The Written Universe

13 Questions with...Adrienne Jones

2012-01-25T21:43:00.000-06:00

1. You’re hosting a dinner party. What is the menu, and do you cook it yourself, or do you call a caterer?

I’m primarily a vegetarian but if hosting a dinner party I’d cheat and go with seafood(cooked myself!) Probably shrimp.

2. What is your beverage of choice?

Wine, wine, and sometimes wine.

3. Physical book Vs an E-Reader. Your preference and why?
My opinion wavers on this – I usually prefer curling up with a paperback rather than ebook, but E-readers appeal to my impatience when I want to read a certain book NOW. Plus holding an E-reader makes me feel all Starfleet.

4. What kinds of books make up your personal library?

Oh man, it’s a totally chaotic, overflowing mix with no rhyme or reason! There is a lot of science fiction and paranormal but also plenty of classics and nonfiction. I read everything.

5. How and when did you catch the writing bug?

I’ve been writing since first grade when I won a district poetry festival contest in my town, and I’ve done varied forms of freelance journalism over the years. But I didn’t get serious about fiction/novel writing until much later. There was no transition or Eureka moment, I just started waking up with these stories in my head, and the characters wouldn’t leave me alone until I gave them some attention.

6. What is your writing routine?

Ah…um, ROUTINE, yeah, I’ve been meaning to get me one of those.

7. If you ever encounter writer’s block, what steps do you take to get past it?

Cursing, drama, self-flagellation. But usually it just means I’m not thrilled with what I’m working on at the moment, so I either have to change it up or switch to another project for a while. I’ve found working on multiple projects at once is a godsend when it comes to stalling out, because you can always take a breather and focus on something different for a while.

8. Do you have a hidden talent?

I don’t think so! Though I’ve always wanted to be telekinetic and toss people across the room with my mind.

9. What was your best subject in school?

Definitely the Literature classes, loved them. Math still makes me want to cry and curl into fetal position.

10. As in any entertainment, there are current trends. How much do these “current trends” influence what you write?

I’m aware of trends and pay attention to what’s selling etc., but I write my best work when I just do my own thing, regardless of genre or categorization. If people want to call it paranormal mystery, science fiction, fantasy, it makes no difference to me as long as they enjoy the ride. People always say my work is diverse or without genre (or cross-genre), but I think there’s an upside in that it can fit snugly into a lot of categories.

11. Mac or PC?

12. Where do your ideas come from?

A small purple alien from the Omega Centauri galaxy delivers them to me in an orb every six months or so.

13 What advice would you pass on to an aspiring author?

Learn to edit your own work. I don’t mean just spelling and grammar, though that’s obviously crucial. But when you first start, you’re going to say in five sentences what you could say more eloquently in one, and professional editors will notice. Read as many reputable books on editing your fiction as you can find, practice, be willing to sacrifice words, sentences, entire chapters if it’s for the good of the story.

13 Questions with...Rebecca Carter

2012-01-15T22:31:00.000-06:00

1. You’re hosting a dinner party. What is the menu, and do you cook it yourself, or do you call a caterer?
Pasta and french bread pizzas. I'm a horrible cook but, if I do say so myself, I can make some awesome pasta dishes. I wouldn't hire a caterer, that's just not the kind of person I am. We even had Chick-Fil-A trays at my wedding instead of hiring someone to cater it.

2. What is your beverage of choice?
Mountain Dew. I'm addicted.

3. Physical book Vs an E-Reader. Your preference and why?
Nothing can beat the way that a physical book feels and smells and flipping pages is satisfying in a way that scrolling on a screen can't be. I appreciate eBooks but there are things they can't replace.

4. What kinds of books make up your personal library?
Unfortunately my library is understocked at the moment, but we were very tight on space until recently. If you looked at my bookshelf you would see lots of Accounting and Networking textbooks alternating between non fiction books on religion, mythology, history and art/film history. I love non fiction. Most of the fiction I read are shorts downloaded online, even though I prefer a physical book sometimes it isn't practical.

5. How and when did you catch the writing bug?
I have been writing since I could remember but I only decided to continue to pursue writing in 2010. I was really disappointed in the horror genre and knew I had better stories to tell than what was coming out so I self published as a (successful) exercise. Now thousands of people own something that I wrote and that is very, very addictive. I couldn't stop now.

6. What is your writing routine?
I don't have one. When I get an idea or the urge to write I just do it. My brain works at a thousand miles a minute so I have to let it go where it wants or I will lose the thought.

7. If you ever encounter writer’s block, what steps do you take to get past it?
I just walk away for as long as it takes for me to want to finish a story. That probably doesn't work for someone on a deadline, but that's what it takes for me.

8. Do you have a hidden talent?
Is balancing ledgers a hidden talent? No? I guess probably not. Writing really is my "hidden talent". Sales Manager by day, horror author by every other waking minute.

9. What was your best subject in school?
Accounting. I was getting a business degree and in my first accounting class I realized that I liked it-and everyone else hated it. I switched to Accounting and got my degree in it.

10. As in any entertainment, there are current trends. How much do these “current trends” influence what you write?
I try not to let them influence me greatly but I have to admit that the reason I wrote "Hunger" for Moonlit Daydreams is I knew that there were people really into vampires and that if I left out a vampire story I would be isolating a big customer base. In the end I think I made sure it wasn't a paranormal vampire romance and I made the story mine.

11. Mac or PC?
PC! Mac's were great back in the day when you couldn't do what you needed on a PC. Now a Mac is just three times the cost with none of the customization. Then again I used to work in networking technical support, so my needs may be different than some other peoples.

12. Where do your ideas come from?
My brain. All kidding aside, I really don't know how to answer this one. I try and make my stories female centric because no one else does. Women are really overlooked as the "bad guy" or "the monster" unless there is a man romantically involved; we really deserve an equal run as the antagonist.

13 What advice would you pass on to an aspiring author?
Write for you first, your genre second, your fans third and the publishers last. If you can't get your work out with a publisher you can do it yourself. I didn't even try with a traditional publisher because that wasn't the vision I had. Don't compromise your art but don't forget the genre you are writing for. If you want genre fans to accept your work you have to respect their lines (or blow them out of the water if you're writing horror).

Review: The Hoax

2012-01-12T18:27:00.000-06:00

The Hoax
by
Adrienne Jones
Available through Amazon in paperback and Kindle e-book, through
Barnes & Noble as a Nook e-book, on Kobo as an e-book, and Mundania Press in paperback.

Good evening constant reader.
In a nutshell, if you like off the beaten path stories, with characters so well drawn they leap off the page and help you keep turning the pages until you find out what their ultimate fate is, then this book is for you.

Part horror, part science fiction, and all compelling, The Hoax starts off with an attention getting prologue that jump starts the action and then starts revving to full throttle.

How well do any of us really know our "best" friends? That's one question The Hoax poses, as it explores the friendship of three men: Patrick Obrien, Joey Duvaine and Melvin Shepherd. Their friendship seems genuine and honesty bound, until little by little, layers start to flake away and cracks begin to appear. It all seems so innocent and unremarkable at first, the result of a recent tragedy. Joey, in the space of a year, has lost his entire family and is now on his own, trying to decide what direction his future holds. Patrick and Shepherd (he hates to be called Melvin) are there to support their friend, onlooking bystanders to the melt down Joey has at a local bar after the funeral of his father. Fists fly, shirts are taken off, drinking accelerates and this is where the story takes off, when we are given a glimpse of Shepherd's back and the horse shoe shaped scar he has...a result he says, of an abusive father.

That's round one

Round two has our three friends at Joey's apartment, hanging out, with Joey trying to decide what his options are. Joey laments he has no family to the extent Shepherd blows a gasket, asking what are he and Obrien? Chopped liver? Words fly fast and furious until it gets physical and blood is drawn, with Shepherd sneering that Joey doesn't think anyone is "family" unless they're blood family. A knife surfaces and all three cut themselves and make a blood bond, with Shepherd uttering some strange words, words he claims the ancients used to bind themselves together before battle: unity and brotherhood.

And it's with this sharing of blood that things really take a turn into Weirdville.
If I say too much more, I risk giving too much away.
I will say Shepherd manipulates Joey and Patrick into staging something miraculous at a church, which sets the rest of the action in motion, heading into a hell of a climax.

Jones has crafted an absorbing tale, whose characters come alive. As you read, you feel like these are people you know. The dialogue perks along and never seems forced - the characters actually say what you'd think a real person would say in a situation like they're in. A situation, which constant reader, as you read along, starts to take some really fantastic turns.
The story is paced well with suitable down times, and packed at the right time with action.

I loved every minute of reading this book, and that's not something I say too often.
My only complaint is there's no sequel...yet...it's in the works.

Adrienne Jones is a writer to watch.

For more on Adrienne Jones:
Author Adrienne Jones
Mundania Press
Smashwords

Review: Moonlit Daydreams

2011-12-29T00:30:00.001-06:00

Moonlit Daydreams
by
Rebecca Carter
Available through Amazon in trade paperback or Kindle e-book, Lulu in paperback, on Smashwords as an e-book, and on Barnes & Noble's website as a Nook e-book.

Good evening constant reader. In a nutshell, if you like off the beaten path, into the darkened woods stories, that are short, to the point and visceral, exposing an interesting mind at work, then this book is for you.

Rebecca Carter has carved out a nice little niche for herself in the story telling world.
She spins five tales of oddness, that seem to begin out of no where, and end up right where she wanted you the reader, to be.

Story first is "Of the Children", a fevre dream of a story, about a scientist and her creation gone horribly wrong.
You see, Dr. Shaver and her science figured out how to make raptors ultra intelligent, and they were used to replace our military. Yes, you read that right. Raptors...as in the dinosaur, not the bird. Then came the outbreak...and chaos as the entire world is affected...and infected...including the raptors. And the raptors are smart enough to know they were used and are coming home to their creator.

Story second is "Hunger". We are the silent observer to Sarah's workaday world of frustration - working customer support is always fun, but there's something not quite right about Sarah. We follow her through a night out, and an incident which results in Sarah getting sick and having to resort to pig's blood and milk to feel better.
An unfortunate tale...where Mike meets Sarah and will wish he never had. Sarah isn't like everyone else - she's a vampire.

Story the third is "Midnight Strolls", where we the reader get to accompany Honna out on her prowls for prey. We have kidnapping and brutality from the female perspective, and it gets quite twisted and nasty. It seems chloroform is a girl's best friend...as well as a taser, shackles, knives, and that perennial favorite, duct tape. Oh and did I mention the gas soaked cotton balls down the throat?
I could go on, but you really should read this nasty nice piece of work for yourself.

Story the fourth is "Love", where one man's show of love, true love and caring, is one woman's one way ticket.

Story the fifth is "Special", the tale of one "special" young woman and her painful transformation into a werewolf. Think the transformation scene in the film An American Werewolf in London, times 10. Carter's detail makes you feel precisely what's happening.

Five little gems, short and to the point, but full of good writing. It's like you happened to stop by and pause a moment and look into the lives of these characters at very precise points in time and what points they are.
These are fully realized shorts, don't misunderstand. But if these are the sprouts from the seeds of Carter's imagination, good grief, imagine what the forest would be like!

For more on Rebecca Carter:
Rebecca Carter on Facebook

13 Questions with...Chet Williamson

2011-12-09T20:48:00.001-06:00

1. You’re hosting a dinner party. What is the menu, and do you cook it yourself, or do you call a caterer?

I’m a lousy cook, so I’d either ask my wife to prepare the meal, or have it catered. And I have to confess to not being much of a foodie. But if the sky were the limit, I’d probably tailor a menu around one of the menus of The Zodiac Club, a private dining club that was the inspiration for my cannibalistic story in Al Sarrantonio’s anthology, 999, but non-cannibalistic, of course…

2. What is your beverage of choice?

Water lately, but I love craft beers and good wine.

3. Physical book Vs an E-Reader. Your preference and why?

I don’t own an e-reader, and really have no desire for one. If I traveled more, it would be convenient, but I love the feel of a real book in my hands. Also, I don’t feel that I own anything when I buy an e-book anymore than I own something when I buy an MP3 sound file. But a physical CD or a physical book? There you’ve got something!

4. What kinds of books make up your personal library?

Oh man. I have a house filled with books, and though I try to glean, it’s tough. Looking at my shelves here in my office, I see one shelf of books on Shakespeare, Thomas Harris’s novels, the Encyclopedia of Philosophy, another long row of books on & by Lovecraft, a large section on Yeats (I’ve been working on a play about him for ages), a shelf full of Andrew Vachss’s and Joe Lansdale’s novels, a ton of reference books, some Philip Roth, Robert B. Parker, early Fedogan & Bremer books…it just goes on and on. I have literally several hundred boxes in the basement (with two humidifiers running constantly). Right now I’m reading Terrill Lee Lankford’s novels – Lee directed the Christmas With the Dead film I was in this summer, in which I get eaten by zombies.

5. How and when did you catch the writing bug?

I loved to tell stories when I was a kid (the stock boy in my grandfather’s little two-aisle grocery store used to tell me Poe stories in the scary store cellar), but I didn’t start writing seriously until my twenties, and came to it as the result of being an actor. I started writing shows, and when I realized I was writing full-scale stories I graduated to short stories and finally novels. I picked horror because that’s what I’d loved reading ever since I picked up issue # 5 of Famous Monsters of Filmland and those great Ballantine paperback horror anthologies published in the early 60’s.

6. What is your writing routine?

Not nearly as disciplined as it used to be. In the olden times when I worked on clay tablets, I would set myself a page count every day, and not go to bed until I was finished. As I get older, it’s hard to find material that I consider worth working on, so I’m much more slapdash now, and as a result I write less.

7. If you ever encounter writer’s block, what steps do you take to get past it?

I encounter writer’s block nearly every day, primarily a self-doubt that what I’m doing is worthwhile. I just stumble on, hoping that something will appear, and it usually does.

8. Do you have a hidden talent?

I’m a fairly decent classically trained singer, and do a lot of theatre. I’ve been having some voice problems as the result of having screamed too damn hard while being chowed down on by zombies this summer, but I’m hoping that will clear up soon. Might take some extreme measures, but those are the risks of the business.

9. What was your best subject in school?

English, of course. Except for diagramming sentences…

10. As in any entertainment, there are current trends. How much do these “current trends” influence what you write?

Not much. I’ve found that if you try to write according to trends, by the time your work comes out the trend is over.

11. Mac or PC?

PC. I started with a Tandy 1200HD in 1986 and have been PC ever since. The only Apple items I have are my 120-gig iPod and my iPhone.

12. Where do your ideas come from?

God, I wish I knew. I’d make them come more quickly. Usually, though, it’s from something I’ve seen or experienced, so I need to get out and travel more. Occasionally it’s from something I read in the papers or see on the news. There was a very small story in the newspaper just the other day that struck me deeply, and I think I’ll be able to get something out of that.

13 What advice would you pass on to an aspiring author?

Write for yourself, first and foremost. If the work isn’t commercially successful, then at least you’ve enjoyed the process. The markets are more difficult now than they’ve ever been. E-books have changed everything. Along with the positive aspect of making your work more accessible, there’s also the negative aspect that everyone’s work is accessible as well. There’s so much more competition out there for the e-book dollar that it’s ridiculous, and it’s incredibly easy for one writer, no matter how good his work, to become lost amid the mass of work that’s available. Unless you’re a brand name, we’re all part of the long tail, and that amounts to smaller sales and readership, and less money. You have to be more of a publicist than a writer these days, and everyone’s doing the same thing. How to get your head above the waves that are engulfing us all? If I knew, I’d do it. And on that somewhat pessimistic note, I close. Happy writing anyway!

Review: Ash Wednesday

2011-12-03T23:09:00.000-06:00

Ash Wednesday
by
Chet Williamson
Available through Amazon in hard cover, mass market paperback or Kindle edition & chetwilliamson.com as an e-book or audio book (read by the author), and on Smashwords as an e-book.

A brief word of introduction: Chet Williamson is no stranger to horror fiction. As such he is what I would consider an established author with a readership. He did me the courtesy of speaking to me on Facebook (he and Joe R. Lansdale, to be precise), and through the conversation, it became apparent I needed to read Ash Wednesday ASAP. I ordered it off Amazon and read it in 3 days.
3 days.
I never read a book in 3 days.
But I did with this one. I read it while waiting in the car, while in the tub, while waiting for something to cook in the kitchen. When I had a spare moment, I was reading.
Get your hands on a copy of Ash Wednesday and see how a horror novel is written.

"Goddamn, Chet."
I thought this more than once while reading this novel, about a town called Merridale, and the bizarre thing that happens there.

One night, all the dead of Merridale show up, glowing blue, where they died. If it was crossing the street and getting hit by a car, if it was sitting in the den watching TV, if it was in the hospital - where ever they took their last breath, and in what ever state that was, that's where and how they appear. For no discernible reason.

How the denizens of the town handle this phenomenon is vast and varied.
And if you think the dead coming back as zombies is scary, you ain't read nothing yet. No, these dead don't do anything, per se. But the chain reactions they start are quite enough. People lose their faith and their sanity. Some become greedy, some become cowardly. In some, long buried histories come raging to the fore to finally be exposed to the light of day.

And I quote: "He closed the ten-yard gap then, walking dreamlike to the banquet table to gorge himself on the physical evidence of his guilt. The guilt opened now, like a bloom fully mature, its five blue petals gleaming in the sun..."
Chet Williamson writes brilliant prose like the above example, turning something odd into one of the most brutal things to happen to a community.

They don't write them like this very often.
Mr. Williamson needs to write more like this. A lot.

For more on Chet Williamson:
Chet Williamson
Chet Williamson on Wikipedia
Chet Williamson on Twitter
Chet Williamson on Facebook

13 Questions with...Guido Henkel

2011-11-18T01:08:00.000-06:00

1. You’re hosting a dinner party. What is the menu, and do you cook it yourself, or do you call a caterer?

My wife is a phenomenal cook – and I mean, we are seriously talking Iron Chef cooking level here – so she usually cooks herself to treat guests. I know, that you weren’t interested in my wife cooking, but since I don’t cook a whole lot, I thought it is the next best response.

2. What is your beverage of choice?

Usually, nothing but water. I’ve sworn off soda altogether. I do like a beer and a glass of good wine here and there, especially to go with the right food or the right company.

3. Physical book Vs an E-Reader. Your preference and why?

Ever since I got a Kindle abut 3 years ago, I have slowly drifted more and more towards reading eBooks. If find the experience every bit as pleasant and noticed that I am actually reading faster on the Kindle than on paper. It also has changed my reading habits, as I am reading more independent authors than I did ever before.

In addition, I like the fact that the eBooks don’t take up any space in the house. Don’t get me wrong, I do like to have a nice hardcover or paperback version of certain books here and there, but do I really need to have every book I read sitting around on a shelf?

I still do read a good deal of paperbacks and hardcovers, as they still find their way into my library, though, as I visit bookstores or writers conventions.

4. What kinds of books make up your personal library?

I like to read a lot of historical fiction, so much of my library consists of period books, ranging in various genres. Some are adventures, others mysteries or period thrillers. In addition I do like to read a good contemporary thriller here and there. I used to read a lot of fantasy but for some reason have lost interest in the genre almost entirely in the past few years.

Although I write mostly in the horror genre, interestingly enough, I do not read a whole lot of horror. Occasionally, yes, but not excessively so. I am very selective when it comes to horror and read mostly the material that friends of mine write in that genre, because I want to keep up with their work.

5. How and when did you catch the writing bug?

I’ve always had an affinity to the written word and started writing in my late teens. Not in book form, though, but for computer games. I used to write text adventure games for a number of years, which are like interactive stories in which the player controls the flow of the story by typing command sentences like “Turn over the corpse and look under it” into the computer. After that I moved on to writing fiction for computer role playing games — all stuff that is very detailed and intricate – non-linear, as you have to cover countless eventualities depending on the player’s actions.

I always wanted to write linear fiction, as in books, where I could control the experience from beginning to end. It was not until about 3 years ago, however, that I finally decided to give it an honest try. “Demon’s Night,” the first of my Jason Dark supernatural mysteries was the result. I had so much fun doing it that I just kept on writing ever since.

6. What is your writing routine?

I wish I had one. I really do. I try to write at least 1,000 words a day , but unfortunately, my life is filled with so many things that sometimes I simply do not find the time or energy to write at all.

I also outline a lot. I found that outlining and planning my scenes out in detail helps me stay focussed and pulls me through a project without getting frazzled and sidetracked.

7. If you ever encounter writer’s block, what steps do you take to get past it?

To be honest, I think there is no such thing as writer’s block, per se. It is my firm belief that what most people refer to as writer’s block is really just a result of improper preparation. I noticed that in myself. There were times when I did not know where my story was supposed to go. I had not nailed down a scene completely, and as a result I would keep pushing it ahead of me, avoiding to actually write it. I was afraid to make a decision, to commit to something, anything, and as a result I stopped writing and kept procrastinating for endless periods. This happened to me a few times and I noticed that this kind of “block” always happened for the same reason. I did not know what to write.

As soon as I sat down and planned out my stories properly from beginning to end, down to a scene level, I was able to avoid these blocks altogether. This way, there is always something to write. Even if I don’t feel like continuing where I left off, because of my planning, I can easily jump to some other scene that excites me at the time.This kind of ability to write out of order is critical, I think, to keep you going. At least, it is for me.

Many writers recommend to watch a movie, do something different, get your mind off. While this might be true when you burn out – which is different than a block in my opinion – I don’t think it is a solution for a block. It is just a different sort of procrastination that won’t get words on the paper.

Writing requires discipline and the disciplined writer will sit himself in a chair and write – block or no block. There’s always something to write or edit or revise.

Now, I have to be perfectly honest here. Though I am saying of this with all this conviction, I wish I could apply myself to these standards sometimes. I guess sometimes it is just easier to procrastinate. :)

8. Do you have a hidden talent?

I am not sure I have any hidden talents left. I explored most of them quite openly. I wrote, designed and programmed computer and video games for many years. In that industry I explored many of my skills. I programmed in countless programming languages, down to hexadecimal machine code, I wrote stories for the games, I created artwork and graphics for them, I wrote the music, I acquired business acumen running my own companies, the array is endless. It was a well of experience, really.

I am a musician also, I used to play in heavy metals bands and I have written and recorded full orchestral scores.

I have a knack for languages – to a degree – and speak German, English, French, Spanish, and understand Italian and some Vietnamese. And I am proficient in Latin – or at least I used to be when I learned it back in high school and college.

And now I’m a writer… so I’m not sure what else is left. Perhaps the fact that I don’t discuss politics or religion in public are my real hidden talents.

9. What was your best subject in school?

I majored in English and Math, both my strongest subjects, and interestingly, both have continued to be exceedingly important to me. Math because of all the computer games programming I did over the years, and English because here I am, writing books in English. To put that in perspective, perhaps I should point out that English is not my native language. German is. I moved to the US about 15 years ago.

10. As in any entertainment, there are current trends. How much do these “current trends” influence what you write?

They do not influence me at all. I write what I want to write. Always have. It has always made me an underdog in anything I did. I’ve always created outside the mainstream. My games have always been catering to a core audience. I was never interested in making something that was popular at the time. It has always been more gratifying for me to blaze my own trail. It is very risky and I’ve been flailed with commercial failures throughout my career, but there is something immensely rewarding in doing what you really want to do, as opposed to what others expect you to do.

My Jason Dark books are the perfect example for this also. I am writing long fiction in a gothic horror genre and package it in the softbound magazine format of traditional dime novels. I mean, in this market, you can’t get any more exotic and old-school than this. And I’m paying the price for it, clearly. It might have been easier for me to find an audience if I had written contemporary paranormal romances instead and made them into paperback books, selling them for $9.99 apiece.

I did not want that. I wanted a print version that costs only $2.99 and that is not possible with current paperback and print-on-demand technologies. I thought it might attract readers, making the stories more accessible, but I’ve been proven wrong all along. Instead of setting my books apart in a good way – as in getting noticed for being unique and different – I find that instead they are almost shunned, because people don’t really seem to know what to make of it.

11. Mac or PC?

150% Mac. I don’t even let any Microsoft software near my computer. I’m a hardcore Mac-head. I abandoned the PC about 4 or 5 years ago because I got sick and tired of all the problems and the fact that nothing in Windows works. Never looked back once. The Mac has easily tripled my productivity. Better software, cheaper software, more robust software, better hardware, better performance, better responsiveness, better usability. What’s there not to like? I gladly pay a little more upfront for that kind of luxury and peace of mind.

12. Where do your ideas come from?

Anything can really inspire me. Oftentimes I will just look at a painting and a scene will pop into my mind that could make the basis for a story. Sometimes it is music where a line of the lyrics might inspire me and turn into such a picture in my head. At other times it’s a photograph or a movie scene, and sometimes it is just something someone will say and I ask myself, “What if…?”

Literally anything can inspire me and draw these kinds of mental images from me that I constantly use as elements in stories or as entire book premises.
13 What advice would you pass on to an aspiring author?

Your writing is never as good as you think, and it is never as bad as you think. All writers that I know have moments were they are in love with their writing, and moments where they feel it is all just a dump of crap. It is the one thing all writers have in common, I believe, so don’t worry if you feel the same way sometimes. Just keep at it, write your heart out, edit and revise, and polish it. If you do that, in the end you will inevitably have a piece of writing that you will be proud of, because you put your mind and heart into it and you worked hard on it. You gave it your best shot, and that is what it is all about.

Review: (Sin)ful

2011-11-08T02:36:00.001-06:00

(Sin)ful
by
Lucy Grayson
Self-published, available from: Lucy Grayson

Review by Dan Breen

Sin(ful) – Swords, sorcery and… Citroens?

(Sin)ful is an oddment. I was introduced to this book via a friend on Facebook, and thought, why not? Having bought and downloaded this book, my only regret is that I left it so long before reading it.

(Sin)ful is set in a contemporary fantasy Earth. Magic is real and the world as we know it is joined by two extra lands, one the home of the Kiasakis, and the other, home to the Elementals, two extra near human races and hereditary mortal enemies, one a clear warrior race, and the other, more ethereal and mystic, (as you read the book you’ll come to understand them better), and set in a society pretty much parallel with our own.

(Sin)ful follows Animay Wolfheart, an Elemental, and heir to the Shadow estate, and Luicius Dranco, a Kiasaki warrior, two people thrown together by their employer, Tom, a human wizard of “interesting” moral fibre for his own personal gain.

While there feels to be an element of a “coming of age” story about this, the back plot, the political sophistication of the back story, the intelligent use of action and drama devices to create a story arc, (this is the first in a projected series), place it beyond such easy pigeon holing. It’s an intelligent, well crafted first book, and doesn’t feel like the 400 page epic that it is. I also found it difficult to put down, which is never a bad sign.

So who would I recommend this to? If you remember the Shadowrun RPG, if you like Anne McCaffrey, William Gibson, or just something different to the norm and consider yourself too intelligent for the Tw*****t series, then this is for you.

For more on Lucy Grayson:
Lucy Grayson Weekly

13 Questions with...Tim Marquitz

2011-11-04T21:01:00.000-05:00

1. You’re hosting a dinner party. What is the menu, and do you cook it yourself, or do you call a caterer?

I would probably cook it myself because I'm cheap. The menu would likely be some variation of spicy chicken with lots of cheese because I'm a white trash cook.

2. What is your beverage of choice?
Coca Cola. The damn stuff is addictive.

3. Physical book Vs an E-Reader. Your preference and why?
I much prefer a physical book, but I love the convenience of my eReader. There's no way to compare being able to store 1,500 plus books on a small device. It allows me to read based on my mood and not throw my back out.

4. What kinds of books make up your personal library?
Horror and dark fantasy in overwhelming amounts. Lots of Stephen King, Clive Barker, Jim Butcher, and Brian Keene.

5. How and when did you catch the writing bug?
I've always liked to write, but I never took it too seriously until around 1995. I started working out some ideas I had and was really disappointed in how bad they were. I carried on intermittently until probably about five years ago when I pulled my head loose and figured out what I was doing.

6. What is your writing routine?
I don't have one. I write when I have time and feel like it. While I push myself to do it regularly, I write when it feels good to do it.

7. If you ever encounter writer’s block, what steps do you take to get past it?
Because I outline my work, any sense of writer's block I might get happens before I even start to write. I just continue to plot and scheme and everything seems to fall into place.

8. Do you have a hidden talent?
Avoiding difficult questions.

9. What was your best subject in school?
English, which probably isn't much of a surprise. I'd say lunch was a close second.

10. As in any entertainment, there are current trends. How much do these “current trends” influence what you write?
Not at all. They influence how I market my work, but the story has to be what it is. I don't write to trends and I don't worry about what's popular beyond the marketing approach.

11. Mac or PC?
Definitely PC.

12. Where do your ideas come from?
The Idea Fairy.

13 What advice would you pass on to an aspiring author?
Practice. Until a writer can overcome their concern about the mechanics of writing, they'll never write to their most creative.

Review: Theater of Vampires, Volume 2 of Jason Dark Ghost Hunter

2011-10-28T13:36:00.002-05:00

Theater of Vampires
Volume 2 in the Jason Dark, Ghost Hunter series
by
Guido Henkel
Available through Jason Dark - Ghost Hunter, Amazon in both print and Kindle editions, and Barnes & Noble in e-book for the Nook

If you like pulp horror in a quick and easy, enjoyable read, then this series is for you.

Jason Dark is a ghost hunter...and a vampire hunter...and a demon hunter...and a hunter of all things supernatural. He is aided and abetted by his faithful assistant Siu Lin and his housekeeper Lady Wellesley.

Our story begins with the advent of Jason's friend Max. Their reunion is a happy one, with a pleasant dinner with Jason's assistant Siu Lin in attendance. Talk is turned to the new play being performed, rumoured to be in the Grand Guignol style, called Theater of Vampires. Max persuades Jason to attend a performance and that's where our story begins to take off. Jason suspects there is more than meets the eye to the performers of this harrowing stage show and sets out to investigate. His suspicions are confirmed when Max is violently, and literally wrenched out of Jason's home by a vampire kidnapping.

Written in a pulp fiction style, there are lurid descriptions of blood letting, pale, red-eyed vampires with preternatural abilities, ambushes, confrontations, captures, rescues, action,...it's all here.
The story only runs 61 pages. I found it entertaining, both for it's subject matter and the style in which it is written. Some of it seems grand and a tad over the top dramatically speaking, but that's a hall mark of pulp fiction to begin with. I spent an entertaining evening reading this, enjoying a genre I hadn't previously read too much of. Pulp writing is a dying art these days to a degree, but Henkel writes with a sure pen, creating the shadowy streets of London in the winter, the dark and mysterious theater and the threatening vampires with ease. I felt transported to Jason's side, be it as he dined with Max, attended the play, worked in his laboratory, took to the dark street, and entered the theater to engage in a showdown with the vampires.

There's a fair amount of blood in this tale, enough to satisfy the gore hound. I liked the lab work Jason employed, a nod to the wit of Sherlock Holmes I suspect. The pacing is sound, and the characters are brought to convincing life.

For a quick, atmospheric tale of the supernatural, this series is a winner. There are 10 volumes currently available, with Jason taking on demons, witches, ghostly Kinghts Templar, a real doctor Frankenstein, wraiths, curses, and wrathful goddesses, to name but a few of the terrors he meets.

In January of 2011, Henkel was invited by Fangoria magazine to write an exclusive serial novel for their magazine, beginning with issue #302, entitled Food for the Dead. Quite an honor, indeed.

For more on Guido Henkel;
Jason Dark on Facebook
Jason Dark, Ghost Hunter

Review: Armageddon Bound : Book One of the Demon Squad series

2011-10-20T23:58:00.001-05:00

Armageddon Bound

Book One of the Demon Squad series

Tim Marquitz

Available through Amazon, Barnes & Noble in paperback and in e format through Damnation Books

Review by Dan Breen

Take equal measures of 50’s detective pulp fiction, a Carl Hiaasen central character, and The Omen, blend carefully then serve chilled with a good Metal soundtrack.

Now throw it away and read this instead.

In Armageddon Bound Tim Marquitz introduces probably one of the most likable anti heroes I’ve come across – Frank Trigg, (or Triggaltheron, depending on how far “south” you come from); Nephew of Lucifer, part human, and the only known character in any book to have turned down the opportunity to become the Anti-Christ.

The back story is that both God and the Devil have disappeared without trace, much to the confusion of their respective sides leaving the various choirs and minions to do what they do best – fight each other in a celestial Cold War taking place on earth. However, in the years since the disappearances of the respective heads, other factions have appeared, crossing the usual Demon/Angel lines, pro and anti Armageddonists, and it’s against these factions, and his estranged Succubi wife, that Frank, Scarlett, (an angel, his cousin), Katon, (Vampire), and Rahim, (mage), find themselves pitched in this rather different and entertaining novel.

The story itself starts straight into the action, but at a pace not to leave the reader behind, and while fast moving, is not too fast as to leave the reader struggling to keep up. The characters themselves feel rounded, fully formed and engaging while the settings are illustrated well enough to give the picture without distracting from the story itself. Thoroughly entertaining with some good humorous, if slightly wrong, moments thrown in, (remember though, he is part demon).

If you’re a fan of Good Omens, any of the Lazlo Woodbine series, (Robert Rankin), or are old enough to remember the “Oh God, you Devil” movies with George Burns, you’ll like this one.

For more on Tim Marquitz:
Tim Marquitz Dark Fantasy Author
Tim Marquitz on Twitter
Tim Marquitz on Facebook

13 Questions With...Carolyn & Mike Dubisch

2011-10-09T20:27:00.000-05:00

Carolyn's Answers

1. You’re hosting a dinner party. What is the menu, and do you cook it yourself, or do you call a caterer?
I hate to cook, but I'm cheap so it's the only thing I do well. Spaghetti.
2. What is your beverage of choice?

I like wine, coffee, and sparkling water, not all at once or mixed together-separately.
3. Physical book Vs an E-Reader. Your preference and why?

Physical books most of the time. I don't have an E-Reader, just a computer, maybe that's why I prefer it.
4. What kinds of books make up your personal library?

Everything from "You are so Undead to me" by Stacey Jay, to "The Joy Luck Club". I read Stephen King, and Gail Carson Levine and of course Harry Potter- I'm always open to new writers. as well. I like fantasy, horror, science fiction, historical fiction, and tons of YA.
5. How and when did you catch the writing bug?

When I was a sophomore in High School my English teacher felt I should be a professional writer, but I never really pursued it until my daughter was born, when I began writing kids books.
6. What is your writing routine?

Unfortunately my schedule is too erratic for a regular routine. I write when I can squeeze it in or have a deadline. It's pretty lame.
7. If you ever encounter writer’s block, what steps do you take to get past it?

I write on my blog usually. That warms me up to writing fiction.
8. Do you have a hidden talent?

Does face painting count?

9. What was your best subject in school?

English and Art.
10. As in any entertainment, there are current trends. How much do these “current trends” influence what you write?

Somewhat. We added some steam punk elements to the original script of "The People That Melt in the Rain". However that was the first time I ever did anything like that.
11. Mac or PC?

Mac-we do a lot of graphics here in our studio.
12. Where do your ideas come from?

Mostly from fortune cookies.
13 What advice would you pass on to an aspiring author?

Just to write and keep a journal. Also joining a crate group can be an extremely valuable experience. There are a lot of groups online, and plenty if you check your local library.

Mike's Answers

1. You’re hosting a dinner party. What is the menu, and do you cook it yourself, or do you call a caterer?
Stir fry shoggoth and shrimp stuffed with chaos- from a caterer of course.

  2. What is your beverage of choice?
Sparkling mineral water- a gift from the undergods.  

3. Physical book Vs an E-Reader. Your preference and why?
Physical, reading e-books hurts my soul.

4. What kinds of books make up your personal library?
I have an obsession with a certain breed of comic creators and fantasy/surreal artists. I read a lot of fiction but am less attached to keeping a permanent collection of it.  

5. How and when did you catch the writing bug?
Around fifth grade I began to be able to envision and then actually execute ideas for comics and stories, so I guess that's when.  

6. What is your writing routine?
I let ideas stew in my head till they are nearly solid, then write them down when they tell me they are ready. Then I need absolute silence and concentration to write the prose or script.  

7. If you ever encounter writer’s block, what steps do you take to get past it?
Since I don't put pressure on myself to write, I've never found myself blocked- Artist's block I deal with by working- and if I become so paralyzed I cannot move forward on serious art, I go to my doodlebook, take all the pressure off, and doodle carelessly till I rediscover the joy of creativity.

8. Do you have a hidden talent?
I'm a problem solver. I have an ability to focus and solve real world puzzles while others go to pieces.  

9. What was your best subject in school?
Art and English, also weight lifting.

  10. As in any entertainment, there are current trends. How much do these “current trends” influence what you write?
The character I write that has turned out to have most potential for mass appeal was conceived a bizarre anti-hero I didn't think anyone would understand: My flesh eating ghoul-hero, The Crypt Kid. In this case the publics hunger is for new concepts that kick sand in the face of the old but are still cute and iconic.  

11. Mac or PC?
My family has been "mac" since 1987.

  12. Where do your ideas come from?
Ideas are gifts. Hard to know where they come from, apparently from a storm of synapses, they feel as if they are just dropped in by an outside source and I'm just happy when they appear- often they just flow out of the tip of my pen and I'm as surprised as anyone else is.  

13 What advice would you pass on to an aspiring author?
Read your own work critically and be sure it's your best. Find someone to help you fine tune your work. Do what makes you happy and excited, self publish and build your brand.

Review: The People That Melt in the Rain

2011-09-23T20:36:00.001-05:00

The People That Melt in the Rain
by
Carolyn Watson Dubisch
&
Mike Dubisch
Available to follow as a web comic:
The People That Melt in the Rain: New Girl In Town
From Amazon as a Kindle book; from Barnes & Noble as a Nook book

Review by Dan Breen

Web comics are a fairly new thing for me. Yes I know the internet has been around forever, (well, mid 90’s anyway), but oddly, following more than just odds and ends has never really appealed to me.

So the boss gives me the link, “Here, you like comics go review…” Or words to that effect, so I wasn’t expecting much.

Boy was I surprised.
The artwork is the first thing that struck me, clear, simple and caught me from the outset. I am visually led, so once the impact of the artwork had subsided I started reading the story itself and just couldn’t stop clicking next.

The comic begins following Laura as she moves from her old home to the rather unusual town of Deluge, where, as the title suggests, people melt in the rain. But there’s more, way more to it than just that, no one seems to leave. Ever. And on top of that, the town seems to be, in a very normal way a repository of all things rum and uncanny.

The web comic itself has been running for a few years now so there’s plenty to read. Might be worth settling down with a large pot of tea, (or coffee as appropriate), switch off your phone and enjoy.

If you liked Spirited Away, (Studio Ghibli animae), Twin Peaks or anything of that ilk, you’ll love this one.

Issue 0 of The People That Melt in the Rain

Carolyn Watson-Dubisch

&
Mike Dubisch

Review by Tracey Fleming

When Carolyn first contacted me about reviewing The People That Melt in the Rain, my first impulse was, of course, to say "Yes!", as I started my reading life reading comic books. She explained it was an ongoing web comic, but could send me issue 0 as a hard copy.

When it arrived and I got a look at the cover, my first thought was "Oh, this is going to be right up my alley", and I was right.

The story, as Dan outlined above is about the town of Deluge, and Laura, who has just moved to the town.

Issue 0 starts not with Laura, but with Jason, the "Weatherman" who's trying to figure out why the weather is the way it is in Deluge. Something happened to his sister Jana back in the day (no fair giving it away) and now Jason is determined to get to the bottom of things.

I loved the story. Compelling, giving you enough to engage your attention, but leaving out as much as it reveals, making the reader want more.

The artwork is magnificent. I wasn't sure the cool palette was going to work, but the colors used are as much a character in the story as Laura or Jason are. There's also a steampunk vibe, slight, but there.

Great story, great art = great comic.

For more on Carolyn & Mike Dubisch:
The People That Melt in the Rain
The People That Melt in the Rain on Facebook

13 Questions with...David Warren

2011-09-18T01:50:00.001-05:00

1. You’re hosting a dinner party. What is the menu, and do you cook it yourself, or do you call a caterer?
If it were just me, I would have a Tuna Melt sandwich. (My all-time favorite) But since it’s a dinner party, it would consist of shrimp cocktail, filet mignon, side dishes and a variety of salads. And yes, it would most definitely be catered.

2. What is your beverage of choice?My beverage of choice is a nice cold unsweetened iced tea.

3. Physical book Vs an E-Reader. Your preference and why?
I may be old fashioned, but I still prefer the physical book. I can’t wait to hold a copy of Jest, which should be in about a week from now…

4. What kinds of books make up your personal library?
Stephen King, Dean Koontz and Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child make up a large portion of my library.
5. How and when did you catch the writing bug?
I was nine years old when I started writing little stories on an ancient typewriter my mom had. I was heavy into Franklin W. Dixon’s The Hardy Boys Series back then and so I started with mystery stories. Soon after, I discovered Dean Koontz’s Phantoms, and I have never looked back since when it came to what genre I would forevermore write.

6. What is your writing routine?
I start with a small outline. It may be heavily loaded with ideas or it may just be a cast of characters and what their relationship is with one another. I then start (Usually, not always) with shorthand notes or paragraphs in a journal before finally starting to type the actual story onto the computer.

7. If you ever encounter writer’s block, what steps do you take to get past it?
Writer’s block can be a killer if you let it. It takes self-discipline to not give up and move onto other things. The problem that it creates is that a lot of times, you simply never go back. (Been there, done that) So my advice is…stay at it. Keep going, even when it isn’t fun anymore and it will pay off in the long run.

8. Do you have a hidden talent?
I used to work in Atlantic City as a magician and I did a few years in professional wrestling as well.

9. What was your best subject in school?
Writing…surprised?
10. As in any entertainment, there are current trends. How much do these “current trends” influence what you write?
None whatsoever. I write what I do because I love it. If I think I have a great idea, I’ll write it, regardless if it is popular at the time or ever will be in the future. With that being said, if I am approached by my publisher to tackle a certain genre or storyline because it is the “in thing” right now, I wouldn’t be opposed to it.

11. Mac or PC?
PC…Never owned a Mac.
12. Where do your ideas come from?
Only the Good Lord knows. To be honest, I have written books before based on weird dreams that I have had. But most of the time, regardless of where I am or what I’m doing, I find myself asking “what if” questions. For example, if I’m on vacation up in the mountains, I might ask myself, “What if a really big, scary bear decided to wreak havoc here all of the sudden?” Next time you’re out somewhere and have a minute, ask yourself the “what if” question and see if you can’t come up with a dozen different ideas!

13. What advice would you pass on to an aspiring author?
Never ever give up. I was rejected more times than I care to remember by publishers and agents alike. It just takes perseverance. Lord willing, if you keep at it and don’t get discouraged, it’ll happen. Also, don’t take rejections personally. They don’t know you and although you think you have the manuscript of the year (as I used to think) it will not fit every publisher’s needs. All you can do is write the story, have it professionally edited, (NOT your neighbor who likes to read) and submit to the proper people. Do your homework. If you submit to someone who isn’t interested in your genre, you just wasted their time as well as yours.

13 Questions with...A.R. Hill

2011-09-05T02:38:00.000-05:00

1. You’re hosting a dinner party. What is the menu, and do you cook it yourself, or do you call a caterer?
Well, both the Spouse and I like to cook, so we’ll definitely cook it ourselves. Most likely either o-nabe (Japanese hotpot with meat and vegetables) or sukiyaki (Japanese pan-fried meat and vegetables with sauce). Both of these are cooked at the table, so we chop, arrange everything and make the sauces, and then the guests select what they would like to eat themselves. Boiled rice and homemade miso soup get served on the side with Japanese pickles, and of course green tea and Ramune soda. For dessert, either green tea ice cream or green tea cake. Both sound weird but are delicious – and the last time I served green tea cake, I kid you not, my guests fought over who got to have the last slice.

2. What is your beverage of choice?
Real tea, in all its forms. Though not herbal tea, that’s something I take when I’m sick and it’s not technically tea anyway, it’s an infusion.

3. Physical book Vs an E-Reader. Your preference and why?
Real book. I have trouble staring at computer screens (probably because I do it so much), so a real book is just easier on my eyes. They smell good, too, and look good on a bookshelf when you’re not reading them.

4. What kinds of books make up your personal library?
Horror, fantasy, table-top RPGs and reference books. Lots and lots of reference books. Especially ones on art, mythology and vampires.

5. How and when did you catch the writing bug?
When I was twelve, I wrote a book to impress someone I had a crush on at school. The crush, and the story associated with it, never went anywhere but I found a lasting romance with writing.

6. What is your writing routine?
Me, routine? I try to squeeze as much writing in as I can between my official duties and house chores. I also try to work in some reading every day, keeps me fresh.

7. If you ever encounter writer’s block, what steps do you take to get past it?
Writer’s block has been a personal demon of mine for the last four or five years. The best thing to do is to force yourself to write, as much as you can, even if it’s on an unrelated project. Then when you can’t stand it anymore, go do something else. Then repeat. I paint or draw pictures of my characters to help me think about them. Read a lot too, and don’t give up. It can last a long time and you’ve just got to fight through it.

8. Do you have a hidden talent?
Performance arts. I can play a few musical instruments and sing, and in the past I’ve been part of a few acting troupes.

9. What was your best subject in school?
Oddly enough, chemistry.

10. As in any entertainment, there are current trends. How much do these “current trends” influence what you write?
Not all that much. I don’t watch TV and I tend to choose my books based on how I’m feeling at the time. I’ve always been sort of a loner, doing my own thing.

11. Mac or PC?
PC. I can use a Mac but I don’t like to, and they’re harder on my wallet. Plus, the Spouse can build and repair PC’s, which saves me a fortune in tech support.

12. Where do your ideas come from?
I am frequently subject to nightmares, so that has a big influence. I also get a lot of inspiration from gaming sessions with friends and sometimes random things I encounter while out and about.

13. What advice would you pass on to an aspiring author?

Write all you can, every single idea that pops into your brain. If you can draw, draw your characters or the scenes you see in your head. I’ve got stuff I made note of when I was eleven that is just now shaping up into an idea for a cool story, so file it all away. Keep going, no matter what anyone says to you. I got told in college by a random student that I was “obviously not a writer”, so you can’t listen to the naysayers. Just keep plugging away and you will start turning out gems.

Review: Jest "It waits no longer..."

2011-09-05T01:29:00.002-05:00

Jest
by
David Warren
Available through Amazon for the Kindle,
and from Barnes & Noble for the Nook.
Will be forthcoming in mass market paperback

Good evening constant reader.

If you like a fast paced read, with lively characters, a good plot, some twists and turns, and some blood and guts, then this book is for you.

Our story opens as Edward Carzon II slips away into that good night, leaving Bodlum Castle in East Sussex, England, not to his son, Edward Carzon III, but to his grand daughter, Nicole. She is advised of this inheritance just as she and her college friends are trying to decide where to take that long talked about but never taken get away. The trip to England to inspect the castle is all expenses paid and Nicole may bring along as many people as she wishes. Her alcohol-ridden father is not happy with this situation and is left behind as Nicole and 5 of her friends wing their way to England.
Along for the excursion is Brad, Nicole's friend since forever, her best friend Danielle and her boy friend Al, and Wayne and Alexis.

Our party arrives in England and is escorted to Bodlum Castle where they are met by longtime caretaker Roger Helmsley, maid Beatrice Cummings, and chef Jonathon Carlisle. Another arrival, Andrew Willis, the late Edward Carzon II's solicitor rounds out the party, there to go over paperwork regarding the inheritance with Nicole.
The young people are taken on a tour of the castle by Roger, who fills in the historical past of the castle, explaining the restoration Nicole's grandfather had begun, intending to open the castle to tourists. It is during this tour they run into an assortment of wax figures dressed in period costume in various areas of the castle, as part of the tour experience. One figure they encounter is particularly disturbing; Timothy Skullton, a jester who served in the castle in the late 16th century. But Timothy wasn't just a jester, he was also used to dispatch people not in favor of the owner. That owner died and the new owner declared Timothy mad and had him imprisoned in the dungeon. He was thought to have died as his body was never found. It was assumed he escaped.

Our group begins to settle into the castle, with Nicole having to decide if she wants to become the new owner or not.
Meanwhile, back in the U.S., Nicole's father is plotting to make his way to England...

Then things start to happen...and the body count begins. Warren ratchets up the suspense when the dead bodies start to pile up, people are separated and left alone, people start exploring dark passages...you get the idea.

When I got to a certain point in the book, I couldn't stop reading, I had to find out how it was going to end.
I was at such a short page count, I was frantic to find out what happened, and was thinking. "Man, how is this going to possibly come to any kind of end??"
When the ending did come, I literally gasped out loud I was so surprised.
Reading Jest "It waits no longer..." is like riding a roller coaster. A nice, slow build up the track, lulling you into a false sense of security and then when you come to the top of that track...and start to go over...the hits, they just don't quit coming.
I like that!

Time spent with this horror tale is not time wasted.

For more on David Warren:
David Warren on Facebook

13 Questions with...Jenn McKinlay

2011-09-01T01:44:00.000-05:00

1. You’re hosting a dinner party. What is the menu, and do you cook it yourself, or do you call a caterer?

Definitely, cook it myself. The Hub and I usually cook together (he's in charge of the meat) and we will make London Broil (him) and twice baked potatoes, asparagus, a strawberry spinach salad
and I'll either bake a chocolate cheesecake or cupcakes (any variety but usually a mix of lemon/raspberry and chocolate/chocolate) for dessert.

2. What is your beverage of choice?

Coffee and lots of it.

3. Physical book Vs an E-Reader. Your preference and why?

I don't have an e-reader yet. Being a book junkie, I'm afraid that the ease of downloading to an e-reader will cause me to make imprudent purchases that I would never make if I was buying hard copy or paperback. I can see owning one in the future, but I'm holding off as long as I can. It's painful.

4. What kinds of books make up your personal library?

Everything from the Bard to Manga, with a heavy concentration of mysteries.

5. How and when did you catch the writing bug?

I was 7 or 8 and I found my mom's old portable typewriter in the attic. It was a delicious red color and I loved the sound of the letters when they pounded onto the paper. I wrote newspapers about the family and sold them to mom for 25 cents. Candy Money! Cha-ching!

6. What is your writing routine?

Ten pages per day -- every day -- even holidays and weekends. If you love what you do, it's not a hardship.

7. If you ever encounter writer’s block, what steps do you take to get past it?

Fortunately, it hasn't happened yet. If it did, I would go people watch at an airport. Fascinating places, airports.

8. Do you have a hidden talent?

I can rub my tummy and pat my head at the same time, but it's not pretty.

9. What was your best subject in school?

Recess. I excelled when my imagination was set free.

10. As in any entertainment, there are current trends. How much do these “current trends” influence what you write?

Because I write contemporary stories, I am always aware of the trends and they do have an impact. The cupcake bakery mystery series came to me when it seemed everyone around me was talking cupcakes. But after the initial idea hits, the writing, characters and plot have to be strong enough to hold their own because trends are generally short lived.

11. Mac or PC?

Currently PC, formerly Mac, but I may be going back to Mac.

12. Where do your ideas come from?

From observing the world around me and trying to wrestle it into being a world I want to live in.

13 What advice would you pass on to an aspiring author?

I absolutely hated hearing the line "a good book will sell" when I was trying to get published and failing spectacularly. Here's the thing -- it's true. When I did sell, it was because I finally wrote a good book. There is no secret handshake, there are no shortcuts. Write a good book -- your best book -- and it will sell.

Review: A Light Against The Darkness

2011-08-30T10:41:00.000-05:00

A Light Against The Darkness
by
A.R. Hill
Available through Amazon and Barnes & Noble on line.

Good morning constant reader.

If you like a fresh look at the vampire mythos, with lots of action, great characterization, some splatter here, there and everywhere and a captivating plot, then this book is for you.

Our tale starts by introducing us to Oni, a Japanese vampire. He isn't pleasant in any sense of the word. We are then introduced to his catch, Oreno, a young girl who obviously doesn't know what she's been transformed into until later. We flash backward to meet Oreno before her turning and capture, when she was known as Samara Takeshi.
The action brings us to her fateful turning, some other business I won't give away, which in turn sends her out into the world as a vampire, learning from the ground up so to speak. She settles for a brief time in a dockside bar/brothel where she brings her sword skills and preternatural speed to bear as a bouncer. After some unfortunate events involving the Yakuza, she moves on to boarding a ship and sets sail for Hawaii, ending up finally in Los Angeles, and settling in Phoenix.
It is her run in with another brothel and her wholesale destruction of the operators that gets the attention of the wrong folks. You see, this brothel is owned by some of the local vampires...and they are not pleased with the damage done to their business.
Their council convenes and it is decided Samara must be dealt with.
She ends up aligning herself with John Doe and Sir Jakob and then the action really starts.

In the character of Samara, we're shown the abject horror of becoming a vampire, what it can and will ultimately cost you when you lose your humanity, how you can rise above the monster you've become and how you handle the change that's been forced on you.
The council of vampires is many and varied, each with their own agendas and personal politics. I found there were times I wanted a more extensive side story into all the ins and outs and interrelations going on in the background.
There's lots of blood and guts and gore, enough to satisfy the gorehounds in the audience, and tons of action, explosions, sword fights, gun battles...it's all here.

The climax was a shade rushed for all the build up, but was satisfying nonetheless.

A.R. Hill has crafted an original take on the vampire story and I'm hoping the follow up, Dark Side of The Sun will see the light of publication ASAP.

My only complaints with A Light Against The Darkness:
The cover...don't let it put you off. No, it doesn't even hint at the fact it's a vampire novel, but trust me, the fangs are quite present. It does however, make me think of a metaphysical book rather than a horror one. Because of this, a casual browser seeing this on the shelf is going to pass a great vampire story right on by.
The second concern, and it's a graphic complaint, not one about the writing, was the excessive use of italics, indicating when we were in the present action and when we were inside a particular character's head. I would have preferred section breaks within the chapters, numbered to separate them from one another and set in the regular font. The italics after a while were tedious to read.

All in all, A. R. Hill has the story-telling skills in spades, and I look forward to more work from this author.

For more on A.R. Hill:
A. R. Hill on Goodreads

Review: Fleshbags

2011-08-21T14:30:00.001-05:00

Fleshbags
by
Gerald Dean Rice
Available through Smashwords,
Amazon and Barnes & Noble

Good afternoon constant reader.
If you like quick and dirty zombie tales, then this book is for you.

Fleshbags romps and stomps it's way through a grueling 6 hour day, during a zombie apocalypse.
The novella unfolds by following several groups of people, caught up in different situations, vying for survival. We've got a wife and husband, said husband performing his neighborly duty, by checking on their next door neighbor; a child care worker who starts out with one objective that turns to another, a cop, a man trying to collect his child from daycare, a young man in the right place at the wrong time, and a young lady home health care worker.

Something has happened.
What that something is?
Well, what ever it is, turns folks into rather mindless automatons who want to stagger around naked, biting (but not eating - there's a blessing of sorts) other people and/or dousing them with a clear liquid that...well, read it, you'll find out.

It's suspenseful, it's gory, it's gross, and reminds me of the splatterpunk wave that came about in the early mid '90's. Wait til you read the description of one of these things. Ick.

Gerald Dean Rice has crafted an interesting take on the zombie motif, which jumps from character to character, detailing their travails and triumphs. The action moves quick, the situations are harrowing and gut-churning, and I found myself rooting for the characters, even though I sort of knew it might be a hopeless exercise.

I like it.
I recommend it.
And yes, the title is explained...oh yes, is it explained.

Review: Sprinkle With Murder

2011-08-21T00:34:00.000-05:00

Sprinkle With Murder
by
Jenn McKinlay
Available at Barnes & Noble online,
Amazon, Barnes & Noble brick and mortar stores,
and as an e-book for the Kindle or Nook.

Good evening constant reader.
In a nutshell, if you like a good who did it, with believable characters in believable situations, with a tasty culinary background, then this is the book for you.

Melanie Cooper and her best friend Angie DeLaura are the owners and operators of Fairy Tale Cupcakes, a cupcake bakery in Scottsdale, Arizona. Business is good and the two young women couldn't be happier. They are joined in this business venture by Tate Harper, their friend since grade school.

It's Tate's upcoming nuptials that start the cupcake crumbling, when his caustic fashion designer bride to be, Christie Stevens, wants to contract Melanie to create 5 original cupcake flavors for their wedding.
When I say contract, I mean contract, as in, the cupcakes become the bride's property and Melanie may not make them for sale in her shop. As it turns out, Bridezilla has extended the contract business to her gown designer and photographer.
Understandably, this has all the creative types fuming, yet they are reluctant to take Christie on, as her name can mean bigger and better things to their futures. Who wants to go on record as turning down her business?

Melanie creates the 5 flavors and they're picked up by Christie's assistants.
The next morning, Melanie has an appointment at the crack of dawn to meet with Christie to see if her creations past muster. She arrives at Christie's design studio to find it quiet...too quiet...and discovers Christie's dead body, with one of Melanie's cupcakes at hand.

Thus begins Melanie's efforts to clear herself and find out who did Christie in and why.
There are numerous suspects, all with an ax to grind, and some clever hey-I-bet-it's-this-guy moments, that may or may not prove to be true.

Jenn McKinlay deftly weaves a compelling tale, combining realistic dialogue and character actions that were very refreshing. I hate it when characters don't sound convincing and do dumb things, most especially in a mystery.
Melanie, Angie and Tate form a great triad of friendship that obviously has stood the test of time and is put to the real test with Christie's murder.
Supporting characters are well drawn and come and go as needed, including Melanie's mother and Angie's over-protective brothers.

Have I mentioned the cupcakes?
Oh, the cupcakes!
4 recipes are included at the end of the book that sound divine.

This is a brilliant start to a continuing series.
The second book in the series, Buttercream Bump Off is available now. (And I went out and bought it as soon as I finished Sprinkle), with #3, Death By The Dozen due in October 2011.

For more information on Jenn McKinlay, please go to:
Jenn McKinlay on Facebook
Jenn McKinlay's home page

13 Questions with..Margaret Taylor

2011-08-04T15:55:00.001-05:00

1. You’re hosting a dinner party. What is the menu, and do you cook it yourself, or do you call a caterer?
I'd cook it myself, and it would be roast chicken with root vegetables in the bottom of the pan, because I don't get the chance to make that very often. Maybe some really good bread on the side.

2. What is your beverage of choice?
Coffee from the instant coffee powder. Black. Water boiled in a pan on my stove because I don't have a teapot right now.
3. Physical book Vs an E-Reader. Your preference and why?
I prefer physical books for a lot of reasons. You can drop them, bend them, and smash them, you can get them from the library, and the paper smells nice.
4. What kinds of books make up your personal library?Let's see… Random sample from the bookshelf by my desk: the Gormenghast trilogy, Catwings, The Golden Compass, The Mind's I by Douglas Hofstader, a Spanish-English dictionary, a bunch of spiral-bound notebooks (some blank and some full of scribbled notes), a pop-up book with an illustrated version of The Jabberwocky, Perrine's Literature, Hero With a Thousand Faces, and a lava lamp.

5. How and when did you catch the writing bug?
I don't remember ever not having it. I'd make up little dialogues between imaginary people since I was able to talk, really. But I do remember the first time I sat down to actually write something. I must have been in about the first grade. My dad was working in the yard to remove a sapling tree, and when it finally came out, the hole in the ground looked like a tunnel to magicland. So I ran back inside and started writing this story about a couple of kids who find a tunnel to magicland when a tree falls over in their yard, and the first thing they find when they get to the other side is a traffic light who says hello to them. Then I got stuck because I couldn't figure out what happened next.
6. What is your writing routine?
Right now I'm a graduate student at the University of Minnesota. What I do is I get up really early and sneak into the laboratory before anybody else is there. It's quiet and air-conditioned in there. I sit down and write for a while, then I go and get experiments ready for the day.
7. If you ever encounter writer’s block, what steps do you take to get past it?
If I don't know what needs to happen next, well, I sit down with a pencil and paper and I brainstorm. What was I trying to accomplish with this story as a whole? How is this scene going to get it there?
If I know what needs to happen next but I don't know how to say it, I sort of put (this thing needs to happen here) in parentheses and move on to the next part. Usually by the time I get back to it on the rewrite it's become obvious how to say it.
8. Do you have a hidden talent?
A lot of people don't know that I make mean seven layer bars.
9. What was your best subject in school?
Well, I'll admit that I was pretty good at a lot of subjects, but my favorite subject was science. I love slimy things. One time in the seventh grade we dissected cow eyeballs, and that was just awesome.
10. As in any entertainment, there are current trends. How much do these “current trends” influence what you write?
YA literature is hot right now. I like to write YA, but not because it's in fashion. Teenagers make for really compelling protagonists.
11.Mac or PC?
Mac. All the way.

12. Where do your ideas come from?
Oh, geez. Song lyrics, misread road signs, other novels, nightmares, anything. There was this one time I got a hold of a bottle of shampoo, and the label read, "Turns your dull straw into shimmering gold." Holy crap. People who grow metal hair, and then they trim it and sell it and it's a cottage industry! I still don't know what I'm going to do with that idea, but it's kicking around until it can be useful.
13. What advice would you pass on to an aspiring author?
Write. Write write write write write write. The first thing that you write is going to suck. The first several things, actually. You have to keep pounding on your craft and beat the suckitude out of your work. Then find some experienced writers to critique your work and they will point out some more suckitude that you missed. Keep doing this obsessively for years and your stuff's going to get really good.

Review: The Confederacy of Heaven

2011-07-31T17:41:00.000-05:00

The Confederacy of Heaven
by
Margaret Taylor
Available as an audio book from
Podiobooks and as an e-book
from Smashwords and Barnes & Noble

Review by Dan Breen

This is the first work of Margaret Taylor I've read and it'll be far from the last. I found the story instantly engaging. New terms were explained clearly and in the context of the story allowing me as a fresh reader to be able to visualise the world, the looks and the sounds building the suspension of reality vital in a good work of fiction. Taylor blends the strange and familliar to give us reference points in the story.

The story itself follows Nasan, a member of the Rattlingbones tribe as she undertakes, unwillingly at first, a quest of global magnitude, armed with minor magics, a tamed flying monster and probably the most unhelpful spirit guide you could have, (although to be fair, it's not his fault).
I really don't want to give too much away, or regurgitate the synopsis on the dust jacket, as you really should read this for yourself.

The characters are, in many ways, transplants from other genres grafted very well into this setting.
Native American tribes, frontiersmen, blinkered politics caused by a mis-quoted piece of text, much that we can identify with, and the message of the story, (there is one), is both subtle and unobtrusive, but is presented quite clearly.

The book itself is a joy to read if a little short. I didn't want it to end, but the story doesn't suffer from padding, or tracts written in just to hit a word count, which is very much to the credit of the writer.

If you're a fan of things like the old BBC series Tripods, or Mad Max, or books like Sword of the Spirits, (John Christopher), then this is for you.

You can thank me later after you've read it.

A New Face @ The Written Universe

2011-07-27T16:43:00.000-05:00

Good afternoon constant reader.

It is my privilege to present to you a new reviewer for The Written Universe, Mr. Dan Breen.
I'm happy to say I've got so many submissions, bringing on a second reviewer has become necessary.
Between the two of us, we can bring you the reader, more reviews.

Without further ramblings, here's Dan to introduce himself.
*******************************************

A new inhabitant to The Written Universe, I hail from parts unknown, (unless you know England), and have been drafted in as another reviewer. So why should I review on here for you, the reading public? Well, the boss here feels that being English, drinking tea and knowing some of the rules of Cricket will bring a more cultured edge to TWU. Well, if growing up reading Douglas Adams, I guess that could count.

If you're a writer and you're expecting a nice fluffy sycophantic review - forget it, go elsewhere. If I don't like it, I'll say so and say why. If however, I DO like it, I will say so, and I will say why. Loudly and repeatedly.

So what do I like? Books that grab me, spark my interest or are different from the norm, something that has had some heart put into it, characters I can identify with. I don't mind what genre you write in, so long as it's well written.

So who and what am I reading at the moment?

Terry Pratchett, Dan Abnett and Simon Sebag Montefiore - fantasy, science fiction and history, I'm not limited to that, if you happen to write/illustrate or letter Graphic novels, I'd be very interested to hear from you and to view your wares.

*******************************************

So, now you've met Dan.

I'm thrilled he's come aboard. :)

What shall I read next?

2011-07-20T18:25:00.000-05:00

Good afternoon constant reader.

No, that's not my lament, but it may be yours.

I've been an avid reader since I learned to read an in another life, I was a bookseller for 10 years.
Suffice it to say I feel pretty qualified to make recommendations to people.
After all, old booksellers never die, they just turn the page.

At any rate, I love to make book recommendations, so that's what I'm offering to anyone who wants them.
Email me at: gothgirlwroses@hotmail.com and tell me what you're looking for.
A new fantasy? A new mystery? A new horror novel?
I may recommend some things I've reviewed and I may recommend some things I've read by established authors. Just tell me what you're in the mood for. Mainstream fiction? Not a problem. Just because this is a genre oriented blog, doesn't mean I can't recommend anything other than genre fiction.

13 Questions with...Peter J. Wacks

2011-07-10T18:36:00.001-05:00

1. You’re hosting a dinner party. What is the menu, and do you cook it yourself, or do you call a caterer?
The menu would depend on the guests, and I would absolutely cook it myself, unless a guest asked to cook (my circle of friends do take turns, mine is just the usual gathering spot.)
2. What is your beverage of choice?
Coffee, then water. I rarely drink anything else. When I was in my 20s I realized that my love of white russians could quickly lead me down a Bukowski-like path, and opted against it.)
3. Physical book Vs an E-Reader. Your preference and why?
Physical Book, all the way. A hard copy absorbs the warmth of the hand, the scent of the reader during the various moods provoked by the reading... The sensory experience of the reading is more than the views in the minds eye.
4. What kinds of books make up your personal library?
With over 6,000 books in my condo, there are few genres I do not have.
5. How and when did you catch the writing bug?
At age 6, I decided to tell my Mom the bedtime story instead, and never looked back.
6. What is your writing routine?
That is another odd one. it really differs on a day to day basis. Sometimes I need noise and activity around me, sometimes quiet. I do not have a set routine other than taking the time to write SOMETHING each day.
7. If you ever encounter writer’s block, what steps do you take to get past it?
Write. Even if it is trash, the only thing that beats it is to write.
8. Do you have a hidden talent?
Many.

9. What was your best subject in school?
My grades were actually fairly consistent across the board. I have always enjoyed learning about anything and everything I can.
10. As in any entertainment, there are current trends. How much do these “current trends” influence what you write?
I do try to avoid current trends. As a small press writer I am able to avoid trending, though I have no doubt that as I grow in readership I will encounter publishers wanting specific things from me in terms of writing to trends.
11. Mac or PC?
Both.
12. Where do your ideas come from?
Hmm. I’m not sure I really know. I do know they start small and incomplete, then evolve as I put thought into them.
13 What advice would you pass on to an aspiring author?
1) Finish the project. Go back and revise later, just finish it first. 2)You know if you are good. 3) If you aren't good, keep writing. No one starts great, you have to practice to get good. 4) Research the heck out of HOW you want to get published. The more time you put into that research, the less likely you are to have regrets about the path you take.

Review: Second Paradigm

2011-07-04T00:51:00.001-05:00

Second Paradigm
by
Peter J.Wacks
Available through Amazon and Barnes & Noble

Good evening constant reader.
In a nutshell, if you like fast-paced time travelling science fiction with a plot that's fun to follow (How many times have I ever said that about a science fiction novel? Never.), and interesting characters, not to mention some food for thought regarding the nature of time, then this book is for you.

Packed with action, we follow members of the Time Corp as they try to manipulate time to keep paradoxes from occurring that would literally rip holes in time. Add one confused Dr. Chris Nost, who isn't sure why he's on trial for something he doesn't think he did; one Alexander Zarth who may or may not be a good guy...or is he a bad guy?...and add in a host of supporting characters who move in and out of time and you've got a fantastic read.

The book starts out with a topsy turvy trial that does not go like anyone thinks it should and then the action takes off.
I don't want to give too much away, all I can say is Second Paradigm is a well thought out time travel science fiction novel, well- written, and can stand up there with the best science fiction novels out there.
I'm not one for time travel as a theme, I'll admit that. It hurts my brain sometimes, and even though Second Paradigm flips from one point in time to another, I didn't feel like a lost ball in the tall weeds.

Peter J. Wacks presents some interesting theory on time travel, positing some quantum physics as he goes.
If he didn't do a lot of research for this book, I'd be surprised. If he did, he certainly knows how to present complicated theory well.
What could have been confusing and dry was fun to sink my teeth into and whetted my appetite for more from Wacks. I know lately on his Facebook he's been talking about writing. I hope so, because anyone who can pull off this subject matter and make it entertaining needs to be writing.

I'm a hard nut to crack when it comes to time travel. It usually gets so tangled up it irritates me to the point of not caring. Second Paradigm is so well written, it didn't do that. It was entertaining, suspenseful - hell I learned something about time travel and gained some new perspective on time and how I think about it.

If Peter J. Wacks does NOT write any more, I'm going to find him and kick him. You've been warned Mr. Wacks!

For more information on Peter J. Wacks please visit:
Peter J. Wacks on Twitter
Peter J. Wacks on Facebook
Peter J. Wacks's Weblog
Peter J. Wacks on MySpace
Peter J. Wacks on Goodreads

The Show Will Go On

2011-06-13T23:25:00.001-05:00

Good evening constant reader.

Again, I find life has put me in the position of feeling as if I owe you an apology for being more
lax with The Written Universe than I'd like.

What has happened now to take more of my reading time away from me?
My 85 year old mother is losing her memory (from what has yet to be determined) and I've had to put her in an independent living situation. In the latter part of March and into April, she stopped paying her bills and it was a miracle I discovered it when I did. We managed to get her moved in to a very nice apartment house (all utilities paid including satellite, three meals a day, safety, security, the ability to have her cat with her) and all paid for by her monthly social security check.

The move went smoothly. But tending to the small details in the aftermath is taking all my time and energy, not to mention the emotional drain this is taking.

I'm hopeful that in the next few weeks things will settle down and I can regain my concentration and comprehension skills. As it stands now, I can't sit still with a book or movie for more than 20 - 30 minutes and my comprehension (as well as retention) is suffering somewhat. It's not entirely shot, but it's not where it needs to be to review books properly.

I beg your patience and understanding.
I am working on a new entry that will most likely proceed the next review. Not going to give it away, but I'm looking forward to writing it and posting it soon.

13 Questions With...Gerald Rice

2011-05-18T13:47:00.000-05:00

1. You’re hosting a dinner party. What is the menu, and do you cook it yourself, or do you call a caterer?

I’d like to cook it myself, whatever it is we’re having, but my skills are pretty basic. I look up a lot of stuff on the internet and for the most part it turns out pretty well. Maybe I’d make a lasagna, some roasted thyme chicken, napa cabbage, and sweet potatoes with a nice Riesling.

2. What is your beverage of choice?

If it’s alcoholic, Jack and Coke. Non-alcoholic… maybe cranberry juice.

3. Physical book Vs an E-Reader. Your preference and why?

Book. I don’t have an e-reader. Nothing against them, I love the emerging technology, but when the aliens come in 400 years I want something physical for them to be able to pick up and translate. I don’t have any confidence that their technology will be able to interface with ours.

4. What kinds of books make up your personal library?

Horror, horror, horror. My mother was a Stephen King fan and gave me a copy of Eyes of the Dragon back when I was in 7^th grade. She was a huge reader and lover of horror movies and it definitely rubbed off on me. Other than that, I have a couple medical thrillers by F. Paul Wilson and some of his other stuff. I love Repairman Jack and suggest it to everyone because it crosses over into just about every genre. Ethan Black’s Conrad Voort series is insane and I’d love to see The Broken Hearts Club get made into a movie. I’ve read the first four books in the Outlander series and maybe Rejar by Dara Joy.

5. How and when did you catch the writing bug?

Somewhere in high school. There was a pack of four of us, heavily into comic books and my best friend who could draw came up with the idea of the two of us writing our own comic book. I’d written a couple short stories, but honestly, back then, I sucked.

6. What is your writing routine?

I have to steal a moment where ever I can. It helps that I have a Neo, a little three pound word processor. I can store something like eight files in it and download into a Word file whenever I’m at a PC. It’s less of a distraction than a laptop because there’s no internet or games. But I probably write more heavily on the weekends because there’s more down time to take advantage of.

7. If you ever encounter writer’s block, what steps do you take to get past it?

I only have had writer’s block once. I’d been working for this medical company for five years when they laid off a slew of people, including me. I was so stressed out I couldn’t write a lick for about two months.

8. Do you have a hidden talent?

No. I brag on all my talents on a regular basis.

9. What was your best subject in school?

Probably math. Math and science were really fun for me at one point, although that couldn’t be further from the truth now.

10. As in any entertainment, there are current trends. How much do these “current trends” influence what you write?

I would say they do have an influence, but even if it’s something I like that isn’t trendy I’ll still write it. I’d like to say I’ve been writing zombie story after zombie story because I’ve been really enjoying them.

11. Mac or PC?

PC. This is the part where I should write some snarky remark about Mac users, but that’s silly, so I won’t. PC works best for me.

12. Where do your ideas come from?

It depends. I’ve gotten a lot of ideas from anthologies I’ve wanted to write for. Like The Ghost Toucher—I came across one that seemed really interesting about a psychopomp (the word alone got the juices flowing—I had to look it up and everything) that looks like a pig. I started putting together ideas, but the more I wrote, the more I realized it didn’t fit with what they wanted so I ran with it, combining it with several other ideas that never went anywhere.

Once I was on my way to school, I think, and at a red light there was a old lady in a car behind me. It surprised me when I saw a little pink arm shoot up and trace down the ceiling of the car to the window. It was obviously a girl, but it disturbed me just enough to where I got a story idea that I cranked out that night.

After reading Konrath’s Draculas I was so enthralled I wanted to do something similar, but I didn’t know what. Sometime late last year I was sitting in Borders and got an idea from looking at one of the book covers there. I haven’t really started writing that one yet, but.

13. What advice would you pass on to an aspiring author?

Read, read, read (especially the types of stories you want to write). A long time ago I had no idea how to come up with an original story and I had no clue what the market wanted. But I read. By reading authors and poets like F. Paul Wilson, Sylvia Plath, Zora Neal Hurston, Al Sarrantonio, Wallace Stevens I was able to see what the mechanics of my writing lacked and incorporate different aspects from authors I admired.

13 Questions With...Michael Forrest

2011-05-13T21:01:00.001-05:00

1. You’re hosting a dinner party. What is the menu, and do you cook it yourself, or do you call a caterer?
I can't cook, so a caterer it is. And, depending on the time of year, I'd probably go with Mexican. If it's winter or spring, maybe the drier northern Mexican cuisine, summer or fall a wetter southern Mexican menu.

2. What is your beverage of choice?
Gatorade, or Cab.

3. Physical book Vs an E-Reader. Your preference and why?
Physical books, because I grew up with them, love the feel and the smell... unless they get wet and moldy.

4. What kinds of books make up your personal library?
Sci-fi/Fantasy.

5. How and when did you catch the writing bug?
Around about 20 years of age, early in my college career. I guess it was just the increased writing workload took hold after what had been, I admit, a pretty languid high school career.

6. What is your writing routine?
I'm not a fast writer, but I do try to write some every day. Depending on how a story is flowing and what my 'other' work schedule is, I can write at pretty much any time, day or night – though the time of day can affect the content.

7. If you ever encounter writer’s block, what steps do you take to get past it?
Just sit down, and write. You have to let yourself into the story and the world you've created. Do not fight it. I don't really get writer's block, rather I procrastinate.

8. Do you have a hidden talent?
Not that I'm aware of, unless its writing.

9. What was your best subject in school?
History.

10. As in any entertainment, there are current trends. How much do these “current trends” influence what you write?
I tend to lag behind current trends. For instance, I don't often go to the movies. I'll generally wait until something comes out on DVD or pops up on Hulu. Same with TV series, I'm usually at least a couple of years behind the current season. Also, I was a teen in the 80s, so 80s music is my favorite kind. This pattern is just fine when writing these Mystery Shopper stories as the main character is a throwback himself.

11. Mac or PC?
I have both but currently use a PC.

12. Where do your ideas come from?
Wow, I don't exactly know. To reference question #10, I'm sure I am influenced by popular culture and its entertainments, just in a more roundabout way. I think I just take a lot of ingredients, pour them into my own peculiar imagination and hit blend.

13 What advice would you pass on to an aspiring author?
Try out different genres in your writing. You may have a favorite already when you start out, but could be surprised and benefit from some cross-pollination. And just sit down, or stand or whatever, and write. Remember, it's very possibly not 'writer's block,' you're likely just procrastinating. Let yourself get into your fictional world and the story should take you by the hand from there.

Review: Goners

2011-05-13T12:26:00.001-05:00

Goners
5 Horror Shorts
by
Gerald Rice
Available as an e-book from Amazon

If you like horror short story collections that leave you wanting more from the author, then this book is for you.

Gerald Rice has crafted 5 short horror stories in this one volume, which I found to be very well crafted. I read it in one sitting, which is rare for me, so that should give you some indication about how good the writing is.

The first story is "First Customer", and Rice builds a sense of urgency mixed with dread, leading up to a surprising ending. Murray has achieved his dream of opening an outdoorsmans store and is all set for a first day of business. We end up going somewhere I didn't expect and it sure wasn't where I thought we were headed. I like that in a story and Rice didn't telegraph his conclusion.
The second story, "Goner", is a zombie tale that was completely compelling. Written from the main character's point of view, we're along for the ride through a zombie-infested landscape. We get to see how Terence handles extermination and elimination of said zombies. There are some close calls and a satisfying ending. I won't forget the stuffed penguin for a while.
"While You Work" is a gruesome excursion into the workplace, giving new meaning to "us" and "them". My nose kept twitching after I read it. You'll find out why.
"Mister Cumberland's Last Magic Show" was my favorite, even over the zombie tale.
Floyd Cumberland is a stage magician unlike any other you've run into and I really wanted more. The enigmatic Malf, Mr. Cumberland's assistant turns into something quite a bit more by the story's end, and the story as a whole gives new meaning to "what you see might be what you get."
This story is crying out to be made into a full-fledged book, in my opinion.
The last of the five, "Things You Never Say" has us along for a road trip with a couple who may or may not be getting along as well as they should. They come upon an accident and the tone of the story shifts somewhat.
It makes you think twice about being short with the ones you claim to love and care for.

Gerald Rice has a great writing style. The stories move well, there are some terrific turns of phrase and they read quickly without bogging down. Short stories are short for a reason and need to establish mood and setting fairly quickly to promote the action and Rice succeeds at juggling all these particular balls at one time.
He sites Stephen King and Al Sarrantonio as influences and I can see that quite plainly, though Rice has honed his own voice in these 5 stories.
Rice has written some full novels as well as Goners, and there is a second Goners volume as well. I look forward to reading more of Rice's work in the future, and that's a great thing to say about an author just starting out.

For more information on Gerald Rice, please visit:
Facebook Gerald Rice Fan Page
The Ghost Toucher

Review: Tales of the Mystery Shopper

2011-05-05T22:06:00.002-05:00

Tales of the Mystery Shopper
by
Michael Forrest
Available through Amazon,
Borders Online and Barnes and Noble
online

If you like a quirky set piece which owes a nod to the tales of Sherlock Holmes, but has a flavor all it's own, and is entertaining and well written to boot, then this book is for you.

What started out as a college fiction writing assignment took on a life of it's own and went on to be Tales of the Mystery Shopper: Taken From the Mis-adventurous Casebooks of his Stupefied Apprentice.

The stories contained in this erstwhile volume chronicle the adventures and mishaps of one Joe Lopp, mystery shopper, recounted for us by his assistant and friend, Stan Greene. When I say mystery shopper, I mean just that. You know what I'm referring to, the mystery shopper who graces an establishment, usually a retail outlet or restaurant, who puts the staff through their paces to gauge how well they treat customers. Outrageous requests, being difficult on purpose, imagined slights, etc., are all but a few weapons in the arsenal of a mystery shopper.
Joe Lopp is an expert mystery shopper, taking on disguises to fit each assignment, making himself completely undetectable to both his employers (who sometimes show up to see what's going on and end up interfering) to the hapless person who ends up waiting on Joe.
Joe is accompanied on these excursions by his friend and ally, Stan Greene, Joe's Watson to his Holmes.

The stories are fast paced and entertaining.
The first story has Joe going under cover to a Tony Roma's rib restaurant where he is laid low by running into an old paramour. He veers off the rails and ends up pursuing her rather than the food and things don't progress well from there.

The second story places Joe and Stan at a college football game to sample the concessions, as the school is trying to decide which company to go with in handling refreshments at their football games. There is more than foot long hot dogs and nachos afoot as Joe and Stan discover a grisly murder and must battle not only an elusive killer, but the dense fog that has enshrouded the stadium and it's environs.

There are five tales in all, my favorite being The Arch-Enemy where Joe locks horns with a competitor, ending in a fight to the finish, all-you-can-grab food marathon in a grocery store.

I enjoyed the book and clearly Michael Forrest can spin an entertaining, compelling tale, making his characters come to life. My only complaint is two of the stories sort of went off road as far as recounting Joe's mystery shopper escapades, but I kept reading anyway. For me, that's the hallmark of a good author; if they can stray down a path you the reader thinks is a boring, what-has-this-to-do-with-anything path, but still compels you to read it, because the writing is just that good.

Yes...I know this wasn't a horror/science fiction/fantasy/mystery (per se). But it is a first time out of the gate author. So I reviewed him.

I failed to find a web site for Michael Forrest. I did however, find Joe Lopp's Myspace.
If I find more information on our author, I'll post it.

The Mystery Shopper

13 Questions With...Raymund Hensley

2011-04-20T14:39:00.000-05:00

1. You’re hosting a dinner party. What is the menu, and do you cook it yourself, or do you call a caterer?
I'll cook Spam and rice! And oh my, there are many different types of delicious Spam flavors: Spam Less Sodium, Hickory Smoked, Turkey, Bacon, Spam with Cheese, and my favorite, Hot & Spicy.

2. What is your beverage of choice?
Water. Yup. 8 glasses a day. I stopped drinking soda last year. Actually, I gave in and took a sip recently, and the acidity burned like a Happy New Year sparkler down my throat. Water. It's important. The brain is 85% water.

3. Physical book Vs an E-Reader. Your preference and why?
I prefer physical books. I like the way books smell. Each book has its own aroma. I'm a smelling type of guy. Smelling this, smelling that. I remember things better this way. I remember whole scenes this way. One sniff and I'm back in the book. They have a fragrance, like people.

4. What kinds of books make up your personal library?
On Writing, Forrest Gump, Gump and Co. (Forrest Gump 2), Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain, ESP Right Now, What The Bleep Do We know?, The Early History of Surgery, Get a Grip on Philosophy, David Lynch's Catching the Big Fish, The Hellbound Heart, The Master Key System, Curse of Lono, and my favorite book, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. Hunter S. Thompson, we miss you. RIP.

5. How and when did you catch the writing bug?
Way back when I was a wee lad, I read The Hellbound Heart by Clive Barker, and my mind, my imagination, went crazy. I was addicted to his books. The skill of putting such fantastical sights into a reader's mind – to take them away to another world – I wanted to learn that, to do that. I wanted to GO.

6. What is your writing routine?
I write after I open my eyes in the morning. I usually wake up, roll over, and write down whatever weird dream I just had. It helps me to get into the writing mode. On my days off I write the whole day. Literally the whole day. I'm a bit of a shut-in. I don't go out to “Hit the clubs” or "Drink the blood" or whatever these kids do now days.

7. If you ever encounter writer’s block, what steps do you take to get past it?
I just freehand it. Just come up with a little story on the fly. Do the whole Stephen King thing. You know? Let the story tell itself. Trust the story. Trust your creativity. Don't be so judgmental. Shut up the left side of your brain. Works every time.

8. Do you have a hidden talent?
Karaoke singing. Anything from Poison to Boyz II Men to Huey Lewis to Peter Cetera to Bone Thugs in Harmony to Bon Jovi. I love singing. Oh, and you know how some people can roll a quarter across their knuckles? I can do that too, lol.
9. What was your best subject in school?
The ladies. That, or Art Class, aka Time-to-go-to-sleep Class. I was also quite good in Let's-just-cook-and-eat Class.

10. As in any entertainment, there are current trends. How much do these “current trends” influence what you write?
Honestly? The whole Twilight thing hangs over my head like a devil bird. I'm very tempted to try some teen romance. So maybe the answer is, a little. They influence me a little. We all have our own voice, but we also want to be popular – be a part of the popular crowd. This is high school all over again. Good-grief. I'll see you in Time-to-go-to-sleep Class.

11. Mac or PC?
I'm a PC. And I'm PC.

12. Where do your ideas come from?
Ready? It's gonna get weird.... All ideas come from the supreme mind, the omniscient mind, the super consciousness, the Universal Mind. The Universe herself. And the best way to have this power inspire you – fill you with ideas – is by relaxing, meditating. Yeah, it's hippie talk, but I can dig it. You can always find me in the New Age section of the bookstore.

13 What advice would you pass on to an aspiring author?
Network. The internet is your friend.

Review: Filipino Vampire

2011-04-17T21:56:00.002-05:00

Filipino Vampire
by
Raymund Hensley
Available through Amazon for the Kindle
and from Smashwords

If a Filipino Vampire terrorizing a young girl with lots of action, snappy dialogue and fast pacing are your cup of tea, then this book is for you.

When we first meet Sasha, she's 12 years old and not a happy camper. Her mother is of the strict variety, strict enough when she metes out punishment, she ties Sasha to the television antenna on top of their house, to spend the night and contemplate her sins.
During one of these punishments, an Aswang, (pronounced Us-wong) or Filipino Vampire for those not familiar with the term, shows up and snatches Sasha. It's up to Sasha to free herself and find her way back home.

An Aswang is pretty disturbing as vampires go - they appear perfectly normal during the daylight hours, but come nightfall, they detach their legs from their bodies and fly around, intestines breezing in the wind. Yuck. They'll attack just about anyone, but their preference is for children.

I don't want to tell much more about the story, because it will involve major spoilers. I will say we have a fine voice in Raymund Hensley's story telling. He sites Clive Barker as an influence and I could definitely detect that flavor in this story.

Aimed at the 14-21 year old crowd, it's good.
Sasha's voice is that of a street savvy 12 year old, one who isn't scared to get her hands dirty if the job calls for it. I liked her and admired her take no crap attitude. She is smart - something horror novels often overlook in the make up of their characters.
Her mother is, well...awful and is painted as a true harpy.
The action and dialogue marry together well, even when we are definitely not in Kansas anymore Dorothy.
Make no mistake, there are some over the top gore scenes, but that was part of the fun of reading this story - As our narrator, Sasha makes no apology for giving it to you straight.

The book is short, technically considered a novella, weighing in at 44 pages (this count includes listings of Hensley's previous works), but don't let only 41 pages fool you - this is a solid read.
I want to see Mr Hensley go balls out (yes, I said "balls out") and give us a longer ride on the roller coaster the next time. I don't think it will matter if he aims for the YA market or adult - he's got the chops to succeed at both.

For more information on Raymund Hensley please see:
Raymund Hensley on Blogspot
Raymund Hensley on Facebook
Raymund Hensley on Twitter

13 Questions With...CA Milson, 2nd Edition

2011-04-07T11:40:00.000-05:00

When I started The Written Universe, I began the 13 Questions feature, to give my readers some insight into the authors I review.
This is the second time I have had the pleasure of reviewing CA Milson, and I wrote a second batch of
13 questions for him to answer.

1. You’re hosting a dinner party. What is the menu, and do you cook it yourself, or do you call a caterer?
Dinner party?
That does depend on the number of guests that are invited. When I was in New Zealand I put on a few Murder Mystery Dinner Parties, which were alot of fun, but takes alot of prep and organizing, such as finding a good location, the menu to suit everyone and so on. But, if I was having a dinner party for a select few people I would typically do a 3 course meal. Entree I normally do something light. Main course is where I really shine I like to cook when I entertain, so I pull out all the stops. Jacket potatoes, roast onion, roast pork or lamb marinated and seasoned with all kinds of herbs, spices, condiments and of course wine Desert is my own brand of pumpkin pie.

2. What is your beverage of choice?
If it's first thing in the morning, coffee - strong. Any other time. 100% juice or Pepsi

3. Physical book Vs an E-Reader. Your preference and why?
Seeing how fast technology is advancing, E-Readers. Ebook sales are on the rise and quite sadly the days of paperback are declining. In 5 or 10 years we will be lucky to see any major bookstores as E-Readers are becoming quite the everyday thing now. Technology may be a marvel at times, but still nothing still beats seeing your own book in the stores. That is something E-Readers can never replace...

4. What kinds of books make up your personal library?
We have quite the range of books in our kit. Travel, ancient history, some fiction novels, foreign language, law.

5. How and when did you catch the writing bug?
That one started in 1989. When I lived in a small town in Winchelsea. Winch (as it is known) is a small town, and there was alot of inspiration for me, as at the time I lived in a cottage house on a piggery, outside of town. There was nothing for miles around, so you can bet that my imagination ran wild. At the time I had an old iron Remington Rand typewriter, and I would be on that thing for hours at a time, much to the annoyance of everyone else who lived there.

6. What is your writing routine?
I write when I am inspired and have a clear mind. Lately though that has not been the case, as my thoughts have been pre-occupied with my TV show and my short films. So it has been hard to get into the swing of things and continue on with book 3 - Prophecys End. Yet, when i do write, and am in the right frame of mind, I sit at the laptop, stare aimlessly at what I have and wait for that inspiration to hit. Sometimes it does, and sometimes it doesn't.

7. If you ever encounter writer’s block, what steps do you take to get past it?
Grab a sledgehammer and break down that wall LOL... No, normally I review what I have already written and see where I can take the storyline from there. That's what I did with Bloodline Of Darkness. There was a few spots there where i was wondering where I was going to take the storyline, especially in the section where Alex is sat on the balcony with his son. When I hit that point I had no idea where to take it, as that scene was not where I wanted it to go... So began the daymare sequences... and a whole new reality for Alex opened.

8. Do you have a hidden talent?
I try my hand at alot of things. Right now I am seeing if I have what it takes to direct a TV show. It is far easier to write a book than it is to create/write/ and direct a TV series. Let alone when Rise Of The Darkness gets turned into a feature film.

9. What was your best subject in school?
English and ancient history.

10. As in any entertainment, there are current trends. How much do these “current trends” influence what you write?
Current trends are okay, but if I followed the pack then I would have created a TV show "Office Downunder". No, I don't like to follow any pack, although there are some influences that I do like

11. Mac or PC?
PC

12. Where do your ideas come from?
My ideas come any source. Last weekend I was in Hervey Bay, which is in Qld Australia. Nice and relaxing place, then my sister told me about this real haunted house in The Bay that just got my create juices flowing. So next time I am up there I am going to check some haunted locations out and see if I can find some ideas for the next book.

13 What advice would you pass on to an aspiring author?
I would say this: If you want to write, do it. But do it for the right reasons. Dont think that because you write a novel it is going to be the biggest thing since JKRowling. Only less than 1% of new writers actually make become an overnight sensation. If that is your motivation, then don't write. Yes, there will be fans of your book, but it takes work, much like a full time job. If you are going to research publishers, check out POD publishers. There are some good publishers out there, but you just have to find them and be aware of the fine print. Writing a book has to be a passion. If you have that passion, then follow it through to the end. it is worth it.

Review: The Chosen: Bloodline Of Darkness

2011-03-28T12:58:00.000-05:00

Bloodline of Darkness
by
C. A. Milson
Available through Amazon and
Smashwords as an e-book

In a nutshell, if you have a taste for the demonic and trippy goings on, then this book is for you.

C. A. Milson introduced readers to Alex in The Chosen: Rise of the Darkness. At the end of that book, (previously reviewed on TWU), A lot of people were dead and Alex was left standing as a survivor to demons running wild. Alex had come into his powers and all was right with the world. Or was it?

The Chosen: Bloodline of Darkness starts with Alex living his life...or so he thinks. He's minding his own business one moment and the next he is thrown into terrible visions and nightmares, each more horrific than the next. We're talking blood, fire, dismemberment, you get the idea.
Alex is constantly being tortured by these episodes, to the point that he can't tell what is real and what isn't. Are these phantasmagoria his imagination, or is he really experiencing these things?

As we are jerked along Alex's wild ride, we too, become confused. Is Alex imagining all this? Has he really forgotten what happened to him and that he is the Chosen? When I say we get jerked along, I don't mean that in a derogatory sense. We become as unsettled as Alex and that is what makes this a suspenseful read. There were times when Alex had "woken up" from his latest nightmare, that I was holding my breath, wondering if this time he was in his here and now, or about to find out he was still in a land of what the hell?

Alex meets a few souls on his adventure this time out - Nanomi, an enigmatic figure who acts as his guide; there is the return of Tanzac, the demon from The Chosen: Rise of the Darkness (you didn't really think he was going to go away now, did you?); Tara, Alex's neighbor, and...Alex's alter ego. To say more about who surfaces in this book edges into spoiler territory.

C. A. Milson has again crafted a good story. It moves quickly and keeps your interest. It ends with a revelation setting the stage for a third book in this series. I'm hoping Mr. Milson has that third volume in the works.

For more information on C. A. Milson please visit:
Official website of C. A. Milson

Review: Eternal Horizon

2011-03-22T21:49:00.000-05:00

Eternal Horizon

David Roman

Available through Amazon.com

In a nutshell, if a book borrows so heavily from Star Wars you think you might need to contact LucasFilm about possible copyright infringement sounds good, then this book is for you.

I know the old saw "There's nothing new under the sun", but come on people, a little effort at originality isn't expecting too much, is it?

I started Eternal Horizon with high hopes.

Our protagonist, Vincent Saturn, is an FBI agent at the scene of what seems to be a UFO crash. His curiosity outstrips his order not to investigate, the military is on the way, and he boards the downed vessel.

Next thing you know, Vincent sees a figure inside, obviously in distress and BAM, out goes Vincent, the last thing he sees is white lights.

He wakes up literally in another world...where the horrible EMPIRE is waging war against REBELS. No one knows what a "human" is or where a planet called Earth is, so he's sort of stuck. He falls in with the REBELS, who also have a Senator who is a PRINCESS...you think the comparisons stop here?

Nope.

I thought when I got to the introduction of Princess GAIA (Leia anyone?), the parallels would end. But no. Vincent is participating in a Rebel incursion, aboard a spaceship, where their leader is being held, and gets into a battle. He witnesses the bad guy hold out his hand and a weapon files out of the hands of the wielder into the bad guy's hand. What's that I smell? Do you smell the Force? I sure do.

So then we have Sage Warriors who mostly have to learn their Force-like skills, except for Vincent who was given his when he tried to aid the person in the downed vessel on Earth. Wait. Where have I see that before? Isn't this like when Obi Wan says if he's stricken down he'll be even more powerful than Vader can possibly imagine? Hey! Yeah! It's just like that!

There's a climactic battle between the good guys and the bad guys...which ends predictably.

There's the budding love interest between Vincent and Gaia, with a predictable outcome.

And last, but not least, there's the predictable ending with one of the BIG BAD GUYS wanting Vincent Saturn brought to him...at all costs, thus setting the stage for.......*drum roll*........The Hunt For Saturn.

I swear I'm not making this up.

It's fine to use elements as a nod to a previous source.

It's also fine to use a few more to make an homage.

It is not fine to use so many that your work starts to look like someone else's work.

At the beginning I had high hopes for this book. The characters were engaging, the action moved well, and the dialog, set pieces and action sequences were good. At one point I was all set to contact Baen Books, a publisher of science fiction and say, "Hey you guys need to look at this writer! I think he's on to something!"

Sadly, as the book wore on and the Star Wars elements stacked up, I felt more like contacting George Lucas and telling him he might want to file an injunction.

Mr. Roman has the writing skills...all he needs are some original ideas to put with them.

Web Serials...are they worth it?

2011-01-24T19:21:00.000-06:00

Good evening constant reader.

I was approached by an author who inquired as to whether or not I'd be interested in reviewing a web serial for The Written Universe. I took a look at her web page and one belonging to a friend who was also a web serialist, and said, yes, I'd do reviews of both.

I will be completely honest. Trying to read the stories were like the labours of Hercules.
Not because they were poorly written or uninteresting. For me, it was the medium in which they were presented. That was my own personal hindrance to enjoying them. Reading a little, then trying to find where I had left off from the last time, writing it down if I forgot, losing the piece of paper with that information; scrolling, endlessly scrolling down the page; and being stuck to my computer screen, with no way to really "take it with me". All these factors added up to a bad reading experience.
(My other bias is pdf files, but that's what an e-reader is for).

Were the stories any good?
For the most part.
Are web serials viable for readers?
Possibly. It depends on what kind of reader you are, if you prefer mobility in your reading, if you can hack sitting behind a computer screen for extended periods of time to read.
These things need to be taken into account before staring a web serial.

Are web serials a good way for a writer to get noticed?
Possibly.
But you're going to have to watch your length and make sure your story moves along. If you spend too much time establishing a character or describing a location or an action, you're going to bog it down so your reader is falling asleep in front of their computer.

No, web serials are not for me.
I prefer my books in book form for portability, for the ease of marking my place, for being able to go sit in a comfy chair and read.

Here are the authors and their websites for your perusal.

Candace McBride's Tattoo

Candace's site offers her original web serial, Tattoo, as well as a host of other related writings.

Zoe Whitten

Zoe Whitten's site offers not only ebooks to read for free online, but also information on where to obtain her printed works.

Give them a look constant reader and decide for yourself. You might not have the problems I did and may find jewels you never thought possible.

Review: From Time to Time

2011-01-13T19:45:00.002-06:00

From Time To Time
by
Marius Smith
Available through Raiderbookshop.com,
Barnes and Noble on line and Amazon.

In a nutshell, this is the first book I've reviewed which has had the misfortune of failing my "By page 50 test". If while reading a book, I make it to page 50 and if the characters were to die in a fiery car crash and I don't care, then the book is set aside and I don't continue reading. From Time To Time is one of those rare books, and I gave it to page 100 before giving up.

The story is of William Herschel, who in the far future is a member of Temporal Security, whose job it is to police time travel in the 26th century. William is also a vampire, made such by medical science in order to save his life. William has apparently stumbled on something he shouldn't have, is framed and is exiled for drug possession and sentenced to exile in ancient Egypt. He knows he's been framed, his friends know it and they set about to try to prove his innocence.

Marius Smith can string words together, that much is certain, and the plot premise is interesting. However, it's apparent Mr. Smith never read Strunk and White, therefore missing the advice, "Omit needless words." I made it to page 100, and it was a chore. But you said it failed your page 50 test, right? Yes, it did, but I was trying to be charitable. I've read a lot of books in my time, but I have never been less compelled to pick up a book and read. None of the characters had distinct voices. About as close to that as we came, were all the good guys sounded one way and the bad guys sounded another. Nothing else distinguished them. I also ran into my other pet peeve - repeating the same information more than once. Most readers are smart enough to embrace concepts the first time around and don't need to be beaten over the head over and over with the same information every chapter.
The book also suffers from a glaring lack of editing. Another thing that pestered me was a lack of page numbers. This is an error on the publishers part and to me says one word: sloppy.

I cannot in good faith recommend this book

13 Questions With...Elizabeth Hand

2010-12-28T21:35:00.004-06:00

1. Name one thing you miss about being a child.
Losing myself for hours in a a make-believe world in the woods with my friends.

2. Do you have any phobias? If so, what are they?
Not really. I don't like extremely large hairy spiders or scorpions.

3. Are you a collector of anything and if so, what?
I'm more of a forager than a collector: I find cast-off things, broken plates and furniture and whatnot, and fix them up or display them. We have a lot of first editions of wonderful books, but my partner collects those more than I do. I have some photographs from the NYC punk scene in the 1970s, and a beautiful photo by Peter Beste, and an original paintings by the British visionary artist Donald Pass, but they don't really constitute a collection. More just my magpie sensibility.

4. You're about the walk the Green Mile - what do you have for your last meal?
Gilled lamb chops, rare, with garlic. A nice salad. A baked potato. A bottle of good red wine, creme brulee.

5. What is your favorite cookie?
Pecan sandies.

6. Who is your favorite author?

7. What musical artist are you currently into?
The Norwegian Black Metal band Enslaved.

8. Have you ever had an imaginary friend? If so, who are they?
When I was little, I had an imaginary friend named Karen Cowgirl. She was ... a cowgirl. Bandanna, boots, hat, western shirt, lasso. I also had an invisible pet mouse named Celery. When my mother asked me why he was called Celery, I indignantly told her "Because that's his NAME."

9. What's your favorite word?
Tomorrow.

10. What is your current desktop wallpaper?
A beautiful, moody, snowswept landscape featuring the Norwegian musician Gaahl, by the photographer Peter Beste. I own the original print, and it's gorgeous.

11. You're at a Chinese buffet - what goes on your plate?
Dim sum in all its forms.

12. What person now deceased would you most want to spend some time with and why?
William Shakespeare. For the obvious reasons ...

13. What are you currently reading?
For review, a not very good book I won't name. For myself, a reference book on ancient Norse religion.

Review: Black Light

2010-12-14T12:51:00.001-06:00

Black Light
by
Elizabeth Hand

Available through Amazon, Borders, Barnes and Noble and other brick and mortar bookstores near you.

In a nutshell, if you like atmospheric, evocative explorations into the human condition, in a time and place not too long ago, this is the book for you.
Elizabeth Hand takes us on a journey to Kamensic, Maine, where life is idyllic at best. A town full of actors, actresses, artisans, and musicians. We are introduced to
Kamensic circa 1970 where we meet young Charlotte "Lit" Moylan at a party in a mansion called Bolerium. It is a fantastic place of sights and smells, of party revelers, of debauchery hinted at but not quite seen. In the middle of this is one Axel Kern, friend of the Moylan family, godfather to Lit. He's a filmmaker and a madman...and something more.
As time goes on and Lit grows to teenage-hood, her godfather has returned to Kamensic to begin a new film project, and to open Bolerium up once again, and throw a party to end all of his previous efforts. Lit is caught up in a series of encounters that boggle the mind - there were times I started to wonder if Hand had dropped acid as she was writing as her set pieces became more and more fantastic. There are mysterious orders, the Benandanti and the Malandanti, both hinted at tantalizingly; one can't help but want to know more about them and how they play into the melange Hand so skillfully creates.
What is Lit's place in all of this? That is where the mystery so beautifully lies.
Is there anything really horrific about Black Light?
At times, yes.
At it's heart, it's a coming of age story about a young woman presented with a future that has been predestined for her...or has it?

I've read other novels by Hand and am never disappointed at the way she weaves words together. Allow me to cite this paragraph:
Everything gleamed with a primal intensity: the crimson and indigo of the carpet so saturated they looked wet, the gold letters on the spines of books sparkling like flame. Decanters on a small round table glowed as if they held paint rather than liqueurs - emerald green, blood-red, sunflower yellow. A daybed was heaped with tapestried pillows and there was a small cast-iron woodstove set into one wall, its isinglass window glowing beneath one of several beautifully carved plaques inscribed with Latin phrases...

Black Light is a voyage into the dark fantastic, some of the finer dark fantasy writing available today.
Try Elizabeth Hand. You won't be disappointed.

For more information on Elizabeth Hand please visit:
Elizabeth Hand

Review: Horns

2010-10-14T22:25:00.000-05:00

Horns
by
Joe Hill
Available through Amazon, B&N.com, Borders.com
and other brick and mortar bookstores.

In a nutshell, if you like a book that will grab you by the shirt collar and not let go until it's story has been told, then this book is for you.

Horns is many things.
It's a love story. It's a story of misunderstandings. It's a story of a deeply disturbed young man. It's a story of how one right made a lot of wrongs. It's the story of a man who must make peace with events through a medium he never expected. It's a story of vengeance and redemption. It is also a story of horror.

When we meet Ignatius "Ig" Perrish, he has just recovered from one hell of a bender and can't remember anything that's happened...except for the fact that his girlfriend-since-they-were-teenagers, Merrin, is still dead and everyone still thinks Ig did it, even thought he was exonerated for the crime. He has also awakened with an inheritance - a set of horns on his head.
Said horns have an exceptional effect on people - they can't resist telling Ig their innermost secrets. So, Ig decides maybe he can find out who really killed Merrin...and the fun ensues.
Be warned. We're introduced to a character that has to be one of the most foul since Hannibal Lecter in a lot of ways...Lee Tourneau. He's not a nice man at all. He gives new meaning to the word "psychopath".

Joe Hill is Stephen King's son, and it shows. He's rummaged in Dad's toolbox, but Hill has tools and a voice all his own, make no mistake. The plot is tight, flashes back and forth in time without confusing the reader, and makes some interesting statements on the afterlife, revenge and what a demon will do when given the task of avenging someone.

Now, you may be asking yourself why I'm reviewing Mr. Hill as Horns is his third book, his second book, Heart-Shaped Box has been optioned for a film (Horns has, too) and obviously he is getting to the established section of authordom?
It's because he's so damned good I want everyone to know it.
I liked Horns a lot. It winds it's way through it's story and by the time I got to the end? I couldn't turn the pages fast enough to find out how it was going to end.
When I give a positive review, I like to submit the 13 Questions to the author to answer so you the reader can get to know them better. I broached this with Joe Hill through his Twitter page:

WrittenUniverse

@joe_hill I want to review Horns for The Written Universe...but I'll need you to answer the 13 Questions I pose to authors. Are you willing? 6:51 PM Jun 24th via web

joe_hill

@WrittenUniverse Sorry, I pro'ly couldn't swing it. Hope you had some fun with the book, tho. Friday, June 25, 2010 9:04:24 AM via web in reply to WrittenUniverse

WrittenUniverse

@joe_hill No problem - I'll only post at the end of the review you were too busy, but gracious about it (because you were)... Saturday, June 26, 2010 3:15:41 PM via web

For more information on Joe Hill please visit:
Joe Hill Fiction
Joe Hill on Twitter

The Written Universe Will Go On

2010-10-04T21:29:00.000-05:00

Good evening constant reader,

I apologize for not posting anything sooner.
On August 11th, my son Evan was involved in a serious auto wreck. He was unconscious from the time he was taken to the hospital and never regained consciousness. He seemed to be improving and after a month in the hospital was transferred to a nursing home. At that point, the doctor was telling us it was between Evan and the man upstairs as to when he would come out of his coma.
On the morning of September 14th, he passed away.
His brain had herniated and was slowly swelling and ended up pressing on his respiratory center and that was what took his life. There were no symptoms to warn what was happening and the injury was such that it was undetectable by CT scan or MRI.
My son's viewing and funeral was attended by between 300-500 people. He touched more lives in his 23 years than people 4 times his age ever do.
Evan I will miss you for the rest of my life.
I love you my boy.

13 Questions with... Sapphire Phelan

2010-07-26T12:30:00.000-05:00

1.Name one thing you miss about being a child.

Maybe the innocence I had. Though I still ooh and aah at fantastic things, I think my innocence as a child made those oohs and aahs greater. The child within me is still there, but not as perfect as it could be. I hope I made that understandable.

2. Do you have any phobias? If so, what are they?

Spiders and cockroaches. Hate them. Also, I have fear of heights lately.

3. Are you a collector of anything and if so, what?

4. You're about the walk the Green Mile - what do you have for your last meal?

Chicken and dumplings with sushi, mashed potatoes, and green beans.

5. What is your favorite cookie?

Chocolate chip cookies.

6. Who is your favorite author?

Jim Butcher, Shirley Jackson, Ray Bradbury, Anne McCaffrey, really I have a lot of favorites, besides the ones I mentioned.

7. What musical artist are you currently into?

No one artist, and I like the older ones, like CCR, Meatloaf, etc...

8. Have you ever had an imaginary friend? If so, who are they?

I think I had a lot as a child, as I grew up alone (both half-sisters were adults by time I was born) and entertained myself with the stories and people and creatures in my head. I was writing down those stories since I was eight years old.

9. What's your favorite word?

Dream? Because I hope that is where my stor4ies come from. I like a lot of words, especially if I come across cool words that I never heard of or saw before.

10. What is your current desktop wallpaper?

Alaska snow-topped mountains and water with ice floes.

11. You're at a Chinese buffet - what goes on your plate?

Sushi, for sure. Jalapeño chicken and chicken and broccoli.

12. What person now deceased would you most want to spend some time with and why?

My father. Also Edgar Allan Poe.

13. What are you currently reading?

Bloodring by Faith Hunter.

Review: Being Familiar With a Witch

2010-07-24T16:35:00.000-05:00

Being Familiar With a Witch
by Sapphire Phelan
Downloadable e-book
available in these formats:
HTML, PDF, Rocket/REB 1100,
Mobipocket, and Microsoft Reader
from Phaze Books

In a nutshell, if you like paranormal romance with explicit sex that's a quick read, then this book might be for you.

Our story begins as we accompany an incubus, Charun, as he haunts a woman in the throes of an erotic dream. He is about to do what incubi do best when he is summoned to Hell by his superior, Byleth. Charun is told he will lose incubus status and be assigned to a witch on Earth, in this case, Tina, as her familiar. It will be up to him, on her 21st birthday to consummate their relationship to activate her latent magickal abilities. This must occur or Armageddon will start, wiping mankind from the face of the Earth and giving sway to Lucifer and all the demons of Hell.

Charun spends the next 21 years watching Tina grow and mature, unaware of her witchcraft. When she turns 21, Charun assumes the guise of a black cat and insinuates himself into Tina's life - finally revealing his true nature of being a demon to her. He explains who he is and why he is there and gives her a deadline of Halloween to consummate their relationship in order for her powers to bloom.

Tina is initially skeptical, then comes to accept what she's been told, still a bit on the "oh sure" side of things. However, she cannot deny her attraction to Charun (he takes on a hunky human look).

The book is short, 116 pages, qualifying more as a novella than a true book.
It is chock-full of explicit language and sex scenes...and I do mean explicit.
Is this for everyone? Possibly not, it depends on how much sex you like in your paranormal romance.
There's a smattering of magick behind the goings on in this tale, but nothing too involved.

The writing is not bad - the reading level here though is sparse (not a lot of time spent on detail) but is heavy and detailed when the sex scenes show up. That was a little jarring for me, as I would be reading along on what felt like a junior high school level and then wham, here was the XXX rated sex scenes.
I honestly think Sapphire Phelan can write - despite the explicit romps, I found myself drawn in to the action.
As short as the story is, I did find the charaters of Charun and Tina engaging and well-crafted.
In fact, I wanted more detail regarding these characters.

I would like to see Ms. Phelan take on a longer and more involved work - she did pretty well within the shortness of this novella, but I believe she would shine given a longer format in which to develop her story and her characters,
Bottom line? Watch out for Sapphire Phelan - she has the tools, and deserves a bigger canvas on which to work.

For more information on Sapphire Phelan please visit:
Sapphire Phelan's Blog
Sapphre Phelan's Facebook
Follow Sapphire Phelan on Twitter
Sapphire Phelan on MySpace

13 Questions with... M. Amanuensis Sharkchild

2010-07-16T22:09:00.001-05:00

1. Name one thing you miss about being a child.

Summers

2. Do you have any phobias? If so, what are they?

I get a bit squeamish when I have to kill a big bug.

3. Are you a collector of anything and if so, what?

Nope.

4. You're about the walk the Green Mile - what do you have for your last meal?

Double cheeseburger, fries, breaded veal, mashed potatoes, beef wellington, bread with olive oil and vinegar, strawberries, and homemade cheesecake (family recipe).

5. What is your favorite cookie?

Chocolate Chip.

6. Who is your favorite author?

H.P. Lovecraft.

7. What musical artist are you currently into?

Before The Dawn (Finnish melodic death metal)

8. Have you ever had an imaginary friend? If so, who are they?

Nope.

9. What's your favorite word?

Writhe.

10. What is your current desktop wallpaper?

An image that my friend John Stifter drew for me of an angel clad in armor.

11. You're at a Chinese buffet - what goes on your plate?

Chow mein and orange chicken (mainly), with some fried rice, egg rolls, and beef and broccoli,

12. What person now deceased would you most want to spend some time with and why?

H.P. Lovecraft, so we could discuss the subject of dreaming.

13. What are you currently reading?

The King of Elfland’s Daughter by Lord Dunsany

Review: The Dark Verse

2010-06-24T17:12:00.002-05:00

The Dark Verse
Volume One
From the Passages of Revenants
by
M. Amanuensis Sharkchild
Available through Amazon and from http://sharkchild.com/

In a nutshell, if you like taking a white-knuckled ride into the darker corners of the imagination, then this is a book for you.

The first thing you notice about this book is the graphic presentation.
It's a hard cover, black in color with an intricate silver foil illustration on the front . Open the book and the end papers are artwork unto themselves, the paper is heavy grade, and each story has it's own individual illustration on its first page (illustrations courtesy of John F. Stifter) The design alone tells you you're not in for the same old short story collection.
Our author, the enigmatic M. Amanuensis Sharkchild compiled this volume from material for his spoken word podcast, The Dark Verse.
Collected here are 26 of those stories, stories as lovingly crafted as the book itself is. The term "wordsmith" comes to mind in describing Sharkchild's writing...he uses words to paint exquisite portraits of the fantastic, the wonderful, the terrible, the horrible.

Stand outs include "Gift of the Crossroads", where a scrap of fabric found in the kitchen begins one man's nightmare odyssey. At one point as I was reading this story, I literally exclaimed out loud "God! Dude!", over a turn of events, and continued to the following page and gasped out loud. That rarely if ever happens when I'm reading anything.
"The Missing Come Home" details one father and the loss of his daughter and her unexpected return and the horrifying consequences which ensue, rather than a joyous homecoming.
"The Captive Inside" which will make me forever think twice about wishing for a dusty old toy shop to dig through and whiling away the hours working a jigsaw puzzle (and for me that's saying something as I like and am fairly skilled at jigsaw puzzles).
There are two stories, "The Changing Feyth Part One" and "The Changing Feyth Part Two", that are crying to be developed into one full-length novel of their very own.

The book is obviously a labour of love and artistry in the way it's presented.
Nearly every story, while more than able to stand alone on it's own as a self-contained jewel, could be expanded to a novel-length exploration.
It's as if each story is but a fleeting glimpse into one universe of the insane and horrific.
Yes, the writing is that good.

The cost of the book is $22.99 - and well worth it.

To find out more about M. Amanuensis Sharkchild, please visit:
http://sharkchild.com/
http://www.facebook.com/sharkchild
http://www.myspace.com/sharkchild
http://twitter.com/sharkchild

13 Questions with ...Jason Beil

2010-05-25T14:55:00.002-05:00

1. Name one thing you miss about being a child.
I miss the sense of wonder. Everything was new, and it was so easy to get excited over a movie, or a book, or the new record by your favorite band. Now, as an adult, it’s too easy to become jaded and adopt a “been there, done that” attitude.

2. Do you have any phobias? If so, what are they?
I was pretty scared that time some psycho ran out in front of the van I was driving waving a gun around. So crazy people with firearms. That’s my phobia.

3. Are you a collector of anything and if so, what?
Comic books. Although, I don’t know if I’m a collector or just a fanboy. I just love the medium... everything from superhero stuff to the more cutting edge adult material.

4. You're about the walk the Green Mile - what do you have for your last meal?
Depends on what I’m in the mood for. Probably a big steak, medium rare.

5. What is your favorite cookie?
Chocolate chip... is there any other kind?

6. Who is your favorite author?
Good question. Tolkien is the father of modern fantasy and obviously a huge influence on me. Recently, I’ve been most impressed by George RR Martin, although if he doesn’t bring out his next book soon I’m sending him hate mail.

7. What musical artist are you currently into?
I guess I’d have to admit my latest flavor du jour is Lady Gaga. She’s actually a very talented young woman. However, I doubt anyone will ever knock Depeche Mode off the top spot of my all-time favorites list.

8. Have you ever had an imaginary friend? If so, who are they?
No imaginary friends. Imaginary enemies, on the other hand...

9. What's your favorite word?
Apotheosis

10. What is your current desktop wallpaper?
A dog getting sprayed in the face by a sprinkler. My daughter put it on there.

11. You're at a Chinese buffet - what goes on your plate?
The question is... what DOESN’T go on my plate. I love Chinese!

12. What person now deceased would you most want to spend some time with and why?
Robert Jordan. I want to give him hell for everything after book 6 in the Wheel of Time.

13. What are you currently reading?
Just catching up on my funnybooks. The last real book I read was Atlas Shrugged (loved it!).

Revew: The Talisman of Faerie

2010-05-23T21:34:00.000-05:00

The Talisman of Faerie

Jason Beil

Available from Barnes and Noble, Amazon,

Alibris, eBookPie

In a nutshell: If you are just starting to read fantasy novels, this is a good place to start, but this statement comes with a warning.

The Talisman of Faerie is a decent fantasy; there's the hero, Alec Mason, a humble baker, the girl,

Sarah, mysterious men like Michael, swashbucklers like Lorn, faerie folk, kings and queens, bad guys and evil sorcerers like Salin Urdrokk. There's a talisman that must be returned to whence it came in order to preserve the land. We've also got an army of the undead and ogres.

If any of this seems familiar, that's because it is. The Talisman of Faerie borrows heavily from Tolkien's Lord of the Rings.

Without giving away anything of great importance, allow me to numerate them:
Instead of a mountain hollowed out by dwarves that must be passed through to get to where the hero's party is going, it's a faerie burial chamber in the hollowed out mountain they must pass through.

Instead of a ring of great power, it's a talisman of great power.

The faerie folk are preternaturally beautiful and live in a stunning forest land in the trees.

One other borrowed theme is a sword Alec is gifted with named Flame which seems to feed the wielder's lust for blood, and also resists being handled by others. I couldn't help but think of the prescient blades in Michael Moorcock's Elric series.

Is the story entertaining?

Yes.

There are times however, the book could have stood some more critical editing. I thought if Alec had to posit one more time how he was going to get to go back home and be a baker after this was all over one more time, I was going to scream. Twice is fine...but after that, the events surrounding the character are so tumultuous and life-changing, Alec started sounding silly thinking he was going to return to a normal life at the end of the journey to return the talisman to the faeries.

There are some really good battle scenes with more blood and gore than I expected, a nice love story that blooms sensibly and enough rabbit trails that leave you wondering what lies at the end. I'm assuming some of those trails are explored in the sequel, Sword of Kings.

Should you read this?

Yes, if you haven't read Lord of the Rings or any other of the classic standards of the fantasy genre. Some fantasy novels overburden themselves with plots that twist too much, loaded down with a host of characters that make it hard to keep up with who is doing what to whom and where. The Talisman of Faerie is compact in that regard, with enough characters to make it interesting, but not too many to keep up with, and not so many plot lines that you can't keep up with the action. Biel has crafted a tight story that starts in one direction and doesn't wander off confusing the reader with too many subplots as some fantasies are wont to do.

If you're just starting out reading the fantasy genre, this is a good place to start. I think Beil has talent and with more writing will continue to weave even more entertaining stories of the fantastic.

For more information on Jason Beil, please go to

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jason-N-Beils-The-Talisman-of-Faerie/218232852661

http://www.myspace.com/talismanoffaerie

Review: Undercroft Stories

2010-04-23T16:16:00.000-05:00

Undercroft Stories
by
T H Davis
Available from the author by email request to:
horror.writer@yahoo.co.uk

In a nutshell: if you like short horror stories that are charged with atmosphere and urge you to turn the page to find out what happens next, then this is the book for you.

It's rare to find an anthology where all the stories are good.
TH Davis's Undercroft Stories is one of those rarities.
Every story is a winner. I read this with a mixture of creeping unease and mounting excitement, hoping with the end of each great story, another was going to follow. I was never disappointed.

As you read, it's as if Davis is standing next to you, his arm around your shoulder, walking you through the Undercroft, pointing out the people and places that populate it, thrilling to your reactions as the tales unfold.

After reading Black Lodge, you will never look at shadows again the same way.
In Unholy Rosary, an abandoned (and some say desecrated) convent becomes the stage for one man's descent into madness.
Oubliette serves up a chilling tale, full of claustrophobia and inevitability.
Pay the Ferryman is a harrowing take on the revenge from the grave story.
Once you've read Beneath the Water, you may think twice the next time you go to a secluded fishing spot.
Thy Will Be Done shows us what happens when we don't take something seriously, resulting in horrible consequences.
And finally, Prayer to Demugrah'keh illustrates what tampering with archaeological artifacts can cause.

Each story is atmospheric and finely crafted, with characters that, in such a short format, come to vivid life.
TH Davis is a master at crafting stories that scare and leave you breathless and wanting more.

This young author (he's only 24) has a long and prolific career ahead of him and needs a publisher sooner than later.I don't want to compare him to any one else out there, because it's apparent he has a voice all his own.
I cannot wait to see what he does with a fully fleshed out novel.

For more information on TH Davis, please visit:
http://www.myspace.com/davishorror
http://twitter.com/thdavishorror
http://www.facebook.com/pages/T-H-Davis/394482240658

13 Questions... with Shaun Jeffrey

2010-03-26T22:06:00.000-05:00

1. Name one thing you miss about being a child.

Only one thing. Damn! Okay, the one thing I miss is innocence.

2. Do you have any phobias? If so, what are they?

Nothing springs to mind. I pick up spiders and throw them out of the house. I’ve sat in the middle of a bar with a snake around my neck. I used to go rock climbing so heights don’t bother me. No, no phobias.

3. Are you a collector of anything and if so, what?

God, yes. Rejection letters. Books. Bubble bath containers. Lucky charms.

4. You're about to walk the Green Mile - what do you have for your last meal?

I’m a vegetarian, so I’d go for vegetable balti with naan bread.

5. What is your favorite cookie?

I’m not that big of a biscuit fan. I used to work in a biscuit factory, and when you see the cockroaches scurrying under the ovens and the stalactites of fat hanging down from the top of the ovens, it sort of puts you off.

6. Who is your favorite musical artist(s)?

Favourite artists, let’s see: Korn. Slipknot. Rammstein. Richard Wagner. The Prodigy.

7. What musical artist are you currently into?

Korn.

8. Have you ever had an imaginary friend? If so, who are they?

Who’s to say what’s real and what isn’t?

9. What's your favorite word?

Success, because it doesn’t come easily.

10. What is your current desktop wallpaper?

It’s a McDonalds Dragon thing that I put on for my son.

11. You're at a Chinese buffet - what goes on your plate?

Tofu with black bean sauce and fried rice.

12. What person now deceased would you most want to spend some time with and why?

Leonardo Da Vinci, perhaps one of the most diversely talented people that’s ever lived. Painter. Sculptor. Architect. Engineer. Musician. Inventor. Botanist. Writer. The list goes on. I would love to have chatted with him.

13. What are you currently reading?

I’m going over a manuscript of another novel featuring Prosper Snow, the lead character from my novel The Kult.

Review: The Kult

2010-03-23T23:34:00.000-05:00

The Kult
by
Shaun Jeffrey
Available through Barnes & Noble, Borders, Amazon.com, Book Depository, and Leucrota Press.

In a nutshell, if you like a great mystery/thriller/horror novel that grabs you and drags you along for the ride and doesn't let up til the last minute, this book is for you.

Mr. Jeffrey is like the friendly carnival barker who cajoles you into stepping right up and sitting your butt right down in his dark ride of horror and suspense.
The Kult starts out with a jolt as you strap in and hang on.
The Oracle is a master at murder, each of his kills a work of art, premeditated and rendered with exquisite care.
Our protagonist, Prosper Snow, a police detective is in the middle of this horrendous investigation, seemingly stymied at every turn, as The Oracle taunts the police with photos of his gruesome crime scenes.
Prosper is a driven man. Already dogged by guilt over an accident that has maimed his wife, he is now doubly deviled with this series of crimes. As if his plate is not full enough, enter the Kult, an organization of which Prosper is a member, who call upon him to carry out a deed that goes against everything he stands for.
How Prosper and Company's actions entwine with those of The Oracle is how this particular ride takes off on a break neck pace that never lets up.
To say more I would have to give away too much and I don't want to ruin the reading experience.
There is gore galore for the gore hound, and disturbing glimpses into how far men are willing to go when pushed.
There were times when I literally became dry-mouthed reading this book the suspense was so great.
There are wonderful stomach churning descriptions of murder and mayhem that become darker with each plot twist.
Jeffrey renders claustrophobic you-are-there descriptions towards the end of the book that had me turning the pages as quickly as possible to:
a) find out what happened next,
and
b) to get the character the hell out of the mess they were in.
Three times I thought I had it figured out who The Oracle was and all three times I was wrong. When the revelation did come I was totally unprepared.
The characters are flesh and blood jumping off the page. He uses clever turns of phrase throughout the book, but not so much that they become cute catch phrases solely to be cute catch phrases.

By the time this dark ride came to an end, I was wrung out...and that's just the way I like it.

Shaun Jeffrey is a British author, one who most assuredly bears watching.
In my opinion, a good horror novel is hard to come by these days - Shaun Jeffrey is the real deal.

(I want to add that The Kult has been optioned as a motion picture to be directed by Kip Shelton, with shooting slated for September 2010.
This is especially good news, as Jeffrey's writing strikes me as being cinematic in nature, and The Kult dead on for a thriller of a film.)

For more information on Shaun Jeffrey, please visit:
http://www.shaunjeffrey.com/
http://www.myspace.com/shaunjeffrey

Good news for author CA Milson!

2010-03-16T01:34:00.000-05:00

Good evening constant reader.
I wanted to share an exciting piece of news about one of the first authors I reviewed, CA Milson:

PR Log - Global Press Release Distribution
Horror Novelist C.A. Milson Strikes Deal With U.S. Based EDGE Publishing Company
By Amanda Clark
Dated: Feb 28, 2010

"The road to writing success for any author can be a difficult and arduous journey, however, Australian native, C.A. Milson, is looking forward to having a partner in his future endeavors. After years of working in the industry alone, he is now happy to say that his hard work has started to pay off. Milson's book, "The Chosen: Rise of the Darkness," first in a horror series now has the true opportunity to succeed. Milson just signed with U.S. based publisher, EDGE Publishing Company.

"I have been working on my writing for years, but being international and a self publisher, it can be
difficult to get your books on the shelf in many of the large U.S. chains, I knew I needed a traditional
publisher to help me," stated Milson. "I am so excited to be an EDGE author."

EDGE Publishing Company, through the direction of President, Phillip Vera, specializes in working with authors who are looking for a way to cut through the bureaucratic red-tape and "hoop jumping" of the publishing industry. "When I first read Chris's story, I realized he was a great writer with a unique story and I wanted to be a part of it. This book deserves to be in print," stated Vera. "I am looking forward to a long relationship with Chris and I can't wait to promote his work."

Furthermore, there are other big things in the works. EDGE Publishing Company recently signed an
agreement with C.A. Link, a Chinese Literary Agency based in Minnesota, specifically for Milson's work.

This agreement will allow Milson's books to be marketed and sold to the Asian market.
"I was so excited when I learned about the deal with C.A. Link, because I had been approached by them, but I couldn't do anything because I wasn't with a traditional publishing house. EDGE changed that and now billions of people might have the opportunity to read my work," stated Milson excitedly.

Milson has been the recipient of numerous awards including placing in the Pre-editors & Editors Readers Poll in 2008 and working through deals to turn his book into a comic, a video game, an audio-book and an e-book.

"Chris has a fantastic product and he is an incredible writer. It's great that he is able to get more exposure and audiences around the world are going to be able to see his work in stores," stated Milson's agent, Amanda Clark of Charlotte, North Carolina based, Grammar Chic, Inc. "We are looking forward to getting his books on shelves very soon."

I want to take this opportunity to congratulate CA on this recent accomplishment. Way to go!

Re-stating the purpose

2010-03-10T13:40:00.000-06:00

Good afternoon constant reader.

I'm reading away on the next book up for review and wanted to take this opportunity to re-state the purpose of this blog and generally touch base.

I created this bog to review, at no cost to the author, books in the science fiction, horror, fantasy and mystery genres; books written by first time or just-starting-out authors. I don't promise a good review, only a fair one.
There are lots of ways to get published these days, but once an author has seen print, how do they get reviewed so they can garner a readers attention?
I know of some sites that charge $175 for a positive review, and $35 to just list the book on their site.
To me, personally, that's blasphemy.
So I started this blog.

What are my qualifications to review books?
I love to read and read constantly.
I love genre fiction and want to give new authors as much help getting known as possible.
I worked in bookstores for 12 years and in a university library for 2 years. From those experiences I developed a good sense of what it is readers want:
They want a good story.
They want originality.
They want characters that they can identify with on some level.
They want an ending that makes sense (and that doesn't always mean a happy ending).

I include a feature called 13 Questions, where I pose a baker's dozen worth of questions to the reviewed author (if the review is positive) so you can get to know a little bit about them.
From time to time, (as luck will allow is more like it), I will review an established author, focusing on a work of theirs I think needs more exposure, and will try like hell to get the 13 questions answered.
For example, I'm reviewing a little at a time the Irene Adler books by accomplished author Carole Nelson Douglas, and at the end of that cycle will post her responses to the 13.
There's another established author whose responses I already have (thanks to author Nick Armbrister for making that contact for me!) and I will be posting that review in a few weeks.

So here I am...reviewing the genre fiction I like to read, discovering some really good talent and sharing it with you constant reader.

Be well.

Review: Dies Irae (Day of Wrath) Love & Friendship

2010-03-07T14:59:00.000-06:00

Dies Irae (Day of Wrath) Love and Friendship
by
Reyanna Vance
Available on Lulu.com for $15.75 trade and on Amazon in a $2.99 Kindle edition.

In a nutshell: by the time I made it to the last page, I felt like I needed to take my eyes out and wash them off.

All right constant readers...this is the first negative review I've had to write and it was a long journey getting here.

I need to go on record and say I have a bias against reading books submitted to me via pdf file, as they tend to lull me to sleep while reading. I've had to resort to reading with my iPod in to stay awake. However, the other submissions sent via pdf were able to hold my interest. Sadly, this wasn't the case with Dies Irae. By the time I reached the end of this book, (506 pages, in two parts), I was more than ready to quit reading.

The world we find our story set in has dragons and humans intermingling, with dragons able to take on human form. Magic plays a role in this fantasy exercise, but not as much as you'd think...or hope.

Samara Callaghan is perfectly content to work her job in her grandparent's tavern until she is paid a visit by a mysterious woman who claims to know the truth behind the death of Samara's parents all those years ago. Samara naturally wants to get to the bottom of things and in so doing, discovers they died fighting the black dragon Cyril, their deaths resulting in his captivity in an orb. Cyril has been plotting to release himself ever since and is on the verge of doing just that, aided by his son, Danteous...who ends up meeting and falling for Samara...who is charged with finding the orb containing Cyril and destroying it before he can be set free to destroy all humanity...and therein lies the conflict.

Vance starts us off with a created world necessary for a fantasy story, but it lacks the details needed to make it come alive. It sufficed for a while, but took a real wrong turn when she introduced a radio and a computer to the mix. This was done in such a jarring way, I was wondering where I missed the fact that this world had electricity and other modern-day amenities. Fantasy books nearly always have a created world (Frank Herbert's Dune is a terrific example) and Vance fails to provide that here.

Character-wise, Samara is ok.
Leela, the mysterious woman who leads Samara to the discovery of what happened to her parents is put across as a hard-ass, hateful person to the point that I felt like she had no redeeming qualities whatsoever and felt like I was being hit over the head at every turn about how tough she was.
Rufus is the surviving brother of an attack against Samara and Leela, and becomes a tag-a-long on the quest. He's the best of the bunch, and is consistent throughout the book.
Kit is an irritating young lady who pick pockets Leela at one point. Due to Samara's soft-heartedness, Kit is brought along on the adventure as well. Kit is annoying as hell and I wanted to wring her neck. She may provide a little comic relief at times, but she is a character that is non-essential to the story.
Danteous is our bad guy, and all he does is smirk, act smug, smile crookedly and kill people. He doesn't seem all that evil, but according to his sister Leela (oh yes, she's his sister, forgot that little detail), he's completely ruthless.
The characters are too pat and paint-by-number.

Once Danteous and Samara meet and fall for one another, we are hit over the head again and again and again with the fact that they must kill one another and are never going to be on the same side. They meet up constantly and fall into each others arms only to part with neither one willing to come over to the others side. Then they kiss...and on it goes. I couldn't work up a lot of sympathy for this pair of star-crossed lovers.
The book would benefit greatly by some judicious editing. The same themes are repeated over and over.
Vance has some talent, but she desperately needs a good editor to bear their expertise on her work.

The book ends with Samara, Leela, Rufus and Kit stranded on a high mountain peak, in a blizzard, low on provisions and money, 2 of the 4 falling out from exhaustion.
I asked myself the question, "Do I really care what happens to these people?" and the answer was a resounding, "No, I hope they freeze to death and so endeth the story."

The saga is continued in Dies Irae (Day of Wrath) Betrayal and Tribulation, which I have. Do I intend to read it and see how things turn out?
Nay.

Review: Good Night Mr. Holmes

2010-02-10T13:40:00.000-06:00

Good Night Mr. Holmes
by
Carole Nelson Douglas
Available at Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble.com, Borders.com and B&N and Borders retail bookstore locations.

In a nutshell, if you like mysteries set in Victorian England, with lots of spot-on period details and engaging/endearing characters, then this book is for you. And by the way, Victorian England in this instance does not equal boring and stuffy.

Before I get on with the review, no, this is not a horror, science fiction or fantasy novel, nor was it penned by an author just starting out, so yes, I freely broke out of my own set of reviewing parameters.

Carole Nelson Douglas is an accomplished author, with 61 books to her credit, amongst them her successful Midnight Louie mystery series, and this series, the Irene Adler mysteries.
I wanted to shine the spotlight on Douglas's Irene novels since we just saw the character of Irene Adler brought to life in the recent film, Sherlock Holmes.
Granted, Douglas's Irene was not the precise inspiration for the theatrical Irene; however, her books bring the reader a very likable and fascinating character and deserve to be read.

Irene Adler is "the woman" to Sherlock Holmes and the only woman to ever outwit him.
In Good Night Mr. Holmes, we meet Penelope Huxleigh, who is Irene's own Dr. Watson, and it is through her eyes we are told the tale.
Penelope and Irene meet on the streets of London after Penelope has been dismissed from her job at a fabric purveyor, homeless and penniless. Irene deftly saves Penelope from being accosted by a street urchin and the two end up taking a meal together, leading to Irene revealing her powers of observation concerning Penelope's circumstances. Rather taken aback, Penelope nonetheless accepts Irene's offer of lodging for the night and thus their friendship starts.

As the story progresses, we are introduced to Bram Stoker, Oscar Wilde, Charles Tiffany & Anton Dvorak, which lend the tale a true-to-life air.
Missing jewels, a thought-to-be-lost personal possession and a widow's inheritance are a few of the mysteries Irene must solve, with Sherlock Holmes himself, haunting the background.
However, it is Irene's involvement with the Prince soon-to-be King of Bohemia that takes up the second half of the book and lays the groundwork for an interesting twist at the end.

Irene is clever, advanced in her way of thinking and acting for woman of her time, which makes reading this so enjoyable.

Good Night Mr. Holmes is a rousing start to an 8 book series and I intend to review the rest of the Irene books, so watch this space!

For more information on Carole Nelson Douglas, please visit:
http://carolenelsondouglas.com/

13 Questions...with Anneke van Ginn aka Nick Armbrister

2010-01-21T22:11:00.000-06:00

1. Name one thing you miss about being a child.
My old holidays to my aunties cottage in the English Lake District. Where I got into nature whilst out hiking around the lakes and mountains it was a very special time this is how my pagan religion of today was formed.

2. Do you have any phobias? If so, what are they?
Yes Ii have a phobia of needles but to look at me now you wouldn't think so coz now I have 36 or so tattoos. My phobia was from bad dentists when I was a kid and them not using an anesthetic on me so I hate dentists and their needles. I don't like blood tests but I'll have them if I have to but only when forced to!
And I don't like spiders coz they crawl and look spooky! Though they're part of nature and that but I'm not a fan of them though even though I like goth stuff.

3. Are you a collector of anything and if so, what?
Good question lol I collect tattoos and have over 35 now and I've actually lost count I have ink from many good studios in the north and south of England. Tribal, nature, witches, sexy women(come on I'm a guy lol), warplanes, song words from bands I love and their names and singers like The Gathering and Agua de Annique and also Ghost Dance.
I also collect Liz Hand books from her early ones to her newer ones.
And I collect CDs by bands I love like The Gathering and old skool records by All About Eve and other 80s bands.
In my youth I used to collect model plastic airplane kits and I had over 300 of them!

4. You're about the walk the Green Mile - what do you have for your last meal?
Tough question! Ok I'd have a mixed kebab on nan bread with 4 types of meat on it - chicken donna, chicken shish, lamb donner and another with all the trimmings like salad, salad cream and hot sauce.

5. What is your favorite cookie?
Chocolate cookies! Lots of them.

6. Who is your favorite author?
It would be mad to say myself so I'll say two in joint top position Elizabeth Hand and Sven Hassel.

7. What musical artist are you currently into?
Anne Marie Hurst of Ghost Dance and Skeletal Family a great English 1980s singer now back in music after a 20yr gap. Her music is still wicked and new sounding. I love her Stop the World record in Ghost Dance.

8. Have you ever had an imaginary friend? If so, who are they?
They lol? That's more than one, actually no I don't think I did though I can't think back over 30yrs ago to when I was a kid. I guess I did but I can't think who now lol.

9. What's your favorite word?
Blowjob!

10. What is your current desktop wallpaper?
One of a grassy hillside under blue sky.

11. You're at a Chinese buffet - what goes on your plate?
What I ate tonight from the Chinky Chippy lol chips, sausage and egg fried rice. I like crispy duck too.

12. What person now deceased would you most want to spend some time with and why?
Russian/Soviet air ace Lilya Litvyak coz she's one of my heroines of all time she was a brilliant air combat pilot who inspires me no end.

13. What are you currently reading?
State of Fear by Michael Crichton and By Any Means Necessary by William E Burrows.

Review: The Final War

2010-01-20T23:05:00.000-06:00

The Final War
by
Anneke van Ginn
(Nick Armbrister)
Available through Amazon in paperback for $10.48 or through Lulu in paperback for $11.90

In a nutshell: If you like war-torn civilizations, alternate histories, sex, violence, bloodshed, explosions, aliens and witchcraft, then this is the book for you.

From the introduction:

"A time and town so very different from now, several key events have changed European history forever. First the civil war of 2005 – 08 is now over, which led to the break up of United Kingdom. A quarter of a million died achieving what politics never could.
The weeklong conflict with France is over. From what started as a fishing dispute led to
a localised nuclear war in which thirty million British and fifty million French perished.
The madness that irradiated half of Europe stopped.
A third key event saved the remaining innocents from the abyss. The arrival of a girl
with special powers from nowhere, a so-called Goddess of the Earth, she is called
Juniper’s Daughter…"

Thus begins a tale of a call to arms amidst the aftermath of civil and nuclear war, as penned by British author Nick Armbrister, writing as Anneke van Ginn.

The story starts at a clip and doesn't ease up - Armbrister employs prose packed with action and detail.
Our characters, Lee, Sarah, John, Gun Barrel and Red drive the story and tell the tale of their efforts as freedom fighters after the UK has been ravaged by civil war.
Into this comes the rumor of a young woman who may be able to save the war torn land, Juniper's Daughter. Who is she and where does she come from? These questions are answered in the last third of the book (lending things to a sequel quite nicely).
The first two thirds of the book deal with the freedom fighters efforts at repelling English army troops intent on preventing any more fight for freedom.
Explosions, gun fights, strategizing, bloodshed, capture and escape - it's all here.

Armbrister injects his tale with bits of humor - either coming out of the mouths of his characters or as an aside to the reader and it works every time.
The characters are well-drawn and their dialogue is easy and never forced.
All the guns and ammo are lovingly detailed - this writer knows his armaments!
The story barrels headlong, with details snowballing on top of one another, driving the story to it's conclusion.

Armbrister has explored the Cold War and the effect it has on his writing shows through in this effort quite clearly, proving with this entry he deserves a larger audience.

As I read, it struck me that this cries out to be made into a film - I see it along the lines of The Road Warrior or Doomsday.
The mix here of an alternate history, alien intervention, blood and witchcraft firmly seats this in a section any reader of genre fiction can appreciate. I had a good time reading this.

For more information on Nick Armbrister, (aka Anneke van Ginn) please go to:
http://www.myspace.com/nickspoetrybooks

13 Questions...with CA Milson

2010-01-13T13:13:00.000-06:00

1. Name one thing you miss about being a child.
The one thing I would miss about being a child is how simple things were. We tend to see things a lot different when we are children; running and playing without a care in the world. The imagination was a lot richer back then too :-) I personally think we have the whole life thing backwards. I think we should die first, and get that out of the way. Then we immediately go to a nursing home until they kick us out because we're too young to be there. Then, we get a gold watch and go to work, then we go to college, then we go to school. Then we leave school because we are too young to be there, and we live the remaining days running and playing with no responsibilties :-) Nice huh!

2. Do you have any phobias? If so, what are they?
Off the top of my head I cannot think of any. Except maybe bugs. Nasty little creatures they are, especially cockroaches. Not the ones you get in the States, but the nasty flying ones you see in Aussie. Absolute disgusting! :-) Nothing worse than having roaches in your house. Some parts of Australia are notorious for them, no matter how clean your house it. That and spiders! Give me a scorpion or a snake anyday thanks :-)

3. Are you a collector of anything and if so, what?
Movies. I like to amass as many movies as I can. I am a film nut at heart. There is nothing I like to do more in my down-time than watching a movie. I have hundreds of movies in storage and several hundred on my computer :-) (Yes, I have a beast of a computer that I just refer to as "beast") :-)

4. You're about the walk the Green Mile - what do you have for your last meal?
That is a good question. Never really thought about it that much, but at first thought I will almost quote Jack Nicholson's character Melvin Udall from "As Good As it Gets": 3 eggs overeasy, 8 strips of bacon, short stack, fries, cornbread with gravy, and a huge cuppachino :-) (Hey, well I did say almost quote him) :-)

5. What is your favorite cookie?
Without a doubt, one of the best would be Tim Tams :-) Until you have dipped a Tim-Tam into a cup of hot chocolate, you haven't lived :-)

6. Who is your favorite author?
Stephen King.

7. What musical artist are you currently into?
I don't have a favorite singer but I do like a variety of music. What appeals to me more is the beat. There are some songs that are good, but there are also a lot of music that quite frankly gives me a headache.

8. Have you ever had an imaginary friend? If so, who are they?
I don't think I have had an imaginary friend since I was a child. Of course, when I was a child I used to hang out with Batgirl.. Oh my, now I am stepping well into the past. Now who was it that played Batgirl in the 1960's Batman show?

9. What's your favorite word?
Any word that comes out of my mouth which sounds long and impressive :-)

10. What is your current desktop wallpaper?
A rocky cliff overlooking the ocean and there is a lighthouse in the background.

11. You're at a Chinese buffet - what goes on your plate?
Easy. Dim sims, spring rolls, steamed pork buns, won tons, special fried rice, sweet & sour pork, sweet & sour chicken, beef in black bean sauce.. All on one plate :-)

12. What person now deceased would you most want to spend some time with and why?
I think for this one I have a list somewhere. Ab Lincoln would be in the top 5; Ronny Reagan naturally for being one of the most influencial leaders of the 21st century; Michael Jackson because of how he changed and redefined the music industry; Vlad the Impaler, strictly for research reasons for one of my upcoming books; The Apostle Paul for inspirational reasons; and there are no doubt some others in there. Of course, my list does change from time to time, depending on the way my own life makes a series of stops and unexpected turns.

13. What are you currently reading? A collection of poems by two very talented writers who should take the next step :-)

Review: The Chosen - Rise of the Darkness

2010-01-12T00:02:00.000-06:00

The Chosen - Rise of the Darkness
by
CA Milson
Available through Amazon in hardcover for $21.03 or in paperback for $15.96

In a nutshell: if you like stories where battles are waged between man and forces of the darker regions, then this book is for you.

CA Milson has crafted a well-paced story of man versus demonic forces, both intent on winning the day.

Our main characters are all paranormalists of some stripe, some really into the game and others with motives less than pure.

It all starts when Alex attends a seminar where fellow paranormal investigators are going to speak. We are introduced to Usher, a Cherokee Indian who has a gift for sensing the supernatural and Drake Winters, the All-American Boy who has taken to paranormal research.
Another personality in the paranormal world is discussed in the seminar, one Jamiesonn, who back in the 1700s established a cult and literally indulged in human sacrifice and all manner of atrocities until local townspeople where he lived put him to death in a variety of ways - yes, you read that right, ways...he pulled a Rasputin and just wouldn't die and ended up literally disappearing before the crowds eyes...dead or not? You decide.
During the discussion at the seminar, it is posited that Jamiesonn survived and is merely biding his time to come back and take up his evil ways.
Drake declares he will be the one to send Jamiesonn to another plane of existence, but Alex doesn't believe he can.

Drake and Alex form an uneasy alliance, neither one really trusting the other, and set out to find Jamiesonn and stop him. Before they can, an apparition appears and warns them off - and then the fun starts.

Demonic forces begin to run rampant...visions are seen and heard, death prevails, people are taken over by demons...blood runs.
Yet there is another force at work here in the form of a scroll that was found in some Mayan ruins which tells of the destruction of the greatest civilizations in history. The scroll contains the name of The One who will end the strife and preserve mankind.

It is from this point that Milson takes us on a frenetic ride of demons running amuck, forces of good opposing forces of evil, and Alex's journey into the midst of this maelstrom.

Ultimately this is a story of good versus evil, playing out their epic battles in the midst of mankind who is usually woefully inept at handling a crisis like this.
Milson pens a story revealing how we as humans are sometimes asked to do some things we don't think we can do to go towards the greater good.

My only complaint is there were a few set pieces in the book where I would have liked to see more detail. Don't get me wrong, you get enough to know what's happening, but I could see some places where Milson could have stood to add a little meat to his stew.

Milson says Stephen King is an inspiration and I have to admit there were times when I did notice the writing did bring to mind the style of a younger SK.

Take note - the story will continue in Bloodline of Darkness.
For more information on the sequel visit: http://bloodlineofdarkness.info/About_The_Book.html
For more information on CA Milson, visit: http://www.authorcamilson.com/

Coming soon to this blog

2010-01-01T23:59:00.000-06:00

Good evening constant reader.

The purpose of The Written Universe is, primarily, to expose new authors to you the reader.

However, seeing as how this is my blog and I can review whatever I please, we're going to take that fabled left turn at Albuquerque.

In the coming weeks I intend to review a series of books, the Irene Adler mysteries by accomplished author Carole Nelson Douglas.
In 1990, Ms Douglas published her first Irene tale, Good Night Mr Holmes. It was my pleasure then, when the book came out, to host an author signing for Carole for this title. I read it and was completely enchanted with it.
After that came Good Morning, Irene, (1990, aka The Adventuress), Irene At Large, (1992, aka A Soul of Steel), and Irene's Last Waltz (1994, aka Another Scandal in Bohemia).
There followed 4 more Irene books, Chapel Noir (2001), Castle Rouge (2002), Femme Fatale (2003) and Spider Dance (2004).

What is so special about these books?
For starters, they're good, really good - Irene Adler as written by Carole Nelson Douglas is a strong, resourceful female character, one you can't help but enjoy.
Now that there is a major motion picture currently in theatres, Sherlock Holmes, and said film features the character of Irene Adler, I wanted to throw attention to Carole's books, and let you the reader know Irene has been given a different life in these books and deserves to be discovered.

I will go on record here and and state that I have not read the last 4 books in the series. However, that will be rectified as soon as possible.
In the meantime, I intend to re-read the first 4 books, and review them 2 at a time over a period of weeks.

13 Questions...with TH Davis

2009-12-30T19:02:00.000-06:00

1. Name one thing you miss about being a child.
I miss the ability to roam through life not giving a damn. Not knowing or caring about most of what went on around me.

2. Do you have any phobias? If so, what are they?
Anything with more than four legs!

3. Are you a collector of anything and if so, what?
Rare books. I only have three, but that's what I love collecting.

4. You're about the walk the Green Mile - what do you have for your last meal?
Ooh, that's a toughy . . . I'd have cheesy chips with lots of coleslaw and fajitas.

5. What is your favorite cookie?
Any cookie is good, but my sensitive teeth mean chocolate is a no-no for me. Unless I wanna be doubled up in agony! Haha!

6. Who is your favorite author?
It's a toss up between Stephen King and M. R. James.

7. What musical artist are you currently into?
In metal: Ynwie Malmsteen. Outside of metal: Zooey Deschanel and her band She and Him.

8. Have you ever had an imaginary friend? If so, who are they?
I have an imaginary place, called the Undercroft. But never an imaginary friend.

9. What's your favorite word?
Neology - the creation of words. Although Rowen Atkinson is a great neologist. He uses another favourite fake word of mine in Black Adder: Interfrastically.

10. What is your current desktop wallpaper?
Not to sound narcissistic but, it's me. Haha!

11. You're at a Chinese buffet - what goes on your plate?
I honestly don't eat Chinese a lot, so I can't say! Haha!

12. What person now deceased would you most want to spend some time with and why?
Probably Friedrich Nietzsche, so I can try to beat some sense out of the man! Haha!

13. What are you currently reading?
I'm about to being Under the Dome by Stephen King.

Review: A Dozen Dark Dimensions

2009-12-29T21:53:00.000-06:00

A Dozen Dark Dimensions by
TH Davis
Available via free download as a PDF on Lulu.com

In a nutshell: if you like quick, eerie short stories that are rich on atmosphere, this is a book for you.

First of all, I need to go on record here as saying one way literary horror has thrived since the 1980's is via the short story format.
It has been my experience over the years that more interesting horror often found expression that way, as opposed to the novel.
That and publishers decided it was easier to put together anthologies than take chances on brand new horror authors, preferring to stay with the sure things, i.e., Stephen King, Dean Koontz, Anne Rice, and VC Andrews.

TH Davis has chosen the short story format to show off his writing skills and I have to say, he hits the mark most of the time.

Highlights are: It Brings A Nightmare, in which an aspiring guitar player brings home a new guitar which brings with it more than the promise of fame and fortune; Klever, Davis's tip o' the hat to Stephen King's IT - creepy as all get out; The Graves Unmarked, which finds a newly appointed cemetery keeper who becomes "cemetery proud" getting a little more to over see than he bargained for; and Blind Faith, finding an 18h birthday celebrant dealing with what is real and what isn't.

The last 4 stories of the collection are Davis's nod to Lovecraft.
This is dicey territory for writers, to try to come close to mastering Lovecraft's style. I'd have to say Davis uses Lovecraft's language, but doesn't quite capture Lovecraft's voice.
Of those 4 stories, Black House was the one I enjoyed the best - a paranormal investigator inspects a house for signs of activity and gets some all right.

As the title promises, these stories all have a very dark dimension to them - in fact the dark itself is a character in most of them.

TH Davis definitely has talent and I want to see where he goes from here.
Nearly all these short stories could easily find life as full blown novels if he were to flesh them out. He introduces characters to the extent that they are interesting enough to make you want to know a little more than the brief glimpse we are given.
Seeing as this is a free download off Lulu, you need to give it a go and get a taste of this up and coming author.

For more information on TH Davis, please go to his website:
http://www.myspace.com/undercroftstories

13 Questions...with Sara Kuhns

2009-12-26T23:28:00.000-06:00

Good evening constant reader.

I would like to introduce a new feature of The Written Universe, called 13 Questions.

I pose 13 questions to the author being reviewed so you the reader can get to know them better.
(Why the number 13? A baker's dozen? The lucky number 13? You choose.)

Sara Kuhns has answered the 13 Questions.
I now submit her answers:

1. Name one thing you miss about being a child.
The absence of sarcasm.

2. Do you have any phobias? If so, what are they?
Hate flying (in planes--if I had my own wings it may be a different story)

3. Are you a collector of anything and if so, what?
I tend to pick up rocks/stones/interesting things that I find on the ground... and when friends travel, they bring these back for me.

4. You're about the walk the Green Mile - what do you have for your last meal?
Extremely spicy! Yellow Curry Fried Rice with tofu, cashews, pineapple, raisins; a bowl of blueberries and sliced bananas; Turkish coffee or strong iced espresso; if it's my last meal, then I'd probably eat a few Diesel dark chocolate bars as well (because, really, gaining weight wouldn't be an issue!)

5. What is your favorite cookie?
Not really a cookie but I really like the original flavor Bumble Bars.

6. Who is your favorite author?
This can vary... however, I've been particularly inspired by Clive Barker.

7. What musical artist are you currently into?
I love Radiohead... but lately have been listening to a new musician in LA--John Carpenter.

8. Have you ever had an imaginary friend? If so, who are they?
The characters in my fiction seem real to me. I can see how they react to events, occurrences, and situations. When I write, sometimes it feels as if I'm just documenting what I am observing them do... Does this make them imaginary friends?

9. What's your favorite word?
Oh no, so many to roll off the tongue! But phantasmagoric is often at the top of my word list, closely followed by chiaroscuro because I like their meanings as much as their sounds.

10. What is your current desktop wallpaper?
My dog :)

11. You're at a Chinese buffet - what goes on your plate?
Scallion pancakes (made with rice flour), spicy eggplant and bean curd.

12. What person now deceased would you most want to spend some time with and why?
I would like to meet my dad's mom--she died when he was 13.

13. What are you currently reading?
--Seven Gothic Tales by Isak Dinesen
--Corpse: Nature, Forensics and the Struggle to Pinpoint Time of Death by Jessica Snyder Sacs
--Food in History by Reay Tannahill
--monologues that my older brother wrote
--the instruction manual for my new camera

In the meantime...

2009-12-25T17:21:00.000-06:00

Good evening constant reader.

I am finishing up reading TH Davis's collection of short stories, A Dozen Dark Dimensions.

In the meantime, I am putting the finishing touches on a feature I plan to launch soon, called 13 Questions. I come up with 13 questions to ask my authors to give you the reader a little insight into these individuals.

I hope this finds you all in good spirits this holiday season.

Review: A Sigh For Life's Completion

2009-12-17T23:24:00.000-06:00

A Sigh For Life's Completion by Sara Kuhns
ISBN 0-7414-5395-9
Infinity Publishing
Trade paper, $19.95

In a nutshell: if you like vampires and want a new slant, read this book.

Sara Kuhns illustrates the vampire's perspective, making some parts of humanity the real 'monsters' in this story.

Lauren is running a tavern that is barely making ends meet.
Paul enters her life, she makes new friends, business at the bar turns around and life is good.
But Paul is not what he seems.
Paul is a vampire. A vampire with a conscience for the very humanity he must feed from in order to survive.

Kuhns weaves an intricate story whose characters fairly leap off the page. The characters are all clearly defined and could easily support books on their own. Even supporting players are given enough depth to keep them interesting.
Alex, Lauren's partner in running the bar, forever the skeptic, but affable; the Twins - Jael and Jaytee who play pivotal parts in the story as it unfolds; Jasper, the quintessential bar fly; Jonathan, Paul's first in command; Lily, Jonathan's lady; Lou, the retired police detective; Jerry, the priest. All these characters are written so distinctly, you'd swear you've been hovering in the background watching the action of this story play out.
While the city is never specified, it's easy to imagine the neighborhood the bar is located in, the bar itself, Paul's home...all these places come to vivid life.

Vampires with a conscience is not a new theme by any means, but Kuhns succeeds where I believe Anne Rice failed - none of Kuhns's vampires whine about what they are, and they have a true respect and appreciation for the human condition, oftentimes seeming more human than the humans they move amongst.
Kuhns's vampires are able to push thoughts and emotions to one another and to the humans they encounter. As this capability grew more prevalent as the story unfolded, I got to where I wished it really were that easy to calm someone or communicate with them.
Make no mistake though, these vampires can and do mean business when conditions warrant.
I was happy that certain plot twists didn't twist the way I thought they would and that one of the main conflicts I saw coming took a left turn I wasn't expecting.
Kuhns's writing is sure, painting vibrant characters one really cares about, and crafting a plot that maintains your interest.

I found myself taking a bit longer than usual to read this, not because it lagged, but because I wanted it to last and didn't want to end it too soon.
If you are a dedicated vampire fiction reader, then you do not want to miss this book.

This is Sara Kuhns's first novel. I look forward to more from this gifted writer.

For more on Sara, please go to her website: http://www.sighforlife.net/

Another work for review!

2009-12-16T16:03:00.001-06:00

Good afternoon constant reader.

I am pleased to announce the latest addition to my growing list of To Be Reviewed:

The Kult by Shaun Shaun Jeffrey.

Getting there, and a new addition

2009-12-16T14:06:00.000-06:00

Good afternoon constant reader.

I'm almost finished with A Sigh For Life's Completion. I know I could be reading it faster, but it's so full of detail, I didn't want to rush it. I wanted to savor the experience.

I've got another book on it's way for review, the young adult fantasy, Luthiel's Song by Robert Marston Fanney.

When I started this blog, I hadn't considered if I would limit it to adult-intended fare only...after reading a synopsis of Luthiel's Song, I decided to include YA novels as well.
I read all the Harry Potter books and enjoyed them immensely.
I read Twilight and was not favorably impressed.
The YA market is booming and to ignore genre fiction within that market, would be silly.
(I've noted that adult authors Carl Hiassen, Mary Higgins Clark, James Patterson, Clive Barker) writing for the YA crowd, which I think is great.)

Stay tuned constant reader...:)

I'm moving right along

2009-12-06T23:35:00.000-06:00

Good evening constant reader.

I'm still reading A Sigh For Life's Completion by Sara Kuhns - so far so good. (No fair saying anything more as I want to save it for the review!)

I've got work by the following authors lined up for reviews and wanted to get the word out:
TH Davis, CA Milson, Chris Paton, Nick Armbrister and R Vance.

I'll be as quick as I can in getting reviews posted, but I don't want to rush things unnecessarily. Half the fun is a good book savored. ;)

The first book is here!

2009-11-29T13:50:00.000-06:00

Good afternoon constant reader.

The first book up for review, Sara Kuhn's A Sigh For Life's Completion, arrived Friday.

I have started reading it and so far, I am mightily impressed. This is all I'll say for now, as I have barely scratched the surface, and I want to finish the book before making further comment.

I want to thank Sara for being the first to go through this process. :)

In the meantime, I intend to contact more authors and seek out more information regarding the monetization of the blog.

So what do I intend on doing?

2009-11-26T21:25:00.000-06:00

As Anthony Bourdain says on No Reservations, he'll tell you what's good and if it isn't he'll tell you that, too.
I don't promise a good review everytime, just an honest and fair one.

When I wrote my first blog, I forgot that I had actually worked in bookstores for 12 years, and in that time, opened two of the three stores I worked for. I know just because I can read may not seem much of a qualification, but I figure I have as much right to express an opinion as any one else.
I'm a huge genre fan, and will be one of the first to admit that I think Anne Rice lost her edge after Queen of the Damned and probably should have stopped there.

As for going with genre fiction, I think genre writers have a tougher time getting taken seriously, this despite the best selling Twilight books, Harry Potter books, The Lord of the Rings, Charlaine Harris's Sookie Stackhouse novels, I could go on...
If I can give genre writers a leg up in getting their work recognized, then I have done what I set out to do.

Also, finding good new genre books is harder these days...major publishers do not give push to genre fiction a lot of times, and smaller publishers can't afford to.
Barnes and Noble no longer has a horror section - several years ago they dumped all the horror into general fiction. They still maintain separate sections for science fiction/fantasy, though.
If you're a new horror author, your work doesn't get put where it can easily be found.
The same is true for Walden's and Books-a-Million (who used to have a great horror section).
Borders still maintains a horror section; it tends to have a few interesting gems hidden in it from time to time (in other words, you'll find more than just VC Andrews, Stephen King, Dean Koontz, Anne Rice, and John Saul in stock.)

The first book is on it's way!

2009-11-24T23:11:00.000-06:00

Good evening constant reader.
(and yes, if you've heard that before, it's the way Stephen King addresses his readers. I like it, I like him, so I've borrowed it, giving Mr. King full credit).

The first book to be reviewed on The Written Universe will be Sara Kuhn's A Sigh For Life's Completion. It's a vampire tale and one I am looking forward to reading. As soon as the book arrives, I will post that it has and set myself to getting it read, digested and reviewed as soon as possible.

In other news, every author on my MySpace friends list I've contacted regarding this blog and my intent have been unanimous in saying it's a good idea, and have supplied me with suggestions I hadn't considered, but will be, and possibly implementing.
Others have generously provided leads to other people who may be interested in providing content at a later date.

I'm very excited about this blog and I can already foresee it going to a web site as soon as the ways and means are made available. However, this will do for now.

Hello, good evening and welcome

2009-11-23T23:17:00.000-06:00

Welcome to The Written Universe.

It is my intention to find new authors in the genres of horror, science fiction and fantasy and review their work here on this blog, for free.
I don't promise a good review, only an honest one.
If my reviews are positive, I'll even go as far as to publish the review on Amazon for the author.

The face of publishing has changed drastically over the years.
We've seen books on tape turn into books on CD. We're now seeing books go from print to digital.
Getting a book published has changed, too. An author can write a novel and go the route of getting an agent (or not) to get their work to a publisher, but they can also use a vanity press or go through smaller publishing houses who are more apt to publish an unknown.

Make no mistake, it may be easy to get published, but once that's happened, how does an author generate sales, even if it's on line somewhere to order?
Social websites such as MySpace and Facebook are essential tools for an author to create a fan base, but getting their work reviewed is another matter.

What qualifies me to review books and who cares what I think anyway?

I worked in bookstores for 10 years and in that time, I came to know what it is readers are looking for.
They want characters they can identify with on some level and see them through to the end of the story.
A good ending is hoped for, but not always expected. They want something to capture their interest and imagination.
And oddly enough, they do like originality.

I've been reading since before I went to Kindergarten. My mother would read me comic books I dutifully picked out (I was and still am to a degree a DC girl).
I always have a book going and the sole criteria for me to buy a purse is if it will at least hold a mass market paperback.
I look at it this way, if Harry Knowles can put up his web site Ain't It Cool and prosper, get the ear of Hollywood and become friends with Quentin Tarantino, then my love of books alone qualifies me.

If you are an author and wish to submit your work for review, it must be in either the horror, science fiction or fantasy genres.
Why these you may wonder?
These genres are the hardest to break into. To me, they have always seemed to be the step-children of the writing world and not given serious attention, other than that from fans like myself.
They are also my preferred reading.

To contact me, please send email to:
gothgirlwroses@hotmail.com

I look forward to seeing where this goes.