Brothers at Arms: Treasure & Treachery in the Amazon (John J. Horn)

Brothers at Arms

Treasure and Treachery in the Amazon

Book 1 in The Men of Grit Series

Lawrence and Chester Stoning are twins, but like Jacob and Esau of old they have little else in common. Lawrence is a realist, fascinated by the study of science, mathematics, and history, while Chester longs for the knightly adventures of chivalrous times past – hard-fought battles, gold-filled caves, damsels in distress.

When Chester’s impetuosity engages the unlikely pair as bodyguards to a Spaniard and his beautiful ward, Pacarina, the twins quickly realize that the 19th century calls for a chivalry of its own. Protecting Pacarina’s secret leads all of them into the steaming jungles and dizzying mountains of Peru, a forbidding territory made all the more dangerous by Lawrence and Chester’s strivings against each other.

Can the twins learn to trust God and work together before it’s too late? Or will they fall prey to the mysterious schemes of Pacarina’s enemy – an enemy they know nothing about?

Read a sample.

The Men of Grit Christian Fiction Series

The Men of Grit Christian Fiction Series is a clean, exciting adventure series for young adults of all ages. There is no foul language or sensuality, just good, old-fashioned excitement following the tradition of authors such as Douglas Bond, G.A. Henty, R.M. Ballantyne, Jules Verne, James Fenimore Cooper, and more. The Men of Grit Christian Fiction Series is loved by boys and girls around the world.

About author John J. Horn:

As the youngest child in a book-loving family, it took me a while to realize that there was such a thing as a boring book.

My special love has been the fiction of 19th-century authors such as G.A. Henty, R.M. Ballantyne, James Fenimore Cooper, Jules Verne, Robert Louis Stevenson, Charles Dickens, and more. Of course, these were imperfect men who wrote imperfect stories, but the themes they espoused, such as courage, diligence, mercy, protecting the weak, and fighting for the right has greatly influenced my writing. Although I don’t seek to replicate their styles, I do find inspiration in their tales of adventure, and seek to communicate that in fresh ways to a new generation.

The greatest influence in my life has been my faith in God. I am a firm Christian, no ‘buts,’ ‘excepts,’ or apologies. My goal with each book is to glorify God and encourage readers to be more Christlike, even as they enjoy the action and adventure of each story.

Writing Historical Novels

My historical novels weave exciting plots into a background of historical reality. Most of my characters and their actions are fictional, but the world they inhabit is based on life as it really was. Technology progresses, fashions die or are reborn, the way we talk evolves (or devolves, depending on your point of view), countries gain or lose territory, and the world changes in many other ways through the centuries, but what it means to be a human being does not change. We face the same struggles, the same fears, the same temptations, the same victories, and the same joys as the citizens of Ancient Rome, or the knights of the Middle Ages, or the gentlemen of Victorian England.

Many complain that Christian fiction is “preachy.” Is mine? Well, I don’t pause my stories to deliver diatribes or altar calls. But I absolutely do weave my faith in Christ into my stories and seek to communicate vital messages and themes in each novel. If a book doesn’t have the potential to make you a stronger Christian in some way, it’s probably not worthwhile reading. But that doesn’t preclude action, adventure, and all the rest from any of my stories, because I find that a Christian’s life is the most exciting of all.