Finalist Next Generation Independent Book Awards Thriller and First Novel.
Emerald Greed is an adventure set in the Pantanal, vast, inhospitable wetlands in the center of South America at the headwaters of the Rio Paraguay. Th is book tells of the emerald trade, cocaine smuggling and of politics as practiced in Brazil. Th e story begins with Jack Tate in Rio de Janeiro, working to reestablish the industry contacts he had prior to leaving for Africa to trade in the “blood diamonds” that were fueling the Angolan Civil War. Th is African venture which ended in a Zairian prison left him destitute and therefore desperate enough to head off into the Brazilian hinterlands in search of the fabled Borba Mine, knowing that Joaquim Fontes, the geologist who re-discovered it, and another gem dealer sent to fi nd him have both disappeared. As the story unfolds so does a romance between Jack and Joaquim’s daughter, Marisa, who eventually leads him to the mine where their quest begins.
“A torridly paced thriller overfl owing with sharply described action…A gripping tale of underworld crime and desperate aspiration…Our Verdict: Get it.”– Kirkus Reviews
“Brewer is a first-rate storyteller who keeps the action and suspense nonstop. His cinematic descriptions of gun fights, hand-to-hand combat, and more are loaded with energy. His depictions of Brazil’s wildlife and its multi-dimensional environment feel vividly real. From the piranhas to the anacondas, his tale is alive with hair-raising jeopardy and startling derring-do. Readers who thrill to engaging plots with plenty of excitement will likely revel in this pulse-pounder.”–Joe Kilgore, award winning author of A Farmhouse in the Rain, The Horse Killer and other novels, for the US Review of Books
“Brewer manages to weave a tale together full of intrigue and suspense, action galore, and a romance which will leave you breathless. You won’t want to put this one down.” — Pacific Book Review
Winner of the Next Generation Independent Book Award for General Fiction
The Face of God is the story of a commercially successful but dissipated pop artist who rediscovers himself and his art through a contract to sculpt the face of God. This story of redemption winds through the New York art scene and high society, through the poor, mean streets of Salvador, Bahia and through the muddied waters of the Rio Xingu in the lower Amazon.
“A thoughtful, engaging meditation on the intersection of artistic and spiritual integrity…Our Verdict: Get It.” — Kirkus Reviews.
“Brewer offers a highly intriguing concept: a pop artist who rekindles his life and career after he is contracted to sculpt the face of God…While stories of an artist seeking renewed inspiration are archetypal, Brewer injects some unusual ingredients into the narrative.” –The Booklife Prize.
“The Face of God is certainly a masterpiece…The story lingers on in the reader’s mind long after the reading is done. Fans of contemporary drama will find (it) a wonderful read!” — Lily Amanda, Pacific Book Review.
“This metaphor for how people change through their work and relationships is convincing… and posits an intriguing incarnational theology.”– Mari Carlson, The USReview of Books.
Bilongo is a tale of romantic obsession that weaves its way from an American merchant ship plying Oriental waters onto a string of beaches in Central and South America in which the central character, Rawley Aimes, is torn between his love for his wife and his consuming desire for another woman. This book blends the themes of love, betrayal, redemption and the use and the abuse of occult power in a surrealistic form of writing which restricts the reader to an objective view like that of a hidden camera.
“Tense domestic drama, lurid rites, vividly atmospheric writing…well-wrought action …shrewdly observant prose …The character studies are sharply etched and realistic…An entertaining magical-realist tale of a marriage threatened by an infidelity. Our Verdict: Get it.”
—Kirkus Review
“Cinematic storytelling, with scenes of sexuality intermingled with religion, death with life, love with hate. It’s fun, it’s sexy, and it’s well done…the unique setting in Brazil, the unusual writing style, and the thrilling surreality of the work allow it to stand out.”—TheBooklife Prize
“Brewer’s descriptions of the settings in his novel are incredibly vivid… Right away, readers will feel the mystical thread of the book and won’t be able to stop turning the pages…One can almost feel the skin contact and smell the intimacy mixed with the ocean air…The plot is character-driven but still moves at a fast pace, a feat not many authors can achieve…This book is an enthralling read, and romance lovers will likely adore it.” — RECOMMENDED by the US Review of Books
“A book of this caliber is the perfect read for those who enjoy literary fiction and erotica narratives, especially when that narrative employs relatable characters and an almost magical sense of surrealism which allows the reader not to be part of the narrative but take a 3rd-party perspective – as if watching the protagonist’s dreamlike state from a hidden camera. A thrilling, emotional, and mesmerizing surrealism erotica novel, author Brian Ray Brewer’s Bilongo is a must-read story.” – Pacific Book Review
Copacabana at Midnight is a collection of poetry and short stories which shares themes with several of the author’s novels. These verses were written in the isolation of life at sea. This work speaks of love, loss, loneliness, betrayal, obsession, possession, horror, illness, death, forgiveness and of the beauty and the power of the oceans.
“Poetry drawn from the primal hunger of the sea and those on it, painting an eerie vision of loss and longing in the tradition of William Blake and Edgar Allan Poe… High fantasy, brimming with goddesses, witches, mermaids, and sorcerers… themes and imagery often feeding from one piece into the next like a tributary into a river.” — Kirkus Reviews
“Brewer is an adept in the mystical school of language…The poems in Copacabana at Midnight resurrect and transform (his) experience into heady storm-tossed stuff . Those fond of poetry and fables will cherish this book; those new to poetry will find it a Jacob’s ladder to Parnassus. Readers will heartily welcome the cruise to strange ports of call, from Borneo to Brazil and many points in between.” –David Allen, Pacific Book Review
“An intriguing compilation of speculative poetry and eleven spellbinding short stories. There is a beauty and oddity to (these) weirdly hypnotic tales, which include witches, demons, strange birds, fearsome orbs, and seductive sirens. Brewer demonstrates a mastery of the short form, filling his collection with uncanny reveries. It’s a captivating read, and Brewer’s writing undoubtedly will linger in the minds of readers long after the last page is turned.” –Dylan Ward, US Review of Books
The Diving God follows the misadventures of Bob Banks, an insurance underwriter, who leaves his stultifying job, his broken marriage and New York City for a disastrous vacation in Mexico where he becomes stranded and where he eventually finds romance while teaching a single mother’s son the basics of platform diving. This romantic comedy is set in the largely pristine Yucatecan coast of the 1990’s. It speaks of urban angst, of self-discovery and of building family from the wreckage of past relationships.
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Finalist Next Generation Independent Book Awards Thriller and First Novel.
Emerald Greed is an adventure set in the Pantanal, vast, inhospitable wetlands in the center of South America at the headwaters of the Rio Paraguay. Th is book tells of the emerald trade, cocaine smuggling and of politics as practiced in Brazil. Th e story begins with Jack Tate in Rio de Janeiro, working to reestablish the industry contacts he had prior to leaving for Africa to trade in the “blood diamonds” that were fueling the Angolan Civil War. Th is African venture which ended in a Zairian prison left him destitute and therefore desperate enough to head off into the Brazilian hinterlands in search of the fabled Borba Mine, knowing that Joaquim Fontes, the geologist who re-discovered it, and another gem dealer sent to fi nd him have both disappeared. As the story unfolds so does a romance between Jack and Joaquim’s daughter, Marisa, who eventually leads him to the mine where their quest begins.
“A torridly paced thriller overfl owing with sharply described action…A gripping tale of underworld crime and desperate aspiration…Our Verdict: Get it.”– Kirkus Reviews
“Brewer is a first-rate storyteller who keeps the action and suspense nonstop. His cinematic descriptions of gun fights, hand-to-hand combat, and more are loaded with energy. His depictions of Brazil’s wildlife and its multi-dimensional environment feel vividly real. From the piranhas to the anacondas, his tale is alive with hair-raising jeopardy and startling derring-do. Readers who thrill to engaging plots with plenty of excitement will likely revel in this pulse-pounder.”–Joe Kilgore, award winning author of A Farmhouse in the Rain, The Horse Killer and other novels, for the US Review of Books
“Brewer manages to weave a tale together full of intrigue and suspense, action galore, and a romance which will leave you breathless. You won’t want to put this one down.” — Pacific Book Review
Winner of the Next Generation Independent Book Award for General Fiction
The Face of God is the story of a commercially successful but dissipated pop artist who rediscovers himself and his art through a contract to sculpt the face of God. This story of redemption winds through the New York art scene and high society, through the poor, mean streets of Salvador, Bahia and through the muddied waters of the Rio Xingu in the lower Amazon.
“A thoughtful, engaging meditation on the intersection of artistic and spiritual integrity…Our Verdict: Get It.” — Kirkus Reviews.
“Brewer offers a highly intriguing concept: a pop artist who rekindles his life and career after he is contracted to sculpt the face of God…While stories of an artist seeking renewed inspiration are archetypal, Brewer injects some unusual ingredients into the narrative.” –The Booklife Prize.
“The Face of God is certainly a masterpiece…The story lingers on in the reader’s mind long after the reading is done. Fans of contemporary drama will find (it) a wonderful read!” — Lily Amanda, Pacific Book Review.
“This metaphor for how people change through their work and relationships is convincing… and posits an intriguing incarnational theology.”– Mari Carlson, The US Review of Books.
“Tense domestic drama, lurid rites, vividly atmospheric writing…well-wrought action …shrewdly observant prose …The character studies are sharply etched and realistic…An entertaining magical-realist tale of a marriage threatened by an infidelity. Our Verdict: Get it.”
—Kirkus Review
“Cinematic storytelling, with scenes of sexuality intermingled with religion, death with life, love with hate. It’s fun, it’s sexy, and it’s well done…the unique setting in Brazil, the unusual writing style, and the thrilling surreality of the work allow it to stand out.”—The Booklife Prize
“Brewer’s descriptions of the settings in his novel are incredibly vivid… Right away, readers will feel the mystical thread of the book and won’t be able to stop turning the pages…One can almost feel the skin contact and smell the intimacy mixed with the ocean air…The plot is character-driven but still moves at a fast pace, a feat not many authors can achieve…This book is an enthralling read, and romance lovers will likely adore it.” — RECOMMENDED by the US Review of Books
“A book of this caliber is the perfect read for those who enjoy literary fiction and erotica narratives, especially when that narrative employs relatable characters and an almost magical sense of surrealism which allows the reader not to be part of the narrative but take a 3rd-party perspective – as if watching the protagonist’s dreamlike state from a hidden camera. A thrilling, emotional, and mesmerizing surrealism erotica novel, author Brian Ray Brewer’s Bilongo is a must-read story.” – Pacific Book Review
“Poetry drawn from the primal hunger of the sea and those on it, painting an eerie vision of loss and longing in the tradition of William Blake and Edgar Allan Poe… High fantasy, brimming with goddesses, witches, mermaids, and sorcerers… themes and imagery often feeding from one piece into the next like a tributary into a river.” — Kirkus Reviews
“Brewer is an adept in the mystical school of language…The poems in Copacabana at Midnight resurrect and transform (his) experience into heady storm-tossed stuff . Those fond of poetry and fables will cherish this book; those new to poetry will find it a Jacob’s ladder to Parnassus. Readers will heartily welcome the cruise to strange ports of call, from Borneo to Brazil and many points in between.” –David Allen, Pacific Book Review
“An intriguing compilation of speculative poetry and eleven spellbinding short stories. There is a beauty and oddity to (these) weirdly hypnotic tales, which include witches, demons, strange birds, fearsome orbs, and seductive sirens. Brewer demonstrates a mastery of the short form, filling his collection with uncanny reveries. It’s a captivating read, and Brewer’s writing undoubtedly will linger in the minds of readers long after the last page is turned.” –Dylan Ward, US Review of Books
The Diving God follows the misadventures of Bob Banks, an insurance underwriter, who leaves his stultifying job, his broken marriage and New York City for a disastrous vacation in Mexico where he becomes stranded and where he eventually finds romance while teaching a single mother’s son the basics of platform diving. This romantic comedy is set in the largely pristine Yucatecan coast of the 1990’s. It speaks of urban angst, of self-discovery and of building family from the wreckage of past relationships.