James Scott Byrnside's Blog, page 4

My favorite films of the 60s

8 1/2 (1963) It has become commonplace to call 8 1/2 the greatest film about filmmaking, but that’s a disservice to Fellini’s wildly imaginative rumination on creation. It’s about all of us. It’s about the moments we become so consumed by the past that the present disappears, the moments during writing/painting/masturbating when we lose all… Continue reading My favorite films of the 60s

February 2024 Update

I’m going to do a reread and review of Death of Jezebel. I haven’t had much enthusiasm for reviewing, so I hope this project gets me back into the swing of things. Will I like the book as much as I did way back when? Only time will tell. That’s the first bit of news.… Continue reading February 2024 Update

Gospel of V

Author H.M. Faust (AKA DWaM) declares his main goal in the About the Author section: …to push the limits of the mystery genre, merging bizarre storylines and modern narrative techniques with the tropes of the Golden Age period of detective fiction. He also likes impossible crimes which is the real reason I read his work.… Continue reading Gospel of V

Death Walks in Eastrepps

Some novels are comforting to my soul. Francis Beeding’s Death Walks in Eastrepps is a fine example. This 1931 story about a multiple murderer terrorizing a seaside town reminds me of a warm fire, a grilled-cheese sandwich with a piping hot bowl of soup, and daytime pajamas. Familiar but comforting. Besides, focusing on novelty is… Continue reading Death Walks in Eastrepps

Flash Sale

All my e-books are on sale for the rest of this month on Amazon. It doesn’t matter where you live, they’re on sale for 99 cents or the equivalent amount of your currency. I’m currently in the middle of the next story for my next book. I’ve even started reading again. My current reads: I… Continue reading Flash Sale

The Silent Steps of Murder (a short story – Aprox 9200 words)

A few lights were burning within the windows on Manning Street, but the quiet district of Whispering Pines was mostly dark. The residents were out patronizing the speakeasies in eager anticipation of the year’s final celebration. Down at Navy Pier, rows of mortar tubes were pointed to the skies, armed with a barrage of aerial… Continue reading The Silent Steps of Murder (a short story – Aprox 9200 words)

A Month of Halloween Recommendations

This is not my list of the greatest horror movies though some of these films might appear on such a list. Rather, this is a list of horror films that I love/am fascinated by. I’ve tried to select films that are not usually mentioned on typical Halloween lists of scary movies. Some of these are… Continue reading A Month of Halloween Recommendations

October ’23 update

It’s been about one month since Monkey’s release. September was a success, my second-best month in terms of sales. Thank you. I hope you’re enjoying the book, based on the feedback so far, most of you are. This blog hasn’t had many reviews because I haven’t been in a reviewing mood. I hope that changes… Continue reading October ’23 update

Cover post #5

I’ve made it a habit to post about my covers after each book release. This will continue whether you like it (or indeed, give the slightest fuck about it) or not. There may be repetition of some things I have said in previous cover posts. Tough. For a short time, I planned on making my… Continue reading Cover post #5

Monkey See, Monkey Murder now available everywhere.

It took a couple of days for the paperback to show up in all markets, but it’s now in every Amazon — Japan, the UK, Germany, Spain, et al. I just got my copy, and boy does it look pretty. I think you’ll enjoy the book. It’s a lot of fun and the puzzle is… Continue reading Monkey See, Monkey Murder now available everywhere.