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Wrathbone
Group Reads: Guest Author Invite
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July 2017 Group Read with Guest Author #2, Jason Parent
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The life of Henry Wrathbone is perfect fodder for a horror story, so when I heard about him, I couldn't believe I was getting first dibs (there is a non-horror novel out there, but that's it, I think). Maybe everyone else thought it was too soon, lol. The events and locations (minus the supernatural elements) are 100% fact, down to his addresses and even the name of the ship he sailed on. The story needed more research than even my novels.
It is time!Excited and starting this weekend.
Kimberly wrote: "Re-read!!!"Thanks, Kim - a re-read? I am incredibly flattered. Hope you enjoy it, Vicki. But give me your honest criticism, no matter how brutal, either way :)
Ken wrote: "Jason. I'm intrigued by stories that use historical figures and events as the backdrop. How did the story Wrathbone come to light? I have to admit that I looked him up to see if he was real and, lo..."I must admit I looked up the Lincoln connection as well, and was pleasantly surprised to find that Jason's Henry Wrathbone is based on a real historical figure.
The title is a nice play on words, too.
I'm only into chapter 2, but enjoying events so far.
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Wow... [spoilers removed]
Loved it..."
I knew about the "real" Henry and Clara before reading this,(view spoiler)
Kimberly wrote: "Vicki wrote: "I finished the first story. Wow... [spoilers removed]
Loved it..."
I knew about the "real" Henry and Clara before reading this,[spoilers removed]"
How do you know it didn't? ;)
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Wow... [spoilers removed]
Loved it..."
I knew about the "real" Henry and Clara before reading this,[spoilers removed]"
How do you know ..."
EXACTLY! That's how a great writer makes you feel and question things you "thought" you knew! Reading through 'his eyes', you can SEE it happening.....
I've just finished and I really enjoyed it. I'm going to digest it for a while and then post my review. And add another comment with a bit more detail.I'm also going to research a bit on Rathbone as I know very little about US history and now I'm interested in what happened.
I have a question for Jason. Why Macaws?
Jennifer wrote: "I've just finished and I really enjoyed it. I'm going to digest it for a while and then post my review. And add another comment with a bit more detail.I'm also going to research a bit on Rathbone..."
Ha! I suppose it could have been any exotic bird as this specific Macaw had an atypical dietary habit (and perhaps unique intestinal and stomach qualities). Macaws don't generally eat meat, or even usually, and unless you count insects, next to never. But neither do cockatiels in the wild, which I had as pets growing up. They enjoyed all deli meats (though I probably wasn't supposed to give it to them), especially turkey (which I found creepily cannibalistic). Domesticated birds will eat a lot of things they wouldn't normally eat in the wild if placed in front of them. So, I could have used a carrion bird or bird of prey, but these are much rarer house pets and don't mimic speech.
The whole story started as a joke with the two main characters (Nev and his bird) named after a friend-couple of mine. The lesson there - be careful if you ask to be in one of my horror stories.
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Kimberly wrote: "It's your "happily ever after endings" that bring us back for more, Jason! ;)"Lol. I am very uplifting. I do consider one of them a happy ending. :)
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Lol. I am very uplifting. I do consider one of them a happy ending. :)"
They made ME happy....some of the characters may have had a slightly different opinion though. ;)
Ken wrote: "I love this collection. I think The Only Good Lawyer and Revenge is a Dish are my favorites. Jason, can you tell us how these two stories came to be?"Well, I was a lawyer (still am, I suppose). And I even did some criminal defense work early on in my career. So I've heard all the jokes - e.g., What do you call 1000 lawyers at the bottom of a cliff? A good start - and of course this title plays on one of those "jokes." But next to used car salesmen, tax collectors, and repo men, lawyers have to be one of the most hated professions out there. Hell, I despise a whole lot of them, though as in every profession, there are good ones and bad ones. The Only Good Lawyer plays into the negative stereotype and brings out the wickedness in us - tell me, who wasn't cheering for Bradley's comeuppance from paragraph one on? I wrote this story a long time ago and hope to do more with voodoo someday.
Revenge Is a Dish was created in response to a specific request for a submission. The anthology had a particular theme that focused on my fear of open water, so I thought it would be one hell of an adrenaline rush to see what I could do with it. (view spoiler) So I got accepted to that anthology and waited for word of publication for two years before I withdrew it to use in the anthology. I had a lot of fun writing that story, and I think it shows.
I just finished the second story, The Only Good Lawyer.Excellent story and my word for that one is(view spoiler)
I just finished "Dorian's Mirror" and will save my full review for when I finish, but for now I will say so far so good!
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Loved that one!!
Getting back to Henry Rathbone for a moment. I'm glad I didn't read his historical bio (view spoiler) until after I'd read Jason's story.You definitely nailed it, and with some food for thought! ;)
I finished and loved it!The bird one was excellent! Who thinks like that!??
I also loved the Revenge one! Think before you act people!
Vicki's Review
David wrote: "Getting back to Henry Rathbone for a moment. I'm glad I didn't read his historical bio [spoilers removed] until after I'd read Jason's story.You definitely nailed it, and with some food for though..."
Yes, I was going to recommend reading the story before the bio, but if you read a detailed bio, you can pinpoint my scenes with actual life events
Vicki wrote: "I finished and loved it!The bird one was excellent! Who thinks like that!??
I also loved the Revenge one! Think before you act people!
Vicki's Review"
Wow, thank you for that review, Vicki! I'm glad you liked it. :)
I just finished this in one sitting and thoroughly enjoyed these nasty little tales. I'm looking forward reading more of your work!
Jason wrote: "Jennifer wrote: "I've just finished and I really enjoyed it. I'm going to digest it for a while and then post my review. And add another comment with a bit more detail.I'm also going to research ..."
I imagined that you had a horrible true story about being terrorised by a family pet Macaw or something, but I love the thought about it using friends names!
Wrathbone was a fantastic story. I really loved the writing style. I have to admit to knowing absolutely nothing about the actual events other than Lincoln was a president. But I think that added to the experience to me. The story did feel like it could have been an actual account of what happened. And after reading up about it a little I still think it could be a valid account of events.It's not very often that I enjoy a whole collection of stories, even when I read the "Master of Horror" Stephen King's collections, but I really did enjoy each of these stories. All very different and all of a high standard.
I think The Only Good Lawyer was my favourite. Just because Bradley was such an awful guy that he deserved something rotten to happen to him.
I've also never read The Picture of Dorian Gray, so I've bumped that up my list now.
I'm really glad that this collection was chosen for the group to read. Like mentioned in the introduction, I rarely read Kindle horror stories as it's such a minefield of rubbish and I always randomly chose the bad ones if I do attempt one. So, it's great to have authors pointed out to us. I'm definitely adding Jason to my enjoyed authors list and will be reading more as soon as I can.
Jennifer wrote: "Wrathbone was a fantastic story. I really loved the writing style. I have to admit to knowing absolutely nothing about the actual events other than Lincoln was a president. But I think that added t..."I loved King's Skeleton Crew and Night Shift and would rank both among the best collections out there. As for The Picture of Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde is just brilliant. The story is secondary to his wit, social observations, and skill with the language, particularly through the character of Henry, who comes across (in his words more so than his deeds) as a sort of Victorian hedonist. Highly recommended, and my story is a tribute but comes nowhere close (and doesn't pretend to) to the literary skill of an Oscar Wilde. It's like comparing a Tales from the Crypt episode to Bram Stoker's Dracula or Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. But hey, I like Tales form the Crypt :)
Thanks you for your kind words, Jennifer!
Finished Wrathbone...really enjoyed it.
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Finished. Of all the wonderful stories in this collection, I liked Revenge is a Dish best. Gave me a certain Laymon vibe, which I haven't gotten from Jason's work until now. I loved all these stories, but that one is my favorite.
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I mentioned this in my review, but For the Birds is really sticking with me. I've had a nightmare similar to this, and it was surreal. Wrathbone was really well done and my favorite in the collection. Since HP is my favorite author, madness is a continuous element in what I read, and I really enjoyed how you wrote it.
I need time to commit to this, I want to be able to immerse myself fully and not do a half-assed reading; as these author group reads are such an amazing chance for a great read, you know? Anyways- this is being moved UP and SOON! (I've read bits and pieces here and there already but that is all. July is passing so suddenly!) I am, however, keeping up with these comments and have been reading the thread. *gets set to dive in* --Jen from Quebec :0)
I finished this tonight. It was an interesting read, and I definitely enjoyed some of the stories more than others.https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
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Ken wrote: "Jason, out of all the stories in Wrathbone, was there a particular one that is your favorite? How about non-Wrathbone stories?"Wrathbone was my favorite when I had finished the collection, but Revenge is a Dish is a wicked pleasure. I flip between the two as often as I flip between genres. My favorite non-Wrathbone story (of mine, and not counting the novels) is a toss up between Dia de los Muertos, Unseemly, and Eleanor, likely in that order.
My favorite short stories from other authors: The Mist - Stephen King; Bulldozer - Laird Barron; and a piece by Kealan Patrick Burke, the title of which I don't know (with The Tent up there as well). And of course, A Tell-Tale Heart and The Masque of the Red Death by the greatest of them all.
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Um.... so winners of signed copies: Vicki, Jennifer, Alissa. PM me an address to send the book to and consider it done. And you too, Ken.
Wow! Thank you so much. I really appreciate that!
Vicki wrote: "Wow! Thank you so much. I really appreciate that!"Thank you for giving my book a read and taking the time to review it :)
My signed book came. What a treasure. I love and appreciate it. Thank you, Jason!
Vicki wrote: "My signed book came. What a treasure. I love and appreciate it. Thank you, Jason!"Great! Thanks for letting me know :)
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Kin (other topics)Wrathbone (other topics)
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