Praise for curveball at the crossroads
Patro Mabili, radio host, WMNF 88.5 FM, (Tampa, FL):
"The deal-with-the-devil is a favorite story motif. This book puts it in a baseball context. This is a fun read with vivid scenarios which could easily be adapted to video. Loved it."
Gary Roen, senior book reviewer, Midwest Book Review:
""Curveball at the Crossroads" appears to be a baseball book, but is a lot more with a character driven story, set against the backdrop of a good and evil universe. JaMark Reliford is on his way to a possible career in the major leagues until an earth-shattering injury topples all of his plans. A while later he is offered by a man wearing black pants, shirt and top hat at a fork in the road, a way in to the game. The agreement has terms to be met or there will be consequences. For a while JaMark is on top of the world but something changes and the bargain takes a new turn. "Curveball at the Crossroads" is a wonderful first novel that is a multi-layered story that moves along at a brisk pace to its final pages with writing and a story that is guaranteed to please."
Chris Humphreys, SportsChump.net:
"Mr. Lortz has released his first novel, with hopefully many more to come, and it is already finding A+ reviews… for good reason."
"carefully crafted and entertainingly described"
"Lortz brings his key characters to life, the humble, conflicted Reliford, the conniving and crafty devil and a slew of others that provide meaning and substance. His chapters are short (66 of them), which works perfectly for those of us with ADHD. They end vividly in well-crafted cliffhangers that make Crossroads difficult to put down because you want to see what happens next, which should be the point of any well-written book."
TJ Pittinger, manager: Big3Rollup podcast, host: Peek2Pitt podcast, Double Fries No Slaw podcast, and Bourbon on a Budget podcast:
"This book was awesome. I enjoyed the way the author wove history, culture, and more into the story line. I found myself hooked and was not able to put the book down. Hoping there's a sequel because I fell in love with the main character's journey! Definitely recommend to anyone who is a sports lover!"
John Porter, co-host, Time for the Blues radio show, 89.1 WCVN, 90.1 WMVE, 93.1 and 107.3 VPM-Music (Richmond, VA):
"Enjoyable book about a young baseball pitcher who makes a Faustian deal with the devil. Author Lortz does a good job creating several memorable side characters and shows promise for future work."
Jason Collette, columnist for Rotowire, podcaster at Fangraphs.com:
"I am normally not a big fiction guy, but I really did enjoy reading your story. It took a surprising turn late I was not expecting!"
Adam, 911Reviews.com:
"This is a great read. A fun, quick read.... Michael Lortz is a tremendous talent. He is an uncut gem ... a gem in the rough."
Goodreads.com reviewer:
"Very good book overall. Parts of the book made me think of Tony Saunders, Robert Johnson, Field of Dreams, and even the legend of Toe Nash. For me the book kinda bogged down in the middle but the last 60 pages flew by as loose ends were tied up. Highly recommended for readers of baseball fiction and Tampa Bay fans!"
Amazon.com reviewer:
"A very enjoyable read, even for this non-baseball enthusiast. I enjoyed the character development of JaMark and of Inga, specifically. It’s a fun read about a dream dissolved, a choice made in desperation and all its repercussions."
The Author's Dad:
"I liked it. It was good."
