Steve Stred's Blog, page 61

Book Review: The Twins by Mike Minicky

Title: The Twins

Author: Mike Minicky

Release date: May 11, 2022

Huge thanks to Mike for contacting me over on Instagram about checking out his debut novel, ‘The Twins.’

There’s always something engrossing and captivating about twins in dark fiction and in cinema. It’s a trope that can be done really, really well and many of those times where it succeeds is when you have innocent twins that are surrounded by worse and worse events or occurrences.

This is exactly what Mike offers us up and he does it with gusto.

What I liked: The book starts off in familiar territory. After receiving a horrible phone call telling them that their daughter is dead, two grandparents now become the guardians of their twin granddaughters.

Simple enough, right? Wrong.

Of course, this is a dark fiction book, so as soon as the twins arrive, bad things begin to happen and this is where Minicky really begins to let the story unravel. We get some really solid secondary characters and I loved seeing how they all had a key role in the events that occur.

As expected, Minicky at first keeps his cards close to his chest, not letting us see the extent to which the twins will go, but by the end, he lays them on the table and the reader is richly rewarded.

What I didn’t like: I don’t want this to sound overly negative, but Minicky doesn’t tread much new territory here. The book is fun, sure, but if you’ve recently read numerous stories featuring twins or sibling issues/connections, you may find this will feel more of the same.

Why you should buy this: For a debut novel, this is really, really solid. The characters are great and solid, the pacing really engaging and the story overall was really fun.

I wasn’t completely sure what I was in for when I dove into this one, but I was pleasantly surprised!

3/5

Book Review: No One Can Help You: Tales of Lost Children and Other Nightmares by Ruth Anna Evans

Title: No One Can Help You: Tales of Lost Children and Other Nightmares

Author: Ruth Anna Evans

Release date: May 28th, 2022

Another release that came onto my radar recently when I tweeted that I was here to help folks (good grief how arrogant does that sound! Apologies, not my intentions at all!) if they were trying to get some reviews or blurbs etc, ‘No One Can Help You: Tales of Lost Children and Other Nightmares,’ comes with a warning at the beginning that there are a number of triggers within, and I have to say – even with those triggers, the stories still managed to unnerve me and hit a number of emotions I wasn’t expecting.

What I liked: Short story collections have a tendency to either really work or fall flat and I have to say, it shows how solid of a writer Evans is that this one works well and remained solid throughout.

The stories all deal with oddities and extremes and it’s because of that pairing that we see the strengths in the stories.

Highlights for me were:

‘Nicholas is Gone’ – this story was about an alcoholic mom, who ends up becoming homeless with her son. After some more bad decisions, they run into an older man who wants to help them, but has a sinister reason. This story starts out horribly, horribly sad and doesn’t get much brighter.

‘Sight of Blood’ – this one was really fascinating. A police officer begins to have horrible visions, realizing that they are visions showing him incidents to come, but no matter what he tries to do, he simply can’t seem to change the future. Really well done and the character was flawed but one you wanted to root for.

‘Missing’ – this one starts out innocently enough, when a young boy sees the housekeeper start to take some of his things. The reasoning and resulting actions were terrifying and completely unhinged, which is why this one works so well.

‘The Surprise’ – this story shoots out of the gates with Noah’s step dad taking him and declaring that a coven is going to eat him. The atmosphere in this one was electric with the gnawing sense that even though things were bad, they could suddenly get worse.

Every story had a palpable energy to it, which was great and even the shorter ones hummed along SEE: Hypochondriac, which works well to keep the readers always uneasy.

What I didn’t like: As with all collections, some stories just may not connect with the reader. For me, there was a few that started out great and then went somewhere I just wasn’t excited about. The main example of that would be ‘Phantom Pain.’ This started out as one of the best Body Horror stories I have read in some time, where something odd was happening and getting worse by the sentence. But then it took a turn and seemed to go into full Bizarro territory, which just didn’t connect.

Why you should buy this: This is a rock solid collection that had me gripped from story one. Ruth Anna Evans delivers some truly dark and terrible moments and has a willingness to make extremely flawed characters as the ones that we need to root for, and that in and of itself is a tough act.

Had a blast with these stories and if you’re looking for a great collection to check out, look no further!

4/5

Book Review: The Drop Box: An EO 11 Story by Tyler Craig

Title: The Drop Box

Author: Tyler Craig

Release date: May 17, 2022

I’m going to start this review off by categorically stating – we all start somewhere. I say that, because this is a classic case where some people might overlook this one because of the pre-made Amazon cover. I started out with a pre-made cover for my first collection and it wasn’t until another author mentioned to me that people often won’t read them because of the stigma around them, that I rereleased it with a new cover.

Ok, mini-rant over. Recently, I tweeted that if people were looking for reviews/blurbs etc, to reach out and I’d do my best to try and help and get more eyes on their works. Tyler was one such person, and here we are. His debut novella, ‘The Drop Box: An EO 11 Story’ is a perfect read for those out there who really enjoy the Jason Bourne style world of storytelling. The secret agent who works for a secretive group and nobody is really who they say they are and nobody can be trusted.

That is exactly what we have with this one and Craig does a great job of keeping this filled with tension.

What I liked: The story starts out simple enough; our agent goes to where he normally finds his new directives, only to discover the drop box is empty. This has never happened before.

From here, Craig takes us on a whirlwind adventure where multiple layers are revealed and allegiances are tested. The set ups and twists are done nicely (and me saying twists isn’t a spoiler – in a story like this you know full well going in there will be twists) and that is part of why the characters work really well.

Throughout, the set pieces implemented work really well to heighten things and I liked how Craig does a solid job of crafting the action sequences. Those sequences can often be tough but these come across as engaging and exciting.

The ending was well done and as the title alludes, I think we’ll most likely see more set in this world, and involving some of the characters.

What I didn’t like: I don’t read a lot of stories in this genre/style, nor do I specifically seek out movies like this, but even so, a few of the twists that were meant to be shocking were telegraphed far in advance, which dampened those moments a bit.

Why you should buy this: The truth is, I’d personally never seek this one out, as I’m not a big espionage-type reader, but Craig’s story pulled me in quickly and his writing flowed really nicely.

If I read this type of stuff all the time, I would want it to be written the way Craig has here, solid characters, solid action sequences and a solid narrative. So, if you’re looking for your ‘Hanna’/’Jason Bourne’ fix, I’d recommend you give this one a go! I had a blast and I think you would as well.

3/5

3Q’s – Andrew J. Stone challenges you to dance!

How cool have these 3Q’s been? I’m loving them! So, we have at least one fan! Today’s guest is a guy I’ve gotten to know over on Twitter these past number of years. Andrew is a huge Vancouver Canucks fan and resides in California!

Welcome Andrew!

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?

A: I appreciate the laughs! But my blunt and brutally honest answer is fuck no. I write slow and sporadic. For example, aside from three weekend trips down to Ensenada, México in 2022, I haven’t written much this year. I have multiple day jobs and twins so finding time to write at home is nearly impossible at this point in my life. I like the idea of writing a little every day but that has never worked for me. But I did go down to Ensenada last weekend and only slept three and a half hours over a three day period and got a lot of work done. I only have a few thousand words to go before finishing my novella The Land of Lost Gods, and I’ve already surpassed the maximum word count I assumed the story would be when I outlined the project. I’m also real stoked with how the book is coming together, which is huge because I feel my Works-In-Progress are spectacularly atrocious and borderline unreadable.

Steve: Out of all your releases, do you have a character you could write about forever?

A: Definitely Katie from All Hail the House Gods. Like me, she is a Revolutionary Communist fighting against a seemingly unbeatable fascist regime in a world where most people would rather live with a false sense of safety and comfort if it grants them the opportunity to maintain the exploitative status quo, refusing to accept that it is not only right to rebel, but when the parasitic capitalist class has so violently oppressed its workers, murdering the masses with their callous indifference, cells of freedom fighters will naturally organize and unveil themselves from the shadows to take up arms against the oppressors, risking everything to serve the people suffering under the venomous empire.

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

A: My latest release is The Ultimate Dinosaur-Dance-Off (and it’s my first novel, both books before were novellas). If you aren’t a dancer, like myself, and don’t truly care for dancing (should I admit that??); however, I spent so many hours researching dancing that I promise you, dancers everywhere, I am not doing you a disservice, you should still give the book a chance because it is full of psychedelic dinosaurs, interspecial romance (human + Apatosaurus), and, frankly, because it contains the most important dance-off of all time. I typically write dark shit, but this book was both a lot of fun to write and is a lot of fun to read. It’s like what would happen if Billy Elliot and Jurassic Park got together and had a psilocybin baby together. And in a time of global pandemics that never seem to end, who doesn’t want Billy Elliot and Jurassic Park to have a psilocybin baby? It’s an absurdist book. It’s a queer book. It’s a socialist book. But at the end of the day, it is also a dinosaur book, about a beautiful species that (probably) went extinct far too soon, and who doesn’t want to read fun stories about the greatest creatures to have ever roamed the Earth?

Steve: Bonus Question! Did you have a favorite wrestler as a kid?

A: Nope. Never got into wrestling. But as an adult, my favorite wrestlers are undoubtedly my three-year-old twins, who can easily kick my ass any day.

Awesome! Thank you so much, Andrew!

Find more about Andrew here;

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Andrew-J-Stone/e/B09J4JRCHQ/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Andrewosaurus96

Book Review: The Last Storm by Tim Lebbon

Title: The Last Storm

Author: Tim Lebbon

Release date: July 19, 2022

Huge thanks to Tim, Titan Books and Netgalley for the ARC of this one!

Over the last number of years, I’ve read a bunch of Tim’s work and really come to love his way of storytelling. No matter which book it has been, at the cores have always been family and the resolve to survive and work together, even if the ‘family’ within isn’t always the tradition parent-children dynamic.

Tim infuses his stories with heart wrenching moments and enough cliffhangers to always have the reader on the edge of their seat, and such is the case with his newest novel, ‘The Last Storm.’ 2022 is turning out to be a boom year for Lebbon fans, not only do we get this novel, but he also has a collection, a novella and a graphic novel/novella coming out, giving new and old readers of his plenty to be excited about.

What I liked: Set in the near future, where the world’s climate has continued to erode, humans now live with the results from that change. A large section of America is now deemed ‘The Desert,’ where it is always scorching hot and dust storms rage. As well, a large portion of the western side is burning up, wildfires rampaging and destroying most of that side of the country.

Lebbon takes that and introduces the Rainmakers, a familial trait that allows certain people to be able to conjure storms and cause it to rain. Though, the story picks up years after those people have seemingly disappeared. The story centers around the character, Ash. A teen girl, whose family presumed she was dead following a storm-creating incident, she is feeling herself drawn back to making rain and following the clues that call to her. Along the way she meets Cee, a woman, who decides to help her.

This relationship is the highlight of the book for me, seeing how Ash opens up to Cee and how Cee resolves to help her and be there for her. Of course, there are those out there who want to end the Rainmakers and this adds a secondary layer of suspense and thrills as one of those people track Ash and try to kill her.

Fundamentally, this book feels like a prequel to Lebbon’s phenomenal ‘Eden,’ but for one small difference. When the storms are created, a window is opened and crazy creatures come through. This was a phenomenal bit of storytelling and really had me hooting and hollering when Lebbon went full cosmic horror.

What I didn’t like: Oddly, even though Ash is the main character here, or main driving plot aspect, she often felt secondary. I think part of that was the POV changes that Lebbon employed, which may or may not work for readers. I found it to be both good and bad at times and did wish we had more Ash-central chapters.

Why you should buy this: I do see people sometimes scoff at the blurbs on books. Look, the reality is, a blurb from another author is there to generate buzz and get people excited. But I will say this – Christopher Golden declaring this Lebbon’s best is absolutely spot on. This book gallops along and not only are all of the characters great (even the random side-characters who pop up ie coffee shop people etc) but the settings play such a vital role throughout and really bring the entire story to life.

Really amazing work here, can’t recommend this one enough.

5/5

Book Review: The Devil’s Mountain by Jack Harding

Title: The Devil’s Mountain

Author: Jack Harding

Release date: April 25, 2022

Since the time when I started watching documentaries and later discovering more and more about history on the internet (I didn’t get internet until Grade 10 or so, 1996ish), I’ve always been fascinated with Hitler and the Nazi’s scope concerning both the sheer volume of buildings and bases they built, but also their supposed occult leanings. I don’t want to go down a conspiracy theory rabbit hole here, but I know I’m not the only one out there who sees an old, abandoned base covered in vines and let’s their brain wander to what could be lurking down there and what the Nazi’s might’ve conjured from somewhere else.

Which brings me to Harding’s ‘The Devil’s Mountain.’ This actually just came on my radar the other day, when Kev Harrison shared one of those ‘newsletter-sign-up-and-get-free-books’ posts. I clicked the link, scrolled through the listings and grabbed a couple, one being this one.

What I liked: The story follows Dylan and Nikki, recent love birds, who are travelling through Germany and visiting some historical sites. One such site is Teufelsberg, a former CIA station that was built on top of a former Nazi training site.

Harding does a great job of capturing the two in that amazing, beginning of a relationship state, flirting, joking and bantering frequently. Both Dylan and Nikki are likeable characters and the lead up to them arriving at the location was fun.

Once at the site, things grow ominous and claustrophobic, Harding doing a great job of keeping us on our toes as well as confused and second guessing everything.

The ending was a nice bit of fun, tying things together while still leaving enough unanswered to let our minds wander.

What I didn’t like: Two things stuck out for me. The first was, I felt like for the length of the story, it took far too long to actually get to the location and then the events at the location itself felt rushed. I would’ve loved it to be maybe 20% getting there, 70% there, 10% wrap up. Instead it was closer to 75% getting there, 20% there and 5% wrap up, so the events came off as really rushed.

Secondly, I wasn’t a huge fan of some of the overly descriptive moments. When the wind is described as ‘insinuating’ it felt like it was reaching for something that it never fully arrived at.

Why you should buy this: If you snagged this as a freebie, definitely get on it. Other wise, this is a quick, single sitting read that will have you hyperventilating. This was your classic 90 minute movie where a single frame isn’t wasted and the action comes fast and furious.

And PS – it looks like at the time of writing this (Friday, June 17, 2022) the ebook is free on Amazon!

3.5/5

3Q’s – Kev Harrison drags you Below!

Hello! And welcome again! I’m loving these 3Q’s, as I get to learn about each writer but also get to share with those following along some phenomenal reads.

Today’s is no different. Kev Harrison is a fantastic supporter of so many and his writing is always great!

Welcome, Kev!

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?

Kev: My writing time has taken a big hit since the pandemic kicked in. As for a lot of people working in education, admin has increased and hours have expanded, too. At the moment, I get about 2 hours, 3 times a week, but that includes promotion, social media, etc. I’m putting things in motion to get to a five days a week writing plan in the autumn, so I’m hopeful my productivity will be up to pre-pandemic levels then.

Steve: Out of all your releases, do you have a character you could write about forever?

Kev: In my next novel (currently out on submission), there’s a central character called Diniz. She’s a Turkish scripture expert, which sounds boring as hell, but she’s hilarious, determined as hell, and I really hope people are going to love her as much as I do.

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

Kev: Below has just been re-released through Brigids Gate Press. It’s a subterranean story which aims to provide the scares through suspense, with epistolary elements feeding the reader and the characters with titbits of the dark history of the location. It’s got scares, action, and one of my favourite folkloric monsters at its heart.

Steve: Hey, thanks so much for doing this! Oh-oh! I see you didn’t submit an answer to my bonus question! Ah jeez! Well then, seeing as the bonus question was if you had a fav wrestler growing up – I’ll pick one for you!

You kind of resemble a wrestler known as Daniel Bryan. I’m not familiar with him – just googled WWE wrestlers with beards, to be fair – and here we are!

Alright! Enough kidding around – if you want to find more about Kev;

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Kev-Harrison/e/B06ZZDY6G3/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/LisboetaIngles

Website: kevharrisonfiction.com

3Q’s – Konn Lavery – Symbolic Megalomaniac?

Welcome to another 3Q’s and for today’s fun blast, we have an author who actually lives in the same city as myself – and yet, we’ve never gotten our act together to meet up!

Please welcome, Konn Lavery!

Thanks for doing this, Konn!

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?

Konn: My writing habit varies drastically depending on the time of year and juggling contract graphic design work deadlines. Most days I do get up earlier to focus on writing, then at the end of the day I focus on marketing. In the early AM the writing goals will mutate from “edit these two chapters,” or “write one new chapter,” or “write a first draft short story.”

Steve: Out of all your releases, do you have a favorite character you’ve written?

Konn: That’s a tough one. I’ve got a soft spot for a few of them. The most fun, and flexible to write has been Malpherities. He’s a spectral cheshire cat type of character, who shows up in multiple series. He’s appeared in three books in my dark fantasy Mental Damnation series and my short story collection Into the Macrocosm, and the upcoming sequel choose your own path Beyond the Macrocosm.

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

Konn: The last new novel release was Rave, back in May 2021. It’s a Canadian horror slasher with punks, ravers, and attitude. If you enjoy rejects and dirty survival stories out in the woods with a mystery killer, check it out.

As mentioned my choose your own path short story collection Beyond the Macrocosm is coming out next, aiming for summer.

Steve: Bonus Question! What is your favorite album?

Konn: Another tough one! I’d have to go with KMFDM Symbols for a good mix of industrial, rock, and techno. I’ve got the icons tattooed on my arm, so one would presume I dig it.

Awesome! Thank you so much for doing this Konn!

Discover more about Konn here;

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Konn-Lavery/e/B008VL8HQE/

Website: https://konnlavery.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/konnl

Book Review: ZOO: Eight Tales of Animal Horror by Joe Scipione

Title: ZOO: Eight Tales of Animal Horror

Author: Joe Scipione

Release date: April 27, 2022

It’s funny, because I keep telling myself that I’m completely exhausted reading collections and anthologies, burned out by devouring so many over the last few years, yet, every time I start reading a few books, I need to get a collection started, so that I can bounce between longer reads and shorter reads. I don’t know what to say? Could be some sort of medical condition!

Which brings us to ‘ZOO: Eight Tales of Animal Horror.’ Hilariously, I started this feature called 3Q’s, where I get various authors to answer three questions (and a fun fourth). I started it with the hopes that folks who follow along with me, might discover some new-to-them authors or reads. Guess what? In the few weeks of me scheduling these features, I’ve bought about a dozen ebooks. Insert face palm emoji. That’s right. Spoiler alert – Joe will be a featured 3Q’s author coming up, but when I was putting his together, I read more about ‘ZOO…’ and well, here we are!

What I liked: The collection is exactly what the title says – eight stories of animal horror. But, the title is also a bit misleading, as this isn’t specifically set in a zoo, nor is it limited to what zoo animals might pop into your head. I have to say – I loved all of the stories and enjoyed the novella at the end.

Highlights for me were;

‘Well and Unbitten’ – this was an anxiety inducing story that I just happened to read while camping. The story revolved around the world being overrun and taken over by mosquitos and a families fight to survive. Nothing like reading this while trying not to itch mosquito bites.

‘Hunting with Pepper’ – this story was one of the most exhilarating and original pieces I’ve read in sometime. After a divorce, a man searches for a hobby. Deciding to enjoy nature and take up falconry, he goes hunting rabbits with his falcon, Pepper. Only problem is, this time, Pepper takes down something that isn’t a rabbit. Horrifyingly amazing.

‘Goal Hike’ – look, we all know I’m a sucker for a story set in the woods. This one follows a recovering alcoholic who decides that the way for them to stay away from alcohol is to go on a hike every week. And now, here they are, week 52, hike 52. They’ve waited to do this hike, the hardest hike, until the last one as a celebration. But on the way down, a menacing bear is waiting for them and then it becomes a tale of survival.

Throughout, Joe has a deft way of ramping up the tension and keeping you on the edge of your seat. Case in point – the story ‘Obsession’ starts off simply enough but then over the course of a few pages, you can feel the energy lift and flow, growing to a crescendo. It is really well done and engaging.

What I didn’t like: I wasn’t riveted by the final novella, even though the story had some high points. I think it was more the animal chosen, as for me, I’m not a huge fan of that animal in general. As with all collections, readers will find some stick with them more and others won’t, but I have to say, Joe does a great job of making it tough for you to not want to finish each story!

Why you should buy this: If you’re like me, short story collections can be a great job of breaking up the longer reads you may have on the go. At the moment, the two other books I’m reading are both right around 400 pages, so it’s great to read each of those for a bit then, break it up with a short one or two. Scipione’s collection starts out high and stays that way and I think fans looking for a collection that features non-typical antagonists will eat this one up!

4/5

3Q’s – Stephanie Ellis turns our wheels!

I don’t know who I would suggest you read first between Alyson Faye and Stephanie Ellis, but between these two they’ve released some outstanding stuff and collaborated together.

Now, after we got to visit with Alyson, we get to visit with Stephanie and I’ve so excited to have her here!

Welcome, Stephanie!

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?

Stephanie: My schedule as such was all over the place no matter what I tried. Then I spoke to Joe Lansdale on the Darkfusion podcast and he told me he writes for 3 hours every morning and that’s it, always stopping at a point when he wants to carry on. I tried it and it works! The routine creates the right mindset whilst getting rid of the tyranny of the word count. I’m actually finishing more and getting on with things because of this. I will say this is for the creative side of things – not the admin or all the other stuff which I tend to do in the afternoon.

Steve: Out of all your releases, do you have a character you could write about forever?

Stephanie: Not actually one, but three characters, they come as a job lot! Tommy, Betty and Fiddler from The Five Turns of the Wheel and Reborn (due out October via Brigids Gate Press). They are wonderfully animalistic and grotesque. I love them.

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

Stephanie: Paused is my newest release. It came out earlier this year via Silver Shamrock for a few months and then was on hold when the company closed. Brigids Gate Press have taken it on and should be out very soon complete with new cover (I am literally just waiting for them to announce the links to buy)! It’s a fast-paced biological horror playing ‘what if’ the human race all developed ‘locked-in’ syndrome, ie you suddenly freeze, cannot respond in any way but are completely aware of what’s going on around you. The few who managed to read it before it went off the shelves have all praised it which has been very reassuring! Hopefully Paused will be taken off pause soon!

Steve: Bonus Question! Did you have a favorite wrestler as a kid?

Stephanie: Hmm. Wrestling was always on the telly on Saturday afternoons when I was a kid – this was the 70s! The pub would be shut for a few hours in the afternoon and Mum and Dad would fall asleep to it. The main event always seemed to be Giant Haystacks v Big Daddy. I tended to root for the latter – he was the good guy!

Very cool! Thank you, Stephanie!

As always – check the links below!

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Stephanie-Ellis/e/B06XSNSGXS/

Website: stephanieellis.org

Twitter: https://twitter.com/el_stevie