Reading Age: Young Adults 16+
Searching for Roy Buchanan by Tory Gates.
Book 1 of 3: Sweet Dreams Series.
Aki Sato is not your typical teenager. She has weathered the loss of her parents and joined her brothers, Kenji and Hiro in a struggle to keep the family business, and themselves together.
Aki has also inherited the Amida Syndrome, the power of time travel. Without her mother to guide her, Aki has no experience in its use, nor can she defend against the terrifying nightmares that haunt her.
A chance breakdown leads the siblings to Kazu, an eccentric retired blues musician. In a series of misadventures, Aki must guide her brothers through time, space, and the world of the blues. In time, Aki not only discovers her own voice, but the power of music.
The journey through time and life is just getting started in “Searching for Roy Buchanan.”
Five Stars: The Power Of Music!
Fascinating time travel, action adventure involving teenage characters who discover the power of music.
As an avid listener to classical and jazz, I admit, I had to google the late great American guitarist and blues musician Leroy “Roy” Buchanan. My husband plays professional clarinet and is very familiar with this pioneer of Telecaster sound.
As a broadcaster for more than thirty years, Author Tory Gates has found his new calling, as a vivid fantasy story teller.
Book One, Searching for Roy Buchanan (Sweet Dreams), begins with teenage Aki experiencing something between a night mare and night terrors, as she “cried out one long, agonized scream”.
As a grandmother and book reviewer, my heart went out the kids. I am awe of the mystical and musical experiences that touched these young lives. A story of tragedy and triumph. A compelling journey into art, music appreciation, Japanese language, wrapped in healing mystical time travel that brings acute self-awareness and an adventure that brings unexpected maturity in time when Aki and her brothers should still be children.
Let me draw you into the story line in Chapter 5.
“Aki sat on her bed. Naked but for the T-shirt she slept in, Aki sweated, but was cold. She drew her comforter about herself in the dark room.
She looked up through her tousled hair, at the sun, which fingered its way through the blinds. Fingers slipped between one another, Aki rested them against her forehead and breathed. She wanted to stand but could not.
Thoughts, random and specific, passed through her mind, and though she tried to set them free again, she could not. When I was young, my mother called me a dreamer. She meant it with affection.
The truth is, while I may have at times imagined myself as someone else, I have no dreams. Those things I might have wished for were cast aside when Mom and Dad died. I am no longer a girl; all of us grew up that day.”
I invite you to see for yourself what happens to Aki and her brothers. What is Amida Syndrome? Is it a gift or curse?
Now we wait for book two in this series.
Editorial Review (Book Marketing Global Network).
Review by Anastasia Cassella, Author (February 2024): Searching for Roy Buchanan by Tory Gates is such a sweet surprise in the YA category. Full of fun, banter, adventures, all the while you follow Aki, Kenji, and Hiro through young adulthood which is difficult at times for anyone who has lost their parents. This reader joined in on learning the musical history during the time travels of the young ones. The idea of the Amida Syndrome is a magical surprise in the storyline. I may be one of few but felt like a little on the anime side. One can learn about the music and its origins and how it connects our history in this novel all the while laughing and crying, yes, I cried. I laughed out loud often. I can’t wait to read further adventures written by Tory Gates. It’s been a while since I’ve read a book and caught myself smiling. Kudos Tory Gates.
Review by LogCabinKat: 5.0 out of 5 stars A Stellar Adventure. Reviewed in the United States on February 23, 2021. Anyone can create characters, but it takes a keen mind to imagine the central figures in a novel in such a way that the reader is certain said people truly exist in the world away from the pages. Tory Gates is such an author and does so masterfully in each of his books, including Searching for Roy Buchanan.
Set in contemporary Japan, Searching is, on the surface, a tale of love, loss, and really excellent music. But on a deeper level it’s about the healing power of music, the lasting bonds between family and friends, and the importance of remaining true to oneself.
Aki and her siblings, Hiro and Kenji, have endured the unthinkable with the sudden deaths of their parents. And yet, the trio persevere, with a little help from friends, and an eccentric aging blues musician who offers them an incredible gift by introducing them to a new style of music.
But there’s more to Aki than a strong singing voice and a determination to help her brothers heal in the wake of tragedy. She is also the recipient of a unique ability, passed down through generations. Known as the Amida, this ability allows Aki to travel through time, though without the guidance of her mother, from whom she inherited the ability, Aki struggles to understand how best to use it.
What I love best about each of the people we meet in Searching is how real each is. At multiple times throughout the inventive and engaging story, I was certain I could hop on a plane, end up in their home city, and find each one.
Gates has a way of endearing his characters to you, so much so that you become invested in their lives, their dreams, and what might happen next. It is because of the depth in each that the overarching story becomes so compelling (and has me waiting excitedly for the sequel).
Don’t be fooled by the Young Adult label. While ideal for high school students, Searching isn’t limited to that age group. It’s been many moons since I last walked the halls of my alma mater, and still I found myself eagerly turning the pages, longing for another song, another trip somewhere in time, another moment with these vibrant folks.
There is another bonus to Gates’ story – if you don’t know the Blues, you will when you’re through with Searching. Throughout the book, I found myself pausing to look up a particular artist or band, each video expanding my musical horizons brilliantly. It was as if the book came with its own soundtrack. I find this especially exciting since many young readers aren’t familiar with the musicians that paved the way for the autotuned drivel that’s so popular today. My hope is that they’ll check out each of the legendary figures that play various roles in the story and expand their own musical horizons.
If you’re looking for something unique, engaging, and intriguing, this is that book. Enjoy!
More Ratings:
https://www.amazon.com/Searching-Roy-Buchanan-Sweet-Dreams/dp/1620061104#customerReviews
Product Details:
Paperback: 191 Pages
Publisher: Brown Posey Press (February 20, 2019)
Language: English
Fiction (Time Travel)
Fiction (Music Reference)
Fiction (Young Adult)
Fiction (Contemporary)
Amazon Print:
https://www.amazon.com/Searching-Roy-Buchanan-Sweet-Dreams/dp/1620061104
Call It Love by Tory Gates.
Book 2 of 3: Sweet Dreams Series.
The Sweet Dreams Series returns…
Months have passed since Aki Sato discovered her time-traveling powers. Aki knows she cannot change the past nor can she solve her problems in the real world. Beset by fresh trauma, Aki feels there’s no way out. Her only hope comes from music and a voice that calls to her from her power of time travel.
When Aki agrees to help her brother Hiro start a new band, they are joined by two people that Aki can’t help but be attracted to: Kiya, a brilliant pianist and singer; and Zendo, a former monk and guitarist. Both bring their own musical skill and style, but Aki feels something from each that goes far beyond music.
Through friendship, trust, and new connections, Aki goes back in time to uncover a hidden past and to make an amazing discovery. Once more, she is reminded of the healing power of music, and people, in Call It Love.
Product Details:
Paperback: 251 Pages
Publisher: Brown Posey Press (September 23, 2021)
Language: English
Fiction (Time Travel)
Fiction (Music Reference)
Fiction (Young Adult)
Fiction (Contemporary)
Shake Hands with the Devil by Tory Gates.
Book 3 of 3: Sweet Dreams Series.
Aki Sato is back…
Aki’s life has surpassed even her wildest dreams. In five years, Aki has found success and stardom in music, and more importantly, love in her partner and collaborator, Kiya.
But for Aki, the dream has become a nightmare: Kiya is lost in time, and a force Aki has never before encountered blocks her ability to time travel, the Amida.
Aki discovers a hidden enemy within the Amida, who seeks her power and leaves the thing most dear to Aki hanging in the balance. To Aki, there is no alternative but one dangerous, and desperate gamble.
The third volume in the Sweet Dreams Series, “Shake Hands with the Devil” finds Aki Sato at her most obsessed, even ruthless in her search for Kiya and to protect the Amida. Meanwhile, Kiya sails the Great Lakes in 1960s America, knowing she is on her own, until Aki can find her.
Tory Gates brings the Sweet Dreams Series full circle in “Shake Hands with the Devil,” available at SunburyPress.com, Amazon and wherever great books are sold.
Review From A Sunbury Press Books Reviewer. Shake Hands with the Devil, Book 3 Sweet Dreams Series on Oct 12, 2022. This third and final book in the Sweet Dream Series is a fast paced, tension filled finish to the first 2 books. I could hardly put it down. It could almost be read as a stand-alone, except the first two books give background to the characters as well as time and place. If you are looking for something a little different, this is it.
Product Details:
Paperback: 233 Pages
Publisher: Brown Posey Press (September 21, 2022)
Language: English
Fiction (Time Travel)
Fiction (Music Reference)
Fiction (Young Adult)
Fiction (Contemporary)
About The Author: Tory Gates has produced books for the Young Adult and Contemporary Fiction world since 2013. He takes readers to exotic locales, everyday places and brings to life characters that are relatable and real, while addressing real-life issues.
Tory is the author of the Sweet Dreams Series, a trilogy of works that combine time travel, Japanese culture and the power of music. “Searching for Roy Buchanan,” “Call it Love” and “Shake Hands with the Devil” are all available on Brown Posey Press, the fiction imprint of Sunbury Press Books. He is also the author of two other Brown Posey releases, the award-winning “A Moment in the Sun” and “Live from the Café.” Tory’s first book, “Parasite Girls” was released on Amazon and Smashwords.
A broadcaster with more than thirty-five years’ experience, Tory is a journalist, a presenter, producer. He can be heard on the Radio Pennsylvania Network and The Brown Posey Press Show, an interview program for independent and self-published authors. Tory is also known as “DJ`Riff,” host of “The Music Club,” a blues program for the London-based Radio-Airwaves Station.
A native of Vermont, Tory lives in Harrisburg, PA with a cat named Kao, and can be found anyplace that serves good coffee!
Amazon Author’s Page:
https://www.amazon.com/Tory-Gates/e/B01LXQ5YSQ/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0
Twitter: (@ToryGates)
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/tory.gates
Author’s Page At Book Marketing Global Network
https://bookmarketingglobalnetwork.com/book-marketing-global-network/tory-gates-books/
