Phil Giunta's Blog, page 71
July 23, 2015
Bob Greenberger Talks Comics & Shore Leave
Listen to friend and veteran author, Bob Greenberger, talk about his career in the comic book industry and about the upcoming Shore Leave convention.
Bob is co-creator and co-editor of the ReDeus anthology series, to which I contributed two short stories.
Click here to watch the interview!
Book Review: Mr. Monk on the Couch
While investigating a death in a cheap motel, our favorite obsessive-compulsive detective becomes enamored with the crime scene cleanup crew and volunteers to assist them on their next job. Monk does not need to wait long as a series of bizarre murders begins, seemingly centered around a thrift store couch.
Meanwhile, Monk’s assistant, Natalie Teeger, decides to put her own investigative skills to the test as she delves into the identity and background of the John Doe from the motel, who died of natural causes but was in possession of fake ID and a photo of a woman and little girl. As if all of that isn’t enough, Monk decides to play matchmaker and setup a date between Natalie and Jerry Yermo, the team leader of the crime scene cleanup crew.
While investigating the serial killings, Monk concludes that it is not the couch, but items hidden within it that are the motive behind the murders. Those items lead Monk to a disappointing conclusion.
I enjoy all of Lee Goldberg’s MONK novels and this was no exception. However, I felt that Monk’s theory as to the identity of the murderers was arrived at by an astounding leap of logic that had only a modicum of supporting evidence. Nevertheless, Goldberg once again perfectly captures these characters and maintains a perfect pace.
July 19, 2015
The Conclusion of “Making Tracks” by Steven H. Wilson
The conclusion to Steven H. Wilson’s future dystopian adventure, “Making Tracks” is now available for your free listening pleasure! The entire story will be published in our next anthology, Elsewhere in the Middle of Eternity, slated to debut in 2016!
July 16, 2015
The Arbiter Chronicles: Resurrecting the Golden Age of SF
If you enjoy reading beautifully written and thought-provoking science fiction, look no further than Steven H. Wilson’s Arbiter Chronicles series. What began as a Mark Time and Parsec award-winning audio drama series has spawned two novels and four e-novellas. The Arbiter Chronicles is a character-driven space opera in the tradition of Heinlein’s The Rolling Stones and Joss Whedon’s Firefly.
Library Journal review of Taken Liberty, the first Arbiter Chronicles novel: “The author of the Arbiter Chronicles, an award-winning audio drama, vividly brings to life a cast of compelling characters while telling a story that measures the cost of freedom. The far-future military setting should appeal to fans of David Weber’s “Honor Harrington” series as well as the military SF of David Drake.”
Click here to start your adventure with the crew of the Arbiter!
Book Review: Mr. Monk on the Road
After solving two San Francisco murders in typical Adrian Monk fashion, the detective decides to do something special for his agoraphobic brother, Ambrose, who has not left his house in over 30 years. After lacing his slice of birthday cake with sleeping pills, Adrian and his assistant, Natalie Teeger, carry Ambrose into an RV that Adrian had rented with the intention of taking Ambrose on a tour of California then out to the Grand Canyon and Las Vegas–with Natalie as the designated driver, of course.
Understandably, Ambrose is at first furious over being abducted from his home, but begins to relax as the trip progresses. He marvels at the sights and sounds of the outside world. During their travels, the trio encounter two murders that naturally intrigue Adrian, but he is reluctantly dissuaded by Natalie from participating in their investigation. They are on vacation, after all. Along the way, they meet several interesting characters in various trailer parks and are nearly run off the road by an enraged tractor trailer driver.
It isn’t until they reach Vegas that Detective Monk has an epiphany and realizes that all of the events and people they’ve encountered have a deadly connection…
This story takes place after the end of the television series and the events of the final episode are summed up in the first chapter. If you have never seen the final episode, you may wonder what on Earth would inspire Adrian Monk, a man whose phobias are surpassed only by his brother’s, to take a sightseeing tour in an RV. Well, let’s just say that both Detective Monk and his brother has overcome some of their fears, have loosened up a little, and realized there is more to life than solving puzzles and disinfecting everything in sight–except for the RV’s bathroom and dinette table, of course.
Hats off to Lee Goldberg for yet anothe marvelous Monk mystery. I’ve read about six of his Monk novels to date and have never been disappointed.
July 15, 2015
High-Flying Action!
Today marked my first parasailing excursion, and it was a thrill thanks to Dewey Beach Parasail! I was joined by my friend Renee Volker-Wilson during a week-long group vacation in Rehoboth Beach, DE. We were 800 feet in the air just off of Dewey Beach in Rehoboth Bay.
I am definitely doing this again!
July 5, 2015
Free Audio Story – “Making Tracks” by Steven H. Wilson
Making Tracks, an advance story from our next anthology–ELSEWHERE IN THE MIDDLE OF ETERNITY–written and read by Steven H. Wilson!
Tracks is 13 years old and lives on a train–the only safe place to live in a future where to stand still is to die…
July 4, 2015
Shore Leave 37 Featured on Trek Today
The upcoming Shore Leave 37 convention in Hunt Valley, MD (August 7-9, 2015) has been featured on the Trek Today website. Plenty of celebrity guests, authors, and scientists will be on hand. The convention always delivers a weekend filled with discussion panels, writers workshops, book fair, dance party, masquerade contest, autograph sessions, photo op sessions with the stars, and multiple dealer rooms.
Click here to read the full article!
July 2, 2015
Amazon Revises Their Book Rating System
Amazon is yet again making changes. This time, to their book rating system. I was not aware of this when it was announced over two weeks ago. This new policy makes it even more imperative for burgeoning authors to build their platforms prior to releasing their first book and to foster relationships with readers who will purchase their books and take time to leave reviews.
In summary, Amazon will give more weight to:
1. Newer reviews.
2. Reviews based on Amazon verified purchases of books.
3. Reviews with the most helpful votes.
Click here to read the full article.
For those who have recently left reviews for my books on Amazon and/or Goodreads (owned by Amazon), I thank you so much!
June 22, 2015
Free Audio Story – “Don’t Go In The Barn, Johnny!”
Another story from our anthology, Somewhere in the Middle of Eternity, is available as a free audio story from Prometheus Radio Theatre!
Johnny learns to stop fearing the dark, and finds more than he ever imagined when he enters an abandoned barn where Night spends her days…
“Don’t Go in the Barn, Johnny!”
