep sadness, that she had to suffer until Brian and
Juliet became her saving grace; rage at the evil, heartless and soulless
monsters who would abuse an innocent animal so brutally; then relief that Sheba
is now warm, comfortable, well fed, and very much loved. Please take some time
out of your busy lives and read these stories, which I know will not just evoke
many of same emotions, but I’m hoping they will inspire you to donate to
shelters or even rescue some animals and do a good deed. The rewards are
endless.
