Local author returns with sequel to hit

Not only is Josi Russell’s first book, Caretaker, identified on Amazon with a bright orange #1 banner, it has also been the #1 best seller at the San Juan Record in 2015.  
Josi’s latest release is Guardians, a sequel to Caretaker. Along with the support of an enthusiastic group of friends, family, students and the entire community, Josi’s books have received rave nationwide reviews.
The San Juan Record is excited to welcome Josi once again to sign books at the Ladies Night Out at the San Juan Record, on April 2 from 6 to 8 p.m.
Out of 84 reviews of the new book on Amazon, two of the most complete follow: 

Classic in the making
In the second installment of this fascinating series, Josi Russell builds a detailed world on the planet of Minea that is at the same time both familiar and strange.
Ethan Bryant, the hero of Caretaker, shines once again as a moral leader who proves adept at handling any crisis thrown at him. His position as a governor often pits him against the greedy monopolies controlling the planet and the mining of its valuable mineral, Yynium.
The plight of Minea’s oppressed miners reminded me of the mining boom in the late 1800s and the conditions most miners faced, with health risks and the control mining companies exercised over every aspect of the worker’s lives, including the price of food.
Ethan’s wife, Aria, proves to be his match in strength and integrity when Ethan is lost underground on a survey mission, and she is left to unravel the source of a blight affecting both people and plants on the surface of the planet.
Her ingenuity and kindness endeared her to me from the start. In fact, the author does a superb job of painting characters and their relationships with one another.
As Ethan and his shipmates search for a way back to the surface, they bond together in powerful ways.
Their adventures echo the Jules Verne classic, Journey to the Center of the Earth, although I thought Russell’s focus on character brought an added depth to their struggles.
Amidst the turmoil, the passengers of Ethan’s Ship 12-22 search for their place in the industrialized society of Minea.
With artistic skills often considered expendable, they feel worthless. Guardians poses the intriguing questions: Are art and beauty worthwhile pursuits?
Can we be valuable, contributing members of society when we pursue our passions?
As an artist myself, those are questions I’ve often pondered. I was pleased with the way the book answered them.
Guardians is a clean read with endearing characters and a rich, varied world that pulled me in and didn’t let go until the final chapter.
It had the feel of a classic science fiction but with an added depth of character that brought the story to life and made it sing.
I would especially recommend it to fans of Asimov or Verne, but even those who haven’t read science fiction before will find Guardians enthralling.
- Shauna E. Black, 
5 star Amazon review

Rich in detail and history, this was fantastic!
Russell pours her heart and soul into this incredible story, and it really shines through.
Her characters are compassionate and have a startling amount of depth. The world is intricate and complex and rich in detail.
For someone like me, who likes reading about the history of a world and everything there is to know about it’s government, military, people, economy, and basically everything that makes up a country or planet... this was crazy delicious.
 - Mariah Smith, 
5 star Amazon review