:: Stephen R. Meier ::

Reviews

The main characters in "KATKA" is Gavin, Katka, and Simona. Gavin is a
handsome, young man who is trying desperately to run away from his past.
Katka is Gavin`s girlfriend who is convinced that money, and love
combined is her top priority. Simona is a gorgeous, seductive woman who
is convinced that business is number one, and everything comes next.
She is sneaky, and as tough as a brick wall. Gavin and Katka team up with
Simona to scam buyers of mail order brides in the Czech Republic. Gavin`s
plan was to convince Katka to sell herself to a buyer, take the money,
and run. His intention was to use that money for him and Katka to begin
a new life together. However, the plan backfired when Katka takes off
with a client, then Gavin works with Simona. As his greed increases,
so does his guilt in losing Katka. As he becomes successful, his loss
of Katka haunts him more-and-more. I recommend this novella to adults
who crave a read that`s filled with excitement, directing your attention
to love, betrayal, and loss. Stephen Ross Meier managed to create
characters that fit an intriguing story like a glove, and a picture
perfect setting made for the movie screen. The author takes the reader
on an emotional roller coaster ride as you experience feelings of
success, and failure. But, "KATKA" isn`t your ordinary thrill ride, it
feels more like a rocket! Your ride begins at Wall Street as you follow
Gavin to Czechoslovakia, where he meets up with Simona and Katka. Then,
the fireworks begin. You get a glimpse of a world filled with booze,
sex, and deceit. Your imagination of the Eastern European girls explodes
as you read on about a life lived that most would hope was just a bad
dream. The plot is painted with different bright colors, and the moral
of the story ends in sadness. We can buy anything with money, but love
doesn`t come with a price tag. It is known to be the most valuable in
humanity, but is priceless. More important, the loss of love, because
of greed and betrayal becomes the worst scar one can endure in a
lifetime. The true price of betrayal takes a shattering toll in this
heart-pounding, suspenseful story. "KATKA" is as sensational as
UNFAITHFUL with Richard Gere, and as powerfully seductive as
INDECENT PROPOSAL with Demi Moore!

Katka is a surprising book about the shadier side of life. It is about love, sex, money, greed, and ultimately about love again. The story is told from Gavin`s point of view in flashes from what is going on now to what happened in the past. Katka keeps you interested and sometimes repelled from the first page. It tells the story of wanting more from life and being blinded by that want. The story is short enough to finish in an evening and still have had the excitement of a longer book.

Katka is a book about a man who ran from his past that had gone seriousely wrong. He heads to a new country where he has a friend who helps him get a job. He gets involved in a scandalous mess of women, sex, and money. The book takes you through his eyes and the eyes of a woman he loved and the sacrifice she makes for him because of her love to him. It is a deeply involving book taking you back and forth between the lives of these two people, Gavin and Katka, and how they sacrifice everything for one another but all the while hurting themselves with the decisions they make. The ending of the book is left open for a part two which should be interesting to see how it all works out, or if it does.

I could not put this down! It`s gritty and real and intense! The characters are vivid and well written. A very riveting tale of love and betrayal and heartbreak. Katka is a very fast paced read and will leave you wanting more! I have already recommended this novella to a few of my friends! I definitely suggest picking this up!

Stephen Mejer did a excellent job in writing this book.This is something I really quickly got addicted to and couldn"t keep my eyes off it.The uncut raw language is in your face and I love it.It made the book really draw me in and make it seem that much more real.Gavin is a guy that had got in some trouble back in the States.He leaves America and begans his life in a whole new country.There he meets Simona a woman who has a mail order bride service.He soon gets involved and there he meets Katka.A beautiful breath taking taking woman that steals his heart.They experience a whirl wind of actions.Hardcore,sex and booze filled that makes this a excellent gritty,love money tale that had me wanting so much more.

The book Katka has a gritty start with a focus of looking into more about love, sex, greed and overall curiosity. It caught me immediately into the story and I was sad that it wasn`t longer. I had hoped the author would provide a little more background on the characters to gain a better understanding of why they act the way that they do. I think that would help to understand the current situation. However, maybe in the second novel this will happen.

This is a great book to read. I just couldn`t put it down once I started reading it. I must caution that if you don`t like swearing and detailed sex scenes then this book is not for you.

The story revolves around Gavin, his gf Katka and her bff Simona. They scheme together to concoct a mail order bride scam. But when the scam goes terribly wrong and Katka disappears with the client, Gavin is torn between this risky life he has chosen and the money that he can`t live without.

But guilt takes over and Gavin realizes that his greed has put the love of his life in danger.

Katka by Stephen Ross Meier is a quick and engrossing read. It takes you into the seedy side of Prague where money can buy anything including beautiful women.

Gavin is an American who goes to Prague to get away from his problems in America and to start over. He becomes involved in a world that he is not familiar with but soon finds that he can make a lot of money and receive much pleasure from. Gavin has a sort of vulnerability but once trapped in this world he finds that drinking is a way of dealing with his conscience. Since he did not keep business and pleasure separate he falls in love with Katka and she with him. The part of the story that tells what happens between them and the ultimate ending will keep you reading and interested.

The story is very graphic with action and tenderness. The characters are fascinating. Although his problems in America are mentioned they are not fully addressed in the book. This would make a good movie if the plot and characters were explored more.

This is a great quick read that you can`t put down until you finish it. The language and sex is extreme, but I believe is needed for this type of story. The only thing about this book that I didn`t really like is that I had a lot of questions about the characters that were unanswered. I think the author could have easily added in another 50 pages or so. Overall, I really enjoyed the book and the underlying moral to the story.

This is a story that will keep your interest until you finish the last page. The language is hard-edged & gritty, with a lot of sexual scenes and overtures, not meant for younger readers at all. For an adult wanting a good, quick story of love, passion and greed, it doesn`t get much better.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Gavin is an American with troubles that are never really explained, something to do with his work as a trader that has led him to run. He runs to the Czech Republic where his friend Pat owns a bar. Gavin meets beauty after beauty and gets talked into becoming the face man for a mail order bride arrangement. Gavin is never really in command of himself and is usually boozed up. His inner turmoils keep him from behaving realistically. Once involved in the business of selling women for profit, Gavin is caught up by his greed. It takes over his judgement the day that he unwittingly sells his girlfriend. Life is never the same after that day.

My only reason for not giving the book a higher rating is the author jumps around way too much telling his story. At times, it`s very confusing and hard to keep track of what is going on.

"Katka by Stephen Meier is a rough, uneasy novel of avarice, love, and deception gone very wrong. When Gavin and Katka join with Simona to scam buyers of mail order brides in the Czech Republic, Gavin set events into motion with disastrous results. Gavin talks Katka, his girlfriend, into selling herself to a buyer and then taking his money and running, but things get twisted and Katka disappears with the client. Left with Simona, Gavin decides to carry on and make some real money. As Gavin`s success increases, his guilt and doubt also rise, and he begins to worry this world has taken more than he`s willing to give. He finds himself thinking of Katka, the life they could have had, and the life he consigned her to, and wonders if he can undo the biggest mistake of his life. Written with grit and masterful prose, Katka is a literary punch in the stomach that takes your breath away, and leaves you with unforgettable images and even more unforgettable characters."

Actually, Stephen Meir`s novella leaves you with many questions: (1) Is this story fiction or a cathartic memoir?; (2) Was Katka really so innocent?; (3) Was Gavin really so naive?; (4) Could there really have been a different ending?

Gavin went to the Czech Republic and partied hard with beautiful women. Katka found her way to America, along with other beautiful Czech women, to pleasure men. The business of sex...mail order brides or white slave trade.

As for Stephen Meier`s writing style, it is somewhat unusual with no chapters or paragraph indentations. There are a few grammatical mistakes, but in general, Meier`s story works and will keep you turning the pages.

On one side of this interesting story, a man convinces himself that he can get his hands a little dirty in a mail order bride scheme. The reader will have no problem seeing the real "business". He can talk himself into the game and make believe he is in control of this endeavor. When he continues to get deeper into the process, even offering his own love as part of the scheme, he finally sees the situation unravel. Nothing is as he thought and he finally starts putting pieces together. He got everything but lost the most important thing.

On the other side, a woman who believes in love enough to make multiple sacrifies to prove it to her man. Look for the times she is begging him subconsciously to love her, claim her and finally save her. As usual, tragedy wakes him up enough to see what she lost so he could have it all.

If you think about the flesh trade and feel that no one is really hurt, read this book. You will be saddened by the women desperate for better and how they can be tricked and used.

Gavin, a young good looking man, who is way to image conscious, runs into trouble at wall street . He felt the need to get away from all of his problems, so he decided to take his friend Pat`s advice and come see him in Czechoslovakia.
In Czechoslovakia, Gavin meets a Czech woman named Simona, who runs a mail order bride service. Her clients were young, good looking women who wished to find and marry rich males, preferably Americans. After meeting Gavin, Simona tells her friend Katka that she felt he would make a good front man for her business. After getting recruited by Simona, Gavin finds himself getting involved in a world of booze, sex, and money,

This is a fast paced book that should retain your interest. I gave this book 4 stars instead of 5 because of the amount of swearing and explicit sex scenes.

I really enjoyed reading this book and it deals with the gritty side of life. It seems that the main character Gavin is running a prostitution ring but it`s really a mail order bride service. Gavin is really an OK guy but made some bad choices in life. Ultimately, Gavin is really tired of the lifestyle of selling women to men. He had one girl named Meeka that ended up dead. Also, he has a girlfriend named Katka and that he ended up selling. Nothing is what it seems in this story and some of the characters are shady. This is one of those stories that are entertaining and suspenseful at the same time.

Wow! I just finished reading Katka. A friend had been telling me about this book for some time, but I had no idea it would be this good. From the first page, I realized I couldn`t put the book down. I actually read the entire book in one sitting without even realizing it. The story is smart, to the point and definitely grabs a hold of you. I can`t wait to read the Stephen`s next book.

What I like about this piece is the author shows how an ordinary but damaged guy (Gavin) can slide down the slippery slope of greed and vanity. Meier takes the idea of selling your soul to the devil and pushes it to the limit. In this case, the main character sells his girlfriend (Katka).

With fast-paced dialogue and a narrative voice that doesn`t judge, Meier creates a likeable guy and then doesn`t flinch as he allows that guy to do some very unlikeable things. Ultimately, human insecurity causes the downfall of Gavin and Katka. And the descent is quite a trip, full of sex, drugs and money all set in the underbelly of the Czech Republic.

The girlie girl in me was partial to the doomed love story, but I had to love the final scene, which is reminiscent of The Graduate. Meier has a bold, original voice and it seems like he`s found his footing. One to watch.

The book is a very easy read once you start. The second part more so than the first. It is easily a one sitting read. The story line keeps you turning page after page, chapter after chapter. It is written in real world conversation language that could be difficult to read at first, yet begins to flow once the reader realizes this as the writing style. This is not your ordinary story. This story will force you to place yourself in the main characters situation and compare the decision he makes to that which you believe you would make.

This book keeps you on the edge of your seat. I read it in one sitting, couldn`t put it down. We need a sequel, what happens next...please write one! The writing is witty and very much a flowing conversation, could be a movie I think as well. Anyways, anyone interested its a must read!

I am not a big reader, which just goes to show that I have been choosing the wrong books. Once I started Katka, I couldn`t put it down, literally. I stayed up until 2 am reading it straight through. The dialogue driven writing had me feeling as though I was watching a movie as much as reading a book, and I loved "casting" the characters as I read. I found myself alternately despising and caring about the characters, but always excited to learn what would come next for them. Katka definitely left me excited for a sequel, which I hope is coming soon. Mr. Meier?

Gavin was just your typical American guy. He was good-looking, a smooth talker and very good with the ladies that is till he met the one. Her name is Katka. She is a beautiful woman, who hails from the Czech Republic. Gavin was tongue tied the first time he saw her. Soon after Katka and Gavin became an item.

Together Gavin, Katka and Katka`s friend, Simona come up with a brilliant idea to make some quick cash fast. They decide to start a mail order bride business. Business is booming. It seems these three have hit the jackpot. Like any business man, Gavin soon becomes greedy. He strikes a deal that involves Katka and a couple of men. Before Gavin can comprehend what he has done, Katka has disappeared. Will Gavin ever get a second chance to share with Katka his true feelings and make things right?

Katka is a fast-pace, high intense thriller. I really liked the grittiness of this story...from the manipulative ways of Simona to Gavin`s heart-ache and despair. Mr. Meier did not hold anything back. I picked up this novel to start reading it and couldn`t put it down. Katka is a short read at only one-hundred and five pages but this book packs quite the whoop. Mr. Meier has definitely set the bar high for himself with his first book. Can`t wait to see what he brings to the table next.

I have read many a book by many a great author and Katka could easily be listed among my favorites. Once I cracked the first page open on Katka I did not put it down until I was finished. The writing style was thrilling and the characters even more so...especially Simona. I found myself wanting desperately to know more about these people and what was going to happen next. I truly hope this excellent novella could become a motion picture, even though I saw the entire movie in my head while I was reading, the characters really come to life. I believe that Stephen R. Meier is on his way up and this could be the story that takes him there. Can not wait for the sequel!!

You know you`ve got a first-rate thriller when you take it with you in the car to read at stoplights... Stephen Meier displays his talent is this superbly written novel. He delivers a captivating story with details that make you feel as if you know each character personally. The heart-pumping plot never slows down! Katka is edgy, romantic, thrilling and tender...all at the same time. The emotional and moral stakes shift so unpredictably that you won`t want to stop reading this completely fresh novel.

Every once in a while, my usual search terms turn up something other than porn. Regular readers of this column know that I routinely risk the health of my machine (my mac will probably be the first inanimate object to contract HIV) to bring you the best (and weirdest) of the internet. This week, I bring you the good stuff. Recently, when looking for something that was "hot," "sexy," and "Eastern European" (go ahead, judge me) my browser steered me toward stephenrossmeier.com which advertises a novella called Katka. The excerpted piece was indeed hot (google don`t lie!), so I ordered a copy from amazon (the book is available on the site, but I trust amazon encryption just a little more).

Katka is about the business of mail order brides. Most of the action takes place in Prague, and the protagonist--Gavin--is a young American who has an uncanny charm for closing deals that make him sick to his stomach (turns out Gavin has serious money problems that led him down this rabbit hole, but I won`t spoil it). The piece explores some of our darker tendencies, but manages to do so without being judgmental: selling young women into a kind of slavery might repulse you (it should!), but the story will--make you horny.

Mr. Meier lets his characters do all the talking, that is, there is very little in the way of exposition. The (almost) entirely dialogue-driven narrative produces a refreshing effect: the characters leap of the page. Mr. Meier would do well for himself to write for the stage (if he hates money), or some other dramatic venue (film/television) because his dialogue and characterization creates vivid and intriguing characters. Trust me: you wouldn`t mind having Simona jump out of your copy of Katka