tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7403786198592296962024-03-13T11:17:36.351-05:00The Written UniverseThe Written Universe reviews books & short stories in the horror/sci-fi/fantasy/mystery genres for free. If you are a first time author or one who has been around the block a time or two, TWU welcomes your submissions. Due to the amount of submissions, I cannot guarantee a review.
TWU also blogs on: bookstores, authors, books in general, op ed pieces, anecdotes, & interviews. Submissions may be directed to the following email:
thewrittenuniverse@hotmail.com.
Tracey Fleminghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03348467618793656062noreply@blogger.comBlogger153125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-740378619859229696.post-2563787758393437832016-07-16T10:37:00.000-05:002016-07-16T10:38:13.844-05:00Horror Novelist Needs Your Help<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yOrF073aKDQ/V4pR54-WUGI/AAAAAAAAAss/BS3Y2PbqgtcgzhpvU7phgB70W5PLA4DHwCLcB/s1600/spector.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yOrF073aKDQ/V4pR54-WUGI/AAAAAAAAAss/BS3Y2PbqgtcgzhpvU7phgB70W5PLA4DHwCLcB/s320/spector.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Hey kids, I need to pull on your sleeve about something.<br />Horror novelist Craig Spector, who wrote The Light at the End, Animals, The Bridge and Dead Lines with John Skipp, and A Question of Will, Underground and Turnaround, on his own has need of some monetary assitance.<br />Craig has been diagnosed with stage 4 cancer and the costs are mounting up. He has a gofundme page located at <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/spartacus-cancer" target="_blank">Craig's gofundme page</a><br />Any thing you can give, please do.</span>Tracey Fleminghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03348467618793656062noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-740378619859229696.post-35342107169489491142015-11-18T13:30:00.000-06:002015-11-18T13:30:22.460-06:00Review: Second Chance<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_k4FF2CLq8k/VkzOwnxdVkI/AAAAAAAAAsU/6IcNXiGg2ew/s1600/second%2Bchance.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_k4FF2CLq8k/VkzOwnxdVkI/AAAAAAAAAsU/6IcNXiGg2ew/s320/second%2Bchance.jpg" width="222" /></a></div>
<span class="a-size-base review-text">Second Chance<br />by<br />Chet Williamson<br />Available from Amazon in <br />Kindle format, B&N in Nook format, <br />hardcover and paper back.</span><br />
<span class="a-size-base review-text"><br />I've read some of Williamson's short story work, and I've read his novel <i>Ash Wednesday</i>.<br />Now I've read <i>Second Chance</i>.<br /><br />In each instance, the writing is tight, the stories are well-plotted, and the characters become very real people.<br /><br />However, there is another constant that runs through all these:<br />The ability to make me mutter, "God***n, Chet", when I'm blown away by a turn of phrase, or a twist in plot.<br /><br /><i>Second
Chance</i> is at turns scary as hell, sweetly reminiscent of a time gone
by, and hopeful for a future that never should have existed.<br /><br />The scary as hell parts are visceral when they need to be and are scary because they could very well occur.<br />The
sweetly reminiscent parts bring back the era of the '60's in a way that
brings a smile to your face at the innocence and passion of the time.<br />The
hopeful parts - well...they are bittersweet. A future that never should
have happened is the sweet, and the horrible way an unintended
consequence unravels and is then corrected is the bitter.<br /><br />Horror needs Chet Williamson to keep writing.<br />His
tales are not the tired horror tropes we've all seen trotted out before
and I highly recommend reading this and any other books of his you can
get your hands on.<br />You will not go away disappointed.</span>Tracey Fleminghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03348467618793656062noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-740378619859229696.post-46769126278399327282015-07-14T14:58:00.000-05:002015-07-14T14:58:43.582-05:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IoJXClYmDec/VaVpgXE1J-I/AAAAAAAAAr0/8HIqfjgI9Gk/s1600/stay-strong-because-recovery-is-possible.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IoJXClYmDec/VaVpgXE1J-I/AAAAAAAAAr0/8HIqfjgI9Gk/s320/stay-strong-because-recovery-is-possible.png" width="274" /></a></div>
<br /><span style="font-size: large;">Greetings constant reader.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">As you may have observed, this blog has been spotty, almost from the day of conception. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I started it after my father passed away in 2009...and it did OK.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Then my only child, my son, got in a car wreck in 2010 and died a month and a day later. He was in a coma from the time he hit the hospital until he passed.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Then my mother's dementia got worse...and worse...and she passed in May of 2014.<br />I've moved four times...and finally come to the realization I've been battling depression and anxiety my entire life.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I've got remitting/recurring MS on top of everything else...and am currently mostly bed ridden.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">I don't tell you these things because I'm looking for sympathy. <br />I tell you these things to explain the irregularity of posting to this blog. I've got some novels in the pipeline to review and will do my best to post them soon. I'll also be posting other news as conditions warrant.<br /><br />Yes, this has been a rocky road, but it's starting to smooth out. Thanks for being patient with me.</span>Tracey Fleminghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03348467618793656062noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-740378619859229696.post-37192047465205259212015-07-06T15:16:00.003-05:002015-07-06T15:26:41.538-05:0013 Questions with...James Newman<div>
<div>
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ARrnhvuNjXA/VZrj_C10NzI/AAAAAAAAArU/9BaWycj_M6U/s1600/james.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ARrnhvuNjXA/VZrj_C10NzI/AAAAAAAAArU/9BaWycj_M6U/s1600/james.jpg" /></a></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;"><b><span style="font-family: Garamond;">1. Name one thing you miss about being a child.</span></b></span></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="font-family: Garamond;">
That feeling of having all the time in the world to do whatever you
want to do. There were no boundaries, no limits. The clock wasn't
going to "run out", eventually. The day-to-day worries and
responsibilities of adulthood . . . it all seemed incomprehensible, a
lifetime away. Your loved ones weren't going anywhere, and you'd be
together for a long, long time, everyone healthy and carefree.</span></span></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="font-family: Garamond,sans-serif;"><b>2. You're</b><b> hosting a dinner party. What is the menu? Do you cater or make it yourself?</b></span></span></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"> Spaghetti. And my wife makes it (are you kidding? I'm useless in the kitchen, would probably scorch a can of tuna). </span></span></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="font-family: Garamond,sans-serif;"><b><br />3. Are you a collector of anything and if so, what?</b></span></span></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="font-family: Garamond;">
Not really, other than buying books obsessively. But I'm a reader, not
a collector. I have a two or three shelves stocked with signed limited
editions, but for the most part I prefer an old dog-eared copy over a
pricey edition that makes me feel like I should wear gloves if I get
anywhere near it. I'll also pick up a comic book now and then, usually
horror stuff or the occasional Batman title. But I'm definitely not
a "collector". </span><span style="font-family: Garamond,sans-serif;"><br /><br /><b>4. You're about to walk the Green Mile. What do you have for your last meal?</b></span></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><b> </b>My wife's spaghetti and a single glass of Jack-n'-Diet-Pepsi.</span><span style="font-family: Garamond,sans-serif;"><br /><br /><b>5. Physical book VS. an E- reader. Your preference and why?</b></span></span></span></span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="font-family: Garamond;">
Physical book, all the way. I don't care for reading more than
news-feeds or Facebook on a computer screen, cellphone, Kindle,
whatever. I understand why it appeals to many people -- and my own
aversion to e-readers doesn't prevent me from publishing my own work in
that format! -- but it's not for me. Give me the feel of an
old-fashioned book any day. I even love the way they smell.</span><span style="font-family: Garamond,sans-serif;"><br /><br /><b>6. What are you currently reading?</b></span></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><b> </b>PROMISE NOT TO TELL by Jennifer McMahon, and AVENUE X by Nancy Collins (one of my all-time favorite short story writers).</span><span style="font-family: Garamond,sans-serif;"><br /><br /><b>7. What musical artist are you currently into?</b></span><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><br /></span></span></span></span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="font-family: Garamond;">
Been listening to a lot of John 5's work lately. Oddly enough, I've
never been a fan of show-offy instrumental solo albums, but this guy
blows me away. He's such an amazing guitarist. While I do enjoy a few
songs from Rob Zombie and Marilyn Manson (the latter more-so than the
former), I think Mr. 5 is wasting his talent when he aligns himself with
those bands. He's so much better than that.</span></span></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="font-family: Garamond,sans-serif;"><br /><b></b></span></span></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="font-family: Garamond,sans-serif;"><b>8. Do you have a hidden talent?</b></span></span></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="font-family: Garamond;">
I'm actually a pretty decent shot if you put a basketball in my hands.
Especially long shots, beyond the 3-point line. Don't guard me,
though. Just let me throw it in the basket, uncontested. LOL</span></span></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="font-family: Garamond,sans-serif;"><b><br />9. What is your favorite word?</b></span></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"> Acetaminophen. </span><span style="font-family: Garamond,sans-serif;"><br /><br /><b>10. What is your current desktop wall paper?</b></span><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><br /></span></span></span></span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"> A picture of Batman brooding. I'm a huge fan of the Bat, like I mentioned before.</span><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><br /><br /><b>11. You're at a Chinese buffet. What goes on your plate?</b> </span></span></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="font-family: Garamond;">
Oh, man, I love Chinese. Definitely two or three egg rolls, some crab
Rangoon (sp?), some rice, and sweet n' sour chicken. You've got me in
the mood for Chinese now. Think I'll have that for dinner tonight . . .
. </span><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><br /><br /><b>12. What kinds of books make up your personal library? </b></span></span></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"> 98%
of it is horror and suspense, but then there's the occasional comic
book . . . a few nonfiction book about movies, crime, or the craft of
writing . . . even some humor. My readers might be surprised to learn
that I'm a pretty big Jodi Picoult fan too. I know Picoult's got a
reputation for being Oprah Book Club kinda stuff, but I've loved her
work ever since I read THE PACT. The human element in her stories is
what hooks me. </span><span style="font-family: Garamond,sans-serif;"><b><br /><br />13. What advice would you give an aspiring author?</b></span></span></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="font-family: Garamond;">
Tell a good story. Don't try too hard to impress. Poetic prose will
come, without forcing it. It's all about the flow. Most readers want
you to tell them a good STORY, first and foremost. Don't bore your
reader. Write a story so enthralling that you wouldn't be able to put
it down unless someone was holding a gun to your head . . . and the
folks who buy your work won't be able to put it down either.</span></span></span></span></div>
</div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;"></span></span></span>Tracey Fleminghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03348467618793656062noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-740378619859229696.post-42791424349747220442015-06-19T12:26:00.000-05:002015-06-19T12:27:27.706-05:0013 Questions with JD Barker<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qWVfoCl4Oj0/VYRQaF6I-II/AAAAAAAAAq4/OmfwTmM3FH0/s1600/JD-Barker-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qWVfoCl4Oj0/VYRQaF6I-II/AAAAAAAAAq4/OmfwTmM3FH0/s320/JD-Barker-1.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<div style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: border-box; background-image: none; background-origin: padding-box; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: auto auto; line-height: 0.22in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1. Name one thing
you miss about being a child.</span></span></span></div>
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span></span>
<div style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: border-box; background-image: none; background-origin: padding-box; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: auto auto; line-height: 0.22in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I
think it’s the wonder of not knowing. As children, we can look out
over a large body of water and wonder what is on the other side, we
wonder what is under it, we wonder what it’s like to swim above and
below it. As an adult, we know all these answers. There is a magic in
learning but I think the greater magic can be found in not knowing
and allowing your imagination to fill in the blanks.</span></span></b></span></span></div>
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span></span>
<div style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: border-box; background-image: none; background-origin: padding-box; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: auto auto; line-height: 0.22in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></span></span>
</div>
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span></span>
<div style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: border-box; background-image: none; background-origin: padding-box; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: auto auto; line-height: 0.22in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">2. <span style="font-size: small;">You're</span> hosting
a dinner party. What is the menu? Do you cater or make it
yourself?</span></span></span></div>
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span></span>
<div style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: border-box; background-image: none; background-origin: padding-box; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: auto auto; line-height: 0.22in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>My wife is a
vegetarian and I am not, however, she has gotten really good at
tricking me. Last night we had tacos made from something called
“crumbles” which tastes just like real beef. When people visit,
she tends to roll out these culinary delights. She has done the same
with pizza and meatloaf. So, catering is out and healthy,
home-cooking is in.</b><br /><br />3. Are you a collector of anything and if
so, what?</span></span></span></div>
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span></span>
<div style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: border-box; background-image: none; background-origin: padding-box; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: auto auto; line-height: 0.22in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>I love old
timepieces. I have a large collection of old watches, clocks, and
hourglasses.</b><br /><br />4. You're at a carnival. Favorite attraction and
why?</span></span></span></div>
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span></span>
<div style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: border-box; background-image: none; background-origin: padding-box; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: auto auto; line-height: 0.22in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Roller-coasters. I
love a good adrenaline filled scare. I occasionally go skydiving, a
good roller-coaster is the closest thrill I’ve found on the ground.
Sometimes, they’re even better. If you’re ever in Ohio, check out
the Millennium Force at Cedar Point.</b><br /><br />5. Physical book VS. an
E- reader. Your preference and why?</span></span></span></div>
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span></span>
<div style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: border-box; background-image: none; background-origin: padding-box; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: auto auto; line-height: 0.22in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Oh boy, this is a
question of much debate at our house. My wife firmly believes in only
reading printed editions and I tend to lean toward e-readers. In my
defense, I read a lot, on average 3-5 books per week both fiction and
non-fiction. While we both like the smell and feel of a real book
(I’ve been known to walk into a bookstore just to get a whiff of
that scent), I’ve been spoiled by the convenience of e-readers. I
can pull out my iPhone and read books from Kindle, Kobo, or Nook
anywhere, anytime. And I do read anywhere, even if just waiting in
the checkout line at the store. I’m also a huge fan of audiobooks.
I listen to them whenever in the car or out exercising.</b><br />6.
What are you currently reading?</span></span></span></div>
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span></span>
<div style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: border-box; background-image: none; background-origin: padding-box; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: auto auto; line-height: 0.22in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Not sure if you
heard the news, but the Stoker family has asked me to co-author a
prequel to Dracula
(<a href="http://jdbarker.com/j-d-barker-signs-on-to-co-author-prequel-to-dracula-with-dacre-stoker-draculabegins/">http://jdbarker.com/j-d-barker-signs-on-to-co-author-prequel-to-dracula-with-dacre-stoker-draculabegins/</a>),
so lately I have been reading all things vampire both past and
present. I recently just finished <i>The
Vampyre </i>by
John Polidori and the original <i>Dracula</i>.
I’m currently reading <i>The
Historian </i>by
Elizabeth Kosova and <i>Stoker’s
Manuscript </i></b><b>by
Royce Prouty. I’m also digging through a substantial pile of
material from Bram Stoker, both published and private.</b><br /><br />7. What
musical artist are you currently into?</span></span></span></div>
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span></span>
<div style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: border-box; background-image: none; background-origin: padding-box; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: auto auto; line-height: 0.22in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I don’t listen
to as much music as I probably should, particularly since I
discovered audiobooks. If I listen to music at all, it’s usually a
movie soundtrack. Lately I’ve been listening to the soundtracks for
<i>Interview
With a Vampire </i>and
<i>Mockingjay.</i></span></b></span></span></div>
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span></span>
<div style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: border-box; background-image: none; background-origin: padding-box; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: auto auto; line-height: 0.22in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></span></span>
</div>
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span></span>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">8.
Do you have a hidden talent?</span></span></span></div>
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span></span>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>I
love to build things and renovate old houses.</b><br /><br />9. What is
your favorite word?</span></span></span></div>
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span></span>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Fiction.
It allows you to visit places you’ve never been, meet new people,
and experience thrills that reach far beyond our day-to-day
lives.</b><br />10. What is your current desktop wall paper?</span></span></span></div>
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span></span>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>I
typically don’t change my wallpaper, I have a boring black
background. I do have a note taped to my monitor with the tagline for
the new Dracula book: “Beneath Every Penned Fiction Lies a
Truth”.</b><br /><br />11. You're at a Chinese buffet. What goes on your
plate?</span></span></span></div>
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span></span>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Everything.
Then I get another plate. I never seem to get full on Chinese food
but I enjoy trying.</b><br /><br />12. What kinds of books make up your
personal library?</span></span></span></div>
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span></span>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>At
this point, I have over a thousand books made up of nearly every
genre. We tend to get hardcovers for everything we read (including
the ones I read on my e-reader) and sign/date the back when we finish
them. We ask borrowers to do the same. It’s fun to pick up a book
and see everyone who has read it over the years. I’ve been doing
this since I was a kid so the library has grown tremendously over the
years.</b><br /><br />13. What advice would you give an aspiring author?</span></span></span></div>
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span></span>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I
know you’ve probably heard this numerous times but you need to
write daily. It really is necessary to succeed at the craft. In
addition, your heart must be in it. If you take on a writing project
and you’re not dedicated 100% to the topic, the reader will know.
Here are two tips I tend to live by:</span></b></span></span></div>
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></b></span></span>
<ul>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I
outline my next book while I’m writing the current one. This way,
I don’t have any downtime between projects.</span></b></span></span></div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I
never leave my desk unless I know the next sentence I plan to write.
Then, when I sit back down, I hit the ground running. If I stop
writing for the day because the characters have nothing else to say,
I’ll find myself staring at a blank screen the next day waiting
for inspiration to hit.</span></b></span></span></div>
</li>
</ul>
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></b></span></span>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">On
a related note, listen to those characters, even if it causes you to
stray from your outline – they know what they’re talking about.</span></b></span></span></div>
Tracey Fleminghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03348467618793656062noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-740378619859229696.post-69028688485660561802015-06-15T10:51:00.001-05:002015-06-15T10:52:22.300-05:00Author JD Barker to write prequel to Dracula with Dacre Stoker<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
<br />
Bram Stoker’s<i> Dracula</i> is without a doubt one of the greatest horror novels of all time. It has gained new audiences since it was written, been translated into over 40 languages, sold millions of copies across the world, and has been responsible for over 300 films.<br />
<br />
But, what if the book we know and love was not the book Bram Stoker turned in to his publisher in 1897?<br />
<br />
Official representative of the Stoker family Dacre Stoker has spent the last ten years researching his family’s legacy. He has examined documents public and private trying to piece together information on the man, his great-granduncle who wrote this epic work, and the events that inspired it. In doing so, he has come across a disturbing fact: Bram Stoker may have intended his novel <i>Dracula</i> as a warning, a glimpse of a very real entity of evil.<br />
<br />
With Bram Stoket award winning author JD Barker, Dacre plans to explore materials including journals and other personal papers to delve into the idea that Stoker did not intend his novel as a<br />
fictional entertainment, but a warning about a real menace.<br />
<br />
For more information, go to <a href="http://www.draculabegins.com/" target="_blank">Dracula Begins</a>Tracey Fleminghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03348467618793656062noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-740378619859229696.post-15498999327563703192015-05-26T15:23:00.000-05:002015-05-26T15:23:03.149-05:00Review: Midnight Rain
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ugf82jJXfuw/VWTU5fFQE5I/AAAAAAAAAp8/g6-_Jvy-pzA/s1600/mid.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ugf82jJXfuw/VWTU5fFQE5I/AAAAAAAAAp8/g6-_Jvy-pzA/s320/mid.jpg" width="206" /></a>Midnight Rain<br />by<br />James Newman<br />Available in trade paperback and</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Kindle format from Amazon.<br /><br />Hello kids, miss me?</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
If a coming of age story set in the
woods of North Carolina with murder and mayhem thrown in is your cup
of tea, then this book is for you.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i>Midnight Rain</i> starts off by introducing
us to 12 year old Kyle Mackey. His favorite past time is riding his
bike, Burner, in the woods and spending time in a deserted cabin,
perfect for alone time. </div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
But that all comes to a screeching halt
one month after he witnesses the death of Cassandra Belle Rourke in
his cabin. It's violent and bloody. Kyle puts two and two together
and knows who did it...but who will believe him? He struggles with
what to do and when to do it, and ends up taking matters into his own
hands. <br />Newman has you firmly perched in Kyle's pocket every step of
the way as he wrestles with what he's seen. The rain is almost a
secondary character in the story and I swear I felt a little water
logged by the ending.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
If the trade edition or Kindle edition
are not to your liking, you may find <i>Midnight Rain</i> in a used
bookstore in a mass market edition as Leisure, the original
publisher, is no more. <br />James Newman however, goes on. He's been
writing for a while and deserves a wider audience. I've got one of
his short story collections, <i>People Are Strange</i>... oh yes...you bet
they are.<br />Go check Mr. Newman out, as he keeps getting better with each book.</div>
Tracey Fleminghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03348467618793656062noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-740378619859229696.post-25342856309608465222015-04-10T17:45:00.004-05:002016-09-08T17:51:48.949-05:00Review: Forsaken (Shadow Cove Saga #1)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Forsaken<br />
by<br />
JD Barker<br />
Available in Kindle format<br />
and in paperback <br />
on Amazon.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="reviewText mediumText description" itemprop="reviewBody">
<i>Forsaken</i> is a Bram Stoker Award nominee for Superior
Achievement in a First Novel. The award are currently being voted on
and will be presented on May 9, 2015.<br />
Will <i>Forsaken</i> win? Possibly. I've not read any of the other 4 nominees, but I'd say this has a fair chance at taking the prize.<br />
<br />
Meet
author Thad McAlister, who has just penned what he believes to be his
best, biggest seller, "Rise of the Witch". Written in journal style,
we're taken back to 1692, in the town of Shadow Cove where a witch trial
has begun. Thad details the trial, and introduces us to a young woman
who may or may not be guilty of witchcraft.<br />
<br />
In present day, his
wife, Rachel, is pregnant with their second child. Thad goes to New York
to meet with his agent and Rachel and daughter Ashley are left at home
alone, where odd things start to occur. Their yard is taken over by
little piles of dirt. Then the dirt starts showing up in the
house...along with...no, I won't tell you that part.<br />
<br />
The chapters
are short and lead up to a rattling conclusion. My first thought about a
third of the way in was, "Man, this is giving me the creeping
tinglies." And that is a good thing.<br />
<br />
I hope <i>Forsaken</i> wins. And I hope JD Barker keeps writing.<br />
<br />
Oh,
and by the way, the last chapter is an homage to Stephen King in the
best way ever. Not going to spoil it by telling you here. Read it for
yourself.
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Tracey Fleminghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03348467618793656062noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-740378619859229696.post-82369270449193458982014-12-23T16:08:00.001-06:002014-12-23T16:08:49.327-06:00Merry Christmas to all I've reviewed and all who follow my reviews<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Merry Christmas Constant Reader.<br /><br />I don't have a new book for review, (yet), but I wanted to take this time to tell you what I'm doing for all the authors I've favorably reviewed here. It's a small gesture for Christmas. I'm going to post the review I posted here on their author page on Goodreads.<br />
Big deal, you may be saying.<br />
Well. Yes, as a matter of fact it is.<br />
Authors live and die with reviews, and if I've given them a good one, I need to post it where it will do some good.<br />
Goodreads prides itself on the reviews posted there, so mine are about to join.<br />
My TWU reviews are already posted on Amazon. Posting on Goodreads is just one more way for folks to find a good read. Pun intended. ; )Tracey Fleminghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03348467618793656062noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-740378619859229696.post-84382608984983336042014-12-18T12:31:00.000-06:002014-12-18T12:34:59.580-06:00Review: Strange Roads by Steven Lloyd<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Strange Roads<br />
by<br />
Steven Lloyd<br />
Available in Kindle format<br />
and in paperback <br />
on Amazon<br />
<br />
If you decide to come along on a journey with Mr. Lloyd, rest assured the roads he travels in his short stories <i>are</i> strange.<br />
<br />
Steven Lloyd submitted his most excellent short story "The Wooden Box" to me last year and it was absolutely excellent (you can find my review of it here in the entry dated August 23, 2013. The story is part of this collection, or available by itself through Amazon.)<br />
<br />
So imagine my delight when I was presented with <i>Strange Roads</i>, a small collection of more of Lloyd's short stories.<br />
<br />
All of them will get under your skin. Some will horrify in a subtle way that lingers. Others will hit you over the head.<br />
<br />
Among my favorites were "The Wooden Box", and like a juggernaut put into motion, it drags you down the road with you in it's wake..<br />
"The Wallet"- just how much will one man go through to get his property back?<br />
"Where There Be Dragons" - a wonderful short fantasy that is charming as hell.<br />
"Dogwood Summer"(an excerpt), which I've been told by Lloyd will be fleshed out at some point as I wanted way more than the story delivered. Not that it came up short. It was so good I wanted more. Now!<br />
<br />
This is a worthy addition to any horror lovers library. The horror is subtle in some cases...splatterpunk this is not, but that's OK. The best kind of horror short story is one that doesn't bludgeon you to death. It lingers in your mind's eye long after you've read the last sentence.<br />
<br />
Lloyd crafts his stories as if he's mining precious gems.<br />
I can't wait for him to continue mining in this vein.Tracey Fleminghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03348467618793656062noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-740378619859229696.post-51109852420636783112014-07-09T14:30:00.000-05:002014-07-09T14:30:02.967-05:00Not Gone and Never Forgotten<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Bet you thought I'd disappeared.<br />
Nope, no such luck.<br /><br />
Moved twice and about to move again (same apartment complex, larger apartment).<br /><br />
My mother passed away in May, peacefully in her sleep, which was how I hoped it would be.<br /><br />
I've been writing more cook books - 19 available now, under T. L. Sheppeard on Amazon, for the Kindle for $2.99 (go check 'em out).<br /><br />
Been doing a lot of for pleasure reading. I've discovered the brilliant writings of Cory Doctorow. Though intended for a young adult audience, the subject matter is relevant to any and all and is presented beautifully. If you like science fiction that's science fact and relevant to the times (cyber stuff, hacking, spying, how much privacy do we really have?), then you'll eat his stuff up -<i> Homeland</i> and<i> Little Brother</i> are the two I've read.<br /><br />I liked the Anita Blake novels by Laurell K Hamilton and have read a great deal of them. But, I've found a series that I think is head and shoulders over Hamilton's books - The Black Dagger Brotherhood by J.R. Ward. I've read the first two and am on the third and have the rest on my Kindle to read. Full of sex, violence, blood, interesting vampires, this series is better written than the Anita Blake books. Too often Hamilton will come up with a nifty premise, only to drown it to death in sex, and then wrap it up nice neat in one chapter, telling us how things <i>were</i> resolved rather than writing it and <i>showing</i> us how. Lazy writing is what that is.<br />
<br />
Got some interesting books coming up in the following weeks for review...<br />
So stay tuned.<br />
<br />
<br />Tracey Fleminghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03348467618793656062noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-740378619859229696.post-3375545927974637002014-02-04T12:10:00.001-06:002014-02-04T12:35:28.243-06:00Hey, Reviewers Need To Eat, Too<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
Good afternoon constant reader.<br />
<br />
I've not deserted the Universe. I've been busy with proofing books for a writer, and writing my own series of cook books. Both are time consuming and haven't left a lot of time for reading and reviewing. <br />
<br />
The thing is book reviewers have to eat, too and pay their bills, so I've been engaged in things that will make me some money.<br />
The Written Universe started out as a labor of love, with no expectation of making any money off of it.<br />
Circumstances have changed, I have changed, so my time is spent differently these days.<br />
<br />
I intend to use this blog to advertise my cook books from time to time and I intend to post relevant reviews from time to time, so don't jump ship and assume TWU is dead in the water.<br />
<br />
I'm authoring a series of cook books, under the name T.L. Sheppeard. Check me out on Amazon. They're for the Kindle, run $2.99 a pop.<br />
<br />
<b>Holidays</b><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Halloween-100-Recipes-T-L-Sheppeard-ebook/dp/B00HK6IA36/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1391538880&sr=1-1&keywords=Halloween+100+Recipes">Halloween 100 Recipes</a><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Thanksgiving-Recipes-Black-Cats-Present-ebook/dp/B00GK57BQ0/ref=sr_1_11?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1391537499&sr=1-11">Thanksgiving 100 Recipes</a><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Christmas-100-Recipes-T-L-Sheppeard-ebook/dp/B00H7R42A8/ref=sr_1_10?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1391537559&sr=1-10">Christmas 100 Recipes</a><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/New-Years-Recipes-T-L-Sheppeard-ebook/dp/B00HK4S4EI/ref=sr_1_9?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1391537559&sr=1-9">New Years 100 Recipes</a><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Valentines-Day-Recipes-T-L-Sheppeard-ebook/dp/B00HK6ID1K/ref=sr_1_8?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1391537559&sr=1-8">Valentine's Day 100 Recipes</a><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Saint-Patricks-Day-100-Recipes-ebook/dp/B00I798V5W/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1391537559&sr=1-2">Saint Patrick's Day 100 Recipes</a><br />
<br />
<b>Foods</b><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Ramen-Noodles-Recipes-T-L-Sheppeard-ebook/dp/B00HKYMBKG/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1391537559&sr=1-3">Ramen Noodles 100 Recipes</a><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sriracha-100-Recipes-T-L-Sheppeard-ebook/dp/B00H0LKMJQ/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1391537559&sr=1-5">Sriracha 100 Recipes</a><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Lasagna-100-Recipes-T-L-Sheppeard-ebook/dp/B00I5ZETPE/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1391537559&sr=1-1">Lasagna 100 Recipes</a><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Nutella-100-Recipes-T-L-Sheppeard-ebook/dp/B00HVPD2HK/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1391537559&sr=1-4">Nutella 100 Recipes</a><br />
<br />
<b>Diets</b><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Paleo-Diet-Recipes-T-L-Sheppeard-ebook/dp/B00HTR5CJQ/ref=sr_1_6?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1391537559&sr=1-6">Paleo Diet 100 Recipes</a><br />
<br />
**Coming Soon**<br />
<br />
Easter 100 Recipes<br />
Chili 100 Recipes<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7389095.T_L_Sheppeard">You can also find me on Goodreads</a><br />
<br />
This is a new venture for me and I've got to say I'm loving every minute of it.<br />
Cruise by Amazon and check out my cook books and buy one or buy 'em all.<br />
No Kindle? No problem - get Amazon's free Kindle Cloud App <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html/ref=dig_arl_box?ie=UTF8&docId=1000493771">Kindle Cloud App</a>. <br />
You can use your desk top (PC and Apple), tablet, lap top, or Smartphone (Blackberry, Android, iPhone, Windows Phone)<br />
<br />
<b>By the way, not only is Valentine's Day approaching on the 14th, but World Nutella Day is February 5th. </b><br />
<b>I've got you covered on both fronts. </b>Tracey Fleminghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03348467618793656062noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-740378619859229696.post-36209231736313353802013-12-05T11:42:00.000-06:002013-12-05T14:25:39.478-06:00Review: Blue Into The Rip by Kev Heritage<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Blue Into The Rip<br />
by<br />
Kev Heritage<br />
Available through Amazon in Kindle format and pasperback, B&N in Nook format,<br />
Createspace in paperback, and Smashwords in various e-book formats.<br />
<br />
Good morning Constant Reader.<br />
<br />
If you like fast paced, intriguing,<i> thought provoking</i>, character driven science fiction, then this book is for you.<br />
<br />
Blue is a typical teenager, attending school, looking after his little sister, and putting up with his hippie parents. Until, one day, he is ripped out of his present and flung far into a future where the Earth has undergone some extreme changes. One of which is the military academy Blue finds himself rescued by and inducted into, in a future where the world is not what it used to be. Ravaged by climate change the only refuge is an under ground Desert Amazon. Blue finds life quite a bit different, especially as he is inducted into said military academy as a cadet, who only wants to return to the past. His past.<br />
<br />
Blue is put to several tests and finds he does have some affinity for what he's supposed to be learning, but along the way, he discovers how the Earth got into it's present state. At one point, he visits the Museum Of Indulgence, which houses such diverse Earth artifacts as Stonehenge, the statue of Michelangelo's David, remnants of the Sistine Chapel, the head of the Statue of Liberty, some of the most famous paintings to have ever existed by the likes of Van Gogh, Rembrandt, Warhol, Picasso, Dali, etc.<br />
He comes upon a gallery with a screen projecting how the world used to be, then another showing the wars, the pollution, the riots and finally the devastation of famine, the disease that followed starvation, poverty, then another gallery depicting the fall of civilization -raging fires in China, the US entirely covered by a hurricane, earthquakes devastating Northern Europe, Tsunamis, volcanic activity on a massive scale.<br />
<br />
Still resolved to get through this academy and back home, Blue makes friends with the other cadets in his squad, steeling himself for the day he is instructed in rip technology, the way he will "rip" his way back to his time and his family.<br />
Interspersed throughout the book are definitions of certain words, phrases, or people, which although I knew most of them, I found them a help, expanding on the reading experience the way they were used, much better than the inclusion of a glossary in the back of the book, with the words asterisked for reference or intruding foot notes.<br />
<br />
Does Blue make it back to his Earth and his time?<br />
Read the book and find out.<br />
<br />
Read the book with the underlying lesson about climate change, which isn't preachy- it's so well woven into the fabric of the story, you don't feel like you're being beaten over the head about an issue which is becoming more clear, day by day - quit hurting the planet we live on, lest we turn our cities into dust, and we along with them.<br />
<br />
This is written for a young adult audience and being marketed that way but I can tell you, it's fine science fiction, with a great story and well imagined characters that keep you fully engaged.<br />
I loved it. <br />
<br />
For more information on Kev Heritage:<br />
<a href="http://kevheritage.com/">Kev Heritage author page</a><br />
<a href="http://kevheritage.blogspot.co.uk/">Kev Heritage blog page</a><br />
<a href="http://www.facebook.com/kevheritagefans">Kev Heritage on Facebook</a><br />
<a href="http://kevheritage/">Kev Heritage on Twitter</a>Tracey Fleminghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03348467618793656062noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-740378619859229696.post-19419147912658237952013-10-31T18:32:00.000-05:002013-10-31T18:33:17.555-05:00Happy Halloween - sign this petition and maybe we'll all get this treat<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
<br />
<br />
Good evening constant reader.<br />
<br />
By now some of you may be familiar with the character of Loki, brilliantly portrayed by actor Tom Hiddlestion in the films Thor and The Avengers. Loki is about to make another onscreen appearance in the new film Thor: The Dark World, opening on American screens tomorrow.<br />
<br />
Loki is a scene stealer of a character and there is a movement to persuade Marvel to feature Loki in his own film.<br />
<br />
I'm using my blog platform to ask you to sign this petition and to forward it far and wide, as many times as you can. With your help, they can keep going and hopefully get Marvel's attention.<br />
<br />
Another way to get Marvel's attention is to vote with your wallet. Go see Thor 2 multiple times and then post the fact to your Facebook, Tumblr, and/or Twitter page. Marvel has eyes and ears all over the place and if they see people turning out to see Thor 2 because they want more Loki, then the chances are better that we'll get more Loki.<br />
They've already given him his own comic.<br />
You can get Loki merchandise.<br />
There's Loki fan fiction on Amazon (which is what got yours truly to finally read a book for pleasure on her Kindle).<br />
So why not a movie?<br />
It's we the fans who drive the success of a film or book or TV show - don't forget that. Without us, they have nothing.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="http://www.change.org/petitions/petition-to-marvel-studios-to-produce-a-film-based-on-the-character-loki-portrayed-by-tom-hiddleston?share_id=DgRVbExADh&utm_campaign=mailto_link&utm_medium=email&utm_source=share_petition">Petition to Marvel Studios to give Loki his own film</a></b></span><br />
<br />
<b><a href="http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=48436">Loki comic coming this February</a> </b>Tracey Fleminghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03348467618793656062noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-740378619859229696.post-67370101328499120712013-10-15T18:36:00.000-05:002013-10-15T18:36:57.021-05:00Going off the beaten path: Recommendation: American Horror Story<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
Good evening constant reader.<br />
While I'm reading a new book for review, I'll be posting entries here and there on assorted topics.<br /><br />
This one deals with the television show, American Horror Story. If you've not had the privilege of seeing this magnificent series, then you should remedy that<b> immediately</b>.<br /><br />
I saw the first season and was suitably impressed. The house was nice in a creepy way and the things that went on there were weird as hell. The fact that I as a viewer kept getting jerked around from one time period to the next served to make things interesting, rather than keep me irritated. Oh yes, it kept me off balance, but that's what a true roller coaster ride is supposed to do - keep the rider on the alert for the next up hill climb. then free fall once over the hill. <br />American Horror Story has that formula down to a fine art. The acting was uniformly superb as well as the writing.<br />
<br />
I've watched the first episode of season three, Coven, and am here to tell you the twisted minds are still at work.<br />
<br />
It was because of that, I sought out American Horror Story Asylum.<br />
When it was first aired, I watched the first episode and it scared the shit out of me. So much so, after the second episode, I quit watching. <br />It was too disturbing for me to watch. <br />ME! The one who will always choose a horror novel over a romance any day for the week. <br />ME, who sat through Dawn of the Dead, while the people's vomit from behind me seeped it's way down the floor of the theatre. Since they threw up during a pivotal time in the film, we couldn't really move, so we put our feet up. <br />ME, the girl who sneaked home a copy of the book <i>The Exorcist</i> to literally read under the covers at night as I had been forbidden to read it by my parents.<br /><br />
What is it about American Horror Story?<br />The writing plays on our common, every day lives and fears, and twists things to show us the dark underbelly. Disturbing imagery that isn't blood and guts does the job. Odd music cues, fantastic aural support to set the mood in the show musically and camera work that makes <i>you</i> think <i>you</i> might be losing your mind.<br />
<br />
I'm on episode four of Asylum. It's freaking me out.<br />
That's a good thing.<br />
<br />
I hope the creators of American Horror Story, Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk keep scaring the shit out of us for a very long time, as they're producing some of the best horror out there.Tracey Fleminghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03348467618793656062noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-740378619859229696.post-57115146779536379342013-10-08T13:57:00.000-05:002013-10-08T13:57:45.218-05:00R.I.P. Phlip Nutman<br />
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<br />
Good afternoon constant reader.<br />
<br />
It is with sadness that I must report the passing of yet another talent in the field of horror writing - Philip Nutman, author of the acclaimed novel <i>Wet Work</i>, passed away yesterday at the young age of 50.<br />
An expatriate of Britain, Nutman was known for many things, but I first came in contact with him through his feature articles in Fangoria magazine in the '80's. He was one of the first to interview a then relatively unknown named Clive Barker for Fangoria. <br />Nutman's work appeared in two anthologies I have personal knowledge of, Skipp & Spector's <i>Book of the Dead</i> and <i>Splatterpunks</i>.<br />Nutman also wrote and edited 50-plus
comic books and over a dozen screenplays. He was also instrumental in bringing fellow horror author Jack Ketcham's <i>The Girl Next Door</i> to the screen (if you've not read the book or seen the film, you need to).<br />This announcement also comes with a request. <br />A GoFundMe page has been set up for Philip Nutman's funeral. His passing was unexpected and so quick, no pre-planning had been made.<br />
You can find that page here: <a href="http://www.gofundme.com/4opsw8#">Philip Nutman's Funeral</a><br />If you can donate, please do.Tracey Fleminghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03348467618793656062noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-740378619859229696.post-50319335940385459312013-09-20T17:30:00.001-05:002013-09-20T17:30:16.363-05:0013 Questions with...James A. Moore<span style="color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"></span><br />
<div class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-autospace: none;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YNL7oi4ZSbc/UjzLp3cujhI/AAAAAAAAAhQ/m4RT5uWY4zo/s1600/james+a+moore.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YNL7oi4ZSbc/UjzLp3cujhI/AAAAAAAAAhQ/m4RT5uWY4zo/s1600/james+a+moore.jpg" /></a><span style="color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">1.
Name one thing you miss about being a child. </span></span></span></span></span></div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span><div class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><div class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;"><b><span style="line-height: 115%;">Freedom.
I miss being able to daydream without interruption and the ability to
spontaneously try new things without fear of consequence. </span></b></span></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;">
</span></span></span></span><div class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"> </span></div>
<span style="color: white;">
</span><div class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="color: #c27ba0;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: white;">2.
You’re hosting a dinner party. What is the menu, and do you cook it yourself,
or do you call a caterer? </span></span><span style="background-color: black;"><span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span><div class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></div>
<div class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="color: white;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">An
actual dinner party? We’ll start with a nice salad: tomatoes, cucumber, green
onions, a red wine vinaigrette. For an appetizer let’s go with baked brie with
apples and walnuts. For dinner itself a beef tenderloin en croute with béarnaise
sauce, creamed spinach, artichoke hearts with drawn butter. For desert a
properly decadent chocolate mousse cake. </span></span></span></b></span></div>
<span style="color: white;"><b><span style="background-color: black;">
</span></b></span><div class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-autospace: none;">
<b><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">Or,
if we’re going with my usual budget, spaghetti and meatballs. </span></span></span></span></b></div>
<div class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span><div class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">And I
cook. I’m a mean cook. </span></span></span></b></span></div>
<b>
</b><div class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;">
</span></span></span><div class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">3.
Are you a collector of anything and if so, what? </span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></div>
<div class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-autospace: none;">
<b><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">I have
a nice collection of skulls. No real ones. I believe the one I have in my head
is the only real one I need but I do like to collect various skulls. I find
them aesthetically pleasing. Also I have a small but growing collection of
high-end statues of different comic book characters. Mostly villains. </span></span></span></span></b></div>
<div class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></div>
<div class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">4.
You're about the walk the Green Mile - what do you have for your last meal? </span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;">
</span></span></span><div class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">My
very last meal….Probably pizza. Or my mom’s goulash. </span></span></b></span></span></div>
<div class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></div>
<div class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">5.
Physical book Vs an E-Reader. Your preference and why? </span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></div>
<div class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-autospace: none;">
<b><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">I
like them both for different reasons. The physical books because I love the
feel and smell of books. I like the weight in my hands and I love a good piece
of artwork. Ultimately my preference is probably for “real” books. Ebooks
because, hello, several hundred books that I can carry with me anywhere and
when it comes to Stephen King, the real books are bloody heavy. </span></span></span></span></b></div>
<b><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;">
</span></span></span></b><div class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></div>
<div class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">6.
What are you currently reading?</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></div>
<div class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-autospace: none;">
<b><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"><i>Hair
Side, Flesh Side</i> by Helen Marshall, a brilliant collection of short stories put
out by ChiZine Publications. Highly recommended. I am also rereading <i>THE BLADE
ITSELF</i> by Joe Abercrombie, who has become one of my favorites. I am also line
editing a few things for myself and reading about five different ARCS for
different writers. </span></span></span></span></b></div>
<b><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;">
</span></span></span></b><div class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></div>
<div class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"> 7.
What musical artist are you currently into?</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></div>
<div class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-autospace: none;">
<b><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">Almost
easier to name the ones I’m NOT interested in, but currently my favorites
include Ray LaMontagne, Disturbed, Gordon Lightfoot, Iron & Wine, The Derek
Trucks Band, Amos Lee, Adele, David Gray, Gangstagrass, Kasey Lansdale, Norah
Jones and Glen Hansig. The answer varies by the day. </span></span></span></span></b></div>
<div class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></div>
<div class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;">8.
Do you have a hidden talent?</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></div>
<div class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-autospace: none;">
<b><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">Nope
I’m pretty much a what you see is what you get sort of guy. </span></span></span></span></b></div>
<div class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></div>
<div class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;"> 9.
What's your favorite word?</span></span></span><br /></span></div>
<div class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-autospace: none;">
<b><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">That’s as cruel as asking an artist what
her favorite color is. Today’s
answer is Love. Why? Because there an myriad connotations involved in the use
and misuse of that word. </span></span></span></span></b></div>
<div class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></div>
<div class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;">10.
What is your current desktop wallpaper?</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></div>
<div class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-autospace: none;">
<b><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">A
galactic cluster. I’m contemplating going to an autumn motif, but not just yet.</span></span></span></span></b></div>
<b><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;">
</span></span></span></b><div class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></div>
<div class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"> 11.
You're at a Chinese buffet - what goes on your plate? </span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b><span style="background-color: white;">
</span></b></span><div class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">Crab Rangoon,
salt and pepper shrimp, lo mein, a few chicken wings, a bowl of hot and sour
soup.</span></span></span></b></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;">
</span></span></b></span><div class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></div>
<div class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">12. What kinds of books make up your
personal library? </span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></div>
<div class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-autospace: none;">
<b><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">I
have a staggering collection of horror. No real surprise there. I have a decent
collection of fantast books and a number of classic science fiction volumes as
well. In the non-genre set I have most of John Irving’s books and a few others.</span></span></span></span></b></div>
<div class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></div>
<div class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">13.
What advice would you pass on to an aspiring author? </span></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;">
</span></span></span><div class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></div>
<div class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-autospace: none;">
<b><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">I
went to 17 schools in twelve years of schooling. I did not do well in school
and I had to teach myself the basics of grammar and the English language (I had
some very good help and advice from a few friends of mine). Despite this minor
setback I have managed to write and sell a good number of books. </span></span></span></span></b></div>
<b><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;">
</span></span></span></b><div class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></div>
<b><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;">
</span></span></span></b><div class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-autospace: none;">
<b><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">My
point? Never give up on your dreams. They are yours. Make them come true. </span></span></span></span></b></div>
</span>Tracey Fleminghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03348467618793656062noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-740378619859229696.post-7534635873177315072013-09-18T21:15:00.000-05:002013-09-18T21:15:27.587-05:00Review: Seven Forges by James A.Moore<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ci0plLyoNh4/UjpHRILOgsI/AAAAAAAAAgw/McWi55IBZ8E/s1600/SevenForges-144dpi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ci0plLyoNh4/UjpHRILOgsI/AAAAAAAAAgw/McWi55IBZ8E/s320/SevenForges-144dpi.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>
Seven Forges<br />
by<br />
James A. Moore<br />
Available through Amazon (print and Kindle),<br />
B&N (print and Nook).<br /><br />
Good evening constant reader.<br />
<br />If you like a sword and sorcery epic with characters who all but grab you by the hand and drag you through the narrative, a story line that takes your interest and holds it hostage until it's had it's way with you, a lot of action, is well-paced and is so good, you don't want to put it down, but at the same time, don't want to finish it too quick (then the awesome is over), this book my dears, is for you.<br />
<br />
Merros Dulver is leading a group of men making their way to explore the Seven Forges, spikes of mountain that can be seen from the distance of their home land Fellein, but until now have remained unexplored. They encounter a race of people who populate this wild and barren land and it seems as if they were "expected" - Merros's arrival was foreseen. The strangers he discovers there join him on his return to Fellein, but Merros wonders if this might be a mistake, to mix his people with the newcomers. The newcomers's Gods are rather martial and they have wild ways about them. Yet they return to Fellein, and the stage is set.<br /><br />
As I kept reading, I got more and more sucked in to this world and the magic and interesting creatures that abide there. There's more than enough sword play, a sorcerer who gave me the wiggins and made me never want to trust him, a young man who loses a lot and gains more, so much more, but at what ultimate cost, female characters that are more than just pretty faces, though there are some pretty faces, too, and an ending I didn't see coming and when it arrived, with too few pages left in the book, told me we're in for another installment in this series.<br />
<br />
My biggest gripe about fantasy writing is it can get too caught up in itself and stretch on and on and on and on, lasting for umpteen volumes. With each new installment, the story starts to stretch our further and further from the core that captured one's attention in the first place. This is why in my pleasure reading, I tend to shun multi-volume epics. Until now.<br />
<br />
Mr. Moore, James if I may...I hope you've got the next volume in this series written, or if not written, at least well mapped out, because I want more, and so will everyone else who has any taste other than in their mouths.<br />
<br />
Circle September 24, 2013, as that's the date this bad boy hits the shelves.<br /><br />For more information on James A. Moore:<br /><a href="http://jamesamoorebooks.com/">The Official Web Site of Author James A. Moore</a><br /><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/27148.James_A_Moore">James A. Moore on Goodreads</a><br /><a href="https://www.facebook.com/james.a.moore1?fref=ts">James A. Moore on Facebook</a><br />
<br />
<br />Tracey Fleminghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03348467618793656062noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-740378619859229696.post-35793744588397283782013-09-12T21:32:00.002-05:002013-09-12T21:32:36.222-05:00The 2013 Hugo Awards<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bOowsJOfBzQ/UjJ4cr6cZdI/AAAAAAAAAgQ/UC0caOEPclw/s1600/hugo-300x428.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bOowsJOfBzQ/UjJ4cr6cZdI/AAAAAAAAAgQ/UC0caOEPclw/s320/hugo-300x428.jpg" width="224" /></a></div>
Good evening constant reader.<br />
<br />
Here are the Hugo winners for 2013. This should steer you toward award winning Science Fiction reading and in the last two categories, viewing.<br />
<br />
<b>Best Novel</b><br />
<i>Red Shirts: A Novel With Three Codas</i> - John Scalzi (this is on my To Read list)<br />
<br />
<b>Best Novella</b><br />
<i>The Emperor's Soul </i>- Brandon Sanderson<br />
<br />
<b>Best Novelette</b><br />
"The Girl-Thing Who Went Out For Sushi" - Pat Cadigan<br />
<br />
<b>Best Short Story</b><br />
"Mono no Aware" - Ken Liu<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Best Related Work </b><br /> <i>Writing Excuses Season Seven</i> - Brandon Sanderson, Dan Wells, Mary Robinette Kowal, Howard Tayler and Jordan Sanderson<br />
<br />
<b>Best Graphic Story</b><br />
<i>Saga, Volume One</i>, written by Brian K Vaughan, illustrated by Fiona Staples<br />
<br />
<b>Best Dramatic Presentation, Long Form</b><br /><i>The Avengers</i>, written and directed by Joss Whedon<br />
<br />
<b>Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form </b><br /><i>Game of Thrones</i>, "Black Water" written by George R. R. MartinTracey Fleminghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03348467618793656062noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-740378619859229696.post-40002309967954572382013-09-11T19:00:00.000-05:002013-09-11T19:00:04.828-05:00Update on the Ray Garton gofundme project<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-k1rFtyyc6yo/UjEDCN7XA0I/AAAAAAAAAgE/CZBA2FztYqU/s1600/ray+garton.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-k1rFtyyc6yo/UjEDCN7XA0I/AAAAAAAAAgE/CZBA2FztYqU/s320/ray+garton.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iAbWw-WO1Xs/UjECTjSuS3I/AAAAAAAAAf8/kVvEc9UdIEU/s1600/man+in+the+palace+theatre.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a> Good evening constant reader.<br />
<br />
I'm happy to announce that the $1500.00 goal of Ray Garton's gofundme for Ray's biopsy exceeded that amount and now sits at a healthy $2,281.00. <br /><br />
This not only covers the out of pocket expense for the procedure, it also covers the percentage to the gofundme site and leaves a little left over for Ray and his family.<br />
This type of outpouring from people renews my faith in humankind.<br /><br /><br />
If you were able to contribute, then good on you. If you weren't, but sent good wishes Ray's way, still good on you. Here's the link to Ray's website where you can find a complete bibliography of his work, and links to order them: <br /><a href="http://raygartononline.com/main.html">Home page of Ray Garton</a><br />
<br />
<br />
Tracey Fleminghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03348467618793656062noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-740378619859229696.post-84929737397813284312013-09-09T14:11:00.001-05:002013-09-09T14:11:39.592-05:00Want a chance to help horror author Ray Garton? Here it is...<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qHGV7OYLMWw/Ui4c3M6AczI/AAAAAAAAAfs/koOGgFTPJc8/s1600/ray+garton.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qHGV7OYLMWw/Ui4c3M6AczI/AAAAAAAAAfs/koOGgFTPJc8/s320/ray+garton.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Good afternoon constant reader.<br />
<br />
Horror author Ray Garton is one of those authors I'm thrilled to find on bookstore shelves
and read when ever I get a chance. His work has never disappointed me. Known for the novels <i>Live Girls</i> (vampire strippers!), <i>Crucifax Autumn </i>(a really twisted little tale), <i>Dark Channel</i> (a bad cult run amok), <i>Silver Scream</i> (anthology bearing Ray's story "Sinema") and a slew of others, Ray needs your help. <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
From the gofundme page for Ray:<br /><i>He suffers from a condition known as laryngopharyngeal reflux,
or LPR. Similar to GERD, LPR sends stomach acid into the throat where it
irritates the larynx and causes hoarseness, soarness, and a condition called
globus pharyngis, which creates the strong sensation of a large lump in the
throat. In the process of diagnosing him, the doctor found a white spot on
Ray’s left vocal cord. It may simply be irritation from the stomach acid, but a
biopsy is required to rule out cancer.<br /> <br />While an author’s career is
marked with some benefits, great health insurance is not one of them. His out
of pocket expenses for this necessary biopsy will total $1500.00, and hard times
in this industry and a previous illness requiring three operations that wiped
out their savings have left him and his wife in a tough situation.<br /> <br />We
ask that you help our friend take his first steps back toward good health so
that he may continue to do what he loves most and does best; sharing stories
with you.</i><br />
<br />
<br />
If you can help, please do. Every little bit gets them closer to their $1500.00 goal. As of today, they have $775.00, with only $725.00 left to go.<br />
Here's the link: <a href="http://www.gofundme.com/48o4vc">Ray Garton gofundme page</a><br />
<br />
<br />Tracey Fleminghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03348467618793656062noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-740378619859229696.post-88403490247630755412013-09-02T12:34:00.000-05:002013-09-02T12:34:29.628-05:00One of the best kept secrets in horror...James Newman<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lVQKqpn36_Q/UiTLbZQsGtI/AAAAAAAAAfM/QD2KBOVIBho/s1600/James+Newman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lVQKqpn36_Q/UiTLbZQsGtI/AAAAAAAAAfM/QD2KBOVIBho/s1600/James+Newman.jpg" /></a></div>
Good afternoon constant reader.<br />
<br />
I want, to paraphrase Tom Waits, to tug on your coat about someone.<br />
His name is James Newman. and he's a horror author.<br />
<br />
I have not yet reviewed any of his work, seeing as how James is an established author, and I have more than enough first time author work to read.<br />
But James is an extraordinary talent you need to be aware of.<br />
I intend to review one of his early novels, <i>Midnight Rain</i> soon.<br />
<br />
In the mean time, head over to James's website and see what there is to buy.<br />
<a href="http://www.james-newman.com/">Skinny-Dipping In The River Styx</a><br />
There you will find the following titles and the corresponding links to buy them:<br />
<i>Ugly As Sin</i><br />
<i>Animosity</i><br />
<i>Olden</i><br />
<i>The Wicked</i><br />
<i>Midnight Rain</i><br />
<i>People Are Strange</i><br />
<i>Revenge Flick</i><br />
<i>The Forum</i><br />
<i>Night of the Living Dead</i><br />
<i>The Church of Dead Languages</i><br />
From reading <i>Midnight Rain</i>, I can tell you James is a force to be reckoned with and you'll be able to find something here that strikes your fancy. On my To Read List is any of James's titles, but primarily, <i>Ugly As Sin.</i><br />
<br />Tracey Fleminghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03348467618793656062noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-740378619859229696.post-68758331011344328662013-08-30T13:26:00.001-05:002013-08-30T13:57:08.301-05:00Review: She's Not So Ordinary by C.A. Milson<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bq6S023Cmg4/UiDjxhWmq4I/AAAAAAAAAe4/zjoIIjfQOU0/s1600/cover4-she%27s+not+so+ordinary.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bq6S023Cmg4/UiDjxhWmq4I/AAAAAAAAAe4/zjoIIjfQOU0/s320/cover4-she%27s+not+so+ordinary.jpg" width="214" /></a></div>
Good afternoon constant reader.<br />
If you've read the first two entries in this horror series, <i>The Chosen Rise of the Darkness</i> and <i>The Chosen Bloodline of Darkness</i>, then this book is for you. <br />
<br />
This installment in <i>The Chosen</i> series may be shorter than the previous, but it packs a good punch, and moves the series along nicely.<br />
<br />
If you've read the prior titles in the series, <i>The Chosen Rise of the Darkness</i> and <i>The Chosen Bloodline of Darkness</i>,
then you know who Jamiesonn is, and if you've not read the other two
books, you'll know soon enough, Jamiesonn is bad news. He desires
nothing more than the total destruction of the world as mankind knows it
and then to enslave every last human being on the planet. His world is
one of blood and violence.<br />
<br />
The story moves from Jamiesonn and his
latest plot to take things over to Private First Class Tony Capelli, in
a hot zone of fighting. He has just enough time to pull out another
clip for his gun when a photograph of his girlfriend Laura Masters
flutters in the breeze. Then Tony is shot and killed.<br />
<br />
The news
reaches home to Laura and her world is turned upside down. Over the next
months she sleep walks through life. With the passage of time, she
begins to heal and becomes close to a co-worker named Garrett and all
seems like it might be set to rights again.<br />
<br />
Enter a mysterious Mr
James Venitti, who is the new owner of the company Laura and Garrett
work for, with a tasty promotion in the air, one that both will end up
vying for. Initially Laura has a funny feeling about Venitti, but pushes
it aside.<br />
<br />
A party comes along and Laura attends, has a few too
many with the girls and she leaves for home, walking by a creek to get
to a bus stop. She passes out in the grass and is visited in a dream by a
golden haired man with black eyes, and this is where Laura's world
starts to change...<br />
<br />
To say more would give away the story. It's
fast-paced and builds up to a bloody and violent climax, setting the
stage for Jamiesonn to finally achieve...what exactly? You'll have to
read it to find out.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/C.A.Milson.Author">C.A. Milson on Facebook</a><br />
<a href="http://www.authorcamilson.com/">C.A. Milson on the web</a><br />
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1545768.C_A_Milson">C.A. Milson on Goodreads</a><br />
<a href="http://authorcamilson.wordpress.com/">Official blog of C.A. Milson</a>Tracey Fleminghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03348467618793656062noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-740378619859229696.post-75582258561397790832013-08-26T11:35:00.000-05:002013-08-26T11:36:35.207-05:0013 Questions with...Steven Lloyd<span lang="en"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-odeeh4kBAtI/UhuCH69oXdI/AAAAAAAAAeo/QO-0oekBsjs/s1600/steven+lloyd.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="243" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-odeeh4kBAtI/UhuCH69oXdI/AAAAAAAAAeo/QO-0oekBsjs/s320/steven+lloyd.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span lang="en"><br />1.
You’re hosting a dinner party. What is the menu, and do you cook it
yourself, or do you call a caterer? </span>
<br />
<div lang="en">
<b>Cook it myself, of course. Menu on the grill: Fried
taters, grilled mushrooms marinated in Italian dressing; boneless
chicken breasts (marinated in Italian dressing) and whatever else my
mind can conceive.
</b></div>
<div lang="en">
<br /></div>
<div lang="en">
2. What is your beverage of choice?</div>
<div lang="en">
<b>Mountain Dew. But I enjoy some Jack Daniels Down Home
Punch, too. Sweet tea is right up there with Mountain Dew.</b><br />
<br />
3.
Physical book Vs an E-Reader. Your preference and why?</div>
<div lang="en">
<b>In previous interviews I’ve bashed E-Books with a
baseball bat. My thoughts have since changed. Not long ago I picked
up my wife’s Nook. I ordered Joe Lansdale’s “The Ape Man’s
Brother”, and “Hyenas” and James Newman’s “Olden”.
Needless to say I fell in love with the Nook. Sorry, guys, I still
love print books, but I like that I can download books and read them
immediately. </b><br />
<br />
4. What kinds of books make up your personal
library?</div>
<div lang="en">
<b>Everything from Charles Bukowski to Steinbeck to
Golding. My range is pretty vast. Then there’s King, Barker, Rice,
Harlan Ellison, Lansdale, Matheson, Bradbury etc. </b><br />
<br />
5. How and
when did you catch the writing bug?</div>
<div lang="en">
<b>I was fifteen or sixteen when the writing bug hit me. It
hit me hard. I was writing a horror story for an English
assignment—thank God it was Halloween, and I had to read it in
front of the class. The writing assignments kept coming because I
think she saw my capability as a writer. I’ve never stopped. From
that day on, students paid me a dollar or two to write their stories
for class. It was good money while it lasted. </b><br />
<br />
6. What is
your writing routine?</div>
<div lang="en">
<b>Mornings. I work the graveyard shift. I like to write
between 10:30 AM to about noon. Later if my mind is running. </b><br />
<br />
7.
If you ever encounter writer’s block, what steps do you take to get
past it?</div>
<div lang="en">
<b>Writer’s block is just another word for excuse. Hell,
write any old thing until the words start flowing. You can always go
back and throw out the trash. I try to end on an exciting scene in
the story. The next morning I’m all geared up to jump back in. This
doesn’t happen all the time. This may not work for all writers.
</b></div>
<div lang="en">
<br />
8. Do you have a hidden talent?</div>
<div lang="en">
<b>Yes, but my wife would kill me if I shared. (Laughs)</b></div>
<div lang="en">
<br />
9. What was your best subject in school?</div>
<div lang="en">
<b>History and English. In other classes teachers told me I
was un-teachable. </b><br />
<br />
10. As in any entertainment, there are
current trends. How much do these “current trends” influence what
you write?</div>
<div lang="en">
<b>Trends come and go. I take it with a grain of salt and
do the best I can.</b>
</div>
<div lang="en">
<br />
11. Mac or PC?</div>
<div lang="en">
<b>PC</b><br />
<br />
12. Where do your ideas come from?</div>
<div lang="en">
<b>Life. I’m slowly moving away from monsters and ghouls.
I like to write about things that can actually happen to us in our
every day lives. It makes for a better story and people can relate to
it more. </b><br />
<br />
13 What advice would you pass on to an aspiring
author?</div>
<div lang="en">
<b>Never give up. If you’re writing for the money, just
close the laptop now and walk away. Do it because you love it. Money
will come later. I do it because I have to. It’s in my blood. I
can’t think of doing anything else. Only when you know that you’ll
probably never walk the same plane as Stephen King will you be able
to grow as a writer. Put all that
I’m—going—to—be—a—famous—writer—one--day—bullshit
aside and write the damn thing. And keep writing. Read everything you
can get your hands on. Reading is a part of the learning process.
You’ll be better for it.</b></div>
Tracey Fleminghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03348467618793656062noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-740378619859229696.post-28719085125013173622013-08-23T15:38:00.002-05:002013-08-26T11:55:29.544-05:00Short Story Review: "The Wooden Box" by Steven Lloyd<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-D-QaSJJhHWs/UhfGfjnGASI/AAAAAAAAAec/W1j0ojV6j_s/s1600/The+Wooden+Box.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-D-QaSJJhHWs/UhfGfjnGASI/AAAAAAAAAec/W1j0ojV6j_s/s320/The+Wooden+Box.JPG" width="252" /></a></div>
"The Wooden Box" by Steven Lloyd<br />
Available through Amazon in a Kindle edition, through Barnes and Noble as a Nook Book, and through Smashwords in several downloadable formats. <br />
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Good afternoon constant reader.<br />
If you like a short shot of real life horror for your reading pleasure with a tinge of the bittersweet, then "The Wooden Box" is the story for you.<br />
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Our story opens with Mack Grainy constructing a wooden box, for what purpose we don't yet know. We know that the time is the Depression Era, and the setting a dusty farm, inhabited my Mack and his ailing wife, Nora. Their only livestock at this point, a mule named Minny.<br />
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Nora is dying of cancer, literally wasting away in front of Mack's eyes. Lloyd paints a picture of a marriage that has had some ups and some downs, but through it all, the cord of true love has bound Mack and Nora. That makes Mack's task of constructing the box that much more heart-tugging. <br />
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The narrative effectively transports the reader to another time and place and provides a snapshot of two people who love one another and are bound to see this latest, and possibly last, trial through to the end together.<br />
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To say much more would give away the ending. I gasped out loud and felt a tear start to well up when I got to the end of this tale.<br />
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Is this worth the $1.99 price for download? Yes.<br />
Is Steven Lloyd a name to look for in the future? Most assuredly yes.<br />
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For more information on Steven Lloyd:<br />
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/steven.lloyd.7773?fref=ts">Steven Lloyd on Facebook</a><br />
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6949220.Steven_Lloyd">Steven Lloyd on Goodreads</a><br />
<a href="http://stevenlloydnet.webstarts.com/index.html">Steven Lloyd Fiction Writer</a><br />
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<br />Tracey Fleminghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03348467618793656062noreply@blogger.com0