Steve Stred's Blog, page 37

3Q’s – Samantha Eaton wants to calm Cobra Chickens!

Today’s guest is a new-to-me author, and while I’m scheduling this on September 30, 2022 (hey from the past!), I do have her upcoming 2023 release already on my Kindle and may have read it by now!

I’m super glad to have Samantha Eaton as my 3Q’s guest today!

Welcome!

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?
Samantha: Lately, my writing time looks a lot like me standing in a checkout line, at the gas pump, or in the middle of the woods mid-hike frantically dumping ideas for my new WIP into Scrivener mobile. When I’m less chaotic, I try writing on my lunch break at work and then for a few hours afterwards before I start my evening wind down routine. Usually I like to shoot for 1,000 words a day, but early in the drafting phase I consider it a win if I write even ten words.

Steve: You end up at an estate sale and discover an unpublished manuscript from an author you love.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?

Samantha: I have a hard time keeping things to myself, but if the author was still alive I’d consider reaching out to them and see what they’d prefer I do with it so as to respect their privacy. Plus, it’d really suck to be on the flip side and have some rando sharing an unpublished manuscript of mine with the world. Chances are there’s a reason that thing is unpublished. Of course, I’d read it and probably vague tweet on Twitter for a day, two tops, before getting distracted by some sort of animal in my yard as one does.

Steve: Tell me about your newest release (novel/story/poem/novella) and why someone should read it!
Samantha: My debut horror novel, THE INSATIABLE HUNGER OF TREES, comes out on February 21, 2023 and it is about a girl named Cara who’s a bit of an overachiever because you kind of have to be when you want to break the cycle of poverty and intergenerational debt. When her sister, Shelby, who’s been missing for a year, comes back under mysterious circumstances, Cara must reluctantly team up with a local, self-proclaimed monster hunter to figure out what happened to Shelby.
Folks should definitely read it if they like monster horror where the animal characters survive without being harmed. I personally relate to the threads about debt, especially student debt and drew from my own experience as someone with student loans who will likely outlive her. I hope folks can’t relate to Cara and her family’s financial struggle (because I wouldn’t wish it on anyone) but I hope those who need the representation feel seen. If nothing else, read the book for Paisley the menace kitten and go foster a litter with your local shelter to keep you warm while reading!

Steve: Bonus Question! You wake up in a comic book. What is your comic book character and what is your super power?
Samantha: My comic book superpower would be that I am able to soothe and gain the trust of any animals encountered along the comic’s plot—especially geese. Canada geese LOVE me. I would probably have an army of Canada geese who do my bidding against the baddie.

Excellent choice!

Thank you again, Samantha for doing this!

To keep up to date with her work, check the links!

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Samantha-Eaton/e/B0B4Y6X3M7

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Samantha_Eaton3

Website: https://www.samanthaeaton.com/

3Q’s Special – Kurt Fawver and his New Wave Future!

You ever read a story from an author and just sit back and ponder how someone becomes just that amazing? How, this person’s work makes you question what timeline you’re even living in and if you quietly slipped through a wormhole somewhere along the way?

Every single time I’ve read anything from today’s Special Guest, that’s how I’ve felt.

Kurt Fawver is an award-winning author, a creator of phenomenal fiction, and I’m so truly honored to have him as today’s 3Q’s guest!

Welcome Kurt!

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?
Kurt: I used to have a set time almost every night when I tried to hammer out some words—from midnight to two or three in the morning. I’ve always been a creature of the night; it’s generally when I do my best work. However, with work and family responsibilities mounting over the past year or two, my writing time has been slashed down to half an hour or an hour a day, at best. I try to fit that writing time in wherever I can, which means I’m not working to my strengths, but at least I’m getting something down. Given how slowly I write, I never keep careful count of how many words I’ve written in any given session.

Steve: You’re riding an elevator and BAM! It gets stuck. What two authors (one living and one dead) would you happen to find yourself stuck with?
Kurt: I think it would be interesting to be stuck with Cormac McCarthy and Jorge Luis Borges. A gritty ultra-realist mixing it up with a metaphysically-minded fabulist—I’d love to hear their conversation.

Steve: Tell me about your newest release (novel/story/poem/novella) and why someone should read it!
Kurt: My newest story is coming very soon in Looming Low Vol. 2 from Dim Shores. It’s called “Radius Unknown.” It’s a low-key apocalyptic tale about an odor that destroys the world—or, at least those who can smell it. You should read it because it’s weird, it’s prescient, and it’s delightfully grim.

https://dimshores.bigcartel.com/product/looming-low-volume-ii-dhc

Steve: Bonus Question! If you were transported back in time, which Pop Band/Hit Band would you hope to find yourself a member of?
Kurt: Pretty much any 80s New Wave band. Keytar forever!

Ha! Excellent choice!

Thank you once again for doing this Kurt!

To find more of his work, check the links!

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Kurt-Fawver/e/B007A590OU

Twitter: https://twitter.com/KurtFawver

Website: http://kurtfawver.com/

3Q’s – Felix Blackwell is the anti-hero!

It’s interesting to see how online groups and sites can help a book gain exposure and get readers. Such is the case with today’s guest. Felix Blackwell’s ‘Stolen Tongues’ exploded through Reddit/Books of Horror and Tik Tok exposure and has created a ton of fans!

I love seeing how each person comes about finding their readers and Felix definitely found his!

Please, welcome Felix!

(Due to personal reasons, Felix has asked me not to use an ‘official’ author photo. I have respected that request and in place of his grinning mug, will use the cover of his most well known book)

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?

Felix: For me, writing is divided into three distinct phases: my favorite is the first phase, when I just sit down and free-form write a ton of ideas in prose and bullet points in a spiral-bound notebook. I love doing this for several weeks / months in the park near my home, or in the woods. I can always tell whether I’ve got a book or just an idea depending on how quickly and easily that journal fills up. The second phase is organizing all of those notes on the computer. This process is painstaking and requires a lot of meticulous effort. But if I do a good job at that, the third phase – writing the manuscript – is super quick and easy. I don’t have a writing schedule, but I’m a creature of habit and I always find myself writing a few times per week, a few hours at a time. I don’t try to hit word counts; I just stop when I feel I’ve moved the ball forward in a significant way.

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?

Felix: If that author was alive, I’d email that person and ask if I could share the manuscript (or if they wanted it back). If they were dead, and if the surviving family wasn’t concerned, I’d share it with the world!

Steve: Tell me about your newest release (novel/story/poem/novella) and why someone should read it!

Felix: My forthcoming novel (due some time in late 2023) is the prequel to Stolen Tongues. I haven’t announced the title yet, but it takes place on Tiwé and Nathan’s reservation on Pale Peak, long before either of them were born. The story follows their people’s experiences with the dark presence that haunts the mountain, and examines the collisions of their culture and lifeways with unwelcome outsiders. It’s bigger in scope than Stolen Tongues, and will have a ton of surprises. Readers who finished ST with a lot of questions are going to find out if they really wanted to know the answers…

Steve: Bonus Question! You wake up in a comic book. What is your comic book character and what is your super power?

Felix: My comic book character’s name is Deathcult and he is an antihero who sets out to demonstrate to the world how easy it is to masquerade as a prophet and lead the desperate masses astray, only to lose himself in the grip of power and become something truly evil.

Hey that’s great! Thank you again, Felix!

To find more of his work, check the links!

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Felix-Blackwell/e/B01MEF1RC7

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/felixblackwellbooks/

Website: https://felixblackwell.com/

Book Review: The Marigold by Andrew F. Sullivan

Title: The Marigold

Author: Andrew F. Sullivan

Release date: April 18th, 2023

First, huge thanks to Andrew for reaching out to see if I’d be up for reading an eARC of this one. While it’s not out until April, after reading the synopsis I needed to dive in almost immediately.

I will say, Andrew’s email had the most convincing opening sentence I’ve had received for a review request. “Hey, Steve. My name’s Andrew F. Sullivan and I’m friends with Andrew Pyper.” Sold. Haha! He went on to say something like, I’m a well-respected Canadian author, I have a book coming out soon with Nick Cutter, etc etc etc, something else, but I skimmed. I knew I was in! Haha! I kid. In truth, Andrew F. Sullivan is a name that has been recommended to me previously and when he reached out, I was surprised and humbled that he’d even considered me. So, huge thanks to him for that boost!

Now, regarding the book. There were two key things that really caught my eye about the synopsis. That is was described a urban dystopia and featured environmental chaos. As much as the climate crisis fills me with ongoing dread and worry – both regarding what we’re doing now and what kind of future my son will have – I actually enjoy reading about it. Recent books that I’ve read and enjoyed were Eden and The Last Storm by Tim Lebbon, The Road by Cormac McCarthy and Lost Girl by Adam Nevill. All books that feature a significant change in our way of life directly due to the ecological impact and climate crisis events.

The other thing that had me intrigued was the Toronto aspect. I’ve mentioned it before, but Toronto is a mythical city for me. Growing up, it was where Canadian movies, tv shows and those appearing in them lived. It was where Hockey Night in Canada happened and where the Leafs and the Canadians battled. It created a spot in my small town brain that hasn’t left. So, I wanted to see what Sullivan was going to do to this place that continues to shimmer in my mind.

What I liked: ‘The Marigold’ follows a number of inter-woven storylines, all surrounding the strange mass growing below the surface of the city, called The Wet. This gelatinous mold material that seems to have a sentient component and a human-like emotive element is transforming and taking over everything in its path, including the people it comes into contact with.

The various characters that we are introduced to are all solid, well formed folks, people we either root for right away or (rightfully so) detest immediately. It’s one aspect of the book that keeps you turning the pages, hoping for redemption to those struggling (looking at you Soda) and ramifications for those who treat people poorly and only want progress and not well made, dependable product (looking at you all of The Marigold/Dundee folks).

Additionally, The Wet itself is an intriguing and often used device that keeps the tension high and when we get the ‘human’ aspects introduced, especially involving a search for a specific character, it worked so very well to give it a cinematic aspect.

The ending is powerful, reaching inwards to the reader and making us confront a tough question, one that revolves around our personal beliefs and challenges us to try and be better.

What I didn’t like: Yes, there are a lot of characters, but Sullivan handled that well. What I wasn’t too much of a fan of was the random entries/chapters regarding specific apartments in The Marigold building itself. After a couple of them, you know they are added purely to show how The Wet is pulling itself further into the building itself and the reader will have no care or concern for the resident themselves.

Why you should buy this: The way the dystopian aspect is positioned here, a lot of this book reminded me of what I loved about the 80’s and 90’s comic book movies and Tim Burton movies. Where Gotham City is overrun by crooks and crazies. Where Robocop patrols the streets of a Detroit overrun by gangs and madness. It turned Toronto into this heightened, horrifying place where the ground itself is crumbling, but progress can’t be stopped.

This was a fascinating, if not awful look, at just what our future could become, but done in such a way you want to hold onto hope.

Even when that seems impossible.

5/5

3Q’s Special – Glenn Rolfe prefers his blood not be sucked!

Super excited for today’s 3Q’s Special Guest! Glenn Rolfe has been super supportive of all of my work since my early days and was one of the first authors to reach out and see if I’d be up to reviewing an ARC of their work. Since then, it’s been great to see his new work and how much fan’s have been clamoring for his dark fiction!

Please, welcome Glenn!

 

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?

Glenn: I used to sit down for a set few hours before or after work, but in the last year, life has changed a lot for me. I’m writing whenever I can grab an hour or so to myself. With a new baby on the way, that is going to be even more spastic. I like to try and write every day. Even if it’s just a review or blog post, new outline, or idea sketch.  I’d love to hit between 500-2000 words a day. If I miss that mark, I don’t kick my ass. Life is crazy and you have to be flexible. 

 

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?

Glenn: I’m bring Hunter Shea, Ronald Malfi, and Brian Keene. I want to be entertained, soak in their depths of knowledge and experience, and just have a good fucking time.  

 

Steve: Tell me about your newest release (novel/story/poem/novella) and why someone should read it! 

Glenn: My next novella comes out this winter from Crystal Lake Publishing. It’s part of their Dark Tides series where they feature three authors. Our books will consist of each of us offering a creature feature. Mine is called It Came from the Lake.  A couple of kids end up around a private lake and stumble upon the monster. A few other surprises pop up, as well. It was hellafun to blast that one out. As with all my stories, it’s more about the characters than it is about the monster. I can’t wait to start promoting this one.

 

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?

Glenn: Frankenstein. I wanna wander around that castle and see the weird shit he has hanging around. Also, he won’t try to suck my blood!!!!

Excellent choice! Thank you so much for doing this Glenn!

To find more of his work – as always – check the links!

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Glenn-Rolfe/e/B00AXYEBTY/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/grolfehorror/

3Q’s – Naching T. Kassa sees dead people…

Just to clarify – my clickbait title has nothing to do with ‘The Sixth Sense’ and everything to do with an answer at the end… Just to clarify! Ha!

Hey, welcome, welcome, welcome! Another 3Q’s has arrived and today’s guest is a hoot!

Please do welcome Naching!

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?

Naching: I am the mother of three children ranging in ages from thirteen to four, so I usually write in the morning before they wake up. Then, I’ll try to get snatches in throughout the day while the older kids are at school. Word count isn’t really Important to me, because I believe in quality more than quantity, but I try to write something every day, even if it’s just a few words.

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?

Naching: Oh, I share it with the world. I can’t keep such a wonderful thing to myself. (Especially if it’s something by Dean Koontz.)

Steve: Tell me about your newest release (novel/story/poem/novella) and why someone should read it!

Naching: My most recent release is a for fans of Sherlock Holmes and the Occult. It’s a short story included in the anthology Sherlock Holmes and the Occult Detectives Vol. IV, and it’s called “The Case of the Colonel’s Corpse.” In this story, the reader meets Sherlock Holmes’ cousin, Dr. Vernet, and must aid her in a strange mystery involving Colonel Sebastian Moran. Readers who enjoy Sherlock Holmes and his more paranormal adventures will enjoy reading this story of monsters and magic.

Steve: Bonus Question! You wake up in a comic book. What is your comic book character and what is your superpower?

Naching: I’m a huge fan of comic books. When I was young, I read Batman, Superman, The Flash, Green Arrow, Green Lantern, Dr. Strange, Conan, House of Mystery, Tales from the Crypt, Secrets of the Haunted House, Warlord, Swamp Thing, and all the Disney, Harvey, and Archie comics I could. I love Batman and issues of Detective Comics were always my favorite, so I would be Shade Mistress and I’d have the superpower of speaking to ghosts and ghouls. I’d then use their information to solve murder mysteries. And if you’d like to know my secret identity, it would be Tammy Richards, a mild-mannered librarian who teaches children the value of literacy.

Very cool! Thank you so much Naching!

To find more of her work, check the links!

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Naching-T-Kassa/e/B005ZGHTI0/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/nachingkassa

Website: https://nachingkassa.wordpress.com/

Book Review: Long Walk Back by A.S. MacKenzie

Title: Long Walk Back

Author: A.S. MacKenzie

Release date: December 2021

I love random book finds.

For example, I was recently scheduling folks for my ongoing 3Q’s interview series and came to scheduling A.S. MacKenzie’s. I’ve known A.S. for a number of years now – we are both former review team members over at Kendall Reviews and have appeared in an anthology together – and have enjoyed reading his dark and cerebral take on horror fiction. While scheduling it, he mentioned that his latest release was this one, ‘Long Walk Back,’ and that it was free on his website. Sure enough, when I took a look, there it was and immediately downloaded it to take a look. Then, when I realized that three of my current reads were pushing 500+ pages, I knew I needed a novella to slot in to give my reading brain a bit of a break. So, this one got bumped way up the TBR!

Look, if you’ve read any of my reviews or my own fiction, you’ll know the woods/the forest will always have a place in my heart, so knowing this was about two friends and a hiking trip gone wrong, I was excited to dive in.

What I liked: The story follows two co-workers that go on a weekend camping trip together. They hike into the area and enjoy a nice stay beside a lake. Things take a turn when it’s time to go and they can’t find their GPS. Suddenly, a storm rips through the mountains and they realize they’re lost.

MacKenzie does a great job of using the setting as the biggest antagonist, something I really do love. Even though it frustrated me (I’ll talk in a minute about that) that these two guys were so unprepared and still decided to do all the things you should never do if lost in the woods, it works well for their characters and keeps the reader pulled along, wondering what animals they’ll encounter and whether they will survive or not.

There’s a layered approach to the storytelling as well, with some glimpses into the ‘after’ of the hike at the start of each chapter, which helps to reveal the truth behind what occurred and the reasons for it happening.

What I didn’t like: Honestly, I couldn’t stand either of the main characters. They acted like children and their lack of preparedness and constant fighting was frustrating. But that was the point. So, even though it did grind my gears, MacKenzie used it perfectly to push the story along and heighten the ‘real-life’ stakes that revolved around their location and scenario.

Why you should buy this: Well, you don’t have to – it’s free on his website! But instead we’ll call this the ‘why you should read this’ section, shall we? If you want a survival story that has no paranormal/supernatural elements and focuses on two friends getting lost and doing their best to make it out alive, all while growing to hate the other one and dealing with that relationship dissolution, look no further.

This one was a fun one and will make you double check your supplies the next time you go camping!

4/5

Get your free copy at the link below!

https://claims.prolificworks.com/free/y1577OjG

My Fav Reads of 2022!!

Would you look at that! It’s that time of year when people start releasing their BEST OF lists and TOP READ lists! 

In the past, I’ve done a variety of things. Usually it ends up being top reads FROM the year and top reads from OTHER years that I read that year. Not so this year. This year, I’m purely doing a list of the books I loved in 2022 and I’ll have an Amazon link for each.

So, grab some popcorn, sit back, tune in, drop out and check out some rad reads!

(These are in no particular order!)

(Side note – I decided to not add in the re-reads I did of Andrew Pyper’s works this year to not have a hugely massive list. It’s safe to say though, being a super fan, that The Homecoming, The Damned, The Guardians, Lost Girls and Oracle all deserve to be read and easily could appear on this list!)

My Fav Reads of 2022:

Merlin’s Kurse by Joe Zito – the story of a young boy watching as his brother ascends to stardom in a rock band, Zito filled with with awe, emotions and nostalgia. Phenomenal read.

The Shadow of the Gods/The Hunger of the Gods by John Gwynne – Books 1 and 2 of The Bloodsworn Saga, Gwynn’s fantasy tale is filled with brutality, gore, death and creatures arisen from lore. Fantastic fantasy series thus far and can’t wait for the finale to arrive!

The Book of the Baku by R.L. Boyle – a novel telling the story of a young boy and his personal difficulties, managed to scare me as well as make me cry. Dark horror with a tinge of fantasy. Such a great novel!

The Root Witch by Debra Castaneda – in this fast-paced, creature-feature novel, we get returned to the 80’s when today’s technology can’t get people out of jam’s and the forest is fighting back.

Lost Girl by Adam Nevill – a novel that makes it impossible for the reader to breathe, Nevill transports us as only he can to rip out our hearts and keep us guessing until the end. A novel that’ll never leave my head.

Helpmeet by Naben Ruthnum – a doctor falling apart, a devoted wife, and a horrific body horror novella that’ll have you squirming.

The Haar by David Sodergren – perhaps Sodergren’s first romantic foray, but certainly one of his best emotive pieces he’s done. We get an old woman, a ruthless land developer and an odd ‘thing’ brought in from the sea. Powerful read.

In Search of the Nobility Tx, Wildman by Elford Alley – an interesting look at one man’s search for something he believes in and how his life was directly impacted by that.

The Last Storm by Tim Lebbon – America is scorched, while a young girl tries to create her device to bring the rain. Lebbon fires on all cylinders in this one.

Below by Laurel Hightower – a snow-ravaged road trip takes a turn when a stranger helps a woman and then an accident happens. But something lurks in the dark and snowy night. Great stuff.

Gross Out by Duncan Ralston – Indie Horror’s bad boy, Ralston returns with a tongue-in-cheek skewering of cliques, conferences and community. This one also has a nice ‘Woom’ side story that gives fans some answers.

Sunray Alice by Jeremy Hepler – Hepler can’t write a book that isn’t a page-turner. Following a young girl making a discovery during World War II, we get heartfelt moments, pulse-pounding events and ultimately a riveting novel about how things planted can continue to grow.

Bent Heavens by Daniel Kraus – a moving story about a young girl who’s dad believes aliens exist, only for him to disappear, this was a page-turner and one that truly will make you wonder if we’re alone.

The Year Under the Machine by Peter Danielsson – in this thought-provoking story, we see how life has continued on after things arrive and remain. Truly a book that needs to be experienced.

The Watchers/The Creeper by A.M. Shine – While unrelated, these two stories by Shine are phenomenal. In The Watchers, we see a woman try and make a routine delivery, only to be lost in the woods with darkness coming. The Creeper takes us to a remote village where local lore suggests things might be happening that simply shouldn’t be. Two phenomenal novels.

The Dunnie by Keith Thomas – It still boggles my mind that I’m not seeing this book in more places. A grandfather in the grasp of Dementia, a grandson discovering something is below the house. Chaos ensues. Fantastic stuff.

Episode Thirteen by Craig DiLouie – perhaps the first piece of Epistolary storytelling I’ve enjoyed, DiLouie takes us alongside a ghost hunting crew as they film a show and discover much, much more than they bargained for. 

A Strange Little Place: The Paranormal Secrets of Revelstoke, British Columbia by Brennan Storr – this second edition release of a prior version, Storr does a phenomenal job of educating the reader about Revelstoke’s history, while also sharing the stories that get told around the camp fires. Great stuff.

This Thing Between Us by Gus Moreno – I wasn’t too sure what I was getting into with this one, but we get a layered and complex story that genuinely is unnerving and claustrophobic.

Six Stories by Matt Wesolowski – all six of the Six Stories series is phenomenal and honestly MUST-READ. Following a podcaster who looks at different angles of strange stories, Wesolowski has crafted a masterpiece of storytelling and a batch of stories that’ll become all-time horror classics.

Moonfellows by Danger Slater – Slater’s most ambitious and poignant piece yet, we get alternative history told through an emotional lens by a talented writer at the top of his game.

The Grizzly King (A Romance of the Wild) by James Oliver Curwood – released in 1917, this story showcases nature like few others and is a moving and powerful look at two bears and their father/son adopted relationship. Breathtaking work.

Woodhaven by L.J. Dougherty – a father and daughter escape to the woods following government upheaval. Things aren’t always as they seem and when someone appears from the trees, all bets are off. Compulsive.

Oracle 2: The Dreamland Murders by Andrew Pyper – the sequel to his hit ‘Oracle’ audiobook, this features an ensemble cast as we meet back up with Nate Russo and his talent at speaking to the dead. Pyper fires on all cylinders and creates complex characters like only he can.

https://www.audible.com/pd/Oracle-The-Dreamland-Murders-Podcast/B09CLMJPJ4

Helicopter Parenting in the Age of Drone Warfare by Patrick Barb – a future world where screens have taken over and a father loses touch with the son he thought he knew. Very powerful, if ultimately gut-wrenching.

Seven Days by Patrick Senecal – a daughter goes missing, a suspect is identified and a father pounces. In this gripping thriller, ethical boundaries are pushed and ultimately revenge is sought. Outstanding.

A Time For Monsters by Mason McDonald – in his debut collection, Mason covers a lot of ground and showcases just how fantastic of a writer he is. 

The Talosite by Rebecca Campbell – in this alternative history novella, we see a daughter of a famous doctor try to further her father’s research, all while battling internal demons and external temptations. Body horror done perfectly.

The Reapers are the Angels by Alden Bell – in a world filled with zombies, we follow a teen girl as she tries to survive and makes an unlikely connection. A different take on the zombie trope and one that worked very, very well.

The Outsider by Stephen King – an impossible murder, a suspect that can’t physically be the suspect and total chaos when a discovery is made and a chase begins. I really loved this one, but I’m also a fan of Holly Gibney, which can be a make or break character in the King world.

The Road by Cormac McCarthy – my re-read of this was as brutal, bleak and depressing as the first time, just now elevated to a different level being the father of a young boy. The story follows dad and boy as they try and find the coast where they hope to discover a place to call home.

There we go, that’s what I’m going with. At the moment, we are into the third week of December, so anything I read and love right now, will slot into the 2023 best reads list for next year!

I hope you all had a great reading year!

3Q’s Special – John Palisano invites you to his Glass House!

We got ourselves a truly fun one today, friends!

Today’s guest is one of the nicest guys out there in the dark fiction community! He’s been involved in the HWA in various roles throughout the years, and, at the same time been writing and releasing some fantastic fiction!

Please, do welcome John Palisano!

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?

JP: Writing time is sporadic and strange. Mostly I write in the early morning and late at night, primarily with Google Docs on iPhone for the initial drafts. Later, I go to a proper computer to do proper editing and cleanups. I travel a lot as of late so I also bring a moleskin with me. I use those a lot as they aren’t dependent upon wifi. I find I write differently by hand than on the computer. It’s slower, but I actually prefer it. Over the years, I’ve rarely had long uninterrupted times to write, so I do so when possible. I even used to write in the cars and vans when my bands did our micro-tours. On lunch breaks at work. Whenever!

 

Steve: You’re riding an elevator and BAM! It gets stuck. What two authors (one living and one dead) would you happen to find yourself stuck with?

JP: So, this would mean I’d be standing in a stuck elevator with an undead Shirley Jackson? M’kay. Wow. I’d ask her what being dead is like, as well as coming back to life. See if there’s anyone I can pass a message to. Anything she’d like to clarify to her readers and biographers. Then I’d thank her for her amazing body of work, through and through, and hope she doesn’t drain me of my essence so she can roam amongst the living once again. Or maybe the cosmos would think that’d be a pretty swell switch: send me to hell, get Shirley Jackson back.

Living? Look: I was the same age as the kids in Stranger Things in the 80s and grew up a rabid Stephen King fan. He even sent me a signed postcard note, which was stolen during my 16th birthday party. Yeah. Been checking eBay for years hoping it turns up. I still pretty much have it memorized. So, I’d love to just be able to thank him personally for his stories and for giving a weird little kid so many great books to hide inside while the world around swirled hell.

Steve: Tell me about your newest release (novel/story/poem/novella) and why someone should read it!

JP: GLASS HOUSE is my newest solo release. It’s a peculiar one that’s surprised me with how divided and what little reaction there’s been. It was going to be a novel but my Dad passed away in the midst and … well … there’s a not too subtle sequence in there reflecting that. It’s my most personal and experimental work. Dives into some uncomfortable territory. The antithesis of my pop-horror novels.

Steve: Bonus Question! If you were transported back in time, which Pop Band/Hit Band would you hope to find yourself a member of?

JP: My all-time favorite is Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. Growing up on the east coast, I got to see them several times right in New Jersey and even at Madison Square Garden. How many times have I dreamt of slinging my Strat and standing alongside the band and singing along with them to “Because the Night” or “Badlands”? Countless! Hey, there’s still the soul of that scrawny 16-year-old in me somewhere! I toured and played with bands for years, writing songs and weird stories all along the way, so it’s all intertwined. Recently, I did get to write an interview for one of Bruce’s cover artists Jimmy Wachtel for Backstreets, so that was pretty much all my passions in one place! Not much has changed, but then again?

Fantastic, John! How cool and what a great choice!

Thank you again for doing this! And to find more of John’s work – check the links!

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/John-Palisano/e/B007EEH9JA

Twitter: https://twitter.com/johnpalisano

Website: https://johnpalisano.wordpress.com/

3Q’s: John Boden wants to be entertained!

Fun 3Q’s today!

John Boden is known as an author who’ll transport you back to a specific time and place with each of his releases. He has been super encouraging and supportive to so many writers and I was really excited to have him come on down for the 3Q’s feature!

Please welcome John!

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?

John: I do my best to carve out a sliver of writing time daily. Usually an hour or two, in the afternoon, depending on whether my after work nap overflows its banks. I work a 2am-almost noon shift so the nap is important to my survival. I try to add words to at least one of the few projects simmering at the moment. I don’t aim for a specific count just try to be happy with any wordage I’m able to cough out. I try to wrap up my office time by 4pm, that’s when the wife is done with her work and then we get to hang out most of the evening which is important. Been together as a couple for 32 years now and we still like to be together, nice, yeah?

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?

John: First, I would never host it on an island. I’m scared of boats and water. But a big ass cabin in the woods…for sure. I’m going to say Chad Lutzke (because as close as we are we have never met in the real life world and I want that to happen more than anything.)  Stephen Graham Jones because I absolutely love his work and we could also talk about hair metal. Kelly Barnhill, because I adore her work and I’m still obsessed by her short story “Hush” and would love the chance to gush about it to annoying lengths. That’s my today picks. Ask me tomorrow and they’d be different.

Steve: Tell me about your newest release (novel/story/poem/novella) and why someone should read it!

John: Most recent release would be Wounds To Wishes: Dark Tide Book One from Crystal Lake Publishing. It’s actually a trio of novellas, one by Chad Lutzke, one by Robert Ford and one by me. They are all connected to one another, some strongly others with more fleeting thread.  We were the debut book in the series and were expected to bring the sad, which we did. But I decided to tackle a different kind of grief and structure. My novella, Suet, closes the collection its actually the first thing I’ve written in some time that anyone has said was creepy and/or that it gave them nightmares. Those are sweet nothings in the ear to a horror writer, yeah?

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?

John: I’d go with Victor because being a doctor, scientist and a little left of sane, there’d be a guaranteed entertainment factor. And maybe real food. With Dracula all that would ensue is that’d I’d get all tired and sweaty trying to avoid being bled dry.  Actually, I’d probably just not respond and sit at home holding out for my invite from Dr. Phibes.

Ha! Excellent!

Thank you so much, John!
To find more of his work, check the links!

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/kindle-dbs/entity/author/B00FJFDI8C

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JohnBoden1970