BOOK REVIEW: "Universe Ocean" by Timothy J. Lytle

Podnar has always killed for the Dominion. It’s all he’s ever known. But one day he misses his mark.
That event changes everything, lifting the veil on a lifetime of lies. When the Dominion discovers that he knows the truth they execute the worst possible punishment for a telepath: Exile. Condemned to live out life on a planet where he is the only sentient being, the Halfac manages to survive until he encounters Harlow Cavalear. Podnar uses the human to carry out a desperate plan to destroy the Corsujian race. But instead of wiping out one race, he unleashes a terrible threat upon every species in the universe.
As Harlow struggles to find his role in the war, he begins having strange visions, repeatedly finding himself transported across time and space into the mind of a foreign entity. The experiences are hazy and dreamlike, but each episode is followed by real and intense headaches. And there was something else behind the pain, past the unsettling fear of unknown origin, a raw internal emotion he couldn’t quite put his finger on.
As the mental backlash caused by the visions grows increasingly unbearable, Harlow can’t help but wonder if they have something to do with the war raging around him. But the real question was: could he figure out why they kept happening before they killed him?

While I read a lot of science fiction, I haven't been a huge fan of the books for a very long time. I watch the films and movies, but the books were always the last on my TBR list. Funny, because every time I read a sci-fi book, I find myself drawn in immediately with the new worlds created seemingly from nothing but pure imagination.
Universe Ocean might be one of the grandest ones I've come across as a reviewer. Based on exile and war, you could call it a space version of Lord of the Rings, which was based off of war as well. But Universe Ocean isn't just an allegory, it's a beautiful, if dark, space opera.
Podnar is a telepath forced into exile, the worst thing for someone who needs mental contact with other living beings. His voice and his heart immediately make him a sympathetic and recognizable character, strong and vengeful.
Harlow is a human and seems easily manipulated, but you learn not to judge him by his first impression. He's daring and resourceful, a great supporting character.
The story is entertaining, but it also makes you think. Think about war, about trust and about your leaders. About lies and desperation.
A great book, especially if you like both war and sci-fi!

4/5--a very interesting read!

Purchase Universe Ocean via:

Official site (has all purchase links and the site has an in-depth look inside the author's mind)

BOOK REVIEW: " The Toys" by James DeSantis

They've hidden their secrets for too long. Today we plan to coordinate a counterstrike on them. I will let the public know of their actions. Every little dirty detailed brought to the surface, so that the sheep can learn the truth. What happens after that? Well, that's what makes humans so interesting. They're always unpredictable.
In the epic conclusion to this trilogy we learn who the mysterious CAPE are, and why they're hunting people who are labeled as experiments. The war has begun and many shall fall before one rises.

This is the conclusion to Those Devils and 0-9, where we learn everything about the mysterious CAPE, just who and what the experiments are. You don't have to read Those Devils to get the gist of The Toys, but I would recommend at least picking up 0-9 first, to familiarize yourself with the narrative. With many names being numbers, it helps to start at the beginning.
With this being a short story (forty pages on my ereader), I can't say much without giving spoilers, so forgive my brevity.
I enjoyed the idea of those who feel wronged striking back against their aggressors. I love that they consider themselves people and not experiments. It's a story of self-preservation, self-awareness and rebellion.
Of course, this is James DeSantis we're talking about, and it wouldn't be the same.without gratuitous bloodshed. The first chapter sees a suicide, and voodoo doll-like toys (hence the title) are used to brutally murder people and make them look like suicides.
In some places the violence is there for a reason, and in some it is just added shock value, and it works so wonderfully. I always enjoyed a good, violent horror story, and this is just that. But it's not just that: it's also a little bit of sci-fi, some satire (brief) and even a little heart.

5/5--an enjoyable ending to a short series!

Purchase The Toys exclusively on Amazon Kindle!

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Douglas Draa

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

I started my blog "Uncle Doug's Bunker" exactly three years ago. That gave me experience in writing articles and reviews. The blog landed me a position at "Weird Tales Magazine" running their website and Facebook page. I created about 90% of their web content which improved my article writing skills and I was promoted to on-line editor.
Back in July when I was still on-line editor for "Weird Tales", the fiction editor was purchasing Flash Fiction for the website. I wasn't all that impressed with what I was being given to publish. So one afternoon I foolishly thought, "Shit, I can do that."
I was mulling it over and a simple "punch line" came to mind. I tried turning it into a 500 word flash piece. No matter how hard I tried, I get idea in at under 800 words. For the fun of it I showed it to David A. Riley and he liked it. He encouraged me to lengthen it and it grew into the 1,2K word novelette "Indian Summer". I managed to sell it. This sale sadly gave me the impression that I might actually be able to write.
So blame it on David Riley and Fireside Press that I'm bombarding unsuspecting editor's with my rushed stories.

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

How do you define younger? :-)
I started reading at a very young age and the writers who work I began to seek out were probably the same ones every kid started looking for. Isaac  Asimov, Ray Bradbury, Robert Heinlein, H. G. Wells, H. P. Lovecraft, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Clifford Simak, Richard Matheson, Arthur C. Clarke. And I was nuts about the Doc Savage and Destroyer series. During my teens I considered Harlan Ellison a god.
What do I read today?
I love the Agent Pendergast Novels. I continuously read Gary Braunbeck, Wilum Pugmire, Jack Vance, Charles L. Grant , John R. Fultz, Darrell Schweitzer and Anne K. Schwader
I still read lots of pulp to this day by the likes of Hugh B. Cave, Leigh Brackett, Clark Ashton Smith, Manly Wade Wellman, and C.L. Moore.

3. What was the inspiration behind your novella October Harvest?

As I mentioned in your first question I came to me as a simply punch-line for a flash piece. I built it into a generic Halloween/Autumn short story. When the decision was made to turn it into a full blown "story", it became clear that I needed a setting and a flavor. Being my first story, I knew that I better write about what I love and the kind of setting I like best.
I grew up in Newark, Ohio. Back then Newark was a blue collar working town of about 35 thousand people. Newark is the real world counterpart to Gary Braunbeck's "Cedar Hill". So since Gary has Newark pretty well covered I knew that I'd have t pick another setting. Before Newark, we lived in the small Southern Ohio river town of Portsmouth. This section of the state is known as Appalachian Ohio. Southern Ohio used to be worlds apart from the Central Ohio I grew up in and this appealed to me. I could give it a southern rural flair (at least that was my aim) and still place it in a reality that I was familiar with. I love southern gothic/weirdness. Look at  William Faulkner, Truman Capote, Tennessee Williams, Carson McCullers and Joe Lansdale. Not counting Lansdale, all the others have settings and plots that are just waiting to be given that tiny nudge that would send it all plunging into the Twilight Zone. My mother came from North Carolina and I always had the impression that southerners have a deep appreciation for the bizarre, outlandish, eccentric, and insane.
And I think that this attitude makes for some great story telling.
So this was what I was aiming for. It's up to the reader to decide if I pulled it off.
And I owe a huge amount of debt to Davis "Night of the Hunter" Grubb. He set much of his straight and Horror fiction on the West Virginia side of the Ohio. His stories are set about 50 miles up river from where "Indian Summer" is set.
Oh, and I have to mention Clifford Simak, even though he wrote predominantly Science Fiction, his stories and novels have a strong rural feeling that greatly appeal to me.
Sorry for running off at the keypad.
To tell the kind of story that I needed to tell in a southern vein I knew that I needed the following.
A small river town with secrets.
A slightly daft kid who slides into insanity.
A terribly dysfunctional family
Drunkards.
Sex gone bad.
An old piece of run down property.
An evil senior citizen.
All of these elements mutated into "Indian Summer".

4. Will we ever hear about crazy Koad again?

Yes! Farmer Koad and his Grave Worms will definitely return. "October Harvest" wasn't nearly as ambitious as "Indian Summer". It was a hell of a lot more fun to write though. It's also quite a bit goofier as "Summer". I think that its a simple, gory, and fun story.
I intentionally wrote the ending to "October Harvest" in such a way as to give the events closure, but to also leave the door open a tiny bit for a sequel.

5. What was it about scarecrows and pumpkins that made you decide to use them in this manner?

Halloween! I love Halloween! I have at least 5 more Halloween stories in me. I say "at least" because I've already set down the 5 plots/ideas on paper. I know that the market is small for these kinds of stories, but i love them so much. And my love of the season will hopefully carry over into my writing an give them that little something extra.
I know that Pumpkins and Scarecrows are Halloween mainstays/clichés but I wanted to tell a traditional horror story.
And to be honest, "Dark Harvest" by Norman Partridge was a huge influence on "October Harvest". The main difference between his "Harvest" and mine is that his is magnitudes better than mine. Lovecraft's "The Festival" also played a huge part influencing "October Harvest". Oh yeah, and all those wonderful Halloween covers "Cemetery Dance Magazine" uses trip my trigger like nothing else.
Did I mention that I'm nuts about Halloween?

6. What can you tell us about your previous works?

Uhh, there aren't really any previous works. "Indian Summer" was first genuine piece of fiction. I've published three more stories since then along with a few "Drabbles" and Flash pieces.

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

Eventually I'd like to try writing some "soft" science fiction. I've probably read more SF than any other genre. The borders are kind of soft, but I'm definitely going to write some "Dark Fantasy".  I've actually sold an "erotic" horror story. I had to force myself to write it simply to see if I could. I wrote it for a "Lovecraft" themed anthology coming out from Scott R. Jones' "Martian Migraine Press" called "Resonator". It's all stories inspired by HPL's "From Beyond" and the same named film.  Scott was wise enough to turn it down. It was simply and extended lovecraftian dirty joke. I have one more idea for a disturbingly erotic and humorless horror story. That'll be my last attempt though at "erotic".
And of course I'd love to write "paranormal romance" if it would make me a millionaire.
Seriously! I have no artistic pretensions. I'm not proud either. I'd be all over "sparkly vampires" and "mommy porn" if I thought that it would make me rich.
Like the man said, "It's better to rule in Hell than to serve in Heaven".

8. What would you do if you saw what was happening in that pumpkin patch?

Run to the nearest phone booth (do they still have those things?) and call Doc Savage and led him and his aids take care of things.

9. When it comes to the paranormal--from ghosts to spells--what do you believe in?

I believe that people will believe in anything if it relieves them of responsibility, gives them power and wealth, or lets them feel superior.
I've never seen any evidence or experienced anything out of the ordinary in my life. I won't go so far and say that the supernatural doesn't exist. But I wouldn't bet any money on it. I dearly love the concepts, but I've never  personally experienced anything that would make a believer out of me.
And once again, I won't lie. I'd wet myself if I actually would see a ghost or UFO.
And I do have an irrational fear of the Mothman and Grays.

10. Which of your stories, if any, would you like to see as a film or TV show?

I'd love to see Steven Spielberg film "Indian Summer" (which I'll be doubling in length this year.), slap my name across the front, and give me a great big check!

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

A regular name in the smaller presses with a reputation for writing competent and entertaining stories.

12. What would you be doing if you weren't writing?

Being horribly frustrated at not being creative at something.
I also suffer from a terrible case of "Hey! Look at me!"

13. Can you tell KSR what you're working on next?

I'm wrapping up the first draft of what started out as a straight forward Halloween (did I mention that I'm crazy about Halloween?) story. It had now morphed into a 25K word Dark Fantasy novella. It's of another small town/Ohio/Autumn story that has grown beyond my original intentions.
I've done my homework and utilized Scottish, Cherokee, Appalachian, and Ohio folklore/Mythology and tied them together using their common themes. I've then added a large dose of John Keel's world view.
It's a hybrid Horror-Dark Fantasy- Adventure.
It's my take on Bradbury, Manly Wade Wellman, and the Sidhe.
I'm in love with it. It's scary, fun, and exciting. (I hope.)
And I've promised myself this time that I will TAKE MY TIME in polishing it.
It's my own fault, but so far, as much as I'm proud of them, my longer stories have been rushed and suffer from poor/sloppy/lazy editing. I have no one to blame but myself for this.
This time I hope to remedy this by forcing myself to override my own impatience and enthusiasm and take it a bit more slowly. Both the story and the potential readers deserve this. I don't want to be remembered as the guy who wrote mildly entertaining and sloppy stories.

14. What authors, dead or alive, would you like to collaborate with?

Joe Landsdale! I love his evil "down hominess". He can take the most god awful things and make you laugh out loud in spite of them.

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've entered this game very late in life. I'm 53 years old.
2: I have no idea what I'm doing. I'm teaching myself as I go along.
3: I consider myself incredibly fortunate and extremely lucky to have gotten this far with my writing.

Find Mr. Draa online via:

Amazon
Goodreads

BLOG TOUR/BOOK REVIEW: "All The Butterflies In The World" by Rodney Jones

With her senior year looming, Tess McKinnon has two goals: hanging out with her best friend, Liz, and avoiding her judgmental, alcoholic mother. Then yummy John Bartley arrives—to tell Mrs. McKinnon that her daughter is dead. Distinctly still alive, Tess is baffled by John’s tales of 1800s time travel, rewritten lives, and love. She knows she’s never seen him before, but her feelings refuse to be denied.
When Tess and John discover an aged newspaper clipping that indicates John’s uncle was hanged for Tess’s murder in 1875, John decides to return to his time to save his uncle’s life. Not really sure she even believes in this time travel stuff, Tess checks the article after John leaves. The words have changed, and she is horrified to find that John has been hanged instead.
Armed with determination and modern ingenuity, Tess must abandon her past and risk her future for a chance to catch her own killer and find her first love for the second time.

Picking up after the first book left off (spoiler alert; sorry, I couldn't avoid this one), we find John Bartley once again trying to convince a living Tess McKinnon that he's really from the year 1875, and traveled through a time-loop to 2009.
John thinks that this time they might both live happily ever after, never going back to his time...as long as Tess doesn't call the psych ward on him!
But a trip to a local museum of their town shows him that his uncle was wrongfully hanged for Tess's murder, and he had vanished. He wants to go ball and make things right, but in order to do that he might never see Tess or 2009 again.

Just like its predecessor, All The Butterflies In The World is a fictional masterpiece. Combining historical fiction, romance, upoer-YA/NA themes and sci-fi, you won't find another book similar to this on Amazon!
What I love most about it is the emotion behind the words, the conviction the characters have. You don't feel like you're reading a fictional account of fictional characters, but rather the story of good friends for whom you hope there's a happy ending.
The biggest difference between the two books is that, What book one was solely from John's perspective, this book alternates between his POV and Tess's. It clearly displays the differences between the two characters' mindsets, and also the sweet similarities. You get to experience first-hand as Tess falls in love with John, while you live with John in the jail, before his trial.
This book has something for everyone: sci-fi fans, romance addicts and historians specializing in the 19th century. It's one of my new favorites!

5/5--a fictional masterpiece!

Purchase All The Butterflies In The World via:

Official site (has all purchase links)

"Under The Dome" Ep. 4 Recap via @DarkMediaOnline

My Under The Dome Ep. 4 Recap

A little late in reposting this, buthere us my latest recap of Under The Dome on CBS from the people at DarkMediaOnline.com!