High Praise for A Death of Cold from Owen Laukkanen, best selling author of the critically-acclaimed Stevens and Windermere FBI thriller series and the new maritime adventure thriller, GALE FORCE. You can find information on Owen’s books at www.owenlaukkanen.com
“A DEATH OF COLD is another of Jim Sellers’ quirky, tenderhearted and very well-told stories about loss, adolescence…and bagpipes, and once again the pipes function as a unique and effective conduit into the lives of young Jacky Fraser and his family. Sellers’ characters are note-perfect and their conflicts relatable; the plot is a page-turner both on and off the mountain. Sellers is an expert storyteller with obvious empathy for every one of his characters, and I hope he’s got another Jacky book coming—and fast! “
CM: Canadian Review of Materials
“A Death of Cold is an enjoyable young adult novel that incorporates love, life, and a whole lot of adventure. I would recommend it to teens who may be experiencing similar issues to those of Jacky, or to someone who just likes a great adventure novel.”
“Jacky the Brave, Jim Sellers’ first novel, is geared towards a pre-teen audience. The novel addresses the challenges of a new school and growing up, but with a focus on family history and the importance of understanding and celebrating your own heritage, a theme that isn’t explored in a lot of YA novels.
Review of A Death of Cold by Elaine Cougler, historian, speaker and author of The Loyalist Trilogy
READ ELAINE COUGLER’S FULL REVIEW
Amazon Reviews (Some of them)
A Death of Cold was an excellent read and I highly recommend this book for high school students. I found the book to be exciting, humorous, and emotional. J Sellers did a terrific job describing common emotional issues that teenagers face and helps individuals of all ages learn they are not alone when it comes to family conflicts and life decisions. The story reinforces the fact that communication struggles are evident and teaches methods of working through family problems. I thoroughly enjoyed the ending and was caught off guard by the decisions made by Jackie. (5 stars) Carole M.
“A surprising gem about survival, growing up, discovering your roots and how the combined pressures of your world can forge your own inner resilience. A feel good story with some amazingly potent notes. It’s the sequel to Jacky the Brave. A Death of Cold is even better and shows Sellers’ development as an author in a short time. A feel-good sleeper hit.” (5 stars)
A Death of Cold “It covers many aspects of family issues that many youths could relate to, and uses the language that they will understand. I particularly enjoyed seeing Jacky grow up and make some tough decisions while learning about family values and happiness. I think people of any ages will enjoy this book.” (5 stars). Yevgen Y.
A Death of Cold “This YA story has enough going on to interest adult readers while still maintaining a teenagers point of view. The characters ring true and while the coming of age theme isn’t new, this is a fresh treatment. Cleanly written with some interesting twists…” (4 stars) Ruth B.
Jacky the Brave “While soothing bagpipes play in the background, heartstrings pull in the foreground throughout this moving and delightfully written book touching on the innocence of childhood and the bond between father and son. Who doesn’t want to visit a pocket-sized place of emotion, or long to live through characters who can actually be felt, touched, seen, and heard? Jacky The Brave’s, author, Jim Sellers, writes with a rarity of being that will grasp your insides from the very first page. His well defined characters, Jacky and Lenny, become part of your family, ‘moving’ into the house of your mind while they grow from budding boys who quickly morph into young men. You will root for them, cheer for them, mourn for them, and love them…..all the way through. I could not put this book down! Kim G.
Jacky the Brave “Mr. Sellers writes a great story that hits home on many levels. I connected with his depiction of the tough balance between boyhood and manhood, and the importance (and challenges) of family. The book inspired me to learn more about my family history.” Marc C.
Reviews
on A Death of Cold: Laurabara (4 stars)
A Death of Cold is such an enjoyable read! It’s a coming-of-age YA that is for anyone interested in music, survival stories, and physics. It discusses family issues and the social dynamics facing many young people, so it’s relateable. It’s a story about working hard to get what you want, but also about recognizing the value in what you have. Sellers is a talented writer who can write young people and the issues they face well without “writing down” to a YA audience. I recommend this book especially to reluctant readers because of the interesting subject matter and because of the ease at which the story moves along. Great read!
on Jacky the Brave: Greg K. (5 stars)
…It appears the author, Jim Sellers, knows his way around the chambers of a boy’s heart, and pumps out a damn fine story that not just youth, but all ages, can enjoy — kilt or no kilt.
on Jacky the Brave: Dynah T. (5 stars)
Sometimes I find teen books too angst-y, but the author hit a perfect – and realistic – balance. I didn’t really know anything about this story before I started reading it and it hit me right in the feels! I was crying and laughing through most of the book, and the ending was perfect.
Jim Sellers Writer 