Novels

ALLISFAIR_FrongMichael Kenneth Smith’s All Is Fair tells the spine-chilling and action-packed narrative of a renowned young military aviator from Poland during the Battle of Britain…The novel captivates readers from beginning to end, with suspenseful, tension-packed passages featuring brilliantly depicted aircraft fights, frightening encounters with the enemy…and a well-planned climax. Historical fiction readers and those who enjoy war stories will definitely enjoy this book. All Is Fair offers a deep dive into the grim reality of war as well as the uplifting ideals of love, music and art, optimism, resilience, and forgiveness, which shine through despite the perils that surround the protagonists. “City Book Review

Jan Orlinski, fighter pilot in training and pianist at large, watches as his country is devastated by the German blitzkrieg of 1939. Anxious to do his part in The Great War, Jan makes his way to England where, during a particularly heavy day of combat, he crashes into the English Channel and is captured by the Germans. Driven by his desire to return to his first love, newspaper reporter Sophie Gordon, Jan escapes from the German prison and begins making his way back to England, via Spain, where he is, again, captured and imprisoned—this time, for the remainder of the war. Once liberated, Jan soon learns he has been betrayed in ways that will forever change his life. Feeling lost, he escapes to Paris to start life anew—and finds his future is not at all what he envisioned.

All Is Fair is available in trade paperback and ebook.

Paperback
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Ebook
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ShadowOfGoldWrap_Final_Final_Front“Packed with suspense, mystery, and adventure, ‘In the Shadow of Gold’ is an intriguing story which lovers of historical fiction, will thoroughly enjoy. Highly recommended!” —The Columbia Review

April 1865. Richmond, Virginia. Two trains. One treasure. And a question worth millions. As the US Civil War was drawing to a close, and Grant was about to take Richmond, two trains left the city in the dark of night. One carried Confederate President Jefferson Davis and his cabinet. The other carried the Confederate Treasury guarded by a young midshipman from the CSA Navy. A few weeks later, Davis was captured by Federal troops near Irwinville, Georgia, and the treasure…was gone. People have been speculating on what happened to the Confederate treasure for decades.In The Shadow of Gold offers a fresh interpretation of this on-going mystery—imagining what could have happened to the millions in lost gold, silver, and jewelry, and the lives it could have changed for generations to come.

In The Shadow of Gold is available in trade paperback and ebook.

 

 

Paperback
Available from Amazon

Ebook
Read on your Kindle or the Kindle app

Audiobook
Available through Audible.com

Additional praise for In The Shadow of Gold
“[T]he author’s comprehensive knowledge of the Civil War and its aftermath lends depth and texture to a high-stakes, well-paced adventure saga.” —Kirkus Reviews
“Readers seeking an involving blend of mystery, evolving relationships, questions of moral and immoral behaviors, and an alternate speculation of what could have happened to so much treasure will find that In the Shadow of Gold excels in both its sense of place and its sense of purpose.” —
Midwest Review
“To read Michael Kenneth Smith’s fascinating novel is to surrender to a raconteur of the traditional school. His writing is rich with strong characterization, compelling plotting, and above all, his storytelling gift which is abundantly supported, thanks to expertly voiced narration and masterly evocation of time and space.” — Bookpleasures

TGLFrontCover“More so than most Civil War novels, The Thin Gray Line successfully captures the dilemmas faced by all sides in the form of displaced peoples, crumbling communities, challenges to family and faith, and more….Civil War novels are typically replete with battle scenes, but this story’s focus on evolving social issues, changes, and individual impacts places it a cut above others in its genre. The Thin Gray Line is a spectacular exploration that Civil War buffs will find revealing and hard to put down.”—Midwest Book Review

In the third novel of this Civil War trilogy, young Luke Pettigrew, a hero at the Battle of Shiloh, awakens in the bedroom of an unfamiliar Tennessee farmhouse—with no immediate memory of what brought him there. The only thing he knows with certainty, is that his life will never be the same.Smith takes readers on a (historically accurate) wild ride through the end days of the American Civil War with Luke coming-of-age while exploring themes of addiction, love, and self worth. As the Civil War draws to a close, so does Luke’s lifetime of searching. Ultimately, he finds redemption in the least likely of places. 

The Thin Gray Line is available in paperback, ebook, and audiobook. 

 

 

Paperback
Available from Amazon

Ebook
Read on your Kindle or the Kindle App

Audiobook
Available through Audible.com


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“The postwoman is author Michael Kenneth Smith’s third historical novel. It is outstanding as it shines a well-deserved light on the true story of an amazingly brave young woman, Andrée (Dedee) de Jongh, a formidable member of the Resistance in WWII…A truly amazing account of the wartime experiences of this inspiring young woman. It is a story everyone should read…Highly Recommended!”—The Columbia Review

*Now a #1 International Bestseller* In 1940, Andrée “Dedee” de Jongh, a twenty-four-year-old Belgian nurse, is horrified by her country’s quick surrender to Nazi Germany. Every week she observes Germans inspecting the infirmary for injured Allied soldiers to ship off to work camps. Every day she witnesses new atrocities in the streets, such as Jewish countrymen being brutally beaten.

Outraged at the injustice, Dedee devises a strategy with her father to aid in the resistance effort against the Germans. They hatch a plan to help downed Royal Air Force fliers escape Belgium and France and return to England, where they can rejoin the fight. It’s a dangerous endeavor and guaranteed death sentence if they’re caught, but Dedee is determined to do her part to defeat the enemy.

The Postwoman is available in paperback, ebook, and audio.

Paperback
Available from Amazon
Available from B&N
Available from Bookshop.org

Ebook
Read on your Kindle or the Kindle App

Audiobook
Available through Audible.com


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“Part historical fiction, adventure yarn and love story Smith’s new novel is a vivid retelling of the civil war through the unfolding of a budding friendship and love story crafted into a fast-paced adventure saga.

Smith’s prose is spare yet vivid. The historical details authentic and the characters rich and well rounded. This is a novel not just about the Civil War—or even war itself —but rather an examination of the layered scars of trauma laid down by months and years spent in the battlefield. Scarred novel about the human heart and how love and friendship heals…and maybe even redeems.” —Rafael Lima, author of Believe, winner of the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle award for excellence in Dramatic Writing.

After fatally wounding the Confederate sharpshooter who killed his best friend, Zach Harkin’s sense of revenge changes to deep remorse when he views the dead man’s diary and a family photo tucked inside. Haunted, suffering from post traumatic stress, and unable to serve, he is mustered out of service. With scant information, he begins an epic journey to search for the dead man’s family. Captured, imprisoned, tortured, and thoroughly tested as a human being, he never expects to find love in the war-ravaged South he calls home. 

Scarred: A Civil War Novel of Redemption is available in paperback, ebook, and audio. 

Paperback
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Ebook
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Audiobook
Available through Audible.com 


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“Michael K Smith’s Civil War novel, Home Again, is a fantastic debut…Balance is crucial for this genre and Smith nailed it…The author also shows he is quite knowledgeable about the American Civil War. History buffs will enjoy the historical tidbits sprinkled into his story…The battle scenes come alive and the torment the characters experience is vivid.” SPR

The nation is divided, and a bloody Civil War looms on the horizon. Two young men enlist, each with very different strengths, weaknesses, and reasons for service. And while they end up on opposite sides of the battle, in the end, they learn the same lessons about honor, human nature, and the horrors of war.

Home Again is a rare piece of historical fiction that recounts Civil War experiences in strict compliance to recorded historic detail. Historically accurate, insightful and compelling, it is sure to entertain both your heart and your mind.

 

 

Home Again: A Civil War Novel is available in paperback, ebook, and audio. 

Paperback
Available from Amazon
Available from B&N
Available from Bookshop.org

Ebook
Read on your Kindle or the Kindle App

Audiobook
Available through Audible.com

5 comments on “Novels
  1. Dick Skelly says:

    Where can we buy Home Again now?

  2. Tom Knoll says:

    Looking forward to the release of Home Again.

  3. peter shields says:

    I had a couple days off and had picked up Home Again at our local book store……read it in 2 days because I couldn’t put it down. Besides
    the author’s historical bent, it’s a novel about 2 young men who transcend from the naiveite of youthful excitement to the horrors of war.
    Their experiences on this journey are vividly portrayed such that the reader wants to know, “what happens next”. My kind of action novel,
    I heartily recommend it.

    Peter F Shields

  4. Skip Kadar says:

    I liked watching your presentation at the Islamorada Library last Thursday. I am in the process of reading Home Again and am enjoying it very much. I hope to see you next winter doing a presentation about your new book. Well done.

    Skip Kadar

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