This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Free Book Program, which is open to all readers and is completely free. The author will provide you with a free copy of their book in exchange for an honest review. You and the author will discuss what sites you will post your review to and what kind of copy of the book you would like to receive (eBook, PDF, Word, paperback, etc.). To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email.
This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Review Exchange Program, which is open to all authors and is completely free. Simply put, you agree to provide an honest review an author's book in exchange for the author doing the same for you. What sites your reviews are posted on (B&N, Amazon, etc.) and whether you send digital (eBook, PDF, Word, etc.) or hard copies of your books to each other for review is up to you. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email, and be sure to describe your book or include a link to your Readers' Favorite review page or Amazon page.
This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Donation Program, which was created to help nonprofit and charitable organizations (schools, libraries, convalescent homes, soldier donation programs, etc.) by providing them with free books and to help authors garner more exposure for their work. This author is willing to donate free copies of their book in exchange for reviews (if circumstances allow) and the knowledge that their book is being read and enjoyed. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email. Be sure to tell the author who you are, what organization you are with, how many books you need, how they will be used, and the number of reviews, if any, you would be able to provide.
Mark Taylor's debut novel, crash landed on planet earth in 2013. Its dark brooding style benchmarked his writing and has led to further releases of novel and short story collection alike.
While most of Mark's work is macabre, occasion has it that he will write about kittens and daisies. Just not very often.
Some say he is a product of his environment, others, a product of his own imagination.
Whichever it is he works happily, portraying dark existences on this planet and others. He relays his fears and doubts on his characters, so always has a smile. If Mark is real, as some say he is, you might find him in England.
Perhaps.
Reviewed by Janelle Fila for Readers' Favorite
Jimmy Tasker is an ordinary child. He loves to take pictures: he has an excellent eye for it. When some nasty bullies take things too far, Jimmy ends up burned and different. And it doesn't end there. I really liked the opening of Shutter Speed by Mark Taylor. What a sad and honest way to start a story! I felt for Jimmy the moment I read the first page. Making that emotional connection with a reader is such a good start, especially right from the beginning of the book. Neither the bullies nor the father came across as clichéd, and poor Jimmy just came across as needing so much help. I wanted to reach through the pages and give him a hug as his father continued to beat him, his mother continued to ignore him (or at least, was not able to help him because of her issues), and he felt he was broken and not healing correctly (emotionally more than physically).
I liked how the story all linked together at the end, too. There were times when I wasn't 100 percent sure where the story was headed or how it was going to connect together, but it always did and it always made sense. I liked that other characters were introduced and that Jimmy ended up definitely changed. He was not the same kid that you felt sorry for in the beginning of the story. By the end, I didn't want to hug him anymore! But that character transformation is what a story is all about! If a character goes through an incredible change, then so does the reader too.
