Carl Alves's Blog, page 59
November 30, 2012
The mafia in Philadelphia Part 1
The Beginning
Often in the shadow of the organized crime families of New York and Chicago, Philadelphia has a rich mafia history. The Philadelphia mafia was believed to have started in 1911 when the Sicilian mafia imported Salvatore Sabella to Philadelphia to run the city’s crime rackets. Sabella ran organized crime in the city until he died in 1927.
Joseph Bruno and Joseph Ida
Joseph Bruno took over the crime syndicates after Salvatore Sabella’s death. He had to fight off a challenge to his authority in Philadelphia’s first mafia war in mid 1930s from John Avena. He remained mob boss until he died in 1946. Joseph Ida took over after the death of Joseph Bruno. He did not manage to stay long since he fled to Siciliy in 1959 after being convicted in narcotics charges in what was a lackluster crime reign.
Angelo Bruno
Angelo Bruno was the man that put the Philadelphia mafia on the map as well as starting up the organized crime scene in Atlantic City. Bruno had close ties to the Genovese family in New York, and the Bruno crime family became the most prominent in the country outside of New York and Chicago. He even wound up sitting on the Mafia's ruling commission.
Angelo “The Gentle Don” Bruno rarely employed violence in his operations. Although this was one of the reasons he was so successful, it rubbed some of his associates the wrong way, in particular his consigliere, Antonio "Tony Bananas" Caponigro, who had been making waves about Bruno’s tactics. He started a plot to kill Angelo Bruno, and ultimately assassinated Angelo Bruno on March 21, 1980, when they gunned down the mob boss. He was set up by his associate John Stanfa, who had been driving the car. Stanfa was hit by some bullet fragments, but was otherwise uninjured in one of the biggest hits in mob history. Things didn’t go so well for “Tony Bananas” Caponigro. The heads of the five families in New York summoned him for a meeting, and exacted some vengeance by beating and strangling him and his associate Alfred Salerno to death.
Check out my Philly mobsters as they tangle with vampires in my novel Blood Street, out now from True Grit Publishing.
Often in the shadow of the organized crime families of New York and Chicago, Philadelphia has a rich mafia history. The Philadelphia mafia was believed to have started in 1911 when the Sicilian mafia imported Salvatore Sabella to Philadelphia to run the city’s crime rackets. Sabella ran organized crime in the city until he died in 1927.
Joseph Bruno and Joseph Ida
Joseph Bruno took over the crime syndicates after Salvatore Sabella’s death. He had to fight off a challenge to his authority in Philadelphia’s first mafia war in mid 1930s from John Avena. He remained mob boss until he died in 1946. Joseph Ida took over after the death of Joseph Bruno. He did not manage to stay long since he fled to Siciliy in 1959 after being convicted in narcotics charges in what was a lackluster crime reign.
Angelo Bruno
Angelo Bruno was the man that put the Philadelphia mafia on the map as well as starting up the organized crime scene in Atlantic City. Bruno had close ties to the Genovese family in New York, and the Bruno crime family became the most prominent in the country outside of New York and Chicago. He even wound up sitting on the Mafia's ruling commission.
Angelo “The Gentle Don” Bruno rarely employed violence in his operations. Although this was one of the reasons he was so successful, it rubbed some of his associates the wrong way, in particular his consigliere, Antonio "Tony Bananas" Caponigro, who had been making waves about Bruno’s tactics. He started a plot to kill Angelo Bruno, and ultimately assassinated Angelo Bruno on March 21, 1980, when they gunned down the mob boss. He was set up by his associate John Stanfa, who had been driving the car. Stanfa was hit by some bullet fragments, but was otherwise uninjured in one of the biggest hits in mob history. Things didn’t go so well for “Tony Bananas” Caponigro. The heads of the five families in New York summoned him for a meeting, and exacted some vengeance by beating and strangling him and his associate Alfred Salerno to death.
Check out my Philly mobsters as they tangle with vampires in my novel Blood Street, out now from True Grit Publishing.
November 28, 2012
Vampire Legends from around the World – United States
Although vampire mythology is not as well-developed in the United States as it is in other parts of the world, belief in vampires became prevalent in the northeastern part of the United States in the latter part of the eighteenth century. Families would dig up the bodies of loved ones and remove their hearts, believing that their dead family members were vampires responsible for sickness and death in the family. They also believed that vampires were responsible for the spread of tuberculosis.
In North Carolina, legend has it that a vampire creature lurks killing animals and feeding off their blood. It can turn these animals into vampires. It first appeared in 1953, killing dogs in the area and draining them of blood. Some residents claimed they saw a strange beast with the body of a bear and the head of a cat, who screamed like a woman. Hunters from near and far tried to track the vampire beast with no success. In 2003, the North Carolina vampire beast reappeared, killing off goats and dogs while leaving few marks on them.
New Orleans has a history of vampire attacks. In 1933 on consecutive evenings, prostitutes on Royal Street were found laying in a alley with their throats torn out. No blood was found at the scene of either crime, however a dark figure had been spotted nearby in both cases. Reportedly this dark figure had no difficulty scaling a twelve foot wall. In 1984 nine people were murdered, their throats having been torn out. There was no blood at all at the scenes as if someone had sucked out all the blood. Could these have been committed by the same perp?
To read about some wicked vampires, check out my novel Blood Street, out November 24th from True Grit Publishing.
In North Carolina, legend has it that a vampire creature lurks killing animals and feeding off their blood. It can turn these animals into vampires. It first appeared in 1953, killing dogs in the area and draining them of blood. Some residents claimed they saw a strange beast with the body of a bear and the head of a cat, who screamed like a woman. Hunters from near and far tried to track the vampire beast with no success. In 2003, the North Carolina vampire beast reappeared, killing off goats and dogs while leaving few marks on them.
New Orleans has a history of vampire attacks. In 1933 on consecutive evenings, prostitutes on Royal Street were found laying in a alley with their throats torn out. No blood was found at the scene of either crime, however a dark figure had been spotted nearby in both cases. Reportedly this dark figure had no difficulty scaling a twelve foot wall. In 1984 nine people were murdered, their throats having been torn out. There was no blood at all at the scenes as if someone had sucked out all the blood. Could these have been committed by the same perp?
To read about some wicked vampires, check out my novel Blood Street, out November 24th from True Grit Publishing.
November 22, 2012
Turncoat by Jim Butcher
I want to preface this review by writing that I am not the biggest fan of the Dresden Files, have not read the series religiously and have only found it mildly appealing. My biggest misgiving is that I don’t find Harry Dresden to be a particularly interesting lead character. The author makes too much of an effort to make him overly flawed. Also some of the mythos of the story world don’t particularly jive with me, such as vampires that can be out during the daytime and who use guns to fight instead of their own preternatural skills.
Having said that, the plot and story of Turncoat are reasonably good. Butcher did a nice job of setting up a strong opening conflict. The wizard Morgan, who has been a nemesis to Dresden in the past, shows up at Harry’s doorstep half-dead and in need of help. Harry agrees to help him, starting a chain of events that lead him to uncover a conspiracy in the wizard White Council. A powerful demonic entity known as a SkinWalker attacks Harry and those close to him. Meanwhile he has to carefully sidestep the wardens of the White Council who are after Morgan.
The mystery of this story was well-developed even though I was able to figure out the turncoat fairly early on. The plot was sound and the story moved at a good pace. All in all, better than the other Dresden File novels I have read but not good enough to make me eagerly anticipate picking up the next one.
Having said that, the plot and story of Turncoat are reasonably good. Butcher did a nice job of setting up a strong opening conflict. The wizard Morgan, who has been a nemesis to Dresden in the past, shows up at Harry’s doorstep half-dead and in need of help. Harry agrees to help him, starting a chain of events that lead him to uncover a conspiracy in the wizard White Council. A powerful demonic entity known as a SkinWalker attacks Harry and those close to him. Meanwhile he has to carefully sidestep the wardens of the White Council who are after Morgan.
The mystery of this story was well-developed even though I was able to figure out the turncoat fairly early on. The plot was sound and the story moved at a good pace. All in all, better than the other Dresden File novels I have read but not good enough to make me eagerly anticipate picking up the next one.
November 19, 2012
Movie Review: Flight
In Flight, Denzel Washington plays a hard drinking, drug using pilot. On his ill-fated flight from Orlando to Atlanta, he starts the day off by not having slept after an evening of binge drinking, then snorts cocaine to get himself up for the flight. On a flight that experiences heavy turbulence, he puts three small bottles of vodka in his orange juice. Despite all of this, when the time comes he is able to miraculously land the plane with a minimal loss of life.
The action part of the movie is a prelude to what it is actually about. At the heart of the movie, Flight is about Denzel Washington's character, Whip Whitaker being an alcoholic. There is a big investigation to find out what caused the crash. All the while, Whitaker can't keep himself sober for more than five minutes. He meets a heroin addict in the hospital. Even though she seems pathetic when they first meet, she manages to keep it together better than he can.
The movie left me lukewarm at best. I was expecting some grand conspiracies and uncovering some great secrets during this investigation, but none of those things occurred. As I mentioned, this is simply a movie about addiction. If you're into movies about alcoholism or drug addiction, then it very well may work for you. As for me, I would take a pass.
The action part of the movie is a prelude to what it is actually about. At the heart of the movie, Flight is about Denzel Washington's character, Whip Whitaker being an alcoholic. There is a big investigation to find out what caused the crash. All the while, Whitaker can't keep himself sober for more than five minutes. He meets a heroin addict in the hospital. Even though she seems pathetic when they first meet, she manages to keep it together better than he can.
The movie left me lukewarm at best. I was expecting some grand conspiracies and uncovering some great secrets during this investigation, but none of those things occurred. As I mentioned, this is simply a movie about addiction. If you're into movies about alcoholism or drug addiction, then it very well may work for you. As for me, I would take a pass.
November 18, 2012
Vampire Legends from around the World – Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe
During the eighteenth century in Eastern Europe, a type of hysteria developed regarding vampires. During this time, staking people and digging up graves of potential vampires became commonplace, even among the aristocracy. The vampire fervor that sparked this started in 1721 in Prussia, where Peter Plogojowitz allegedly returned from the dead and asked his son for food. His son refused and was found dead a day later from loss of blood. Soon after, several of Plogojowitz’s neighbors were also found dead from blood loss.
A decade later in Serbia, after the death of Arnold Paole, who had purportedly been attacked by a vampire years before his death, several of his neighbors were killed and it was believed that Paole had returned from the dead to kill them. This belief in vampire attacks was supported by notable people at the time such as Voltaire and the theologian Dom Augustine Calmet.
Slavic
In ancient Slavic folklore, vampires are corpses that rise from their graves to feed on the blood of living beings. They commonly visit the area in which they lived during their life. In more recent Slavic lore, vampires are formed when magicians or amoral people commit suicide or die a violent death. Unlike the tradititional bats, in Slavic mythos, vampires can take the form of butterflies. Vampires in Russia do not drink blood, whereas in the Ukraine, vampires have red faces and small tails. As a result of a cholera outbreak in the nineteenth century, many people were burned alive because they were believed to be vampires.
The people in the land that is currently Croatia, had a well-developed vampire mythos in terms of the creation of vampires. For the first forty days of the nascent vampire’s life, they start off as a shadow before gaining substance through sucking blood and then forming a boneless, jelly-like mass. They then take human form and rise out of the grave. These vampires are sexually active and can have children.
Another type of vampire found in Crotia, Slovenia, and the Czech Republic are called pijavica. This vampire is a person who led an evil and sinful life and becomes a powerful killer. Pijavica’s can also be formed through incest. They normally attack family members. People defend against the pijavica’s by putting mashed garlic and wine at their windows and thresholds. Fire is used to kill these vampires. Alternatively if the pijavica is found in their grave during the day, they can be exorcised and then stabbed in the heart with an iron stake.
Romania
Moroi and strigoi are types of Romanian vampires. Strigoi would hunt together in packs and feed off the blood of livestock and people. The strigoi could either be living or dead, the dead ones revenants after death. There were various physical characteristics at a person’s birth that could lead them to become strigoi. Many of these characteristics were quite intricate such as being the seventh child of a family with all of their other siblings being of the same sex, or being born of a mother who crossed a black cat during her pregnancy. The same was true if a pregnant woman did not eat salt during her pregnancy. The Romanians had among the most well developed vampire methodology.
Check out my vampires with some bite in my novel Blood Street out November 24th from True Grit Publishing.
During the eighteenth century in Eastern Europe, a type of hysteria developed regarding vampires. During this time, staking people and digging up graves of potential vampires became commonplace, even among the aristocracy. The vampire fervor that sparked this started in 1721 in Prussia, where Peter Plogojowitz allegedly returned from the dead and asked his son for food. His son refused and was found dead a day later from loss of blood. Soon after, several of Plogojowitz’s neighbors were also found dead from blood loss.
A decade later in Serbia, after the death of Arnold Paole, who had purportedly been attacked by a vampire years before his death, several of his neighbors were killed and it was believed that Paole had returned from the dead to kill them. This belief in vampire attacks was supported by notable people at the time such as Voltaire and the theologian Dom Augustine Calmet.
Slavic
In ancient Slavic folklore, vampires are corpses that rise from their graves to feed on the blood of living beings. They commonly visit the area in which they lived during their life. In more recent Slavic lore, vampires are formed when magicians or amoral people commit suicide or die a violent death. Unlike the tradititional bats, in Slavic mythos, vampires can take the form of butterflies. Vampires in Russia do not drink blood, whereas in the Ukraine, vampires have red faces and small tails. As a result of a cholera outbreak in the nineteenth century, many people were burned alive because they were believed to be vampires.
The people in the land that is currently Croatia, had a well-developed vampire mythos in terms of the creation of vampires. For the first forty days of the nascent vampire’s life, they start off as a shadow before gaining substance through sucking blood and then forming a boneless, jelly-like mass. They then take human form and rise out of the grave. These vampires are sexually active and can have children.
Another type of vampire found in Crotia, Slovenia, and the Czech Republic are called pijavica. This vampire is a person who led an evil and sinful life and becomes a powerful killer. Pijavica’s can also be formed through incest. They normally attack family members. People defend against the pijavica’s by putting mashed garlic and wine at their windows and thresholds. Fire is used to kill these vampires. Alternatively if the pijavica is found in their grave during the day, they can be exorcised and then stabbed in the heart with an iron stake.
Romania
Moroi and strigoi are types of Romanian vampires. Strigoi would hunt together in packs and feed off the blood of livestock and people. The strigoi could either be living or dead, the dead ones revenants after death. There were various physical characteristics at a person’s birth that could lead them to become strigoi. Many of these characteristics were quite intricate such as being the seventh child of a family with all of their other siblings being of the same sex, or being born of a mother who crossed a black cat during her pregnancy. The same was true if a pregnant woman did not eat salt during her pregnancy. The Romanians had among the most well developed vampire methodology.
Check out my vampires with some bite in my novel Blood Street out November 24th from True Grit Publishing.
November 12, 2012
Vampire Legends from around the World – Western Europe
Germany
The German vampires are female and take the form of an incubus. They attack their victims at night and suck milk from the nipples of women or blood from the nipples of men and children. In German folklore, the vampires are spirits of deceased family members or children whose mothers suffer long and painful childbirths.
Also, in Germanic folklore there are male vampires known as Alps. They are spirits similar to an incubus. They torment women at night, appearing in their dream. The alp is often a spirit of a deceased relative. They can appear as a cat, pig, bird or other animal, and have shape-shifting abilities.
Portugal
Bruxas are vampires found in Portugal that are formed through witchcraft. They appear as a beautiful woman who is turned into a vampire and travels at night terrorizing anyone she finds. By day, the Bruxa appears as a normal woman.
Ireland
Vampires in Ireland date back to ancient Celtic times. Dearg-Due are ancient vampires from this time period. To keep them at bay, the people piled graves with stones high enough to prevent the vampires from escaping. This can still be found throughout modern day Ireland you can find old graves piled high with stones.
In ancient times, Druids in Ireland kept vampires shut in the hallows of old oak trees. They had annual celebrations where they fed people to these starving vampires. Vampires were kept enclosed in sacred old oaks, where they could be heard at night screaming.
In Ireland, the Leahaun-shee is an adaptation of the Lamia. The Leahuan-shee isn’t so much a vampire as it is a fairy mistress that engages in similar activities to a vampire. This fairy used her incredible beauty to lure men and then put them under her spell. The victim would waste away slowly as the Leahuan-shee drained him of his life’s essence through lovemaking.
Vampires will be running wild in my novel Blood Street, out November 24th from True Grit Publishing.
The German vampires are female and take the form of an incubus. They attack their victims at night and suck milk from the nipples of women or blood from the nipples of men and children. In German folklore, the vampires are spirits of deceased family members or children whose mothers suffer long and painful childbirths.
Also, in Germanic folklore there are male vampires known as Alps. They are spirits similar to an incubus. They torment women at night, appearing in their dream. The alp is often a spirit of a deceased relative. They can appear as a cat, pig, bird or other animal, and have shape-shifting abilities.
Portugal
Bruxas are vampires found in Portugal that are formed through witchcraft. They appear as a beautiful woman who is turned into a vampire and travels at night terrorizing anyone she finds. By day, the Bruxa appears as a normal woman.
Ireland
Vampires in Ireland date back to ancient Celtic times. Dearg-Due are ancient vampires from this time period. To keep them at bay, the people piled graves with stones high enough to prevent the vampires from escaping. This can still be found throughout modern day Ireland you can find old graves piled high with stones.
In ancient times, Druids in Ireland kept vampires shut in the hallows of old oak trees. They had annual celebrations where they fed people to these starving vampires. Vampires were kept enclosed in sacred old oaks, where they could be heard at night screaming.
In Ireland, the Leahaun-shee is an adaptation of the Lamia. The Leahuan-shee isn’t so much a vampire as it is a fairy mistress that engages in similar activities to a vampire. This fairy used her incredible beauty to lure men and then put them under her spell. The victim would waste away slowly as the Leahuan-shee drained him of his life’s essence through lovemaking.
Vampires will be running wild in my novel Blood Street, out November 24th from True Grit Publishing.
November 10, 2012
Vampire Legends from around the World – Australia and Asia
Australia
The aboriginals in Australia had a four foot red-haired creature with a large head and mouth with no teeth named Yara-Ma-Yha-Who. This vampire used suckers at the end of its toes and fingers to suck the blood from its victims. Yara-Ma-Yha-Who hid in fig trees and attacked their foes as they traveled underneath the tree.
China
In China, the vampires are called Chiang Shih. The Chiang Shih become vampires through demonic possession of a corpse of a person who had committed suicide or died in some form of violent death. Chinese vampires take the form of a walking corpse with green or white hair all over its body, sharp nails, jagged teeth and foul breath that can be lethal. In this form the Chiang Shih will leap out of graves and attack passersby. Alternatively, Chinese vampires can take human form, and the only way to know they are vampires are from an inability to cross running water or a repulsion to garlic. A mature Chiang Shih can fly and change into a wolf. They are repelled by garlic, salt and barriers of rice, and can be killed by thunder or a bullet.
Phillippines
There are three types of vampires in Phillippino lore. One if the mandurugo, which takes the form of an attractive girl by day. At night, they form wings and a long, thread-like tongue, which they use to suck blood from their victims, as well as the fetuses of pregnant women. In addition, these cheery creatures enjoy eating the heart and liver from sick people. The second type of vampire found in this Asian island nation is the manananggal, an older, beautiful woman that severs its upper torso to fly by night using massive bat wings and prey on sleeping pregnant women, sucking their blood with its long tongue. The aswang is a vampire that can live normally and appears as a beautiful woman by day, but at night seeks victims. They are led by the songs of night birds, and attack their victims using a long tubular tongue to drink their blood. After feeding they appear pregnant and fly home to breast feeds their children with the blood.
Cambodia
Vampires in Cambodia are knows as the Ab. The Ab take the form of a young or old woman with the ability to detach her head at night as she searching for lungs, hearts and blood of animals before returning back to her body by day. Abs do not allow anyone to go into their room. Often their husbands are afraid of them, with good reason. Becoming an Ab in Cambodian lore is based on genetics.
Malaysia
Vampires in Malaysia are known as Penanggalan. They are beautiful women who obtained their beauty through the use of black magic. They are seen in the same light as demons. The Penanggalan can remove their head as they seek blood. They target pregnant women. To ward off Peanggalan, people hang thistles around their doors and windows. The belief is that the Pennanggalan would fear catching their intestines on thorns.
You can check out my vampires from across the globe in my novel Blood Street, out November 24th from True Grit Publishing.
The aboriginals in Australia had a four foot red-haired creature with a large head and mouth with no teeth named Yara-Ma-Yha-Who. This vampire used suckers at the end of its toes and fingers to suck the blood from its victims. Yara-Ma-Yha-Who hid in fig trees and attacked their foes as they traveled underneath the tree.
China
In China, the vampires are called Chiang Shih. The Chiang Shih become vampires through demonic possession of a corpse of a person who had committed suicide or died in some form of violent death. Chinese vampires take the form of a walking corpse with green or white hair all over its body, sharp nails, jagged teeth and foul breath that can be lethal. In this form the Chiang Shih will leap out of graves and attack passersby. Alternatively, Chinese vampires can take human form, and the only way to know they are vampires are from an inability to cross running water or a repulsion to garlic. A mature Chiang Shih can fly and change into a wolf. They are repelled by garlic, salt and barriers of rice, and can be killed by thunder or a bullet.
Phillippines
There are three types of vampires in Phillippino lore. One if the mandurugo, which takes the form of an attractive girl by day. At night, they form wings and a long, thread-like tongue, which they use to suck blood from their victims, as well as the fetuses of pregnant women. In addition, these cheery creatures enjoy eating the heart and liver from sick people. The second type of vampire found in this Asian island nation is the manananggal, an older, beautiful woman that severs its upper torso to fly by night using massive bat wings and prey on sleeping pregnant women, sucking their blood with its long tongue. The aswang is a vampire that can live normally and appears as a beautiful woman by day, but at night seeks victims. They are led by the songs of night birds, and attack their victims using a long tubular tongue to drink their blood. After feeding they appear pregnant and fly home to breast feeds their children with the blood.
Cambodia
Vampires in Cambodia are knows as the Ab. The Ab take the form of a young or old woman with the ability to detach her head at night as she searching for lungs, hearts and blood of animals before returning back to her body by day. Abs do not allow anyone to go into their room. Often their husbands are afraid of them, with good reason. Becoming an Ab in Cambodian lore is based on genetics.
Malaysia
Vampires in Malaysia are known as Penanggalan. They are beautiful women who obtained their beauty through the use of black magic. They are seen in the same light as demons. The Penanggalan can remove their head as they seek blood. They target pregnant women. To ward off Peanggalan, people hang thistles around their doors and windows. The belief is that the Pennanggalan would fear catching their intestines on thorns.
You can check out my vampires from across the globe in my novel Blood Street, out November 24th from True Grit Publishing.
November 4, 2012
10 Questions With Benjamin Kane Ethridge
Dungeon Brain is a departure from your other novels incorporating a science fiction setting. What made you want to use that type of setting?
Originally I wrote this book set after Earth’s devastation, but back then the novel was very different in scope and theme. I wrote about a quarter of it and then stopped, feeling I hadn’t established the appropriate vision. Later I went back and thought some of the ideas were still interesting and wanted to have another go at it. The post-apocalyptic Earth had to go though. That setting is found in a variety of other narratives and it didn’t interest me anymore. I didn’t want overt Science Fiction with different flora and fauna and all planetary baggage though—I wanted a clean slate. What if this alien world could not only sustain human life, but what if previous human colonies had cultivated it to look like their beloved Earth? You still get the starkness of a low population scenario but I still had my heart set on some kind of devastation. So that’s when I decided a war needed to be going on, to add grittiness to an otherwise pristine planet.
2. Where did you get the concept for Dungeon Brain?
It began with research on electroshock therapy. After reading several books and watching a horrifying documentary on the subject, specifically about the resulting amnesia induced by the therapy, I thought it would make a great story. Already mentioned, my first draft didn’t feel right. The ideas weren’t captivating to me—I didn’t know if a story like it had been done before but I didn’t care either. I wanted something different, so I started looking at the concept of multiple personalities (another hackneyed concept) but from a different stand point. These other personalities are created by a broken mind—what if they weren’t? What if the personalities actually had once belonged to living, breathing people? Then I thought—okay, now this person is multi-possessed then—I also didn’t want to go to demons or ghosts for my answer either. I wanted the reason to be associated with the person’s brain and its own psychic gift to reap personalities or souls from other people.
3. How do you juggle handling a day job and life as a writer?
Whenever I have a break or take a lunch, I do something writing related. It helps to bring a lunch because eating-out takes too long and uses up a big chunk of your break (I have brought notebooks with me on occasion, but you have to transcribe that stuff later). I can write 1500 words in about an hour. I try to go for 3K, so I need to get the other half done either in the morning before work or in the afternoon at home. It’s difficult to work at home though because I have my responsibilities there as well. My awesome wife is good enough to give me free time on the weekends if I’ve fallen behind.
4. Who has been your biggest influence as a writer?
I could choose a different person for a different aspect of my writing. James Joyce inspired me to write from a direct tap in the mind. Stephen King inspired me to write an engaging story. Nabokov inspired me to write with color. Michael Louis Calvillo inspired me to do all of those things with a relentless passion. It’s impossible for me to choose one.
5. You have a busy schedule with four releases over the next two years. What are your immediate and long term goals as a writer?
I’m going to continue to release two novels a year, but I think I’ll regulate the genres. One horror book and one Sci-Fi, Fantasy, or other. I don’t want to burn out on horror, and I want to give a good reason why people should buy a second Ethridge book, if they’ve already bought another. I have several new projects that include an epic fantasy, a spy novel and revisiting a middle grade novel I wrote a couple years back. There is much to do; that is for sure!
6. Who is your favorite writer?
I can answer this one much like I did with my influences, but I’ll be definitive and say Stephen King, just because of the number of novels I’ve read and enjoyed. I haven’t, however, read anything since his last Dark Tower book (not the recent addition either).
7. Have you ever thought about writing a series? From an author’s perspective what do you think is the difference in approaching a stand-alone novel versus a series?
Not only thought, but have begun. I’ve written a sequel to my first novel Black & Orange and have three more novels in mind. My most recent project NIGHTMARE BALLAD will be part of a forthcoming trilogy. Unlike the Black & Orange books, which I want to be standalones, I’ve tried to tackle this new trilogy as one large story. You have to keep the conflict immediate though and not spend an entire book going nowhere. There has to be a reason why someone would want to read the first, second and third novel. The author’s job is to keep increasing the stakes and create a need to complete the entire story.
8. How do you use social media to promote your writing?
Facebook is my hub, but I’ve learned to keep the first few sentences very topical, so when it connects to my Twitter account, the tweet will perhaps get some clicks. Google+, bless its heart, I’ll post as often as I remember. There are people inhabiting its lands, but a sea-change has not occurred, that is for sure.
9. Is there an overall theme to your writing?
Humanity has an inherent mental illness, but the individual human has a choice to accept or reject the malady.
10. If you could invite five people to a dinner party (alive or dead, real or fictional) who would you invite?
Conan the Barbarian, John Lennon, Crow T. Robot, Jimmy Stewart and Batman.
Originally I wrote this book set after Earth’s devastation, but back then the novel was very different in scope and theme. I wrote about a quarter of it and then stopped, feeling I hadn’t established the appropriate vision. Later I went back and thought some of the ideas were still interesting and wanted to have another go at it. The post-apocalyptic Earth had to go though. That setting is found in a variety of other narratives and it didn’t interest me anymore. I didn’t want overt Science Fiction with different flora and fauna and all planetary baggage though—I wanted a clean slate. What if this alien world could not only sustain human life, but what if previous human colonies had cultivated it to look like their beloved Earth? You still get the starkness of a low population scenario but I still had my heart set on some kind of devastation. So that’s when I decided a war needed to be going on, to add grittiness to an otherwise pristine planet.
2. Where did you get the concept for Dungeon Brain?
It began with research on electroshock therapy. After reading several books and watching a horrifying documentary on the subject, specifically about the resulting amnesia induced by the therapy, I thought it would make a great story. Already mentioned, my first draft didn’t feel right. The ideas weren’t captivating to me—I didn’t know if a story like it had been done before but I didn’t care either. I wanted something different, so I started looking at the concept of multiple personalities (another hackneyed concept) but from a different stand point. These other personalities are created by a broken mind—what if they weren’t? What if the personalities actually had once belonged to living, breathing people? Then I thought—okay, now this person is multi-possessed then—I also didn’t want to go to demons or ghosts for my answer either. I wanted the reason to be associated with the person’s brain and its own psychic gift to reap personalities or souls from other people.
3. How do you juggle handling a day job and life as a writer?
Whenever I have a break or take a lunch, I do something writing related. It helps to bring a lunch because eating-out takes too long and uses up a big chunk of your break (I have brought notebooks with me on occasion, but you have to transcribe that stuff later). I can write 1500 words in about an hour. I try to go for 3K, so I need to get the other half done either in the morning before work or in the afternoon at home. It’s difficult to work at home though because I have my responsibilities there as well. My awesome wife is good enough to give me free time on the weekends if I’ve fallen behind.
4. Who has been your biggest influence as a writer?
I could choose a different person for a different aspect of my writing. James Joyce inspired me to write from a direct tap in the mind. Stephen King inspired me to write an engaging story. Nabokov inspired me to write with color. Michael Louis Calvillo inspired me to do all of those things with a relentless passion. It’s impossible for me to choose one.
5. You have a busy schedule with four releases over the next two years. What are your immediate and long term goals as a writer?
I’m going to continue to release two novels a year, but I think I’ll regulate the genres. One horror book and one Sci-Fi, Fantasy, or other. I don’t want to burn out on horror, and I want to give a good reason why people should buy a second Ethridge book, if they’ve already bought another. I have several new projects that include an epic fantasy, a spy novel and revisiting a middle grade novel I wrote a couple years back. There is much to do; that is for sure!
6. Who is your favorite writer?
I can answer this one much like I did with my influences, but I’ll be definitive and say Stephen King, just because of the number of novels I’ve read and enjoyed. I haven’t, however, read anything since his last Dark Tower book (not the recent addition either).
7. Have you ever thought about writing a series? From an author’s perspective what do you think is the difference in approaching a stand-alone novel versus a series?
Not only thought, but have begun. I’ve written a sequel to my first novel Black & Orange and have three more novels in mind. My most recent project NIGHTMARE BALLAD will be part of a forthcoming trilogy. Unlike the Black & Orange books, which I want to be standalones, I’ve tried to tackle this new trilogy as one large story. You have to keep the conflict immediate though and not spend an entire book going nowhere. There has to be a reason why someone would want to read the first, second and third novel. The author’s job is to keep increasing the stakes and create a need to complete the entire story.
8. How do you use social media to promote your writing?
Facebook is my hub, but I’ve learned to keep the first few sentences very topical, so when it connects to my Twitter account, the tweet will perhaps get some clicks. Google+, bless its heart, I’ll post as often as I remember. There are people inhabiting its lands, but a sea-change has not occurred, that is for sure.
9. Is there an overall theme to your writing?
Humanity has an inherent mental illness, but the individual human has a choice to accept or reject the malady.
10. If you could invite five people to a dinner party (alive or dead, real or fictional) who would you invite?
Conan the Barbarian, John Lennon, Crow T. Robot, Jimmy Stewart and Batman.
November 3, 2012
Dungeon Brain by Benjamin Kane Ethridge
Dungeon Brain is a unique dark, science fiction novel. Exceptionally well written by Benjamin Kane Ethridge, the novel presents an interesting lead character that isn’t just one character but many. June wakes up a captive in a nearly abandoned hospital in a war-torn world that is in many way reminiscent of Europe during World War II. Unfortunately for June, she is not alone at the hospital. She is under the care of Maggie — think Misery Chastain from Stephen King’s Misery. June has no idea who she is, where she’s at, or what she’s doing there. To complicate matters, not only does June have voices in her head, she has a whole slew of actual people in her head. These people are locked away, and sometimes they can feed June information, but mostly she seems confused by them, not that I blame her. It’s hard enough to sort things out in your head without having people trying to talk to you.
Outside of the hospital lurk the alien Rotviqes. Are they friend or foe? That’s what June has to figure out as she hatches a plan to escape from the obsessive Maggie. June later finds herself out of Maggie’s clutches and in a maze, where she begins to learn more about herself. In the process she finds out that the stakes are much higher for her than what she had originally thought.
Ethridge’s prose has a lyrical quality to it. He weaves a tale that is complex and at times a bit daunting yet very satisfying. Ethridge also effectively puts the reader in June’s head, making them feel as she feels, sorting through the confusion of losing her memory and dealing with all of the people living inside her. The story has a slow momentum build, gaining strength as June figures out who she is and what she must do, delivering big time for a fiery finale. Dungeon Brain is a departure from Ethridge’s previous works, but also a welcome addition to his prior literary efforts - a novel I highly recommend.
Outside of the hospital lurk the alien Rotviqes. Are they friend or foe? That’s what June has to figure out as she hatches a plan to escape from the obsessive Maggie. June later finds herself out of Maggie’s clutches and in a maze, where she begins to learn more about herself. In the process she finds out that the stakes are much higher for her than what she had originally thought.
Ethridge’s prose has a lyrical quality to it. He weaves a tale that is complex and at times a bit daunting yet very satisfying. Ethridge also effectively puts the reader in June’s head, making them feel as she feels, sorting through the confusion of losing her memory and dealing with all of the people living inside her. The story has a slow momentum build, gaining strength as June figures out who she is and what she must do, delivering big time for a fiery finale. Dungeon Brain is a departure from Ethridge’s previous works, but also a welcome addition to his prior literary efforts - a novel I highly recommend.
October 29, 2012
Bearers of the Black Staff by Terry Brooks
Prior to reading Bearers of the Black Staff, I had not realized that his Shannara and Knight of the Word series were interconnected. One of the things that I especially liked about this novel is the way that Brooks presented the backstory that linked the stories following the time that Hawk, the Gypsy Morph delivered his people into the valley that had been protected by magical barriers, which are now down. The valley for the first time in five hundred years, exposed to the people and creatures that have survived the Great Wars. To make matters worse a troll army learns about them and is planning on invading.
Sider Ament, the last of the Knights of the Word, protects the valley with his magical staff. He is the first to realize that the protective barriers are down. He encounters two young trackers, Panterra Qu and Prue Liss, who are attacked by a couple of the creatures from the outside world. Sider Ament is there to protect them. Together they must warn the people of the valley. A common theme in Brooks’ novels, the people they are trying to warn don’t readily heed their advice. Absorbed in self-interest, greed and their own personal agenda, even those within the groups they are trying to protect thwart Sider, Panterra and Prue.
Reading Bearers of the Black Staff reminds me of why Terry Brooks is my favorite fantasy author. Reading Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time series gives me a greater appreciation of Brooks. His story telling skills are top notch. His pace is excellent. Whereas Jordan is bloated and long-winded, Brooks doesn’t waste time and words. Everything he writes adds to the plot, develops characters, or provides valuable backstory information that the reader needs. A very well written start to the Legends of Shannara series, and a book well worth reading.
Sider Ament, the last of the Knights of the Word, protects the valley with his magical staff. He is the first to realize that the protective barriers are down. He encounters two young trackers, Panterra Qu and Prue Liss, who are attacked by a couple of the creatures from the outside world. Sider Ament is there to protect them. Together they must warn the people of the valley. A common theme in Brooks’ novels, the people they are trying to warn don’t readily heed their advice. Absorbed in self-interest, greed and their own personal agenda, even those within the groups they are trying to protect thwart Sider, Panterra and Prue.
Reading Bearers of the Black Staff reminds me of why Terry Brooks is my favorite fantasy author. Reading Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time series gives me a greater appreciation of Brooks. His story telling skills are top notch. His pace is excellent. Whereas Jordan is bloated and long-winded, Brooks doesn’t waste time and words. Everything he writes adds to the plot, develops characters, or provides valuable backstory information that the reader needs. A very well written start to the Legends of Shannara series, and a book well worth reading.
