Book Review: lost boy, lost girl by Peter Straub

What’s not to like in this book? An all male cast filled with one dimensional stereotypes. A major failing of the Bechdel test. A serial killer sub-plot that goes nowhere. An evil house that does nothing. A story about evil where the only person who dies is a suicide, and that’s on page one. A story about a ghost where the ghost who finally shows up just wants to have sex…but “off screen,” of course. Wouldn’t want anything to actually happen in this book, would we?

In a book of dull and offensive characters, only Mark Underhill stands out as a decently memorable person. His uncle is a “famous writer,” which means he needs no other personality traits, ever. His father Phillip is a walking steroetype of a racist and msyogonist who can’t stop thinking of himself longer than five minutes. There’s the stereotypical tough talking cop, the plot device super-private detective friend, in case Tim the famous writer needs an answer without actually performing any investigative work, the over confident but really stupid rich white male serial killer in his thirties, Mark’s best buddy Jimbo, and Jimbo’s equally annoying drunk dad, Jackie.

There are only two female characters who have more than a scene or two of dialogue, one of whom commits suicide, Mark’s mother. She rarely talks in the flashbacks, and her presence in the book, even in flashbacks, serves no useful purpose. The other female bit character, Jimbo’s mother, serves as a sex symbol for Mark, and a sidekick for grilling Jimbo with Tim. She coos and says nice things to Mark, and then when Tim needs Jimbo too talk, she wags her finger sternly and repeats the same lines over and over: “Now Jim, you tell Mr. Underhill everything you know!” But otherwise she stays barefoot and in the kitchen like a good little woman. There is also supposed to be a female ghost, but she is only mentioned in passing…having sex with one of the guys.

Ebook Review: Suicide Girls in the Afterlife by Gina Ranalli

This is my first Gina Ranalli story, but it won’t be the last. Suicide Girls in the Afterlife is a fascinating and fast paced look at the tragic afterlife of Pogue, a young woman who supposedly commits suicide under fairly bizarre circumstances and arrives in the afterlife during “renovations.”

Put up in a hotel, Pogue teams up with another suicidal arrival named Katina, and soon they are trying to stage a revolution in the afterlife to protest the random and arbitrary rules. Most of this behavior seems to be heading somewhere completely different, and once the reader realizes what’s really happening at the end, the beginning takes on a whole new meaning.

A brilliant story with interesting characters and a unique interpretation of the afterlife, I give Suicide Girls in the Afterlife 4 stars and recommend it to all fans of bizarro fiction. You can find the ebook at Smashwords for only $1.99

Sometimes even simple advice can’t be followed…

Let’s start simple with the most basic advice any beginning writer gets in their quest to become better: “write what you know.”

Over the last few years, I’ve seen this four word sentence everywhere. The first time I’d heard it was from my aunt Brenda. If anyone can be directly credited for my love of reading and writing, it’s her. And when I was a wee thing of fifteen, I’d asked my aunt what would help me become a better writer. Brenda said, “The most important rule you always have to remember is ‘write what you know.”

I was a smart-ass even then, and my exact response was, “Yeah, right! I can’t write what I know, or I’d be arrested!”

To which my aunt replied, “That’s what fiction is for.”

WebLit Review: Above Ground By A.M. Harte

Above Ground is vaguely like Alice in Wonderland in reverse. Instead of Alice falling down a hole, Lilith emerges from the caves that humanity has been living in after an unknown cataclysmic event sends everyone scrambling away from the surface world like house cats avoiding a long overdue bath.

The surface world now belongs to the affected (or the infected if you ask a human), people who have been tainted in various ways, resulting in mutations. Lilith is traveling to the surface with a human tour group to see a “parade of the affected,” at a local theater. But early on, a sabotaged sideshow requires Lilith to flee for her life with the help of a werewolf and part-time sideshow performer named Silver.

What follows are the calamities during Lilith’s first few days above ground. Lilith can’t seem to get it through her head that she can’t get home, and so most of the trip, she is constantly second guessing herself and whether she can trust the werewolf pack escorting her.

Given the extreme circumstances, I found Lilith’s behavior to be consistent and realistic. However, this did not stop me from occasionally smacking my forehead and groaning, “Oy.” Not because she does something dumb or thinks it, but because she makes the same choices over and over even knowing she’s about to make a mistake. If not for the kindness of strangers, this is the type of woman who might trip head-first into trouble every single time. Which is both highly entertaining, and also just a bit annoying. It’s like a guilty pleasure, like scratching that fresh mosquito bite even though you know you’re supposed to leave it alone.

Interviewed by A.M. Harte

After posting her review of The Sole Survivors’ Club on quillsandzebras, A.M. Harte wrote to ask me for a brief interview about the book. It’s just a few questions, but I had fun answering them and explaining the stories behind the story. Also I reveal something about Carl, the elevator “accident magnet.” ^_^

Check out the interview here.

Two reviews for The Sole Survivors’ Club

The first two reviews for The Sole Survivors’ Club have come in, and both are favorable! Huzzah!

Over on Goodreads, Becka has posted this 4 star review.

And just a few hours ago quillsandzebras posted this 3.5 star review on her blog.

The Sole Survivors’ Club is only $1.99, and it’s available in many different e-book formats. Why not wander over to my site and check it out? Or you can visit Amazon, Mobipocket, or Smashwords to pick up a copy and start reading right away!

Guest blogging for Becka on the Topic of Research

Becka writes a fantasy webfic, Dragon Wars, over at her blog Firebird Fiction, but she is also starting a new writing blog as well. She’s also been a regular reviewer and beta reader of my stories, and she was one of the first people to take a look at my newest dark fantasy ebook, The Sole Survivors’ Club.

Becka had read the book almost two years ago as a beta reader, so she was aware of how much work and research went into the story. After finishing the updated story, she invited me to write a guest blog post about my research, and of course I jumped on the chance to gab. ^_^

Anywho, here is the article. Hope you enjoy it.

The New Bedlam Project

Issue 2 of volume 2 of The New Bedlam Project came out today, and it includes a story from me, Waking Up a Living Legend. This is the third story about my wicked and completely mad serial killer, but the first time that readers will learn her name.

If you read the story, please leave a comment. I’d love to know what you think.

And do be sure to check out the other stories. In particular, read The Horologist by K.V. Taylor. It pulled me in and never let go until the final line. Definitely worth your time, pun intended.

WebLit Review: Refuge of Delayed Souls Book II: Billy

Having read and reviewed book one of this series, I want to get my one complaint out of the way for both books that I’ve read so far. I don’t think miladysa should have divided this series into books. The endings of the first two books aren’t really great places to end a book, in my opinion. However, those same parts work within the context of the series, and if they weren’t “endings,” they be fine episodes on their own.

With that very minor quibble out of the way, let me say that Book II: Billy is every bit as solidly written as the first book. The story pulls the reader along through time in strange ways, but every angle is compelling without distracting from the core plot. This time out the story focuses on a barguest and some missing property.

In the side plots, we learn more about Elizabeth and her grandfather, among others. If there’s anyone who hasn’t had a chance to develop much yet as a character, it’s Gemma. But there are clues left to help explain why there’s animosity between her and Elizabeth. I have a theory that Gemma’s bravado and flirting are fronts to deal with her insecurities over being part fey, but I suspect I may have to wait until Book III to find out more. (I hope there’s more on Gemma too. She’s an interesting character,)

Overall, I found the story vividly described with a good balance of descriptions, dialogue, and action. I give Billy 4 stars, and I’d recommend it to fans of dark fantasy or paranormal thrillers