Steve Stred's Blog, page 33
January 9, 2023
Book Review: The Merry Dredgers by Jeremy C. Shipp
Title: The Merry Dredgers
Author: Jeremy C. Shipp
Release date: April 25th, 2023
Our brains process information, it seems to me, in two distinct ways. One way is A-B-C-D. The other is A-M-E-P. One is a straightforward intake and processing, the other is a scrambled mess of stimuli that gets stacked into an ordered piece of data within their heads. This is how I feel when I read anything from Jeremy C. Shipp. Their work is layered and complex but will ultimately lead to a richly rewarding experience. I’d compare it to listening to Faith No More versus Mr. Bungle. If you know what that means, then you’ll understand what you’re in for.
With ‘The Merry Dredgers,’ I was intrigued with how this particular story would be told. After having read a few of Jeremy’s works now, I knew it would task me like few others do (I’m an A-B-C-D reader), but I also was super curious about this cult tale set at an amusement park.
What I liked: The story follows Seraphina, as she finds out her sister, who’d joined a cult and seemingly sworn off contacting her, has a strange accident and ends up in the hospital. She vows to discover the truth and the only way she knows how to do it is by infiltrating this strange and odd group of people.
Shipp has a unique way of approaching their storytelling, so we start off with an almost light-hearted approach, only for things to darken fairly quickly. Throughout, Phina finds herself struggling with several things. The first is that she’s seemingly found love. The second is that she actually enjoys being around these people and within their mantras. And the third is that she simply can’t make any end roads towards what happened to her sister, Eff. Jeremy keeps us guessing and wondering just what will Phina do and what ultimately will occur.
The ending was really well done, which I was so happy with. The ‘spiral’ narrative or abstract way of telling the story within an almost riddle labyrinth (at least in my brain) comes together and ultimately completes the puzzle in a really well done way.
What I didn’t like: It took me a bit to feel engaged with the voice of how Jeremy was telling this story at the beginning. It felt almost too light and not aggressive enough for me, but that shakes itself out down the road.
Why you should buy this: Fans of Shipp’s will be very happy with how they craft this one and the story that is told. It’s dark, it’s textured and it pushes the reader to the far reaches that are expected when reading one of their pieces. Shipp does a fantastic job of controlling the chaos and the reader is richly rewarded because of that.
4/5
Book Review: Nemesis: The Death of Timmy Quinn by Kealan Patrick Burke
Title: Nemesis: The Death of Timmy Quinn
Author: Kealan Patrick Burke
Release date: May 7th, 2012
*I’ve been reading this as part of the Stage Whispers Omnibus. You can find all four reviews here;**
Alright. Here we are. The big kablooey. The whole she-bang. THE END. As a reader and a writer, this is the part of the series that can hit a home run or stumble and reduce the journey to a frustrating ending. It’s very similar in nature to a sequel.
Now, leading up to this, a lot of puzzle pieces have been thrown down for us to put together. Over the course of four novellas, Kealan has laid out a sprawling narrative involving a trio of key players as well as the ‘here’ and behind the curtain, on The Stage. It makes for the possibility for a stunning and cinematic conclusion, and let me tell you – that’s just what we get.
What I liked: Following the events of the previous four novellas, we arrive with Timmy and Peregrine destined to meet, destined to learn the truth about each other and Kealan wastes no time re-affirming that this series is an epic battle of good versus evil. To do so, he needed to go to the novel length and that’s just what he did.
I will say, right away – he tells us exactly what to expect. The novel is called Nemesis: The Death of Timmy Quinn and the tag line is ‘The Epic Conclusion of the Acclaimed Series.’ This is 100% a finale, something that leaves a horrendous body count of those who’ve sinned and murdered in its wake and ultimately leads us up to a double climax – we get Timmy and Peregrine and we get the conclusion of Kim’s story and how things affect her and what her life becomes.
This – as most additional parts in series’ are – is really tough to go into any detail about things without spoiling the previous entries, but I will say, it shows the curse for what it is. It shows us how strong of a character Timmy is. We know what’s going to happen to him and even when it does it’s gut wrenching and tear jerking. Kealan seemed to channel some otherworldly cinematic muse for many of these scenes. It felt like reading four or five marathon conclusions in a row which made the epilogue that much more powerful.
What I didn’t like: Honestly, I loved the novella format leading into this, so I found the novel switch to be a bit jarring in that there is just SO MUCH going on. It had to happen that way and there are four or five secondary characters added into the mix for a variety of reasons, but at times it becomes a lot to take in, when all you want is to see what happens.
Why you should buy this: So, as I’ve said before, if you’re looking for a series that’s been concluded – this is a phenomenal one to dive into. If you’ve read any of the first parts, you need to finish it to see what happens. And, if you’ve not read Kealan, but are looking for a place to begin, this would be a wonderful series to dive into and discover Timmy.
4.5/5
Nemesis: The Death of Timmy Quinn
Stage Whispers Omnibus
3Q’s – Christopher Besonen wants to know your darkest secrets!
Fun one today in the 3Q’s world!
Christopher Besonen continues to churn out thought-provoking dark fiction. It’s been great connecting with him on FB and was excited to have him stop by for a visit!
Please, welcome Christopher!
Steve: What does your writing time look like? Do you try and write at the same time each day? Do you have a word count you attempt to hit?
B: I try to write a little every day, when I can between work and family time. It also kind of varies based on where I am at in a WIP, if I am rough drafting then I do it when I can, almost daily. If I am final editing, I like to try to do a chapter or short story a day. No specific time frame really, just when I get in the mindset to let it flow naturally. No word count targets, I just write until a story feels complete.
Steve: You end up at an estate sale and discover an unpublished manuscript from an author you love. Do you keep it just for yourself or do you share it with the world?
B: I think I would share it with the world, but only after gaining permission to. I don’t feel like it would be right to just keep it to myself, but that’s a cool question to sit and think on.
Steve: Tell me about your newest release (novel/story/poem/novella) and why someone should read it!
B: I’m a bit in between releases, but my WIP is meant to be the final collection and “lid” to what I have released. They’re meant to act as stand alone, or also as a puzzle series as they can all also connect. No matter how you read me, I can guarantee you that you’ve never read anything quite like what is within my pages. If you like surreal and creative, I’m your guy!
Steve: Bonus Question! You wake up in a comic book. What is your comic book character and what is your superpower?
B: Man, I love comics, but I am terrified of heights, and creepy crawlers. Hmm, so maybe I would want the ability to know a person’s darkest secrets. Then I could be a Punisher type character, but I’d also want to be invincible because that sounds dangerous!
Oh, great one! That’s awesome!
Thank you so much for doing this!
For more of Christopher’s work, check the links!
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21645394.Christopher_Besonen
January 6, 2023
3Q’s – James Sabata doesn’t like jerks!
Truly an honor to have James Sabata here today as my 3Q’s guest. Talented author, super supportive friend and one of the hosts of The Necronomi podcast, James is such a phenomenal member of the dark fiction community.
Please, do welcome James!
Steve: What does your writing time look like? Do you try and write at the same time each day? Do
you have a word count you attempt to hit?
James: From the outside, my writing time probably just looks like I get high and play video games a lot. I am an extensive outliner, but I also just run scenarios in my head over and over again, and I do it while playing Mario Kart or Animal Crossing, while swimming (I live in Arizona, so swimming is important), or while doom-scrolling on Twitter. I don’t have a specific time to write or word count goals. I try to write something every day. Sometimes it’s a few sentences. Sometimes it’s me word vomiting a half-novella. Everything adds up and I get there eventually.
Steve: You decide to host a writer’s retreat. One weekend in a luxury house on an island. What
three other authors do you invite to come along?
James: Danger Slater, Laurel Hightower, and Vincent V. Cava. These are some of my best friends, so I know we’ll have a great time together, but they’re also very in tune with the way I write. We each do a lot of workshopping for one another, and they each drive me, not only as writers, but in daily life.
Steve: Tell me about your newest release (novel/story/poem/novella) and why someone should
read it!
James: I don’t have a new release coming out right now, but the most recent thing I finished is a novella currently entitled CADUCEUS: A Cosmetic Horror. It’s a story about a man who is forced to grow a uterus to (hopefully) give birth to the next generation of sea-creature-gods. Hopefully the book will find a home soon.
Steve: Bonus Question! You receive an invitation in the mail from one of these two people. The invitation invites you to have dinner and spend the night in their home. Do you accept the invitation from Victor Frankenstein or Dracula and why?
James: First, I want people to remember you’re talking about the doctor because the Monster would win this in a landslide and I’d hang out with him all the time.
Now then, we do this panel at different conventions called, “Kill, Marry, Shag – Universal Monsters.” We let the audience members make cases for whether they would murder, marry, or hook up with whatever monster we give them, and then, as a panel, we decide the final fate of each monster. Having done this panel several times now, I have heard a lot of thoughts on each of these doctors and it makes this answer incredibly easy for me. Victor is a jerk. He wanted to play god but then wants to accept no responsibility for his creation or the consequences of creating life. I just don’t feel like we’d get along. Meanwhile, Dracula is an excellent host with a cool castle and you can stay for an eternity. I’m going with Dracula on this one.
Excellent choice!
Thank you so much James for doing this!
To find more of his work, check the links!
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/James-Sabata/e/B07B12LCF8
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JamesSabata
Website: http://thenecronomi.com/
January 5, 2023
3Q’s – Renee Miller wants her last hours to be cool!
3Q’s today is with one of my favorite Canuck horror authors! Renee Miller continues to bludgeon the readers furiously with each and every release she conjures! The number of outstanding books she’s released is staggering, which makes it such an honor for me to have her as my guest today!
Please, welcome Renee!
Steve: What does your writing time look like? Do you try and write at the same time each day? Do you have a word count you attempt to hit?
Renee: My writing time looks chaotic. I used to write at the same time every day, but I went back to work full time, and “someone” decided we should have three dogs. (that someone was not me) Both of these things make it extremely difficult to schedule writing time. I try to aim for a few times a week if I can’t write a little every day, but I don’t have a word count goal. I generally end up around 1000-2000 words, but if I don’t, it’s not a big deal.
Steve: You decide to host a writer’s retreat. One weekend in a luxury house on an island. What three other authors do you invite to come along?
Renee: Do I have to invite anyone? A weekend in a luxury house on an island sounds like heaven… alone. 
It’s unlikely I’d host anything involving inviting people to hang out, but if I lost my mind and decided to do it, I’d invite writers I know, because meeting new people is not my thing. So, I think I’d have to invite Katrina Monroe (They Drown Our Daughters), because I love that girl. I’d also invite C.M. Saunders, because he’s always been a huge source of encouragement and he’s hilarious (plus, I’ve always wanted to hear his Welsh accent). Finally, I think I’d invite Eddie Generous (Unnerving), because obviously. Not sure how much writing would get done, but it would be fun.
Steve: Tell me about your newest release (novel/story/poem/novella) and why someone should read it!
Renee: My newest release from Unnerving, RETAIL, is about a grocery store manager who finally loses her shit and starts taking out nasty customers. Every nasty customer interaction (aside from the killing) is something I’ve experienced in some form, even though some readers find it hard to believe. I think anyone who has ever worked in a service job should read it because we’ve all imagined doing something dark and ugly to at least one customer. If you haven’t, you’re not normal. I’ve also been told it’s hilarious, so there’s that for anyone who hasn’t worked in customer service.
Steve: Bonus Question! You receive an invitation in the mail from one of these two people. The invitation invites you to have dinner and spend the night in their home. Do you accept the invitation from Victor Frankenstein or Dracula and why?
Renee: Dracula. Because if I’m going to die anyway, hanging out with the vampire of all vampires would be a cool way to spend my last hours.
Well that makes sense!
Thank you so much for doing this Renee!
To find more of her work, check the links!
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Renee-Miller/e/B00BL36Y0U
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ReneeMJ
Website: https://authorreneemiller.com/
January 4, 2023
Book Review: Guests by Kealan Patrick Burke
Title: Guests
Author: Kealan Patrick Burke
Release date: January 1st, 2023
Now, it may look like all I’m reading at the moment is Kealan Patrick Burke stuff, but the truth is – I had expected to finish the Stage Whispers omnibus at the end of 2022 (but I didn’t after getting super sick) and totally forgot his newest one was arriving January 1st. It’s very rare for me to be reading multiple books by the same author at the same time, but I’ll make the exception for Kealan.
‘Guests’ was originally released as a signed/limited Suntup edition in Summer 2022, but luckily for the rest of us, we didn’t have to wait long for a ‘mass-market’ release. When the cover was revealed, there was a collective excitement across the social media platforms over the snowy setting, the figure walking and the strange ‘tentacles’ emanating from them.
What I liked: The story follows Mark Callahan, a young man who is dealing with the recent death of his grandmother. She was his everything and now that she’s gone, he sees that he doesn’t really have anything holding him to the small town he lives in. He has a job – at the hotel – and has a love – who has a boyfriend – and he just no longer thinks his life is in this place.
All seems well, if not topsy-turvy for Mark. But, this is a horror novella. With a huge snow storm about to pummel the area, Mark goes in for one last shift and on this shift, a strange group of seniors make a sudden booking.
It’s from here that Kealan works his magic. We get coworker drama, interpersonal drama and the impending sense that something is horribly wrong with these guests. Even with a shorter page count, Kealan allows these characters space to grow and let us know them and root for them. There’s some really tense scenes between Mark and the hotel manager, years of boss-employee anger coming to the front and erupting and this gives it that extra layer of storytelling. This isn’t simply a ‘it snows and people die’ story, no this has depth and emotions that weave its way through each and every page.
The ending worked really well for me. It might be a miss for others, but there’s a two-part wrap up that not only gave us a brief backstory of the ‘what’ but also shares with the reader what happens beyond the events and just how much Mark was looking for life long love.
What I didn’t like: While the ending worked for me, I think it’ll be the thing that makes it or breaks it for most readers. I loved how we got little bits of the ‘what’ but it wasn’t fully revealed and for some readers that can be a frustration.
Why you should buy this: If you love Kealan’s work – buy it. If you love cold, snowstorm based stories – buy it. If you love creepy folks who have an ulterior motive and when that motive is revealed you’ll be repulsed – buy it. This one is a fast, crisp story that had me desperately wanting to know what happens while wishing the story never ended.
Great stuff.
5/5
3Q’s – Michael Tyree just wants a good conversation!
Fun one today (Oh Hell, they all are, am I right?!) with a guest who is a super awesome dude!
Michael Tyree has created some truly stunning fiction over the last few years and while we patiently await his next creation, he has kindly stopped by for a visit!
Please, welcome Michael!
Steve: What does your writing time look like? Do you try and write at the same time each day? Do you have a word count you attempt to hit?
Michael: With taking care of my son during the day and working nights, I get whatever time I can. Right now, sitting in front of my computer is a commodity, so I take notebooks with me everywhere I go and write any chance I get (while he’s napping, during my lunch break, etc). For the longest time my daily goal was around 500 words. It’s low enough that I know I can at least do that everyday and if I stick with it, it adds up quick. I’m naturally a morning person, so in a perfect scenario, I would get up around 530 or 6, brew some coffee, and hammer out everything I can until after lunch.
Steve: You decide to host a writer’s retreat. One weekend in a luxury house on an island. What three other authors do you invite to come along?
Michael: This is tough. I’m torn between idols and friends. First, I would absolutely have to invite my buddy, Robert Ottone. He was the first real friend I made in the horror community, and I don’t know where I would be without him in my corner. I would have to invite Clive Barker. He’s the reason I got back into writing, and the inspiration for writing horror professionally. Since I feel like I would be excluding someone no matter what, let’s just make it interesting and say we would have a seance and summon the ghost of Oscar Wilde.
Steve: Tell me about your newest release (novel/story/poem/novella) and why someone should read it!
Michael: My newest is a collection of novellas and novellettes called, The Pale Horse. It’s a follow up to my collection, Potter’s Field Blues. Like everything I write, it’s in that same universe and it continues some of stories from that book as well as introduces new recurring characters.
On the surface, it’s an anthology loosely based on the mythology of The Reaper and the deconstruction of death. There are stories that make you question what it means to pass on with unfinished business, stories about the finality of death, and the personification of The Reaper. There is a story where an ex-president/war criminal learns to live with the ghosts of collateral damage. Another centered around a modern-day martyr who is given an unorthodox second chance on earth as a vengeful avatar. The rest are written specifically to wreck you emotionally.
That and all of my other books are available wherever books are sold, just in case you don’t wanna give Amazon any more of your money.
Steve: Bonus Question! You receive an invitation in the mail from one of these two people. The invitation invites you to have dinner and spend the night in their home. Do you accept the invitation from Victor Frankenstein or Dracula and why?
Michael: So, I think Count Dracula is a better conversationalist, and I could listen to him talk about world history and everything in-between for hours. But I haven’t forgotten why Jonathan Harker left a 1 star Yelp review. So, I would take the safe bet and chill with Dr. Frankenstein. Plus, I love talking about science, the soul, and grave robbing.
That 1 star Yelp review will follow him for eternity it seems! Thank you so much, Michael!
To keep up to date with his work, follow the links!
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Michael-Tyree/e/B08LQZ4WZF
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MSTyree1
January 3, 2023
3Q’s – Scott J. Moses enjoys his coffee in the sun!
Today’s guest is one the nicest guys in the dark fiction community! Scott is always supportive and is a very talented author.
I’m excited to have him join me today!
Please welcome Scott!
Steve: What does your writing time look like? Do you try and write at the same time each day? Do you have a word count you attempt to hit?
Scott: Hey, thanks for having me, Steve. There’s no set answer here, life being what it is, but I’m currently shooting for 500 words a day to complete the first draft of a new novella. I haven’t been perfect, as I’ve just purchased a home and with moving and all, the mental bandwidth hasn’t been there, but I’m excited to get back to a daily routine. I write most weekdays at night, and though it varies on the weekends, I shoot for the morning/afternoon.
Steve: You decide to host a writer’s retreat. One weekend in a luxury house on an island. What three other authors do you invite to come along?
Scott: I’d have to say Tyler Jones and JAW McCarthy off the cuff. I see them as literary siblings, if a term like that exists. We just hit the same tones and themes in our writing and I’m always excited to see what they’re up. The third is tricky, and so I’ll cheat a bit: either Brian Evenson (my favorite living author) or Claire North (the most influential author on my work).
Steve: Tell me about your newest release (novel/story/poem/novella) and why someone should read it!
Scott: My latest release is alongside weird horror author Carson Winter via Dread Stone Press. It’s a dual split book with a novelette from each of us, blurbed/endorsed by the likes of Brian Evenson, Laird Barron, Joe Koch, Alex Woodroe, and many others. Carson brings the weird cosmic noir, while I bring what I think is a mix of weird/horror adventure(?) fantasy? The reviews and reception have been swell so far, and I’m looking forward to the additional volumes in the series from Dread Stone. If you like weird horror that reminded contemporary masters Baird and Evenson of past greats, you’d probably be into it.
Steve: Bonus Question! You receive an invitation in the mail from one of these two people. The invitation invites you to have dinner and spend the night in their home. Do you accept the invitation from Victor Frankenstein or Dracula and why?
Scott: Hmm… This one’s tough, but for the sake of empathy (and self-preservation) I think I’d say Victor Frankenstein. That man is intensely afraid of death, and seeing as we’ll both die one day, I think there’d be an empathy there. I think something we as humans have to come to grips with, sooner than later, is that we’re all gonna die one day. This isn’t morbid, mind you, but simply fact, and I think knowing it makes us live harder and take less for granted. If I received an invitation from Dracula, he might not eat me outright, but that dude might drone on about living forever, and that’s not really my bag. Besides, I’ve recently become a morning person, and enjoy my coffee in the sun.
Excellent decision!
Thank you so much for doing this Scott!
To find more of his work, check the links!
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ScottJ_Moses
Website: https://www.scottjmoses.com/
January 2, 2023
Book Review: Peregrine’s Tale by Kealan Patrick Burke
Title: Peregrine’s Tale: The Timmy Quinn Series Book 4
Author: Kealan Patrick Burke
Release date: August, 2010
Reminder – I’m reading this as part of Kealan Patrick Burke’s Stage Whispers Omnibus. This is book four. To see my reviews for books 1-3 you can find them here;
Book One The Turtle Boy;
Book Two The Hides;
Book Three Vessels;
Now, I arrive at book four, wondering what Kealan has in store, not only for Tim Quinn (as he now prefers to be known), but also for Kim and this mysterious Peregrine character. All roads led to Tim needing to find and confront Peregrine at the end of book three, so I was excited to dive into this one.
I will say – this is almost completely a stand-alone story – or off shoot story to the overall narrative. If Peregrine hadn’t been mentioned previously and if Timmy wasn’t connected at the very end, you could read this completely on its own and enjoy a truly memorable and emotional novella. It was released as a limited, signed hardcover through Cemetery Dance prior to its release/inclusion into this series, so there’s the chance at one point that this one might not’ve even been necessary for Timmy’s overall series and completion.
What I liked: No matter, what we get is a harrowing story of a young boy who is also introduced to the veil, to the parting between here and there, the curse Timmy has been carrying since he was eleven and discovers there is a connection between them.
This novella is incredibly hard to review while remaining spoiler free. What I will say, is that Peregrine’s father is gone, his mother struggles to make ends meet and her newest man has now also left, telling her its either him or the kid.
I find this to be a frequently utilized plot point and, even so, Kealan used it magnificently. It immediately creates a reaction from the reader, it makes you root for and choose the side of Peregrine and when things get really dark/hard and brutal, you empathize with this young man who has to do the most difficult thing he’s ever had to do.
Kealan doesn’t give us a lot of ‘the veil’ in this one, but what he does give us is just enough. It opens up the potentials in our imagination for what the final book in the Timmy Quinn series will entail and it also gives us just a sliver to the prospect of what Peregrine is capable of.
What I didn’t like: I do wish we would’ve been given just a bit more connectivity to the overall series here. It ends perfectly and sets things in motion for the fifth and final book, but I would’ve really loved for Peregrine’s ‘dad’ to share just a little bit more about how Peregrine was touched and became able to see the veil and why these two (Peregrine and Timmy) are on this collision course.
Why you should buy this: Blah, blah, blah – come on – this is book four of five. If you’ve read the first three you’re going to read the fourth. If you have the omnibus, you’re going to read this. But, if you’re still on the fence on diving into book one, just know that every single book has been phenomenal and leading us to what I can only assume is going to be a stunning conclusion.
5/5
Peregrine’s Tale;
Stage Whispers;
3Q’s – Russell Smeaton wants to be low key.
And here we are! The FIRST 3Q’S of 2023! How crazy is this. Even crazier? I’m scheduling this currently on October 14th. That’s how far out I am currently.
Today’s guest is a truly talented writer and stunning illustrator. I’m a massive fan of his artwork and have done two of Kickstarter’s already! I’m so very happy Russell Smeaton agreed to join me today and thank you, Russell, for ringing in 2023 with me and the readers of 3Q’s!
Steve: What does your writing time look like? Do you try and write at the same time each day? Do you have a word count you attempt to hit?
Russell: My schedule is pretty much non-existent, so I squeeze in a bit of writing whenever I get the chance. It’s not ideal, but I’ve learnt to work in short bursts. In some ways it works for me, but it would be nice if I could set aside proper time ever day to write. I try not to look at how many words I write. Sometimes, when things are flowing, I have been known to rack up 2,000 or more words in one sitting, but I try not to obsess over it. It can be a pleasant surprise when I’m finished, and I look at the word count. Not always, but sometimes.
Steve: You end up at an estate sale and discover an unpublished manuscript from an author you love. Do you keep it just for yourself or do you share it with the world?
Russell: Ooh, that’s a good question. My first thought would be, can I pass it off as my own?! I’m kidding (sort of). I’d definitely share it with the world. I’m the type of guy who’s forever trying to get his mates to read his favourite author or listen to his favourite band, so I would be sharing it as soon as I could.
Steve: Tell me about your newest release (novel/story/poem/novella) and why someone should read it!
Russell: I’m working on several things at the moment. You might have seen pictures of these little pumpkin dude pictures I created? I’ve managed to convince a couple of great poets to write some beautiful, folk-horror type stuff inspired by the pictures. My aim is to put them together into an anthology of some sort and that’s shaping up nicely. I’m also putting together an anthology based around my local area of Teesside. It’s in the early stages, but hopefully will shape up to be a great collection of tales. With regards to my own actual writing, I keep chipping away at two novels. One a cosmic horror tale set in my hometown, the other a reworking of a famous children’s story. Both have stalled a bit as I focus on my Patreon (up to 5 supporters now!) where I put out short stories. These will all end up in a collection that I hope to put out around Christmas. That’s the plan, anyway!
Steve: Bonus Question! You wake up in a comic book. What is your comic book character and what is your superpower?
Russell: If I woke up in a comic book, I’d probably be Bud Bradley, but would love to be in Love and Rockets. I can see myself as a male Maggie or Hopey! Superpower would probably be something low-key. Maybe something like Arno Strine’s power in The Fermata – I’ll leave it there if you’ve not read the book!
I haven’t read that so I’ll not Google it and spoil it for myself!
Thank you so much for doing this Russell!
To find more of his work, check the links!
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Russell-Smeaton/e/B06XSYJ8TP
Twitter: https://twitter.com/tikirussy
