Meet Author Benjamin Reed

Benjamin Reed- A small town kind of guy stuck in big city. Originally from a super small town in northern Pennsylvania, I have since moved to Lincoln, NE to pursue a graduate degree in biology so that I may one day be able to teach at the college level. Most instructors hate teaching the “dreaded” non-major, but I love and embrace the opportunity/challenge of getting non bio lovers to see the wonder of all the plants and animals around them. If given the chance, I’d go backpacking every week to draw as much as inspiration for my novels as possible. I’ll go to nearly any movie just for the popcorn, and I’ll challenge anybody to a game of ping pong, cards, or Tetris. Kelty, my golden retriever, will beat you at loving everything, every time.

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Ten Fun Facts!

1. I am currently a graduate student studying ecological physiology at the University of Lincoln Nebraska. I specifically study what factors influence why animals of the same species often have vastly different sized home ranges (where they live). I study ornate box turtles to address this question.

2. During the day I am forced to write precise, technical jargon, but I much prefer to write long winded fiction in the evenings.

3. I am a survivor of an eight day backpacking trip in the Canadian wilderness, where it poured every day and the constant hum of mosquitos at night drowned out our voices.

4. I am a nationally ranked table tennis player, a truly awesome/competitive sport that non-players simply don’t seem to understand.

5. I wrote a bucket list my senior year of high school and my teacher was to send our bucket lists back to us in five years. Of course my bucket list was ridiculous, but I knew I could do one thing on it: write a novel. That, and many other things, motivated me to complete Courvalian: The Resistance. I have since completed the sequel and the third is in the works.

6. Before I die, I plan on finding a sizable chunk of time to walk the Appalachian Trail to completion.

7. My number one destination to visit (and never leave) is the Galapagos Islands. Someday the opportunity will arise!

8. I have a Golden Retriever named Kelty, and my brother has Kelty’s sister named Addie. They are best friends.

9. I’d rather use duct tape to repair my shoes than by a new pair, as they will almost immediately need replaced anyways.

10. My favorite part of writing the Courvalian series is doing all sorts of random research (must come from the scientist in me). Nearly every name and place (and some events) are references to other books, religions, mythologies, or real people and places. One of my favorite three are the names of three terminally(?) poisoned young brothers named Arno, Thuler, and Graha. They are the peaceful type and the name Graha comes from the Indian word Satygraha meaning peaceful resistance. Thuler is an anagram for Martin Luther King Jr’s middle name, and Arno is a reference to Emile’ Arnaud who coined the term “pacifism.”

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Courvalian: The Resistance

The teenaged Korza brothers, Matthew, Charles, and Travis, are all avid outdoorsmen, who thrive on mastering punishing wilderness conditions. They don’t know it but these skills will prove invaluable when they are mystically thrust into a medieval, forested world where a revolution against a venal monarch is underway.

With their memories gone and only an unbreakable sense of brotherly bondage holding them together, the Korza’s must choose between searching for their unknown family or joining the Resistance, an eclectic group of individuals fighting for their own friends and family. As the war heats up to a boil, the brother’s must balance their desire to find their lost family and their sense of duty for aiding the Resistance. New friendships, both human and animal, are forged in blood as the brothers discover reserves of courage and ingenuity that will serve their comrades well. Epic battles rage through a stronghold hidden in the forest canopy, and finally to a spectacular, winged siege against the forbidding Gowand’s Keep where unexpected dangers await.

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What people are saying about the book:

AMAZING BOOK! Once I started reading I couldn't put the book down! There are plenty of engaging characters that pull you further into the story, and keep you on the edge of your seat wondering what is going to happen next! ~Nichole

The story follows the adventures of three brothers as they explore an unknown land. Along the way, there are plenty of exciting events including an encounter with a trapped bear, a great sequence involving a village in the trees, and of course, an assault on a castle keep (as alluded to on the book's virtual cover). This book seems to be destined to become the next great action/adventure movie franchise (think Harry Potter meets Hunger Games but without the wizards and fiery dresses)! ~ Christopher Reed