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Monday, June 30, 2014

MANGA REVIEW: "Goryo Dog #4"

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Writer: Joseph P. Gauthier
Artist: Zahdian Arief Arizky
Letters: Alex Lugo
Cover: Anthony Van Den Risen
Publisher: 10 Worlds Studio

Goryo Dog is a digital serial manga available for a small donation on the 10 Worlds Studio website (link below), and in issue #3,  Willie Jackson's story is continued after his devastating defeat in an illegal underground fight.
When his father's trainer refuses to train him, he is met in a dark alley (where else, haha) by a mysterious man who promises him power and death...for a price.

I love how creepy the story has been getting so far. As a manga and horror fan, I can say that the creators are doing a fantastic job! The art is so intricate and it fits the story's eerie tone.
Looking forward to reading issue #5 tomorrow! Manga fans, hurry and pick this book up so you can say, "I was a fan when it was brand new!"

4/5--great!

Purchase Goryo Dog via:

10 Worlds Studio

BOOK REVIEW: "Torn By Fury" by SM Reine

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Elise Kavanaugh (kopis, hunter, incarnation of Eve, Father of Hell) is waging war against the angels, wanting them to repent for their sins in building New Eden with the bones of the humans they've killed.
She can't do it alone, however, enlisting Rylie (an Alpha werewolf who has personal reasons for doing this), and James, Elise's aspis.
But trials litter their already treacherous path, and no one knows if Hell, Heaven or Earth will even survive.

In the tradition of SM Reine's fast-paced, imaginative and intricate novels, the reader is treated to a barrage of action and emotions mixed in with the author's unique voice.
I have always been a fan of Elise's character (and yes, I "ship" her with James all the way back since Death's Hand) and her inner goodness shines strongly in Torn By Fury. She might be a demon, but she's a true hero...even if she has to drop a few bodies along the way! One of the best female lead characters in a very long time.
I think both new and longtime fans of Reine will be delighted with the story. I know I was! The bloodshed was just enough and not overdone, and the characters interact with each other in a way that make you feel as though they're real.
Amazing work, as always.

5/5--amazing!


Purchase Torn By Fury via:

Amazon (KINDLE)

iTunes iBooks

Barnes and Noble (NOOK)

Kobo

Google Play Books (Android users)

Sunday, June 29, 2014

MANGA REVIEW: Goryo Dog #3

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Writer: Joseph P. Gauthier
Artist: Zahdian Arief Arizky
Letters: Alex Lugo
Cover: Anthony Van Den Risen
Publisher: 10 Worlds Studio

Goryo Dog is a digital serial manga available for a small donation on the 10 Worlds Studio website (link below), and in issue #3 we meet yet another new character, the teenage Willie, whose father was killed in a pro fight. He is training to best the man who beat his father.

It's a quicker read than the previous two, and with a much more compelling focal point, the young boy wanting to avenge his beloved father.
Another great installment of Goryo Dog from 10 Worlds Studio, one that keeps the reader wondering, Just where are they going with all this?

4/5--compelling

Read Goryo Dog (and leave a donation) HERE .

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Philippe Blenkiron

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1. When/why did you decide to become a writer?

I've written poetry on-and-off since I was a kid. The earliest literary achievement I can remember is getting a Headteacher's award when I was seven for my relatively morbid poem 'Black and White'. I wrote the odd bit as I was growing up, but I didn't start writing 'properly' until I went to university.
As for why, I think writers have an innate disposition for making strange connections between events and/or subjects--for seeing the world slightly off-kilter or as an outside observer--and subsequently there's a compulsion to simultaneously explore these ideas and expel them onto an external surface, otherwise they just follow you around being weird.
I often see something happening or hear someone saying something, and I involuntarily think, "There's a poem in that." I don't think I have much choice in the matter.

2. What authors inspired you when you were younger? What books do you enjoy reading today?

As a teenager, I was pretty absorbed in the worlds of Tolkien and Anne Rice. I think growing up in Shropshire lends itself to enjoying Tolkien--my best friend and I thought of ourselves as basically Hobbits living in The Shire. I think moving to Stoke and living for a time in Greater Manchester helped to awaken my appreciation for the more industrial, dystopian and post-apocalyptic themes.
I love Cormac McCarthy's The Road and Orwell's Animal Farm, but the epic fantasist in me can't help but be pulled towards George RR Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series.
I didn't read much poetry when I was younger. I had some poets and poems I liked from school: Sassoon's 'Base Details', Owen's 'Dulce et Decorum Est', Poe's 'The Raven', Auden's 'Funeral Blues', some Yeats, Larkin and Dylan Thomas--the usual suspects. I always thought Wordsworth was pretty God-awful though.
At uni I went through the inevitable Bukowski phase, and I still enjoy a lot of his stuff, but I reckon Jacob Polley is the best all-round poet these days. He has a great way of mixing the sublime and the urban; it's all moons, owls and concrete - I'd like to see him play around with space a bit more though. I also enjoy the work of Michael Donaghy and ee cummings, but on a day to day basis, I tend to get the majority of my poetry from online webzines.

3. What was the inspiration behind your epic poem novel The Pustoy?

There's a thought experiment in Philosophy of Mind known as philosophical zombies or p-zombies, which involves the existence of people who are physically and neurologically no different from anyone else but lack consciousness--they appear to be and act like you or I, but there's absolutely nothing going on upstairs. That's where the main theme came from--I studied the mind-body problem in my undergrad and I remember wondering, aside from the dualist-monist debate, what the political/sociological implications would be if p-zombies actually existed. If we had a way of telling, how would we treat them?

4. Why decide to write it as poetry?

Because poetry is the best. I've always specialised in poetry, I don't think I ever really learned to write prose properly. But I wanted to write a story and thought, 'why not write it poetically?'. Besides, poetry's less restrictive and spoonfeedy, you can play with space and line-breaks, create double-meanings and put words in their proper place. Generally it provokes a greater variety of thoughts and ideas in the reader, and I think those extra angles help invoke the required slanted mindset for a work like The Pustoy.

5. Will you write more in that particular style in the future?

I think so. It's nice to have a bit of a niche, and I find it an effective and fun way of writing. It would be nice to write a sequel as well--I do have a few ideas brewing, I'm certainly not finished with this world or its characters yet.

6. What is it about extreme politics that made you want to write about them?

I think because it's universally relevant. To paraphrase Pericles: whether you're interested in politics or not, politics will be interested in you. It's not something you can escape, even more so when in its  extreme form. It's scary because it's real. Things like this can happen, do happen, have happened and will happen. I don't want to say that The Pustoy is supposed to serve as some kind of "warning" necessarily, but it is meant to show that the greatest power a government can hold is the unquestioning complicity of the people. The book never explicitly decides whether the Pustoy truly exist or not, or if all accusations are legitimate, and I guess it's because no-one really asks hard enough. Hardly anyone ever does. People often confuse the way things are for the way things ought to be.

7. Do you think it is possible for the things you wrote about to come to pass in real life?

It already has. It's essentially a story about scapegoatism. Hitler chose the Jews and other historically oppressed groups, Stalin chose "enemies of the people". The difference with Solokov is that his genocide is apparently scientifically, metaphysically and economically justified, and is otherwise indiscriminate. Killing people who cannot feel pain or emotions also deals with the awkward situation of empathising with the victims - I think someone who hasn't been declared a Pustoy would only protest the policy because they would rather remain ignorant (See 'Peter Mason' and 'Unwound') or don't believe the government.
It would be very farfetched to claim that the specific political movements in The Pustoy will come to pass (most British politicians lack the charisma to pull it off for a start) but I do think it's very possible for something comparably outrageous to occur, no doubt under our very noses. I mean, the current government seems to be systematically demonising the working class, the unemployed and the disabled community. Let's see where that leads.

8. Are you working on anything that you'd like to share with KSR readers?

As I said before, I have a few ideas brewing, but I'm not currently working on another project. The Pustoy was actually accepted for publication before I'd finished writing it, so I haven't not been writing for very long at all.

9. Where do you see yourself and your career in the next ten years?

Who knows? I would hope to have a few more books out, to have a doctorate and hold a post in a university. I also like the idea of writing for the stage or the screen. So if any or all of that could happen, that'd be great.

10. With political shows and films all over, would you like to see a live version of The Pustoy one day?

Definitely, as long as it wasn't completely butchered. I'm currently seeing about trying to get it onto the stage. With all the dialogue and monologue-type poems, I think it would translate into a play almost as is. But I could equally see it being adapted into a film, or TV series, or even anime. Obviously its heart will always lie on the page, but I won't pretend to be some literary elitist, I'd love to see it brought to life through other mediums. Writing shouldn't be left to stagnate.

11. What other genres would you like to try your hand at?

I would really like to give medieval or high-fantasy a go, but it's so hard to strike without hitting clichés. I'm not sure what I could bring to the table that Tolkien and Martin haven't already covered. I'll be brave and tackle it one day, but I feel I have to earn my salt in other genres first. Maybe I'll try my hand at erotic fiction...

12. Would you like to see more poetry making it big in the literary market? Do you, personally, think it could happen?

Of course, people are missing out. But it's not a case of getting poets to relate more to "ordinary people" (whoever they are) as Paxman suggests. I think a lot of people have the wrong idea about poetry, they learn from school that it's something to be studied and only exists in some high-literature form. So most avoid it like the plague and never realise how much they, as "ordinary people", could relate to it, how much it could enrich their lives--and, on the flip side, how much they could learn from seeing an "un-ordinary" perspective on things. The problem is with how it's portrayed in schools and the media. I think it could become bigger if it were portrayed in a more realistic and less stuffy light.

13. When you were writing The Pustoy did you think that it would end up the way it did?

The story and the world developed as I was writing it, I never planned it from start to finish. I just wrote as ideas came to me, and one piece would inspire another.
If you mean, 'Did I know it would end up as a fifty-something page book in its own right?' When I first started writing it, no. But I thought I might be able to get a couple of pieces into a magazine or anthology, which is why I submitted three of the pieces to Dagda. When the editor got back to me asking for more, I had a bit of a better idea of how it might end up...

14. Were you to be an elected leader, what would you do first?

I'm not sure I'd really want the job, but if it were thrust upon me, I would reform the democratic process. The system we have at the moment is a mockery of the concept. Practicality speaking we have a choice of three parties, each as nauseating as the last, and people feel they have to vote tactically rather than for who they might actually want (thanks to AV losing out in the last referendum). There's hardly ever any referendums and the party in power can basically go back on its words and ignore the will of the people it serves (why the hell is Gove still minister of education after a vote of no confidence?!)
I'm a die-hard socialist. A living wage needs to be paid to all citizens, more money needs to be put into nationalised services, and a red flag flown from every rooftop...

15. Thank you for participating in the interview. Can you please leave the readers with three things that may surprise them about you?

i) Blenkiron is pronounced Blenk-iron (like the metal).
ii) I'm the lead singer and rhythm guitarist in a rock/metal band 'Skybald'.
iii) I'm a complete short-arse at 5'6", and I have a special affection for oak and beech trees.


Find Philippe Blenkiron online via:

Twitter

Goodreads

Facebook

Keele University

Friday, June 27, 2014

MANGA REVIEW: "Goryo Dog #2"

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Writer: Joseph P. Gauthier
Artist: Zahdian Arief Arizky
Letters: Alex Lugo
Cover: Anthony Van Den Risen
Publisher: 10 Worlds Studio

Goryo Dog is a digital serial manga available for a small donation on the 10 Worlds Studio website (link below), and in issue #2 we are first introduced to two strange characters, Uba and Tanuki, who don't exactly look quite human.
We are given a history of Yamoto no Orochi Secondary School, including its top students from its past...all of whom became serial killers after graduating from the school.
After that we are taken into the fight club and left in a cliffhanger with another new character, Willie.

If you liked issue #1, issue #2 will only succeed in making you toto dig deeper into the checkered past te school and want to know know just who these strange new players in the game are.
I have realy one problem with these issues...they are too short! I want more and you will, too, reader.
You don't have to be a fan of manga to read Goryo Dog. Let this be your introduction to the wonderful world of Japanese manga!

Get Goryo Dog for a donation via:

10 Worlds Studio

View Goryo Dog also on:

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deviantART

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MANGA REVIEW: "Goryo Dog #2"

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Writer: Joseph P. Gauthier
Artist: Zahdian Arief Arizky
Letters: Alex Lugo
Cover: Anthony Van Den Risen
Publisher: 10 Worlds Studio

Goryo Dog is a digital serial manga available for a small donation on the 10 Worlds Studio website (link below), and in issue #2 we are first introduced to two strange characters, Uba and Tanuki, who don't exactly look quite human.
We are given a history of Yamoto no Orochi Secondary School, including its top students from its past...all of whom became serial killers after graduating from the school.
After that we are taken into the fight club and left in a cliffhanger with another new character, Willie.

If you liked issue #1, issue #2 will only succeed in making you toto dig deeper into the checkered past te school and want to know know just who these strange new players in the game are.
I have realy one problem with these issues...they are too short! I want more and you will, too, reader.
You don't have to be a fan of manga to read Goryo Dog. Let this be your introduction to the wonderful world of Japanese manga!

Get Goryo Dog for a donation via:

10 Worlds Studio

View Goryo Dog also on:

YouTube

Facebook

deviantART

Pinterest

BOOK REVIEW: "The Pustoy" by Philippe Blenkiron

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"I wonder, unwound toy
if they buried your turn-key
somewhere near you.
Because
I would like to hold it.
I miss the sounds you make."

I'm a huge poetry fan. I read it, I write it and I've noticed that it is really quite unappreciated in the days of the erotic short story and paranormal YA novels. Poetry is a pure and beautiful art form that was taken to another level by Dagda Publishing's Philippe Blenkiron with his poetic debut The Pustoy.

The new British Prime Minister, Lev Solokov, had declared a portion of the human race soulless and killed many of them. He calls them The Pustoy. But Gavin, of the alleged soulless, doesn't like the new political regime.
Solokov frames Gavin for murder, but, in this brave new world, just who is the truly soulless one?

In just 62 pages the reader is taken on a poetic journey into a world that, frighteningly, could be our own one day. Solokov's reign is similar to Hitler's in Germany, but possibly becomes even worse.
It's a political epic poem that makes you want to read and read. You'll be sorry when this story ends. It flows like water. The lines I posted at the top are my favorites and are there simply to give you a hint at the chaotic beauty that is The Pustoy.

5/5--amazing!

Purchase The Pustoy via:

Amazon

Dagda Publishing

Goodreads

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Thursday, June 26, 2014

MANGA REVIEW: "Goryo Dog #1"

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Writer: Joseph P. Gauthier
Artist: Zahdian Arief Arizky
Letters: Alex Lugo
Cover: Anthony Van Den Risen
Publisher: 10 Worlds Studio

Goryo Dog is a digital serial manga available for a small donation on the 10 Worlds Studio website (link below), written by Joseph P. Gauthier and drawn by Zahdian Arief Arizky.
It focuses on the cursed campus Yamato no Orochi Secondary School, a haunted transplant school from Japan to Little Tokyo in Los Angeles, California.
The first issue introduces you to Jake, a bad boy with a string of female "conquests" behind him. He belongs to a fight club outside of school.
A murder happens in the girls' bathroom, starting a whole snowball of events.

I LOVE manga, but never really have the chance to review it. I'm glad Malena PR semt this to me. Groyo Dog might be a bit too risque for Shonen Jump readers, but reads very well. The art is sketchy (as in it looks like sketches, not it's hinky) and immediately captures the eye.
The writing is simplistic and perfectly  describes the story without seeming overemphasized. Some may not like the sexual content, but I found it added to the authenticity of the story's characters.

Good, short read that will make you want to find out more about the students at Yamato no Orochi.

4/5--great introductory story!

Read Goryo Dog via:

10 Worlds Studio (please don't forget to leave a donation!)

It is also on:

Malena PR official site

YouTube

deviantART

Facebook

Pinterest

Twitter

Lassomedia Official site

Wednesday, June 25, 2014

BOOK REVIEW: "Fireside Popsicles" (Edited by Sheila Hall & M.C. O'Neill)

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More and more anthologies are being published, but few have such a diverse and yet common theme of "twisted tales". Sheila Hall and M.C. O'Neill (Sheila being the person who brought us The Struggle Anthology) put together Fireside Popsicles, a collection of short stories by some of today's independent writers.
With stories about killer Santa Claus and a murderous twelve year old, the whole world going deaf and mute, and monotony of life being broken by a teal bra, I can guarantee that you will never read anything quite like this ever again. There are stories that push into the horror genre and others take even seem sociological, while you also have some science fiction.
Each story is original. While I can't guarantee that you will like all of them, you will definitely like some, as they really are an eclectic mix of talent.
I enjoyed reading them, and I think you will, too...as long as you like the strange and the bizarre. I wish I could say more, but you'll just have to read it for yourself. ;p

4/5--bizarre and entertaining

Purchase Fireside Popsicles via:

Amazon (KINDLE)

Amazon (PRINT)

Goodreads

Tuesday, June 24, 2014

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: James McDonald

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1. When/why did you decide to become a writer?

I have always been a voracious reader. My mother was an English teacherI have always done a lot of writing, both personally and professionally. Writing for me has been a cathartic exercise, and originally I wrote this not to be published, but as a personal pursuit. My wife caught me, and read through the manuscript, and talked me into publishing it. I think reading and writing are parallel efforts. Writing makes you a better reader, and the same of being a reader to become a better writer. 
Once I started my professional career, I continued to write in my travels. The genre and subject changed depending on my moods, and what was going on in my life at the time, and my interests of the moment. I don’t know that I actually ‘decided’ to become a writer. The decisions have been about what work got published.

2. What authors inspired you when you were younger? What books do you enjoy reading today?

I read almost anything. One of my great pleasures when I was young was going to the used bookstore and coming out with a grocery bag of books. I plowed through my father’s collection of old Hardy Boy, Nancy Drew, Bobsey Twin books when I was very young. I think I had read all of the Sherlock Holmes stories before I hit double digits, and I still love to go back to them today.
I get stacks of periodicals on all sorts of topics. My favorite author is Robert Heinlein. Science fiction is one of the most diverse genres, even though is has been maligned critically for a lot of years. It can create backdrops for any sort of story you want to pursue. Heinlein tackled so many different types of stories and characters in his work. I was fascinated when I read a biography that mixed in some of his political papers along with one of his early works. In that vein, A. C. Clarke, P. K. Dick, Douglas Adams, Tolkien of course.
In more current authors, I am a big fan of Preston & Child and their bodies of work together and separately, Richard Kadrey, Neil Gaiman, I like John Scalzi’s work. I like stories that make you think and consider your world view, and entertain. A great story stretches your comfort zone or makes you think.
But I have also been having a lot of fun with some indie authors. I’m finishing up on Michio Kaku's The Future of the Mind: The Scientific Quest to Understand, Enhance, and Empower the Mind.

3. What was the inspiration behind your novel Bound and Hagged?

I have great love for history and mythology, and what inspires people. It is an idea I have been working with for a number of years. It started out as one book, but it arced and developed to the current story line. I was playing with ideas about how much our mythology could have truth in it. What would have happened to old deities? What about leprechauns, fae, and beasts of mythology? I work with a blend of our ‘real’ modern world, and what I called the ‘veiled’ world, playing a bit with multiverse theory and other dimensions to give dimension to their ability to have existed, and still be right alongside of us.    
So with that idea in mind, I always find it interesting as to what people consider ‘normal.’ We all have our own world views based on the people who raised us, nurtured us, and conversely the people we have conflicts with in life. The protagonist, Greyson Forrester, walks in many worlds, and having been raised this way sees this as his normal, even if no one else does. 
Book One, Bound and Hagged, is really a condition that Greyson is in at the start of the book, and throughout the story. The story is written in first person, with the exception of the prologue and epilogue. The narrator has gotten to Greyson’s journals, and is seeing through his eyes. Each of the titles is a bit of a bad pun, but they are meant to also capture the essence of the story. The reference of being Bound is about Greyson’s abilities being bound, and hagged has multiple meanings. It has ties to some of the mythology referenced in the book, and Greyson’s overall state of being.
The cover art is being revised, and the print version should be coming out in late June.

4. Will we ever see Greyson or any of the other characters again?

I sincerely hope so!  I have laid out the story arc for the series. Home Summonings was the original title, and morphed to become the overall series arc. It is a story about trying to go home again, not only for Greyson, but others as well. The idea is tied to how could someone be driven from their home, but compelled to come back again. And how things may change, but they also largely remain the same.
Book two is in editing right now, and is called Mistrials and Tribulations. The trial alluded to in Bound and Hagged comes to fruition, but it is not what he expected. And the outcome lays the foundation for the rest of the arc. It gets a little darker, and more towards the metaphysical. I’m shooting for a late summer release.
Book three is Unbound and Determined. Take from the title what you will, but Greyson has a lot of issues he is trying to atone for, and is getting the first real ideas about his destiny. It is well in the process of being drafted, and I am trying to have it out by year end.
Book Four is Mistruths and Consequences. The detailed outline is almost complete, and I have drafted a few sections of it.
As you can tell, the titles come about as bad puns. I’m also working on a couple of companion stories that will give back stories of some of the key players, but will also answer some of the questions that Greyson is seeking answers for. Readers will get to find out before he does, at least a few questions.

5. The weaponry in the story is extensive. Did you have to study the terms?

I am fortunate to have an interesting varieties of friends and contacts to help through those types of questions. I was born and raised in the South. I’ve fired a weapon or two. As to some of the more arcane weapons, I am a bit of a museum hound. I did some research for refreshers, but the only one purely as my concoction is the Anima Arca, the Soul Coffin.

6. How did you come up with all of the imaginary monsters in the book?

I dredged through all of the various folklore I’ve seen and studied over the years. I pulled from Greek, Celtic, Middle Eastern, and Native American folklore, as well as more modern ideas. My wife’s favorite is Melvin the Muse, angel extraordinaire, and generally a source of unintentional chaos.
I had a few of the characters I knew exactly who and what they would be. Others, I had a general idea for, and played with the archetypes that best fit. Vikings and Norse pantheon will come into play before it’s over, as will some of the Roman counterparts. I feel sure some people will be a little struck when more of the Abrahamic influences come into play.

7. Why Amazons? Those are not usually placed into wizard stories.

Why not? Greyson is one piece of the puzzle.  We are seeing the world through his eyes. I don’t see this as a wizard story, as much as the idea of a larger world than what we are aware of. Every individual sees and perceives the world around them through their own biases. Part of what I have always been fascinated by is that our society and culture focus heavily on the male aspects in our modern folklore, and how we see ancient folklore.
Going back to college, and the studies I did in anthropology, I had one professor who may have dipped into the peyote one time too many, his studies into different cultures focused on the idea of the divine masculine. But if you sat down in informal settings, he would dive into the ideas of the divine feminine, and balance. 
I had the benefit of having both strong male and female role models growing up. My wife and sister both qualify as strong willed, and strong minded.  I think we undercut our understanding of the human experience only focusing on one gender. And that our ancestors believed that divine influences needed a balance, yin and yang, male and female, I believe this is something we have largely cut out today at our own expense.
By no means am I saying that a matriarchal society would be peace and tranquility as is proposed by a lot of people. History shows us very much the opposite. The feminine just can take a different approach. I think the Amazons represent the strong feminine influence, and they have a rich history of personalities and stories. And they become much more critical as the story develops.

8. What other paranormal/fantasy themes would you like to try your hand at?

I have most of a short story drafted that I was trying to complete for my first wedding anniversary. Oops. Maybe I’ll have it finished by the time we actually take a honeymoon. It is a light humor ghost story set in the south.
Otherwise, I’m not sure what next in this genre. This series will keep me busy for a while, and the companion stories I want to write would let me explore many different areas. This was originally going to be one story in a different type of series. I was going to develop the “Longbow Initiative” into a series as well, and may do so in the future. They will feature prominently in the ongoing stories, as will a couple of companion groups. 
I was not looking to create a paranormal/fantasy book when I started, as much as the ideas and characters I had fit into that world. If I have another idea that fits this universe, then I’ll give a shot to develop it, but if I did nothing but write the Greyson arc, I’d be busy for the next three or four years.

9. Are you working on anything that you'd like to share with the readers?

I’m also working on a more hard core sci-fi story, which may develop into a couple of books. It is based around the idea of an anthropologist chasing his mystery of the moment.
Also, if you check out my website, [link will be below--KSR] I’m doing small vignettes called ‘Melvin’s Mangled Myths.’ As the mood strikes, I’m doing short stories/pseudo histories of mythical beings as seen by Melvin.

10. What author (dead or alive) would you love to collaborate with?

That is a hard one. That would be a pretty long list.  I think it would be interesting to peek into the mind of someone like Neil Gaiman to sit down for a drink and discuss ideas. And the mode I’m in right now, I think it would be fun to work with Richard Kadrey in his worlds.
Though he writes in a completely different style, I’m waiting for Rick Gualtieri’s latest installment in the Tome of Bill series. Fun, sick humor. I think it would be a blast to play with some ideas there.

11. Would you like to see Bound and Hagged as a TV series or film? If so, what actors would you choose?

I think it could be fun to see it picked up as either, but at the same time, I expect the adaptation would be a little painful. I think that the world I have based this in would provide a great medium for storytelling, and that the characters and story could carry over well. But I think as most book lovers know, what makes it to the screen is never what you have pictured in your mind.
In a dream world though, John Malkovich as Melvin, Billy Connolly as Fr. Mike, Bruce Campbell as the Dagda, if he could get out the bad Irish accent and Charlize Theron as Priscilla. I have a much harder time with Greyson and Drea.

12. Where do you see yourself and your career in the next ten years?

My hope is that within ten years, I’ve retired from technology and write and play with hot glass full time. My five year plan is to put the Home Summonings world to bed and be well into the yet unnamed story of my anthropologist. Beyond that, I am always looking for something shiny to inspire my twisted take on life. 

13. Were any of the characters' personalities inspired by real people?

Of course.  I’m not naming names, and most people would not know the people I’m channeling when the voices come out of some of the characters. I have had the benefit of travelling for work, meeting and collaborating with a lot of people over the years. And you have no idea how many personality quirks come out of watching people in airports.
Of the friends of mine who have read the book, I think it has been interesting to hear them discuss the parts of my own personality and sense of humor coming from different characters, and the ones that they think were modeled on myself. It is hard to write, and not have a small piece of you come through each of your characters. 

14. What is your favorite monster?

The good old average person. The reason we tell stories is to understand the best, and worst in people. When Anne Rice explores the internal struggle of the loss of humanity within her vampires, or we experience the challenges of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde through the Hulk, we are exploring the absolute extremes of ourselves. How else could we have Mother Theresa and Ted Bundy within our own species? No matter what you say, the scariest things I’ve ever seen came from people. 
Then again, who can’t help but love the Creature from the Black Lagoon in 3D Red and Green?

15. Thank you for participating in the interview. Could you please leave the readers with three things that may surprise them about you?

1 – I can be found running around in a kilt and throwing around heavy objects.
2 – I have worked in 42 of 50 US states, 4 Canadian provinces, Mexico, Brazil, Ireland, Germany, London, Japan, and I forget where else.  After a while they all look the same. Airport. Office. Hotel. Bar. Food?
3 – If I had not gone into technology, I wanted to go into anthropology, and I took classes minoring in magic and religions. Even before then, and since, I still read a fair amount about the field.

Find James McDonald online via:

Official site

Twitter

Goodreads

Facebook

Email him at: jim@jim-mcdonald.net

Send Melvin the Muse an email at: melvinmuse@gmail.com

Monday, June 23, 2014

MONTHLY MUSIC MADNESS: Loaded Guns

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Loaded Guns is a Miami, Florida based rock band with a stylistic mixture of rock & roll and modern heavy metal. The band was founded in 2011 by vocalist Rafael Salazar and quickly picked up his brother Andrew Salazar on bass. The duo began to audition the best of the local talent and soon enough Loaded Guns had a full line up. From the catchier, anthem driven dongs like 'Reckless' to heavy metal driven songs like 'Good As Dead'; Loaded Guns has a lot to offer to the music community and brings a fresh new sound many have been craving in the rock world.

I first discovered them via the record label Dark Kingdom Records, run by Michael Vampire from the band The Killing Lights (formerly Vampires Everywhere!). They began following my Twitter so I looked up their music, not wanting to associate with shoddy talent.
They were AMAZING! I was blown away by their talent and enjoy the fact that they're bringing back real rock n' roll music you can sing along and bang your head to!
I see some awesome things in this band's future, so open your ears and get in now so you can say, "I heard them first!"

For fans of: The Killing Lights, Mötley Crüe, Metallica, Black Veil Brides, Motionless In White, and more!

Members:

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Rafael Salazar--VOX
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Instagram
Facebook

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Andrew Salazar--BASS
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Instagram
Facebook

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Colby Cardenas--GUITAR
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Facebook

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Kevin Klingenschmid--DRUMS
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Jay Rivero--GUITAR
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Find Loaded Guns online via:

Twitter

Instagram

Facebook

SoundCloud

YouTube

ReverbNation

BOOK REVIEW: "Bound & Hagged (Home Summonings #1)" by James McDonald

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Young Nora has to go see a mysterious woman named Miss T to learn about her legacy, but the book she has been given makes no sense.
It's about the legend Greyson Forrester, whose wizard powers were bound when he was young, except for his self-defense and Sight abilities. It's almost time for him to be "evaluated" and he needs to be at his best, but a case with cursed money and missing faries takes him into other realms with his old team and the Amazons.
Will Grey stay alive long enough to regain his powers and remain a free man, or will the Dark Faries get to him first?

I liked James McDonald's story well enough. It started off strange, got stranger and the end was the strangest of all. The characters, except for snarky Grey, are all neutral for a while, and there's a reason for that.
There are a myriad of monsters in there, including vampires, Djinn and demons, and they keep the reader's attention.
What I loved most was the descriptive text. I could see every landscape and monster clearly in my mind's eye.
While some more character development would have been appreciated, this is a well-thought out novel that strays from being typically "paranormal". The author's attention to detail during the fight scenes is also a great addition to the narrative. This is like Percy Jackson for adults, in my opinion!

Great book that leaves readers wondering what will happen to Greyson next.

3.5/5--great narrative and detail!

Purchase Bound & Hagged via:

Amazon

Goodreads

Friday, June 20, 2014

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Dr. Al Carlisle, Ph.D

Al Carlisle, born and raised in Utah, got his BS and MS from Utah State University and his Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Brigham Young University. The majority of his career has been as a psychologist at the Utah State Prison from which he retired as the head of the Psychology Department in 1989. He was a consultant for the Salt Lake Rape Crisis Center for several years and he has conducted workshops on serial homicide and other crime topics. He has done extensive research on serial killers and has interviewed the Hi Fi killers, Arthur Gary Bishop, Westley Allan Dodd, Keith Jesperson, Ted Bundy and many others. He currently resides in Price, Utah.


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1. Why did you decide to become a psychologist?

Originally was going to be a nuclear physicist but I wasn't good in math. I took an adolescent psychology class in college and enjoyed it and thought psychology would allow me to engaged in research on people instead of nuclear particles.

2. When did you decide to write about your psychological findings?

A friend of mine suggested that I put my findings into print. I had thought of doing so for several years but there was always a nagging, "Let me learn a little more first." One day when watching a documentary on Ted Bundy, the commentator at the end said, "We will probable never really understand people like Ted Bundy." After having interviewed violent offenders in the prison where I worked for a number of years, I felt it was time to explain what I had learned from talking to violent offenders.  

3. You said that I'm Not Guilty: The Case of Ted Bundy is only the first in your The Development of the Violent Mind series. How many books do you think that it might span?

I have a book on Westley Alan Dodd about ready to come out. He killed three boys. I interviewed him on death row a few times in prison and I have explained in the book why and how he became a serial killer who started out life as a normal child and the personality development changes which brought him from that point to a person who was going to kidnap boys and keep them as sex slaves.
I'm writing a book about a Vietnam combat marine who received medals for his heroism during the war. He returned home to become a hit man, using his Samurai Warrior beliefs for justification of his killings. When he accidentally killed a child, he had violated his Samurai system of justification and his personality disintegrated rapidly and he traveled around the country committing crimes, hoping someone would kill him.
I interviewed Keith Jesperson, the Happy Face Killer, in prison. I will be doing a book on him tracing the steps in his life from the time he was a child, through the killings, to getting caught. The emphasis on all of these books is to explain how it all happed. I minimized the details of the actual killings, as I did with the ING book.
Arthur Gary Bishop killed five kids in the Salt Lake area. He asked for the death penalty. When I first saw him on death row in prison, he said he was ready to die for killing the kids. However, he said that before he was executed, he wanted to understand how he had become a killer having come from a normal home, becoming an eagle scout, gone on a religious mission for his church, etc. I talked to him at least twice a month for about two years and he wrote an extensive amount of biographical material. I was able to show the step-by-step development of a violent mind of a child killer.
Floyd Forsberg, with a few others, pulled off one of the biggest bank heists in the country. He has written his autobiography about it and his life of crime and how he changed. He has been out of prison for many years and is doing quite well. I'm to interview him this summer, specifically regarding why and how it all happened.  

4. How did you choose which murderers to interview?

My research in prison was in understanding killers and sex offenders. After having completed a psychological assessment for the court on Ted Bundy, I met Arthur Gary Bishop on death row. I saw part of a TV interview of Westley Alan Dodd and I wrote him and he indicated he was willing for me to do a history on him. Someone suggested Keith Jesperson and I wrote him and he gave me permission to do the same.
The Vietnam marine who became a contract killer gave me his story. I was told by a friend that Floyd Forsberg had written his history in pencil. I offered to have it typed, etc. I worked with many violent killers in prison.
Most of these fell in my hands. If other serial killers wrote to me and offered to give me their story, I would go to where they are and interview them.

5. What started your interest in serial killers?

It began with my psychological assessment of Ted Bundy and then Arthur Gary Bishop and other doors opened up to me after that.

6. Are there any famous killers you wish you could have analyzed?

I would like to have interviewed Jeffrey Dahmer but I believe that Westley Dodd and Arthur Bishop were very similar to him. 

7. Were you a big reader growing up? What books/authors do you enjoy, then and now?

I have an extensive library but for the most part I have read only parts of them [the books]. Much of my time has been taken up reading books on psychology for my career. I like Aynesworth and Michaud's work on Bundy. My first full book was Breasted's 1000 page History of Egypt.
I like Stephen King's It along with other of his books.

8. Would you like to see a film made out of any of your true-crime novels, like they did with Mark Fuhrman's Who Killed Martha Moxley?

I think that would be enjoyable but I'm not sure just how they would do it. I did talk to Mark Harmon for a while when he came to our prison to do some filming for his movie about Bundy. That's the closest I have come to a celebrity.

9. Do you see modern science "curing" killers? I know there are differing opinions on the subject and I'd love to hear yours.

I think there are too many variables. If it is found that there is a genetic predisposition to harm others, then it will need to be determined under what conditions this genetic vulnerability becomes reality. Would it be possible to manipulate the gene(s) to avoid violence? Would it be voluntary or involuntary?
At this point I don't see it happening because it would be far more difficult than attempting to solve a medical problem, like diabetes. We would be attempting to control, or alter, the person's environment. What of the agency of the person who has the "violence gene"? We tried the Skinner Box approach in the 60's and it didn't work.

10. What do you make of Bundy saying that pornography was the root of his psychosis? His truth or just a way out of talking about the real reason?

I don't think he understood the full truth of how he became a serial killer. I think he held on to the one explanation which could have some degree of validity because it was at least one explanation which made some sense to him and would likely make sense to others.  

11. When you were studying in college, did you ever think that your work would take you down this road?

If somebody told me, when I was in college, that I would write factual explanatory books about serial killers I would have referred them to a psychiatrist.

12.  Who are some of the others you'll be writing about?

See question No. 3.

13. Do you see yourself ever dabbling in writing psychological fiction, like a novel?

The Vietnam Vet book I am working on now is a novel which includes all of the interview material I obtained from him, presented in novel form. When I complete these books I plan on writing psychological fiction.

14. Where do you see yourself and your career in the next ten years?

 I hope to be writing novels full time. I have been working in the field of psychology for over 40 years and I plan to retire from my full time job and write.

15. Thank you for participating in the interview. Can you please leave the readers with three things that may surprise them about you?

1. I have been a spelunker. It's exciting to have rappelled down into deep caves with friends with only the lights on our helmets.
2. I have collected a number of books written in the 1700s and earlier. It's exciting to see how they wrote and what they believed then.
3. I'm 77 years old and I'm just beginning a writing career. I'd better hurry.  

Find Dr. Carlisle online via:

Official site

Facebook (LIKE page)

Genius Books Publishing

Twitter

Thursday, June 19, 2014

BOOK REVIEW: "I'm Not Guilty" by Dr. Al Carlisle, Ph.D

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So far, every book I've read from Genius Books Publishing and Malena Public Relations has been fantastic, and I'm Not Guilty, the first in Dr. Al Carlisle's The Development of the Violent Mind series, is no exception.

Dr. Carlisle evaluated notorious killer Ted Bundy for Utah courts in the 1970s and continued to speak with him numerous times before his execution.
Through a painstaking process, he recreated the life and murders of Ted Bundy by piecing together interviews with Bundy and various friends, colleagues and relations.
In the culmination of the book, we are treated to a fictional interview with Bundy, where he sums up his evil actions and explains the whys and hows. While Dr. Carlisle continuously presses that it is a fictional interview, his talents at studying the human psyche makes it seem very real, indeed.

This story is original with Dr. Carlisle's own extensive research meeting with a fantastic speculative mind creating a background and confession when there was none years ago. Till today, psychology students and those who have an interest in crime (as I do) study the case of Ted Bundy. Even if you're not into those things, chances are tgat you know the grisly story.
Reading this takes you deeper into the mind of a psychopath. I loved devouring every word, learning about the various reasons of psychosis and why people go from seemingly harmless to a name in the headlines.
This book features a lot of medical jargon, so some may find it a bit too long, but most will love it. Who knows, it may even make some college students change their majors!

Great, intense read. Perfect for everyone, but especially recent grads and crime buffs.

5/5--great and intense!

Purchase I'm Not Guilty via:

Amazon (PRINT)

Amazon (KINDLE)

Goodreads

Tuesday, June 17, 2014

BOOK REVIEW: "Sparks" by James DeSantis

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What would you get if DC Comics hijacked John Green and forced him to write a novel about a superhero?
You'd get Sparks, the latest story from the talented indie author James DeSantis.

Ethan Hamil is an average 20-something. He recently broke up with his longtime girlfriend and doesn't want to do anything to better himself.
One day, he hears the words everyone dreads (no, not, "We're making a sequel to the Green Lantern movie." haha): he has cancer and it's rapidly advancing.
As if that's not enough, he's struck by lightning! But that was more a blessing than a curse. Ethan can now control electricity. With a little help from his nerdy best friend, Alex, he becomes Sparks and finds the purpose he'd been looking for: saving people.
If you're a superhero fan like I am, you're going to love this. If you're a fan of heartfelt stories about dying people trying to do good, you're going to obsess over this.
I shed tears at the end. That should tell you something. I have only ever cried at three books before this and I've read thousands.
You know the person writing this is a comic book fan, by the attention to detail. The intense detail is what really makes the story pop. You can easily see the characters in your mind as you read.
The story is beautifully written, a great statement about love, life and death. I read this in one sitting with a dying ereader battery. Such an excellent book. I'm still having what the Internet now calls "feels".

5/5--wonderful!

Purchase Sparks via:

Amazon (KINDLE) (print edition coming soon!)

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Peggy Rothschild

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1. When/why did you decide to become a writer?

I was an English major in high school and had always enjoyed writing, but years of writing ads, articles and promotional materials pretty much leached away the fun. Then I took a newsletter design class and, as a part of an assignment, the instructor had us write an essay on whatever we wanted. Wow. I had so much fun. I’d forgotten how much I enjoyed creative writing. As a lifelong mystery and thriller fan, they seemed like natural genres for me to try. Through a class at UCLA, I managed to connect with a great critique group and started honing my craft. But it took a number of years before I felt like I had something I could send out into the world.

2. What authors inspired you when you were younger? What books do you enjoy reading today?

For mysteries, my go-to books as a child were the Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys series. I also loved reading S.E. Hinton, Dickens, Tolkien, Louisa May Alcott, and Esther Forbes (the author of my favorite childhood book, Johnny Tremain). Nowadays, I practically get giddy when a new book comes out by any of my favorite authors, which include Linda Barnes, C.J. Box, Jan Burke, Michael Connelly, Robert Crais, Gillian Flynn, Tana French, Sue Grafton, Steve Hamilton and Jo Nesbo–to name a few.

3. What was the inspiration behind your thriller, Clementine’s Shadow?

For Clementine's Shadow, I actually started with one of the ancillary characters. I had this idea about a person who tracks their failures, but never their successes. After that, the main character appeared and the concept began to take shape. Stories are funny that way--sometimes a line from a song or poem will spark an idea, sometimes an article in the news will get the gray matter buzzing, and other times a character burrows into the brain and demands to be fleshed out.

4. What do you want readers to take from the story?

All of the characters in the story have checkered pasts, but each discovers that their past failures don’t have to define them. I think that’s a valuable message to put out into the world.

5. Will you write more about these characters?

When I started writing Clementine’s Shadow, I wanted to tell a story from four points of view, with a tight timeline where all the characters end up in the same place trying to rescue a little girl. Because of the multiple POVs, I envisioned it as a standalone, but lately I’ve started thinking about future story lines for two of the characters. I can see centering a story on Jane (the teen with anger management issues), five years down the road when she’s a sheriff’s deputy. I also have a story idea for a mystery that focuses on Brady (the pot smoking artist) and a long-ago murder that occurred on his land. At this point, I envision Deputy Casey Lang in a supporting role.

6. Where do you see yourself and your career in the next ten years?

Still writing and still living in California. You never know what’s coming around the next corner, but I assume I’ll also still be gardening, making art and practicing yoga.

7. What author (dead or alive) would you like to collaborate with?

Quite frankly, I think I’d be too overwhelmed and awed to collaborate with any of my favorite authors. But, if I could put aside my emotional fugue state, I think working with a master storyteller like Michael Connelly or Robert Crais would be an amazing experience.

8. Would you like to see a film made of Clementine’s Shadow? Who would be the stars?

Of course! I think the landscape of the California High Desert is a dramatic setting for a story and would translate well into film. The scenes inside the mine would also be appropriately spooky in a visual medium. As for casting, I’ve had several people tell me they see Jeff Bridges in the part of Brady–I suspect that’s because Brady reminds them of The Dude. But I think it would be fun to see someone like George Clooney take on that role. For Casey, I picture Kate Winslett–since she can do tough and smart—as well as handle an American accent.

9. Are you working on anything that you can tell KSR a little about?

I’ve had a busy year writing-wise. I’m currently editing, a Young Adult mystery which takes place in Ventura during fire season in 1977. I’m also polishing Erasing Ramona, a mystery set in Mill Valley, California, which centers around a decade old murder.

10. What other genres would you like to try your hand at one day?

I’ve always read across genres, but I’m happy writing in the thriller and mystery genres. I love the puzzle aspect of composing the plot and the research involved with each setting and set of circumstances. The only shifts I anticipate is targeting books for different age audiences since I enjoy writing for both adult and YA audiences.

11. What would you be doing if you weren’t writing?

I’d be creating ceramic landscapes and working in my garden.

12. Thank you for participating in the interview! Can you please leave the readers with three things that may surprise them about you?

Thank you for this wonderful opportunity to talk to you and your readers.
As for things about me that may surprise your readers…
1. As a part of my research, I actually took a required peace officer training class (PC 832 Concepts) to learn police procedures. In addition to learning how to execute a follow-along hold and properly handcuff someone, I also passed the firing range test!
2. I’m an old movie fan and enjoy re-watching old classics like The Philadelphia Story (Kathryn Hepburn, Jimmy Stewart, Cary Grant).

Find Peggy Rothschild online via:

Official site

Twitter

Goodreads

Facebook (LIKE page)

Monday, June 16, 2014

BOOK REVIEW: "Gracie - Women & War #1" by Ellie Keaton

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Historical fiction not including a vampire or ghost in the narrative is not usually my forte, but I give all books a read and review because, if I'm being honest, I devour books and hate to leave anything unread!
Gracie - Women & War #1 is a new historical fiction novella by Irish author Ellie Keaton, describing how it was in the UK during World War II, right before and after it began.
It tells the tale of a young lady named Gracie Thompson and her family--her veteran father, weary mother, younger siblings and twin brother Stan, who wants to fly in the war. Stan's best friend, Charlie Power, also wants to fly, but there is one thing that he wants more: Gracie! The two are in love, but can their love last through this horrific event?
Gracie isn't alone throughout all of this: her best friend Penny, the rich niece of Gracie's boss, is there by her side, a great secondary character who will be getting her own book soon!

This is a great tale of how it was back in the mid 1900's, told with amazingly accurate facts and a lot of heart. Gracie is a great female lead--she's strong-willed and confident with a heart of gold. In fact, every character is so important, even those who don't appear for more than a page or so.
It's a vivid book with a heartbreaking narrative and a wonderful love story at its heart. It shows how women were treated with kid gloves back then (unless they were laboring in the kitchen, of course!) and how we longed to be free to fight and do our part to help our countries.
I enjoyed reading this and I'm sure you will too, reader. It will leave you wanting more from Penny!

4/5--great read!

Purchase Gracie - Women & War #1 via:

Amazon (US)

Amazon (UK)

Goodreads

BOOK SALE SPOTLIGHT: "Adrenaline" by John Benedict

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Murder is the ultimate rush 

When patents start dying unexpectedly in the O.R. at Mercy Hospital, anesthesiologist Doug Landry finds himself the focus of the blame. Is he really incompetent or is there something more sinister going on? As Doug struggles to clear his name and unravel the secret of the mysterious deaths, it becomes clear that someone will stop at nothing to keep him from exposing the devastating truth. Doug becomes trapped in a grisly race against time to prevent more deaths--including his own. 

From the boardroom to the recovery room to the thrilling climax in the operating room, Adrenaline is a heart-pounding, adrenaline rush of suspense, action and intrigue in an extremely realistic setting. If you like the novels of Robin Cook and Tess Gerritsen, Adrenaline will leave you breathless.

Purchase Adrenaline FREE for a limited time, only on Amazon Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00H3LCCRS?ie=UTF8&at=aw-android-pc-us-20&force-full-site=1&ref_=aw_bottom_links

Saturday, June 14, 2014

COMIC BOOK REVIEW: "San Hannibal #2: The Corpse Broker"

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Writer/artist: Dan Schkade
Colors/letters: Jesse Snavlin
Cover: JD Faith
Editor: PJ Perez
Publisher: Pop! Goes The Icon

In the second installment of San Hannibal, the reader finds PI Avery  still searching for the missing photojournalist Savannah Loy.
He needs to talk to the last person to see her alive, but she's not so easy to get information from. When he's taken to an underground Fight Club and ambushed. He's lucky: most in the ambush died.

This issue is much more action-packed than issue #1. Schkade's writing is still very simplistic and to the point, but he's added a new level of mystique to it to keep the reader guessing, when one of the characters gives Avery a little riddle.
I like the added depth to it and I also enjoy the color scheme that changed from the first issue's pink to a neon blue with faint hints of gold and pink, depending on the scene.
The art reminded me a bit of Mignola and Gabriel Bá, and that is a compliment!
This is a great indie mystery and I look forward to reading the next installment!

4/5--great work!

Purchase San Hannibal #2 at you local comic shop or from Pop! Goes The Icon's store HERE .

Thursday, June 12, 2014

BOOK REVIEW: "Space Sushi" by L.R. Currell

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In L.R. Currell's futuristic short story, "Space Sushi--Lunch In 100 Years", part of the Futuristic In Nature Anthology, we meet food critic Chang Luis Sahari, whose editor has commissioned him to taste Space Sushi, an expensive, rare and potentially deadly delicacy from the intergallactic Andromeda region.
His friend, Chef Nikon, is the expert feeding him the killer dish, with help from his (surprisingly human) distracted waitress, Judy. Most people have robotic assistants now, like Chang's Tablet.
Will Chang taste the culinary version of Heaven, or go visit the REAL Heaven?

The 30 pages fly by before you know it. The reader is taken into a futuristic Earth where good food can easily kill and human error has been nearly obliterated thanks to robots.
You feel the fear, distress and anticipation that Chang feels. You wonder what on Earth is going to happen. And most of all, you may be surprised at the outcome.

5/5--excellent!

The Futuristic in Nature Anthology will be available in July/August. I will update this post when purchase links are available.

Rate/add this story on Goodreads !
Download it from Amazon !
Read it on Smashwords !

Monday, June 9, 2014

BOOK REVIEW: "Mr. Mercedes" by Stephen King

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I'll be blunt: when a writer (or actor or musician for that matter) has been around for over 40 years, their work gets a little shoddy, though there are always exceptions to the rule, like Clint Eastwood and Steven Tyler. For writing, that exception is the Master of Horror, Stephen King.
Like wine he improves with age and, also like wine, his stories gain more potency.
No more are there lurking immortals or ghosts in hotels. In the 70s, those things scared us because life was fairly innocuous then. Fear was for movies and TV, and it dealt with the imaginary. Now, vampires don't scare us half as much as the thought of a total Depression, or school shooting. As a great horror writer, Mr. King draws on that fear in Mr. Mercedes.

Retired Detective Bill Hodges is suicidal until a letter arrives from an old perp ("perk"), the one who killed eight people a year before by crashing a stolen Mercedes into a queue. One of the deceased was just a baby.
He wants Bill to kill himself while he watches, just as the old owner of the car did.
Now the killer has resurfaced, and only Bill can catch him, as the local police are tied up with a bigger murder case. Along with the deceased woman's sister and a teenage neighbor, he's on a mission to stop Mr. Mercedes before he ups his body count immensely.

Stephen King has been my favorite author since I was thirteen, and remains so today. Mr. Mercedes is a multi-level story, combining mystery, crime, romance and psychology into one epic novel. You go inside the mind of the killer and follow along on this crazy journey that could end in an epic, bloody catastrophe.
You'll gasp, you'll cry a little, you'll hold ypur breath, and then you'll gasp some more as the story envelops you right until the very last sentence.
Amazing work from an amazing mind!

5/5--AMAZING!

Purchase Mr. Mercedes via:

Official site

Amazon

Barnes And Noble (where I bought my copy)

BOOK REVIEW: "Clementine's Shadow" by Peggy Rothschild

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Lemonade, murder and art criticism. One of the final lines in Peggy Rothschild's mystery novel Clementine's Shadow will be permanently stuck in my head.
Deputy Casey Lang is new in Ardon, California. She moved due to two things: an 'incident' with a teen and a gun and her slightly disturbed ex, Sid, who won't leave her alone.
Brady Stone is a rich artist who loves women, whiskey and a little smoke. No one likes him much, but he doesn't really care. He and his friends are planning a little surprise for the town at the local concert...but they went out to the mine and won't answer their phones.
Jane Strauss is a troubled teen with anger management issues and a dark secret. When local drunk Winston's daughter Tiny goes missing, Jane vows not to let what happened to her happen to Tiny.
The sleepy town of Ardon is about to get a big wake-up call after Tiny vanishes at the concert...and some may never wake up ever again...

This book is very interesting and gripping. The cast of characters perfectly embodies the spirit of a small desert town like Ardon and the mystery surrounding Tiny's disappearance keeps you guessing from beginning to end.
It reads like an episode of Law and Order: Special Victims Unit meets an Agatha Christie novel. In most whodunit books, I know who dun it, but in this one I had no clue.
This is a book with a lot of heart behind it and it is really a great read for mystery fans. I'm looking forward to more books from Ms. Rothschild!

5/5--love it!

Purchase Clementine's Shadow via:

Amazon (KINDLE)

Amazon (PRINT)

Barnes and Noble

Pinterest

eBay

Goodreads

Sunday, June 8, 2014

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Don Mardak

Don Mardak has been a student of Christian mysticism and the Infinite Way writings of Joel S. Goldsmith for more than four decades. He also has conducted classes on Living the Mystical Life, and has been a successful entrepreneur for most of his working years. As the President, CEO, and Chairman of a small public company-International Monetary Systems, or IMS Barter-Mr. Mardak always tried to apply the mystical principles outlined in his books and on his website in his business dealings and relationships. The results have been quite astonishing as, very often, without taking thought, or striving for a specific result, the proper person appeared, or a meaningful event occurred, which made each day a divine spiritual unfoldment. Mr. Mardak tries to communicate these principles in his three books: An Adventure In Mysticism, Armageddon and the 4th Timeline, and Spiritual Healing for Today, Tomorrow, & Beyond. His greatest desire is that those of you who truly are receptive to this message will open yourselves up to the inflow of the Spirit. In that process, you will find answers to your deepest questions which, then, will lead you to your own search for Truth, and ultimately, your personal spiritual destiny. Mr. Mardak lives with his wife Judy in Wisconsin and Florida. They have two grown children and four grandchildren.

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1. When/why did you decide to become a writer?

I have always enjoyed writing and other creative pursuits. At the age of nine years, I began drawing my own comic books. Having always had a flair for good grammar, I have written many articles for various industry publications, along with copy for other printed material that my businesses have needed. But the first attempt at writing a novel came about fifteen years ago.

2. What authors inspired you when you were younger? What books do you enjoy reading today?

Early on, I enjoyed books about baseball or other sports. Then in my teens, I became very interested in science-fiction writings and the possibility of life on other planets. But when my interest in metaphysics and spirituality began to evolve, all of my writing efforts were in that genre.
And some of the most inspiring authors there are: Joel S. Goldsmith, Richard Bach, and Eckhart Tolle. As you will see below, I don't have much time to read today.

3. What was the inspiration behind your novel Armageddon and the 4th Timeline?

Armageddon is the sequel to my first book, An Adventure in MysticismAn Adventure is the story of one young man's spiritual awakening and his ultimate search for Truth. Armageddon and the 4th Timeline continues that narrative, but adds in two other dimensions: the war on terror, and time travel, making it a multi-genre read.

4. Are you planning on writing another novel of the same type?

Yes. The sequel to Armageddon--which will become the third book in the trilogy--is about 40% finished. It is titled, The Search for the Scrolls and the Final Timeline.

5. What do you think this book would be like had you not studied Christian Science?

Probably quite different, although the teaching that has inspired and motivated me the most is The Infinite Way message of Joel S. Goldsmith

6. How do your personal beliefs help/hinder your writing?

They are very helpful. I believe that we all have a Divine Source of Life and Intelligence active within us as the reality of what we are. Based upon that belief, each of us can tap into that infinite Source of wisdom and knowledge, and we will be directed in all our endeavors. Hence, if writing is your inclination, you will be a better writer.

7. Do you, personally, think it's possible to go back in time?

Most scientists--including Stephen Hawking--say it is not. Yet, wouldn't it be fun if you could? But then think of the chaos that would be created if thousands of us could go back and change some event that would alter the future. The paradoxes produced by that would be immense. I believe that the only way time travel would be possible is through the approach that I outlined in Armageddon, not by using some type of time machine, but as an activity of consciousness.

8. What do you want readers to take from Armageddon?

That there is more to life than can be seen, heard, or touched with our five physical senses. There is a spiritual universe--a higher dimension of life--to which we all have access. We merely need to turn within to the center of our being to find it. And if enough people begin meditating on this fundamental Truth and make contact with that Divine Essence within their own souls, we could create a universal circle of illumined beings who could uplift the collective consciousness of all mankind and truly establish the new age of enlightenment.

9. What author, dead or alive, would you love to collaborate with?

Joel S. Goldsmith

10. Can you tell KSR readers what you're working on now?

Aside from promoting the books that I already have in print, I mentioned above that I am writing the third book in my Grand Circle Trilogy: The Search for the Scrolls and the Final Timeline.

11. Where do you see yourself and your career in the next ten years?

Hopefully at the level of the great, successful writers whose books have started this process of spiritual awakening.

12. Would you like to see Armageddon made into a film? It has very visual narration.

Yes. Many people have suggested that, and the judge who gave it a silver medal in the Benjamin Franklin Digital Book Awards commented that Armageddon would make a fantastic motion picture.

13. What other genres would you like to try your hand at?

It would be very difficult for me to write anything that did not carry some degree of a spiritual message. But as the two books mentioned above are fictional novels that teach these principles, I also have a third book in print titled Spiritual Healing for Today, Tomorrow & Beyond. That one is a true textbook, or "how-to" book on the subject.

14. If you were given the option to go back in time, would you? 

Yes.

15. Thank you for participating in the interview! Can you please leave the readers with three things that may surprise them about you?

How about four things?
I am a rabid fan of Green Bay Packers' football.
Completely contradicting that statement, I meditate at least two to three hours each day.
I have been a musician--keyboards--for much of my life and have written more than thirty songs.
I still work most days as Chairman of the Board of a barter company that I founded 29 years ago.

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Saturday, June 7, 2014

BOOK REVIEW: "Armageddon And The 4th Timeline" by Don Mardak

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In Don Mardak's spiritual apocalyptic novel, Armageddon and the 4th Timeline, we are taken into a world verging on a nuclear holocaust. Bombs are disarmed at sea, in Israel and planes are crashing at LAX. The CIA, NSA and White House are all preparing for the worst, but Eric is determined to fix it.
His Tibetan Master has shown him a spiritual secret and he's traveling back in time to before Christ was born, after His birth and more to try and change the past in order to alter the future and stop certain death to 90% of the world.

Not everyone is going to agree with the themes and suggestions in this novel. I don't, though I do see truth in some of it. I do see God as an Infinite Being Who is inside all of us.
But, regardless of your personal religious beliefs, I think this is a novel anyone can read without feeling like the author's beliefs are being pushed on the reader.
The threats described by terrorists ate frightening because they really could happen. It gives the book a sense if reality and urgency it wouldn't have had if it were just a straight Christian mystique story.
Read it as fiction, because that's what it is, but don't ignore the strong message of God being inside of His creations. It's something to think about once you've finished the story.

4/5--thought-provoking

Purchase Armageddon And The 4th Timeline via:

Amazon

Goodreads

Wattpad

Author website

Facebook

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Thursday, June 5, 2014

OVERVIEW: Long Beach Comic Expo, 5/31/14

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(My first official press pass! As a relatively new blogger/journalist, this was a very proud moment for me!)

I put in an application for press passes for Long Beach Comic Expo, wondering if my achievements on my blog in the comics industry were enough to warrant meaccess to all of the amazing creators at the event. Well, they were more than enough and on May 31st I took 3 buses for over three hours to get from Downtown Los Angeles to the Long Beach Convention Center.


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It took a minute to realize that the entrance was on Pike, not Ocean, but once I climbed the stairs to the upper level, my photographer and I were accosted by the already large crowd, most of whom were amazingly garbed in cosplay that ranged from the popular (I counted about seven Deadpools, three Green Arrows, plenty of Harley Quinns, and at least ten Wonder Women,) to the rare (Red Robin, The Mad Hatter and a lone Castiel from TV's Supernatural). There were even people dressed as the telephone booth from Dr. Who!


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(My favorite Wonder Woman cosplayer, the professional burlesque dancer Ms. Fever Blister.)

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(Accurate Deathstroke portrayal.)

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(Sailor Moon, my favorite anime!)

My first thought was, This is home.
After getting my badge, I went to the exhibitor room first, and picked up some great comics, all of which were written by Marv Wolfman. Were I rich, the place would've been sold out!
The ballroom space was densely packed with comic shops, toy collectors, and plenty of artists and creators, including Todd Nauck (Young Justice, Nightcrawler, Teen Titans GO!), Scott Koblish (Deadpool), Scott Lobdell (Teen Titans), Len Wein (X-Men, Spider-Man and many more) and so many others whose work us comic fans have devoured over the years.
The only people who I felt were missing from the guest list were George Perez and Geoff Johns.
In the main lobby were novelist Davidson L. Haworth and renowned comic creator Marv Wolfman, amongst a couple others. Mr. Haworth was there all day, greeting fans and making new ones (like yours truly).
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(Davidson L. Haworth and I by his table.)

I interviewed him first for my blog here. It was one of the most informative interviews I've done to date, talking about religion, history, hockey and J.R.R. Tolkien. You can read that interview by clicking HERE .

I then went to Marv Wolfman and Len Wein's panel, where Mr. Wolfman's career was spotlighted in detail. It is amazing that his career has lasted nearly 50 years and it's refreshing to know that he still loves what he does. He was my first "official" comic book when I was 9 and picked up the graphic novel edition of Tales of the New Teen Titans' "Judas Contract".

After that we took a break for lunch (and to read my comics!) before I went to Todd Nauck's panel and career spotlight. Mr. Nauck was another of my first ever official comic books, when he was drawing Teen Titans GO! in the early 2000s.
Right after the panel I had the privilege of interviewing him as well. We talked about No Child Hungry, Nightcrawler and superheroes on reality TV. You can read that interview by clicking HERE .


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(Todd Nauck talking about Wildguard at his panel.)

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(Mr. Nauck after the interview with me.)

I walked around after that with my photographer, peeking at different vendors, displays, cosplayers and taking photos. I won't include all of them, just the best ones. My only regret is that I couldn’t get a photo of the one particular Green Arrow cosplayer who looked like he stepped right off of my Arrow DVD cover.
I saw the Sailor Moon cast, Deathstroke the Terminator, Raven, Beast Boy (Changeling) and a particularly accurate Riddler. Of course there were the usual suspects, like Darth Vader and Stormtroopers from the Star Wars franchise, along with the Joker (all three versions, from 1966 right till Heath Ledger's amazing portrayal) and a few Batmen. There was even a Nightwing! Black Canaries and Poison Ivys were also around, some of them shockingly accurate.
I had wanted to do a Raven cosplay (the 1980s George Perez version, not the Cartoon Network version) but was unable to find a dress in time. Oh well, maybe in September... ;)

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(After my interview with Mr. Wolfman.)

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(Speaking with him and him signing my Crisis On Infinite Earths and Tales of the New Teen Titans 1984 Judas Contract finale.)

At 5pm I went to interview Marv Wolfman, and was stunned and pleased when I was able to sit behind the signing table with him while we spoke about his lengthy career, the Teen Titans, Night Force, killing Supergirl and why he stepped down as editor-in-chief at Marvel Comics, amongst many other topics.
He is a very to the point and interesting man, whose career is one to be admired. Read that interview by clicking HERE .

I left before the very end to take photos of the amazing collection of cars they had outside: the Mach 5 from Speed Racer, some of the Jurassic Park Jeeps, the cop car from the Blues Brothers and, yes, the Batmoblie, along with a Batman-themed golf cart. Yes, I stopped being a professional and fangirled at the Batmoblie, ad my photographer did for the Mach 5!


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All in all, this was one of my favorite events to attend. Every one of the workers and volunteers was kind and well-informed, the exhibitors were professional and very nicely organized, the guests were accessible. I did get a little turned around at the Artists Alley, but that was a minor issue.
Everything was on time, and ran very smoothly.
This is a great event for those selling their geeky wares, for creators and especially for the fans. It was like a big family reunion with people you've never met.
I'd go again and again!

Thank you to the people behind the scenes at LBCE for letting me be a part of the event. See you in September! :)

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