Steve Stred's Blog, page 38

3Q’s Special – Don Gillette tells us what’s that sound!

Boy, do we have a fun one today! Don Gillette was one of my earliest supporters and he’s frequently a supporter and advocate for so many authors out there. He’s been around the publishing world for many years and brings his wealth of knowledge to all that he does.

I’m so happy that I got Don to come and do one of these!

Please, welcome Don!

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?
Don: You know, Steve, I would absolutely love to be able to say I have a routine because I think that’d make me more productive, but the truth is I write when the mood strikes me. Sometimes, it’s manic, like 30-40 pages or 3 or 4 short stories without stopping and sometimes there are periods of days where I don’t write a word. When I was a hired gun, deadlines were like gold. Nothing can pull me into a writing jag like a looming deadline. But since I quit that line of work, I like to really think about what I’m writing before I write it—analyze it, go over it in my head. So even though deadlines made me more productive, it’s nice to have the luxury of being able to plan the next day’s chapter or story or whatever without an editor breathing down my neck.

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?
Don: Jacques Pépin and Julia Child. Nah, just kidding, that’s my appetite talking. I was thinking the obvious—Stephen King—and then I thought, “I don’t know him. What if he’s not all that interesting?” So I’m going with the devil I know—Gabino Iglesias. Very interesting guy who deserves the success he’s seeing. And if William Goldman could be in that elevator, too, I’d be good. Goldman doesn’t get much recognition as a novelist because of his great screenplays, but he was one helluva fiction writer. No, he’s not Cormac McCarthy or Kurt Vonnegut, but he never wrote anything I didn’t enjoy reading.

Steve: Tell me about your newest release (novel/story/poem/novella) and why someone should read it!
Don: The latest thing I’ve got out there is Collected Poems: 1970 – 2020. Most of the selections were previously published, but I also included several new ones. In 1970, at the age of 17, I published my first poem and that poem won me a creative writing scholarship to the University of Tennessee (Martin). The thing was, the scholarship only covered tuition and books and the school was 3 hours away, so room and board would have been a little pricey. I couldn’t afford to take the scholarship, so I went to a college closer to home. I do have an upcoming novel, Dark Voices, which will hopefully be out before spring. The editors have it now and they’re driving me into wall-punching fits. It’s a story of a regular guy who possesses the ability to sense the presence of evil and he’s taken it upon himself to do what he can to stop it. He’s not always successful, either.

Steve: Bonus Question! If you were transported back in time, which Pop Band/Hit Band would you hope to find yourself a member of?
Don: I’d rather play guitar for Gordon Lightfoot, but for an actual band, I would have liked to have been a member of Buffalo Springfield. I know that’s way before your time, but Stephen Stills, David Crosby, Neil Young, and Jim Messina were kind of amazing. And hey–Gordon Lightfoot and Neil Young are both Canadians. Shouldn’t I get extra points for that?

Great choice, Don! Such an amazing band!

Thanks again for doing this!

To find more of Don’s work, check the links!

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Don-Gillette/e/B00ISD24HI

Twitter: https://twitter.com/dongillette

 

3Q’s – Rowan Hill loves hypothetical questions!

Today’s guest delivered a super engaging novella earlier this year and continues to churn out darkness. Rowan hill is supportive, kind and encouraging and even more exciting – she’s today’s 3Q’s guest!

Please welcome Rowan!

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?

Rowan: Oh geez. Did I sleep well last night? Do I particularly need to exercise today? Does my lawn need mowing? No, there is no schedule, no rhyme or reason or word count. I will say this however for my chaotic process, when I get inspiration, I ride that sucker ’til it’s dead and buried and burn myself out in a fiery blaze and regret all my life choices.

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?

Rowan: An island? Are we sure we can’t make it less Honeymoon and more Battle Royale? And if I am inviting authors I admire, I’m gonna give them some writing material out of this thing! So, now the question is who do I feel I could sufficiently maim or would be a good ally until we inevitably turn on each other at the last minute?

First, I am bringing someone I admire. Someone whose writing stirs fear, someone the others will naturally focus all their energy and blood lust on. You know, Gabino Iglesias. The arms on that guy, the pens he must just crush! He’ll probably be first to go (oh god, I hope).

Next I’m gonna have to go with a controversial choice. The matriarch of horror, Shirley Jackson. She’s gonna act all motherly, act like she would never hurt a soul, never would rip the wing off a fly. But I know her sick game, so I am immediately at an advantage. I’ll eat those peaches, Shirl.

Last, Kenzie Jennings. I love her and her Splatterpunk mind, she’s good and could easily take out the other two. Dy’all remember the boot through the head in Red Station? Superb. I winced. But let’s be real, she’s short. I’ve got the height advantage, a good foot I bet. She’ll never see my ax coming. 

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

Rowan: The latest piece I have out is with the wonderful, hard working Kristi Peterson Schoonover at 34 Orchard. Memory Foam is a 2nd POV of a touchy subject of carers for the long-term disabled. I enjoyed writing it and it’s a fast read, so maybe check it out? For bigger stuff, stay tuned. I love glamorous Hollywood slashers and my Southern Arkansas roots have turned gothic.

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?

Rowan: What! I love this question. Why are we talking about writing schedules when we could ponder these wonderful hypotheticals!? Essentially, you’re asking whether I am intellectually motivated or if I want a ‘good’ night that may or may not lead to death. On one hand, I am a science nerd, and the old Doc is very tempting. Pick his brain for a few hours? Why did he go big on the first experiment, a gigantic man he couldn’t control!? Why not start with a cute, chimera bunny? And the balls on that guy! Frankenstein was a lot of things, but no one ever really mentions his brass balls. On the other hand, I could sample some superb and erotic vampire dick. I mean…

 

Great response haha! Thank you for doing this again!

To find more of her work, check the links!

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Rowan-Hill/e/B092DG2CFX

Twitter: https://twitter.com/WriterRowanHill

Website: https://www.writerrowanhill.com/

3Q’s Special – Angel Van Atta and the power of over-thinking!

Big time thanks for all of you who continue to read this series and support it so much! It’s been a ton of fun and I’ve loved seeing all of the comments from people who rave about finding new-to-them authors, which is one of the biggest reasons that I decided to even start doing this!

Today’s guest is a fun one! I connected with Angel Van Atta a while back over on FB and since then, it’s been a mutual support-fest! I’m super happy to have her as today’s Special 3Q’s guest!

Please, welcome Angel!

 

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?

AVA: To be honest, I am a total night owl, and so most of my writing gets done at night, while the moon is high in the sky and the world is asleep around me. It’s the magical time. The secret time. And I think my writing is better for it. As if, maybe, some of that magic gets wrapped up in it. At least, I’d like to hope so.

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?

AVA: I do love estate sales because I love drifting through times that have come before me. I love stumbling over items that show how much we have progressed, or regressed, as time has moved slowly, but steadily, on. And so if I were ever lucky enough to come across something as amazing as a long lost manuscript I would absolutely want to share that with the world! Though, I must confess, I would definitely spend some time with it first. All wrapped up in a comfy blanket with a steaming cup of chocolate coffee nearby. But then I would definitely pass it on. Anything I can do to spread some good will around, I try to. And what spreads joy better than books? They’re these magical items that transport us through time and space and allow us to have experiences we otherwise never could.

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

AVA: My latest novel is called The Paintings That Hung. It’s the third in its series and it really is about the powers within ourselves that we can tap into when we are needed by others around us. About coming together to fight against evil for the common good and about love and family and finding our potential. But, also, a lot of really messed up and gory stuff happens along the way. My first book was about possession and my second was my haunted house tale. This one is my wicked witch story and the one I’m currently working on, the one that will finalize the series as of now, is my take on vampires. Well, a vampire. It’s fitting because these were the tropes that meant so much to me while growing up. They were the things that went bump in the night and that peered out at me through shiny, beady eyes from within my closet door. Which always seemed to be just slightly ajar.

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

AVA: Oh, man, this is a great question because I love me some super heroes. If I suddenly found myself bitten by a radioactive spider or fell somehow into a giant oozing vat of bubbling green chemicals, I would probably be known as Anxiety Angel. My superpowers would include the ability to tell the outcome of things through lightning fast overthinking! Though out of the one million five hundred thousand and fifty three possible outcomes I would come up with, which one that would actually end up happening would be as big of a surprise to me as it would be to you. Anxiety Angel really would be basically the same as regular Angel, just with super cute pink spandex and those boots that go up to your knees.

Thank you so much for including me in this. It was a lot of fun and I’m honored to be chosen. It was a lot of fun!

Welcome! Thank you so much for doing this, Angel!

To find more of her work and follow along – check the links!

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Angel-Van-Atta/e/B0B57FDMPY

Twitter: https://twitter.com/HouswyfWithAPen

3Q’s – Chris Kosarich – shapeshifter!

Today’s guest is a super-talented writer, always supportive friend and someone who constantly encourages everyone around him!

I’m super happy to have Chris Kosarich today as my 3Q’s guest!

Welcome Chris!

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?

Chris: Like many of us that also work full-time, I generally find time when I’m either enjoying a day off or a nice quiet morning for a couple hours before I go in for a shift. I don’t ever bother with a word count and I’m just pleased to get a few good solid hours of writing time in. Mostly mornings and afternoons work best for me.

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?

Chris: *Evil chuckle* I’ll never tell…

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

Chris: So, I’ve finished up work on the third and final book in my Roseblood trilogy called Bloodlust, which I’m doing revisions on now and hope to have out be Halloween or shortly after. The Roseblood novellas haven’t been my best-selling horror novels but since these books spun out of my first ever published horror story called “Roseblood,” I’ve become quite attached to telling her blood-soaked story. And honestly, if it wasn’t for my editor Erin Al-Mehairi wanting to know more after she read a new Roseblood short story I’d written several years ago, and wisely suggested there’s more of a story here, I’d probably never have written these books. That’s credit to her!

Also, I’ve had a story called “Lizard Kingdom” appear in the just released Summertime horror anthology Dead Heat from Crimson Pinnacle Press that I’m quite proud of.

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

Chris: Hmmmm. Tough one. I’m a big Marvel fan, love the MCU for the most part, so maybe like a badass shapeshifter that’s kind of a good guy but not always. Complex superheroes are much more fascinating to me.

That’s an excellent choice!

Thanks so much Chris!

To find more of his work, check the links!

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Chris-Kosarich/e/B08ZMCKLQL

Twitter: https://twitter.com/CKosarich

Website: http://horrorgasms.blogspot.com/

Book Review: Left to You by Daniel J. Volpe

Title: Left to You

Author: Daniel J. Volpe

Release date: November 10, 2021

We live in some strange times right now, don’t we?

The rise/return of white extremist terrorism and white supremacy. People being outwardly and despicably racist. And over the last number of months, significant anti-Semitism. We of course are currently dealing with a particular rapper whom is getting way more air time than he should be allowed to have and having his hateful views spouted all over major networks and social media. I’m not sure why people still support the guy, but I digress.

The reality is, we’re only 80 years removed from World War II and Nazi’s and their beliefs are far too prominent in day-to-day life. And, as a Canadian (and we are not that much better about his, or our treatment of Indigenous people and ethnicities), it blows my mind that this is happening in America. The country that previously was ‘the greatest country in the world.’ At least that’s what was hammered into me growing up in movies, tv shows and news stories.

Normally, I would’ve passed on this novel. But, ‘Left to Me’ is recommended to me weekly in DM chats. It’s been inching up my TBR for some time and I’ve always gotten on really well with Daniel. He’s a nice guy, solid writer, supports many and I’ve been meaning to check out something of his. Seeing as this is the one I get told to read the most it made sense.

But I went in with significant trepidation. About seven years ago, I went through two traumatic incidents. This led me to seek counselling to get my PTSD in check and give me tools to not become significantly depressed. I manage well, with my anxiety and anxiety meds under control. In one of the first meetings I had with the counsellor, he discussed my interests and knowing I liked to read, he suggested I read ‘Man’s Search for Meaning’ by Viktor Frankl. Released in 1946, it shares Viktor’s experience being imprisoned in a Nazi concentration camp. It was profound, awful, uplifting, horribly sad and a book that helped me gain perspective. Going into ‘Left to You,’ as I do with any books that involve Nazi aspects, I wanted to see how much of the novel revolved around that, versus any characters impacted and their story arc’s.

What I liked: Told in two time lines, now, then and back to now, Volpe unravels a story of a survivor of Auschwitz whom has inadvertently been saddled with a horrific truth. A hanger on that has allowed him to live longer than most. But his end is near and, after befriending a young man at the grocery story, Robert, he wants to pass this blessing/curse onto him, in the hopes that Robert will use it to save his mother, who is dying of Cancer.

Robert is the main focus of the beginning and the end, while Josef is the main focus of the middle/then portion. It plays off really well with each other and shows that the two do have a special bond and friendship. We get to see how Robert is struggling, dealing with two jobs, a woman he wishes to date if things were different and the reality that his mother doesn’t have long to live.

Josef, meanwhile, makes for an emotional foil, in that we see him delicately manipulate Robert and his friendship enough, to get him to ultimately agree to come over and discover the horrible truth of what Josef has been carrying around for many years.

I did like the ‘reveal’ and seeing what this thing was and how it was an even bigger manipulator than Josef had led us to believe.

The ending was good, even if I wished another element hadn’t been introduced, but it really showed the true power of this being.

What I didn’t like: Personally, I didn’t find the concentration camp aspect to be of an true necessity for the overall portion of the story. It could’ve been easily done in any other context, so I would’ve loved a foreword or afterword maybe explaining the ‘why’ or even if the author had a connection with this historical moment. 

I also hated the storyline of Sarah and what happens. She was a solid character and how Robert ultimately flipped was an odd choice and something that ultimately felt added in and unresolved.

Lastly, as I mentioned, the final element added at the end diluted Robert’s journey a bit. I would’ve loved to see it wrapped up with Robert, but alas it wasn’t meant to be.

Why you should buy this: If the real world issues that we’re dealing with are something you find horribly affecting to your day to day life, you may want to pass this one. If you’re looking for an escape and a survival story with some historical fiction mixed in, this may be up your alley. Personally, I really enjoyed the ‘now’ sections, which were intriguing and showed a son dealing with the finality of his mother’s life. The ‘then’ section didn’t add much overall for me. Which did dampen the emotional impact of Robert’s portion.

Overall, a solid read, if not a difficult experience based on real world events.

4/5

3Q’s – Alicia Hilton is completely persuasive!

Greatly excited for today’s guest! Alicia Hilton is a fantastic author and poet and continues to release new and exciting work all the time. She’s always been super supportive and now, I’m happy to welcome her as today’s 3Q’s guest!

Welcome Alicia!

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?

Alicia: I don’t tend to write at the same time each day. My writing schedule depends on the projects that I’m working on and whether I’m traveling. I tend to be most productive when I’m in a quiet room, so I don’t play music while I write. When the words are flowing, I keep working—sometimes until past 3:00 AM. Rather than setting word count goals, I set project goals. For instance, today I edited one of my short stories and wrote a new poem.

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?

Alicia: That’s a tough question. There are so many fantastic authors that I’d like to invite! If I was compelled to narrow the list to three people, I’d invite A.C. Wise because of her vivid imagination, Jeff VanderMeer because of his appreciation for nature, and Joe Lansdale because of his wonderful sense of humor.

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

Alicia: My latest release is Alternative Holidays, published by B Cubed Press. I co-edited the anthology and contributed a story and a poem. Alternative Holidays transports readers from the bottom of the sea to Mount Olympus, from shopping malls in hell to a bathtub in a cheap motel. Cthulhu awakens. Cupid becomes a vigilante. Santa grants deadly wishes. And that is just the beginning of your journey into visions of the holidays we know, love, and sometimes fear.

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?

Steve: Could I resist an invitation from Dracula? Vampires are terrifying and alluring. Immortality, the power to shape-shift, the ability to fly—all are tempting reasons to succumb to a bite and become a bloodsucker, but I’d rather remain a mortal. If I dined with Dracula, I’d persuade the Prince of Darkness and his undead friends to keep their fangs away from my flesh.

Fantastic! Thank you so much, Alicia!

To find more of her work, check the links!

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Alicia-Hilton/e/B07ZBMWM5G

Twitter: https://twitter.com/aliciahilton01

Website: https://aliciahilton.com/

Book Review: The Talosite by Rebecca Campbell

Title: The Talosite

Author: Rebecca Campbell

Release date: October 4th, 2022

You know what always blows me away/freaks me out? When you read as much as I do, I have three books usually on the go – a pleasure read, a TBR read (my TBR is ordered for my OCD reading brain) and a review book. Well, what freaks me out is when those three somehow miraculously line up and share very similar narratives/aspects/story lines. Case in point. I just finished reading ‘Dark Days’ by D. Randall Blythe, where he shares his experience being incarcerated in an old prison in the Czech Republic. At the same time, I started reading ‘Left to You’ by Daniel Volpe, which focuses on something occurring in a Nazi Prison Camp. And here I was, diving into Rebecca Campbell’s masterful novella ‘The Talosite,’ which is set in an alternative history during World War I. Three random books, plucked from my Kindle shelves that line up. 

Anyways, let’s move away from the freaky aspect and talk about the freakiness within. I’m a bit ashamed to say – I’ve heard of fellow Canuck, Rebecca Campbell, but had not read any of her work leading into this. I had kind of had my fingers crossed I would’ve somehow gotten a hold of a digital ARC of this novella from Undertow, but alas, didn’t make the list. No worries – look at the cover, look at the synopsis and – considering two of my favorite novellas ever are from Undertow (looking at you Armageddon House and Helpmeet) – I bought this one and watched it rise up my TBR until reaching the top.

This one is almost a spiritual sibling to Helpmeet, in the sense of the dark, brooding, thing’s done in the shadows narrative and the body horror that is done so very, very well. But it’s Undertow – what else would you expect.

What I liked: The story follows Anne, daughter of a famous physician who has worked diligently to find a way to resurrect the dead and use them in the war to defeat the Nazi’s. At first. That is stage one. Ultimately, the resurrected would become part of modern society, working the menial jobs many don’t want to work as well as the harder, dirtier jobs. Think coal mines etc.

Campbell writes like how you might imagine Shelley writing Frankenstein. Smile on her face with maniacal laugh happening at the end of every third or fourth paragraph after she’s reread the absolute brutality she’s envisioned and brought to life. (I don’t actually know this, but the way the words flow from the page and paint a picture in your mind, it’s safe to say it was possible.) 

We also get to see how things are occurring in the world around Anne through her partner (though not an official boyfriend or fiancée, but more like a really good friend with benefits), Ned. Ned can’t believe the levels of derangement Anne is going to and it makes for some emotional moments, especially near the end and as things come to light.

I was really intrigued with where Campbell would take the ‘experiments’ and I have to say, the last quarter was fantastic and really creepy, to see just where Anne decided to go and where her mind followed.

What I didn’t like: There is a significant amount of ambiguity near the ending. I know it’s purposeful and I personally usually love ambiguous endings, but for this particular novella I was hoping for more definitive closure.

Why you should buy this: I mean, look at the cover. If that doesn’t make your mind think of ‘In the Hills, the Cities’ by Barker and get you excited, I don’t know what will. Then, look at the synopsis. Look at the publisher. And understand that this novella packs an entire historical re-imagining within its sleek 100 pages, where not a word is spared and where not a single breath from the reader is allowed. Just another phenomenal piece of dark fiction and I’m so happy to have read this one.

5/5

3Q’s – Kelvin Allison gets us all twisted in a knot!

Welcome to another fun 3Q’s today!

Kelvin is a talented author, hilarious meme sharer and all around supportive guy. It’s been great seeing him release so much fun new stuff!

I’m super happy to welcome Kelvin to the 3Q’s hot seat 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?

Kelvin: Nighttime is the right time for me. I work from home and also home school two of our four children, so day times are often extremely hectic. However, when the clan have all gone to bed at night, usually about 6pm, the wife included, I sit and write, often through till the early hours. I try and hit 8 pages a night, sometimes I do more, some days I crash after 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?

Kelvin: I’d share it. I know that sounds all goody goody, but I am a reader first and foremost and these things are written to be read. I can’t think of anything more heartbreaking that a book with no-one to love it

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

Kelvin: On October 1st my monster novel Knot; Book One of the Underpeople is released. It is built on fond memories of watching Ron Perlman and Linda Hamilton in beauty and the beast, and the fascination I had with the underground city and tunnels that the beast and his people called home. Also, Cabal by the great Clive Barker and the film it spawned Nightbreed, are two of my favourite things in life. I love the idea that monsters can be the good guys too. If you loved Beauty and the Beast or Nightbreed, you might like Knot.

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

Kelvin: Oh, I love comics and have been reading them since about ’78 when I was 5, and me and my wife used to own a comic shop in the UK where we live. Right, my name would be Clone, and I would be able to assume the form and voice of anyone that I wanted to. Oh the fun I would have

Oh, great answer! Love that one!

Thanks again for doing this Kelvin!

To find more of his work, check the links!

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Kelvin-Allison/e/B088W9JMMJ/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/allison_author

Book Review: Dark Days: My Tribulations and Trials by D. Randall Blythe

Title: Dark Days: My Tribulations and Trials

Author: D. Randall Blythe

Release date: June 24, 2014

I’m not a typical non-fiction reader. Some of it’s great, some of it’s middle of the road and some of it I have zero interest in. The biggest thing for me, is that I already know what’s happened. Obviously not all of the details, but I usually know the basics, the beginning middle and ending.

Such is the case with this novel.

I’m a huge Lamb of God fan – even have a LoG tattoo – and was fortunate enough to not only meet the band previously but did so while acting as part of their security team at a signing event in Vancouver at the former Scrape Records. I’ve seen them close to a dozen times and continue to spin their albums weekly. While I’m still partial to Ashes of the Wake as my fav LoG album, each one hits some fantastic musical places and for this metalhead, it’s always a good time

For those who are unaware – in 2011 (and I still remember how shocking it was) Lamb of God arrived in the Czech Republic to play a show, and their singer, one D. Randall Blythe was arrested for manslaughter. A year prior at a show, he’d pushed a stage crasher off the stage. The young man fell, hit his head on the concrete, and died a few months later.

I remember following this story as much as I could, wondering why Randy was still in jail, buying a ‘Free Randall Blythe’ wrist band to support his legal fees and after it was all said and done, watching the documentary that detailed the events.

This novel is a bit different, in that not only does it focus on Randall’s alcoholism and quest to get sober and stay sober, but also his time incarcerated and the behind the scenes look at his trail.

What I liked: Having already followed this case, I didn’t find anything that was ‘new’ or stand out for me. It was “enjoyable” (and I use that word loosely because, let’s face it, he was in prison) seeing his descriptions of events within the prison, the other inmates he befriended or met and the guards – both inept and kind. 

Blythe has an easy way of writing, which works well for the darker moments but also the comedic spots and he’s been frequently labelled the nicest and most easy going front man out there, which really does shine here as he discusses doing what’s right and the ramifications this had on the victim’s family.

At times this was powerful and shows how fast things can go bad and get worse, but Randall handled it in stride and gave a really solid, straightforward perspective, which in a world of people who frequently get angered or enraged at the drop of a hat, was refreshing.

What I didn’t like: I found a lot of the prison scenes/chapters to be a lot. As in, unnecessary and plodding where it really takes you out of the pacing of some of the other scenes.

As well, if you already know what happens, you won’t really gain any new exciting insight to anything here, other than exactly what you’d expect being in prison would be like.

Why you should read this: If you’re a LoG completist or a metalhead fan and want to read this memoir, definitely dive in. If you’ve been a fan of the band for many years and read all the news stories and the interviews etc, you may want to pass. There’s some solid writing here and it is always great to see Randall’s calm approach to situations.

For this reader, it was good and I’m glad to have read it.

3/5

Book Review: Division X by August Hill

Title: Division X

Author: August Hill

Release date: October 20, 2022

Huge thanks to the publisher and the author for sending me a copy of this novel.

Check out the synopsis on this one. When a novel teases that not only are you going to be getting creatures galore, family drama AND a secret government type project – it gets my interest immediately but is also one that you know you need to dive into and see what craziness awaits.

From what I gather, this is the first part of a series, so do keep that in mind if you’re thinking of also diving in! What I mean with that is that you know full well not every question will be answered.

What I liked: The story starts out with a literal rampaging scene where strange deaths linked to stranger creatures has been occurring. At a family dinner, one of those creatures attacks and only two sisters survive.

From there, Hill weaves a story that bounces between what this secretive group is up to, as well as the struggles the two sisters face, both in their relationship but also in how they are going forward. It’s an interesting dynamic, and seeing how Hill keeps playing it back and forth for the reader added a great extra layer to the happenings.

As expected, we get a truly solid ending that also leaves us with a number of doors open about where the second one may go and just where the characters who survive will travel.

The creature aspects within here are really great and just a blast for readers. It also gives us a ton of rampaging carnage, which is always a blast.

What I didn’t like: I did find there was a significant amount of characters throughout. I tend to read a number of books at one time, so maybe if I was focusing purely on this one, I wouldn’t have found it to be that overwhelming, but as is, it did often take me a minute to remember who was who.

I did also find some of the early interactions between the sisters to be a bit odd. As an example, Randi, the older sister, gets taken one night after she transforms and her family member witnesses it and freaks out. She calls home and talks to her younger sister and says that she got a new job and left in the middle of the night and that’s it. Just accepted and we move on. It’s one very odd interaction that didn’t feel like a solid, realistic way to change character venues.

Why you should buy this: Do you enjoy the lycanthrope-based stories? If so, you’ll want to dive into this one and see what howling action Hill delivers. This one feels like a Hollywood blockbuster werewolf movie made just for the reader and if that doesn’t entice you, I don’t know what will.

4/5