Phil Giunta's Blog, page 7

The Healing Power of the Written Word

Regardless of genre, several of my stories present a protagonist forced to confront repressed pain in order to overcome it and move on. As its heart, Testing the Prisoner is about the trauma suffered by victims of child abuse and the emotional damage they carry into adulthood.

I’ve been told by more than one reader that the book has aided in their healing process and for that, I cannot be more grateful. Most recently, fellow horror writer Carson Buckingham opened up about her experiences in her review of Testing the Prisoner on Hellnotes, a horror review site.

“I think the reason this book is so easy to get into and easier to continue with is the fact that the plot highlights the trauma, psychological chaos, and human feet of clay that makes it so relatable, even though it is about child abuse and letting go of hatred toward the abusers. Being a victim myself, though initially bothered by similarities to my childhood through some strongly-written abuse scenes, I stayed with it and am happy to report that this book turned out to be one of the most uplifting novels I have read in a very long time. If you have been a victim, it might do you good to read it. I found that, after I did, I was able to let go of a large negative burden that I’d been carrying for years… so thank you, Mr. Giunta. For your writing to be able to do that—to cause readers to step back and take inventory of their own lives and to improve them by acting on what they see is nothing short of miraculous.”

You’re welcome, my friend.

Book Review: Too Late for Prayin’ by Carson Buckingham

In this collection of 18 stories, Carson Buckingham adds her own unique flavor to many familiar horror tropes and the result is a delicious buffet of nightmare fuel covering a diverse array of themes including body horror, cursed objects, black magic, living dolls, imaginary friends, and much more.

My top five favorites include: 

“Oil King” – A seven year old’s imaginary friend becomes an increasing source of concern for her single mother, who consults a psychiatrist for help. The situation seems harmless enough at first—until the imaginary friend reveals itself, much to the psychiatrist’s horror. 

“Red Squares, Black Squares” – A young man enlists in the military just before his wedding. The problem is, he failed to tell his wife. During his absence, she proceeds with planned renovations to their home and finds an old G.I. Joe doll hidden behind a wall. The doll happens to be dressed in the same red and black flannel shirt worn by her husband, but that’s just a coincidence… right? 

“For Number 11” – An epistolary tale told through a letter written by William H. Taft, 27th president of the United States. Upon Taft’s death, the letter, along with a mysterious book, is delivered to his close friend Charles Evans Hughes, 11th Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. During his time as governor of the Philippines, Taft encountered a cult that practiced black magic in the name of St. Rita of Cascia. One of Taft’s guides gifted him with a book of spells, but as the would-be president soon learned, using it for personal gain resulted in dire consequences.

“CU239” – A woman finds herself in a parallel reality, where her job makes no sense at all and society at large is populated by strange, eccentric characters with bizarre habits and little regard for the value of life. How did she arrive here? More importantly, how will she return to her world?

“Lemminaid” – A cruel and cunning businessman becomes stranded in a town where he once purchased, and subsequently closed, a chemical plant that was also the area’s largest employer. While waiting for a tow truck, the man observes an enterprising young boy selling “Lemminaid” for two cents per glass and decides to give him some pointers. Impressed by the kid’s business acumen, the man buys a cup of lemonade—a decision he soon regrets. 

 

You Didn’t Come This Far Only to Come This Far

Despite recent bouts of COVID, depression, and elevated stress, I had occasion this evening to reflect on everything for which I’m grateful, and the list is long.

Yes, 2023 was a challenging year. I struggled with severe daily anxiety attacks beginning in September 2022 that continued until mid-August 2023. They left me debilitated for the first hour or two every morning and were often accompanied by depression. I honestly thought they would end me, but I live by two mottos: “life might knock me down, but it can’t keep me down” and “you didn’t come this far only to come this far.”

So, I persevered and eventually prevailed with the help of three amazing women—my wife, my therapist, and my favorite singer on the planet, Dido (never say music doesn’t heal a broken soul). They are all my heroes.

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My wife planned and booked every step of our June trip to Niagara Falls and the Thousand Islands, culminating in a visit to Boldt Castle on my birthday. It was a fantastic week. Travel does wonders for mental health.

     

 

It was also in June when my detective tale, “Pearl of Great Price,” was published in Hard-Boiled and Loaded with Sin by Hawkshaw Press. That also helped loosen anxiety’s grip on me.

At the same time, plans to release the second edition of Testing the Prisoner were coming to fruition. By June, the book was fully re-edited by yours truly and two months later, artist pal Scott Barnett produced a cover that not only popped but exploded.

The book was released on September 18th. What happened next was nothing short of amazing.

First, I ran an Early Reviewers giveaway on LibraryThing, which resulted in five stellar reviews from the happy winners.

In October, after purchasing a copy of Testing the Prisoner from my table at the Easton Book Festival, writer and publisher Angel Ackerman—current president of the Greater Lehigh Valley Writers Group—praised the book on her blog as well as Amazon and Goodreads. By this time, Testing the Prisoner had been named as one of five finalists in American Book Fest’s 2023 Best Book Award (Horror Category).  Wow!

I was then contacted by horror writer Carson Buckingham who offered to review the book for Hellnotes.com. I sent a paperback to her in mid-November and shortly after Thanksgiving, she posted her effusive review, giving Testing the Prisoner six out of five stars!

As of this writing, I’m on the final round of re-edits to By Your Side, the second edition of which is slated for release on February 5, 2024 with a new cover by the aforementioned brilliant artist, Scott Barnett. The official launch will happen at Farpoint SF Convention in Pikesville, MD.

As I sit here on December 23, the house decked out for Christmas, anticipating a glorious week off from work and all of the writing and editing ahead of me, I do indeed have plenty to be grateful for. I hope you do as well.

I wish you peace, love, and joy this holiday season and throughout the new year!

 

 

 

 

Best Books About Ordinary People Thrown into Bizarre and Extraordinary Circumstances

There’s a new book recommendation site in town and its name is Shepherd. They aim to give Goodreads a run for its money and to help build their site, Shepherd has been reaching out to authors for their top five book recommendations based on a theme of their choice.

In my case, I created a list of the best books about ordinary people thrown into bizarre and extraordinary circumstances. It’s an honor to be featured on Shepherd and join the ranks of so many incredible writers!

After-Action Report: Lehigh Valley Comic Con

As always, I had a marvelous time at the Lehigh Valley Comic Con on Saturday, December 2 at Lehigh Carbon Community College in Schnecksville, PA.  Sold some books, chatted with old friends, and photographed some incredible cosplayers.

    

   

   

     

     

   

 

Six out of Five Stars for Testing the Prisoner!

This, ladies and gents, is the kind of book review that every writer dreams about. Thank you to fellow writer Carson Buckingham for giving Testing the Prisoner 6 out of 5 stars on the horror review site, Hellnotes.

“…Testing the Prisoner is so much more brilliant than just a terrific piece of fiction. It’s about the crossroads that we all eventually end up at and the decisions we make when we get there. The book takes an old trope and imbues it with complexity and new life… The character development is masterfully done, with character growth of not only the protagonist, but almost every single character in the story…”

Click here for the full review.

Click here for more info on the book. 

About This Writing Stuff…

This month, Philip Athans explores the concept of originality in fiction while Chris Winkle shows us how we can effectively suspend disbelief in our readers.

Kristen Lamb explains the benefits of book reviews to an author’s career (seriously, I could always use more!) while Garry Rogers illustrates how the Feynman Learning Technique can help us with plotting.

At Writer Unboxed, the inimitable Kathryn Craft delves into vulnerability while Desmond Hall discusses suspense at the story and sentence level.

All that and much more. Enjoy!

How to Write a Ghost Story by Amy Holland

Desmond Drops: Suspense from the Beginning, Suspense in the Middle, and Suspense at the Sentence Level by Desmond Hall

How to Plan a Successful Book Launch in 10 Steps by Geri Mileva

The Importance of Tone in Writing by Anne R. Allen

On “On Originality” by Haruki Murakami by Philip Athans

7 Ways to Access Vulnerability by Kathryn Craft

“Can’t Put the Book Down” by Dale Ivan Smith

Plot Your Story Using the Feynman Learning Technique by Garry Rodgers

Book Reviews: Why They Matter So Much by Kristen Lamb

Audiences Don’t Suspend Disbelief – We Do it for Them by Chris Winkle

Print-on-Demand Publishing? KDF vs IngramSpark: One Author’s Experience by Paul Benjamin

NEA Finds Worrying Drop in Reading Participation by Jim Milliot

How Has Big Publishing Changed American Fiction? by Kevin Lozano

Testing the Prisoner is a 2023 American Book Fest FINALIST!

I’m excited to announce that my novel, Testing the Prisoner , was a finalist in American Book Fest’s 2023 Best Book Awards in the Horror category! Click here for more info on American Book Fest. Click here for the full list of winners from the 2023 Best Book Awards . I wrote this book to increase awareness and prevention of child abuse and domestic violence. After all, the best fiction tackles difficult and often uncomfortable social issues. It’s nice to see some recognition at this level. Not too shabby! I have the book out in one other contest but won’t hear the results until March. 

Farewell to a Home Away from Home

On Saturday, October 28th, a few hundred longtime attendees of Farpoint and Shore Leave SF conventions descended on the Marriott Delta in Hunt Valley, MD to bid the hotel goodbye. After 40+ years of hosting genre conventions, the hotel will close on October 31. According to the rumor mill, the building will be demolished to be replaced by a Tesla dealership or condos or both.

My wife and I spent part of the day wandering the hotel and taking final pictures all while a dog show was in progress. Adorable pooches everywhere, which just added even more fun to the day!

It was wonderful to spend time with so many old friends including Sharon VanBlarcom, Steve and Renee Wilson, June Swords, Daniel Patrick Corcoran, Cindy Shockey, Bob Greenberger, Royce Essig, Sashi German, Susanna Reilly, Rhonda Greene, Diane Baron, Blair Learn, Paul Balze, Lance and Cindy Woods, Inge Heyer, Jay and Pam Smith, Danielle Ackley-McPhail, Mike McPhail, Ann Hande, Susan Staneslow Olesen, and so many more!

And at this event, Farpoint announced their new home at the Hilton Doubletree in Pikesville, MD.

 

 

After Action Report: Witches Day Out & Easton Book Festival

The weekend of October 21-22 was a hectic one with back to back book events. On Saturday the 21st, I had an author table at a local family Halloween event called Witches Day Out.

This event was founded about a decade ago by a friend and former co-worker who has since passed down the torch to her daughters. I had a table at their very first show held in a small bed and breakfast in Allentown, PA. Back then, it was a one-day event. Now, it’s three Saturdays in October at the Tri-Boro Sportsmen Club in Northampton, PA.

There are vendors both inside and out selling jewelry, crafts, candles, holiday decor, baked goods, tattoos, and of course, books. I only sold about six, but catching up with my co-worker and her daughters made the day wonderful in addition to the beautiful location on the Lehigh Canal, of course!

Deep gratitude to Lynn Murphy and her daughter Megan Schroy for inviting me back. Already looking forward to next year!

Sunday saw me participating in the final day of the 5th annual Easton Book Festival and for me, it was the best one yet as I  reunited with old friends, made new ones, and sold a few books.

At 11AM, I moderated a wonderful panel called “Grit & Crime: The Art of Writing Noir” with Dianna Sinovic, Suzanne Mattaboni, and Albert Tucher. All of us have stories in Hard-Boiled and Loaded with Sin, the latest crime fiction anthology by Hawkshaw Press. The panel was held at Book & Puppet Company on Centre Square, one of the hubs of the festival.

Throughout the day, I dashed to and from my table at the Easton Public Market to participate in other events including “Dark & Stormy Night” book reading competition at 2PM in Book & Puppet. This is always a fun event with my fellow members of the Greater Lehigh Valley Writers Group. This time around, participants included Dianna Sinovic as scorekeeper, Charles Kiernan as timekeeper and quizmaster, John Evans as our host and inventor of the competition, and my fellow readers Michael Daigle and Suzanne Mattaboni.

All told, it was a magical weekend of fun and camaraderie. Hats off to EBF President Lynn Alexander, Vice President Darrell Parry, Festival Director Andy Laties, Secretary John Evans, and the entire committee and staff. Looking forward next October!

Photo credit: Andy Laties, festival director and owner of Book & Puppet Co. Photo credit: Joseph Malham Photo credit: Lynn Alexander, president of Easton Book Festival Photo credit: Lynn Alexander, president of Easton Book Festival