Destroying the Tangible Illusion of reality; or, Searching for Andy Kaufman

5 of 5 Stars  

Destroying the Tangible Illusion of Reality; or, Searching for Andy Kaufman is a book I won't soon forget.  OK, I might forget the title, after all, it is a mouthful.

The story is a fictional expression of the author's life after being diagnosed with a rare combination of large cell lymphoma and Hodgkins.  T. Fox Dunham was only the tenth person in the world to have this diagnosis.  Thankfully, he's a survivor.  His protagonist is not so lucky.

Destroying the Tangible Illusion of Reality; or, Searching for Andy Kaufman is filled with wonderfully offbeat characters.  Anthony, diagnosed with cancer. Cynthia, his childhood friend who wants to be more. Tolya, a Mad Russian truck driver.  Manhattan, who loves Anthony because he has death inside him.

The opening sequence had me gawking, wondering what the hell I had gotten myself into, but much like an accident at the side of the road, I couldn't tear my eyes away.

Great chapter titles, too, like "ELVIS DIED ON THE TOILET FOR OUR SINS" and "I DON"T BELIEVE IN HELL, JUST NEW JERSEY."

And then, there's the search for Andy Kaufman.  If you're already familiar with the comic's legacy, I think you'll really enjoy what the writer has done with this.  If you're not, the story is all there with some imaginative twists that could certainly be within the realm of possibility.

Part self expression, part surreal fantasy, part convoluted love story, and part road trip comedy. Dunham manages to intertwine it all into a cohesive and wacky read that might just might you think.

I wanted Destroying the Tangible Illusion of Reality; or, Searching for Andy Kaufman to be true, every word of it, but it can't be.  But then?  Makes you wonder, much like one of Andy Kaufman's bits.

Highly recommended and published by Perpetual Motion Machine Publishing, Destroying the Tangible Illusion of Reality; or, Searching for Andy Kaufman is available in both paperback and e-book formats.

T. Fox Dunham is an established author with several upcoming books and hundreds of short stories published in all mediums. His first novel, The Street Martyr is being made into a major motion picture by ThroughLine Films.

Winter Tree - by Alison Littlewood - A beautiful melancholy chapbook from White Noise Press

5 of 5 Stars     Review copy

Winter Tree is a new chapbook from White Noise Press.  The book itself is a thing of beauty.  The paper stock is a cut above and the illustrations by publisher Keith Minnion are exquisite.

Then there is Alison Littlewood's lovely tale.  A charming ghost story of sorts.  A tale of promises made, forgotten, and remembered too late.

The source of the story's title is a touching moment of young love.

Winter Tree will be available July 5, 2016 from White Noise Press.  For their complete list of chapbooks visit them online at http://www.whitenoisepress.com/shelf/

Recommended.

Alison Littlewood was raised in Penistone, South Yorkshire, and went on to attend the University of Northumbria at Newcastle.  Originally she planned to study graphic design, but “missed the words too much” and switched to a joint English and History degree. She followed a career in marketing before developing her love of writing fiction.

The Chinese Beetle - by Brian Keene - A story from the Lost Level

4 of 5 Stars

The Chinese Beetle is a quick trip to the world Brian Keene created for The Lost Level, published in January of 2015.  If you missed it, The Lost Level, is an homage to Edgar Rice Burroughs, Sid and Marty Kroft, Joe R. Lansdale, H. G. Wells, and others, and takes you to places that can only be reached through the imagination.

It's a place where "you might stumble across something here that looks familiar, only to discover it's not what you thought it was, or it's not where you thought it would be."

Oh, and once in The Lost Level you can't leave...and the sun never sets.  There, I think you should be up to date.

This chapbook features Aaron Pace, who is from our world, and Kasheena and their encounter with what they end up calling The Chinese Beetle.

I you've not read The Lost Level, this is a good introduction.  If you have and are waiting for the release of book two, this is a nice little appetizer before the main course, coming soon.

The Chinese Beetle is a quick read, something you could easily finish off during your lunch hour.

The Chinese Beetle is available as a glossy covered chapbook through Thunderstorm Books http://thunderstormbooks.com/thunderstorm/tsb_book/the-chinese-beetle/

Brian Keene writes novels, comic books, short fiction, and occasional journalism for money. His work has won numerous awards and a number of his novels have been developed for film, with more on the way.  The father of two sons, Keene lives in rural Pennsylvania.

Pressure - by Brian Keene - Part monster tale, part thriller, all fun.

5 of 5 Stars    Review copy

The story in Pressure takes place in and around Mauritius, an island nation in the Indian Ocean.  There's something new in the ecosystem off-shore, something turning the normally warm waters cold and causing life in those waters to fail.

Carrie Anderson, is a former world-class free diver turned oceanographer, hired by Alpius Biofutures, to investigate what's going on.

What she and her team find is absolutely monstrous, it makes the great white shark in Jaws look like a guppy.  But what they find just scratches the surface of the truth.  Dealing with this previously unknown species is just the beginning as Carrie and her crew unravel the mysteries found in this African nation.

Keene's action scenes are exciting and well paced.  Is there gore, oh, you betcha.  Plus the work is peppered with names of a number of Brian's writer friends and it's fun to see what he does to them in this story.

Part monster book, part thriller, all fun, with a terrific ending

Pressure is published by Thomas Dunne Books, an imprint of St. Martin's Press, and is currently available in paperback and e-book formats.

Brian Keene writes novels, comic books, short fiction, and occasional journalism for money. His work has won numerous awards and a number of his novels have been developed for film, with more on the way.  The father of two sons, Keene lives in rural Pennsylvania.

Disappearance At Devil's Rock: A Novel - by Paul Tremblay - An emotionally charged novel of quiet horror

5 of 5 Stars      Review copy

Disappearance at Devil's Rock: A Novel is a gut-wrenching story of every parent's nightmare.  A day when their child does not come home.  This time it happens in the Sanderson family, where the mom, Elizabeth, is doing the best she can, raising soon-to-be-fourteen-year-old Tommy and his almost-twelve-year-old sister, Kate.

Please give me a moment to explain what Disappearance at Devil's Rock is not.  This is not a gore fest of a horror story. This is not an "and they lived happily ever after" fairy tale.

What Disappearance at Devil's Rock is is a solid tale, deftly told, of one family's response when one of their own goes missing.

One of the things I liked about Paul Tremblay' story-telling is his familiarity with what his young characters are into;  Minecraft, Instagram, Snapchat and Tommy's obsession with the zombie apocalypse or as he refers to it in his writings, the zombie pocketclips.

The writing itself is a cut above.  I got a kick out of their Nana referring "to the two of them as Mutt and Jeff.  Kate has no idea what that means, what the reference is from, and whether Mutt or Jeff is the short one."  It's the small things like this that take a good story and elevates it to an even better one.

Disappearance at Devil's Rock is just as draining for the reader as it is for the characters in the story, and that's the way it should be.  By the end of the novel nearly every question is answered.  There are a couple of secrets left untold, but as a whole this was a very satisfying read.

Disappearance at Devil's Rock: A Novel, published by William Morrow, is available in hardback, paperback, e-book, and multiple audio formats.

Paul Tremblay is the author of A Head Full of Ghosts, The Little Sleep, No Sleep till Wonderland, Swallowing a Donkey's Eye, and Floating Boy and the Girl Who Couldn't Fly (co-written with Stephen Graham Jones).  In addition he is the author of the short story collection In the Mean Time. His essays and short fiction have appeared in the Los Angeles Times and numerous "year's best" anthologies. He is the co-editor of four anthologies including Creatures: Thirty Years of Monster Stories (with John Langan).  Paul is the president of the board of directors for the Shirley Jackson Awards.  He lives outside of Boston, Massachusetts, and has a master's degree in Mathematics.  You can find him online at www.paultremblay.net.

Babylon Terminal - by Greg F. Gifune - One helluva ride

5 of 5 Stars     Review copy

I can't say I always connect with a Greg F. Gifune story, but I always try to read his works.  He challenges me as a reader and Babylon Terminal did just that. This is not a casual read, it's not light material.  I feel I had to work for every bit of enjoyment I got out of this book, but it was worth it.

There is some stunning wordcraft going on in this story.  At times Gifune's prose is close to breathtaking.  There is powerful, rich dialogue, as well.

The author paints a bleak new world which, at times, reminded me of Blade Runner or The Fifth Element, even a touch of Mad Max.  It all feels a bit surreal.

Monk is a Dreamcatcher; when someone runs from their life it's his job to catch them and bring them back or even terminate them.  When the love of his life becomes a runner, Monk goes after her in an attempt to save her and maybe save himself in the process.

Babylon Terminal is dark fiction at its finest, at times ultra violent, at times soft and tender. It's a work which will likely stay with the reader long after they are done reading.

Babylon Terminal will be published this June, by Darkfuse, in e-book, paperback, and as a limited edition signed hardcover.

If you're looking for a read to become immersed in, this is the book.

Greg F. Gifune has been called "One of the best writers of his generation" by both the Roswell Literary Review and author Brian Keene,  He is the author of numerous short stories, several novels and two short story collections. Greg was educated in Boston  and has lived in various places, including New York City and Peru. A trained actor and broadcaster, he has appeared in various stage productions and has worked in radio and television as both an on-air talent and a producer.  He lives in massachusettes with his wife, carol, a bevy of cats and two dogs, Dozer and Bella, who can often be seen lounging on his Facebook page.

Nothing Lasting - by Glen Krisch - I certainly did not see that coming

5 of 5 Stars     Review copy

Nothing Lasting has been available as an e-book for a couple of years and now it's been released as a Signed Limited Edition hardcover from the folks at Cemetery Dance.

This is a book I may have to reread again someday.  Now that I know it's secrets, I think it deserves a closer look so I can see all the clues, because they are there, right out in the open, and I missed them until the very end.

At it's heart,  Nothing Lasting, is a story of young love and love lost.  Twenty-five years ago, Noah Berkley lost the first and only love of his life.

In 1984 Noah and his Father moved back to to the town his Father grew up in.  "It's a time of change for Noah, life changes, location changes, personal changes."  One of the biggest changes is his Father's new girlfriend and her son Derek.  Derek was a big problem for Noah. Ever have someone in your life who had a penchant for getting you into trouble?  For Noah, that someone was Derek Dooling.

The only bright spot in this new town is Jenny Sparrow, although a year ahead of Noah in school, she and Noah become fast friends with the promise of much more.

Krisch lulls the reader into a false sense of comfort with a simple story of adjusting to a new life, but underneath there is a growing sense of dread.

When things start to go wrong, they go horribly wrong.

I'm being purposefully vague in describing this book.  It's one of those reads that is best enjoyed as the reader discovers it's secrets.

Nothing Lasting is published by Cemetery Dance and is available as an e-book and now as a signed limited edition hardcover.

Highly recommended.

Glen Krisch's other novels include The Nightmare Within, Where Darkness Dwells, and Arkadium Rising (Brother's Keeper Book One). His short fiction has appeared in publications across three continents for the last decade.  Besides writing and reading, he enjoys spending time with his wife, romance author Sarah Krisch, his three boys, simple living, and ultra-running.

How to Successfully Kidnap Strangers - by Max Booth III - As bizarre as this story is, it is all completely possible. Loved it.

5 of 5 Stars


Max Booth III is a writer I've been meaning to read for some time now.  Ever since the publication of Toxicity a couple of years ago.

The title of his newest novel, How to Successfully Kidnap Strangers, just reached out and grabbed me.  When I read the book's description on it's Amazon page, it was decided.  Here, take my money.

The description that made be spend my hard earned money...

1. Do not respond to bad reviews. 
2. If you must respond to bad reviews, please do not kidnap the reviewer. 
3. If you must kidnap the reviewer, do not kidnap him in a public area. 
4. If there are witnesses, do not also kidnap them. 
5. If you also kidnap the witnesses, consider quitting crystal meth. 
6. If you find yourself surrounded by hostages, purchase extra duct tape. 
7. Do not let the hostages take their own hostages. 
8. Invest in better coffee. 
9. Don’t forget: dildo crucifixes have more than one use. 
10. And, most importantly: do not engage the severed heads in conversation. 

The opening line is inspired.  "All Harlan Anderson wanted was a doughnut."  Every story has to start somewhere and from this simple beginning the reader is rocketed into a great adventure.

How to Successfully Kidnap Strangers is a bit stream of consciousness, a touch of bizarro fiction, and somewhat convoluted, with lots of drugs, and a little sex.  All-in-all, a crazy mixed-up tale that was fun to read from start to finish.

If you are offended by foul language, you might want to steer clear, but for me, I laughed, I was horrified...and I learned a thing or two.  The most amazing part of How to Successfully Kidnap Strangers is that despite the lunacy, it's all completely within the realm of possibility. At one point I thought this would make a very cool movie, especially if we could get Quentin Tarantino to direct.

Published by Bizarro Pulp Press, a JournalStone imprint, How to Successfully Kidnap Strangers is available in both paperback and e-book formats.

Only for the most adventurous readers, but if that's you, you don't want to miss this book.

Max Booth III is the Editor-in Chief or Perpetual Motion machine Publishing, an editor for Dark Moon Digest, and a columnist for LitReactor.com.  He is the author of Toxicity, The Mind is a Razorblade, and now How to Successfully Kidnap Strangers.  Raised in Northern Indiana, Max currently works as a hotel night auditor in San Antonio.

Odd Adventures with Your Other Father - by Norman Prentiss - A genre-bending read that is worthy of your attention

5 of 5 Stars  

Odd Adventures with Your Other Father by Norman Prentiss is a genre-bending novel, blending fantasy, horror, and a love story that transcends the ordinary.

I've been sitting here, staring at a mostly blank page for the last fifteen minutes.  It's difficult to describe this book without giving away it's secrets and that's a big part of what made this such an enjoyable read.

Celia, had two fathers, one of them passed away when she was four.  Her Father, Shawn, tells her a series of "odd" stories about her other Father, Jack.

The stories border on the fantastic, but are told with love and charm as Prentiss tells the story of a same sex couple making their way in the world of the mid-eighties.  Their post-college road trip was engrossing and believable, but the tales are not all fun and games. There's a fair share of unpleasantness and violence as might be expected in this less open-minded era.

It was so easy to become lost in the story-telling.  Somewhat like sitting around a campfire listening to an experienced counselor tell his best tale and then clamoring for one more before crawling into your sleeping bag for the night.

I took pleasure in the details in the stories told here.  Like the time Jack and Shawn stayed at a bed and breakfast..."'Not a lot of rules here,' Mrs. Bittinger said.  'Bathroom's down the hall on the right,: no shower, but a nice enough tub.  Breakfast is at eight o'clock tomorrow, if you want it.  Please don't lie on top of the bedspread: lie underneath it, or take it off and set it in the chair.'"

Odd Adventures with Your Other Father is the perfect title for a book which is at times shocking, often touching, and certainly a memorable work I won't soon forget.

Published by Kindle Press as a part of their Kindle Scout program, Odd Adventures with Your Other Father, is currently available in e-book only.  If you subscribe to Kindle Unlimited you can read this book at no additional charge and if you are an Amazon Prime member you can read it for FREE through the Kindle Owners Lending Library.

Norman Prentiss is a two-time winner of the Bram Stoker Award.  One for Superior Achievement in Long Fiction for his debut book, Invisible Fences and one in the Short Fiction Category for In the Porches of My Ears.  In my opinion, he's the real deal.  You can't go wrong with a Norman Prentiss book.

The Everything Box - by Richard Kadrey - "Starting the apocalypse is not easy."

5 of 5 Stars     Review copy

"Earth. Four thousand years ago.  Give or take."  When this is the opening line in your new novel, it better be epic.  The verdict?  Richard Kadrey delivers again.

It's just after the great flood and the angel Qaphsiel is sent by God to finish off mankind, but he misplaces the Instrument of Destruction.  Fast-forward to the present day where a number of individuals and groups are closing in on The Everything Box.  Of course the usual Kadrey wit abounds.  It's a story filled with magic, where literally anything is possible.

"'You know, the the last few days, I've taken orders from a dead man, hung out with poltergeists, vampires, werewolves, people with tentacles, people with gills, and seen the inside of a turd submarine.'"

The end of the story reminded me of the madcap cross-country rush to find treasure in the Stanley Kramer classic, It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World.

If snark is your thing, or if you're just in the mood for a bit of brain candy, you'll love The Everything Box.

Published by Harper Voyager, The Everything Box is available as an e-book, hardcover, paperback and a variety of audio formats.

Richard Kadrey is a New York Times Bestselling Author best known for his Sandman Slim novels and my personal favorite Butcher Bird.  His work has been nominated for a British Science Fiction Award and for the Prix Elbakin in France.

Rio Noir - Edited by Tony Bellotto - Not a great anthology, but a few very good stories

3 of 5 Stars     Review copy

I really thought I was going to enjoy Rio Noir.  I liked the idea of an anthology of noir stories set in the heart of Brazil.

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines noir as "crime fiction featuring hard-boiled cynical characters and bleak sleazy settings."

I guess, for me, the characters weren't hard-boiled enough, or maybe they weren't cynical enough, or perhaps the bleak settings weren't sleazy enough. With a few notable exceptions, I just didn't enjoy this collection.

I tried to think of a reason I wasn't clicking with the stories.  As I was writing this review, I discovered the bulk of the stories contained in this collection were translated from Portuguese to English which may have contributed to my lack of enjoyment.  One thing I did find off-putting was how, nearly every story, ended abruptly without a satisfying conclusion.

Normally, with an anthology, I'll include notes about each story, but I'll just mention a few of the gems I discovered in the collection.

I did enjoy ARGENTINE TAXI by Arthur Dapieve.  It starts with an apparent suicide and is a solid, well-told story. "Fighting prostitution in this city is more or less like asking the scorpion not to sting the frog in the middle of a river.  It would be going against its nature."

BLIND SPOT by Victoria Saramago was a nice story with artful prose and the "discovery of a human finger wrapped in a piece of paper that had fallen out of a plastic bag."  However, like so many of the stories in this anthology the ending left me hanging.

Then there was THE WAIT by Flávio Carneiro.  A five-star story in a sub-par collection. Classic noir and the stage was set from the opening line, "It was an ordinary day, a Monday like any other, even the hangover was the same.  It was a little past noon and the sun seemed to flood its full intensity on my head as I entered the old building on Rua da Relação."

THE STORY OF GEORGES FULLAR by Raphael Montes was brilliantly told and totally engaging.  The story of an aging writer and a young man who wants to have his success someday.

If you decide to take a chance on this anthology, don't quit, all of the better stories seemed to come on the back end.  If you give up too soon, you'll miss them.

Rio Noir is published by Akashic Books and is available in paperback and e-book formats.

The editor, Tony Bellotto, is author of the best-selling Bellini mystery novels, which have been released as major feature films and translated widely.  He is also a guitarist and songwriter for the famed Brazilian rock band Titãs (The Titans), which has released twenty albums and sold over six million albums.  Bellotto also writes for the newspaper Globo and hosts a television show.

Jade Gods: A Matt Rowley Novel - by Patrick Freivald

4 of 5 Stars     Review copy

The world is falling apart.  It's unraveling at the seams.

Matt Rowley works in the Office of Special Threats.   ICAP (the International Council on Augmented Phenomena) no longer exists.  Matt is one of only a couple of Augs still walking about. There is another, but...

"Seven months. Seven months and eleven unrelated missions since Shane Keene — a supposed FBI agent with perfect credentials but who didn't exist — had kidnapped Sakura "Blossum" Isuji from the smoking ground of Centralia, Pennsylvania, the only place in the world that smelled worse than this van."

From this uncertain beginning Jade Gods warps into a non-stop series of near cataclysmic events, any one of which could spell the end for Matt and Sakura, not to mention mankind. OK, that might be laying it on a bit thick, but it's pretty damn close.

Add to the mix, Matt's wife, Monica, and their young son, Adam.  At the end of Black Tide, book two in the Matt Rowley series, Adam miraculously saves his Mother's life and is now viewed, by some, as an emissary of God and is the reason a new mega-church is being built across from their home.

While all of this may sound like a lot of fun, make no mistake, Jade Gods is the darkest book thus far in the series.  It is ultra violent, bloody, and at one point it seems to take a bit of a Lovecraftian twist.

Although total fiction and fiction of the most outlandish nature, there are certain parallels to be drawn between the story and the crazy times we live in.

So far, there are three novels in the Matt Rowley series.  Jade Sky, the aforementioned Black Tide, and now, Jade Gods.  There is at least one short story set in the same world, Bonked, which is included as a bonus in this book.

Patrick Freivald has a new publisher for his Matt Rowley series, Cohesion Press seems like a good match and I think we can expect more of these tales.  There better be at least one more since Jade Gods ends with the cliffhanger of all cliffhangers.

Although I can easily recommend Jade Gods and it can be read as a stand alone book and enjoyed, I think any reader would get more out of the experience by reading the series from the beginning.

Jade Gods is currently available in e-book only.  If you subscribe to Kindle Unlimited you can read this book at no additional charge and if you are an Amazon Prime member you can read it for FREE through the Kindle Owners Lending Library.

Patrick Freivald is an author, a beekeeper, and a teacher.  I've been reading Patrick's work for several years now.  I loved his teenage zombie books, Twice Shy & Special Dead.  And this new series featuring Matt Rowley just keeps growing and growing.

Amaranthine and Other Stories - by Erik Hofstatter

4 of 5 Stars     Review copy

I'm somewhat wary when I'm contacted by an author asking if I would read his or her work and provide and honest review. Partly because I nearly always have a TBR list that's longer than a country mile and I know it's going to take me a long time to get around to reading it.

Fortunately, Erik Hofstatter caught me at the right time with a novella-length collection of short stories  which I was able to squeeze in between some other books.

Amaranthine and Other Stories was a bit of a mixed bag for me. A good number of the stories were very short, sort of the flash fiction variety.  I'm not a big fan of the style, I prefer to read tales with a bit more meat on the bones, rather than "Bam. Boom. Bang. Next."  I guess you could say I prefer to savor the story.  That being said, Erik's tales of horror, although quick, certainly provided some punch.

The Birthing Tub - An unexpected sexually deviant and violent story of a pet parasite coming into the world in a most unusual way.

Tristan's Equation - A rather strange little story about a brilliant boy locked in a room and asked to solve a complex mathematical equation.

Amaranthine - "What if cremation wasn't the only method of keeping your loved ones with you?"

The Wandering Pilgrim - A somewhat erotic tale which came from the author's fascination with Rasputin.

The Deep End - One of my personal favorites in the collection happened to be the author's least favorite story.  You just never know.

Eucalyptus Grove - A virgin who likes to hang with a group of guys trying to be a heavy metal band.  Oh, they're also into satanism.  What could possibly go wrong?

Akona - A quick yet terrorizing story of every parent's worse night mare.

The Green Tide - Ever read a news story and think, "Wow. That would make a good horror story."  That's precisely how this tale came about.  Makes me want to rethink my next trip to the beach.

Pins and Needles - A viscous tale of racism and voodoo.

Nine quick tales of terror.  Great for reading right before bed...if you enjoy inducing nightmares.

Amaranthine and Other Stories is published by Creativia and is available in both e-book and paperback formats. If you subscribe to Kindle Unlimited you can read this book at no additional charge and if you are an Amazon Prime member you can read it for FREE through the Kindle Owners Lending Library.

Erik Hofstatter is a schlock horror writer and a member of the Horror Writers Association. He lives in Kent, where he can be encountered consuming copious amounts of mead and tyrannizing local peasantry.  His work has appeared in various magazines and podcasts around the world such as Morpheus Tales, Crystal Lake Publishing, The Literary Hatchet, Sanitarium Magazine, Wicked Library, Tales to Terrify and Manor House Show.  

Jacked - by Kirk Dougal - A bold blend of sci-fi and fantasy

4 of 5 Stars     Review copy

Jacked is an instantly engaging story, which takes place a decade or so after The Crash; set in a post-apocalyptic society struggling to rebuild itself in the ruins of California.

Before The Crash people had become more connected than ever. "More and more of the machines were talking to the air and finally some people decided they wanted to talk to the air, too. And not through any machines.  So they hooked themselves straight into it. Jacked is what they called it."

Not everybody accepted this way of life.  After The Crash, a leader who opposed technology came to power.  With the support of a group of loyal supporters, known as the Black Shirts it became, follow their ways...or suffer the consequences.

Tar, lives with a man he calls his uncle, and he is a fixer.  He has the uncanny ability to bring many tech items, called apps, back to functionality.  Tar sets out on a quest to find others of his kind while the Black Shirts, under the leadership of Father Eli, do their worst to try and stop him and his friends.

YA novels are not everyone's cup of tea, but Jacked is a solid story with a number of very "Chilly" twists.  The author has come up with several new slang terms for this futuristic tale. Words like "Chilly," the equivalent of cool, and others.  By the way, I'm adding "Chilly" to my personal lexicon immediately.

According to the author, "The inspiration came from the advancement of several technologies in the last few years. Near field communication plays a part in the book and, with four teenagers at home, I have seen the almost religious "constant connectivity" dynamic play out on a daily basis. Also, wearable technology is making big leaps forward and I believe it will not be long before embedded technology becomes much more common. Jacked takes all of those real world advancements and mixes them up in a 'what if' bowl."

A quick kudos to artist Shawn King for his outstanding work on the eye-catching cover for Jacked.

Jacked will be available soon from Ragnarok publications in both paperback and e-book formats.

Recommended.

Kirk Dougal has had fiction works appear in a number of anthologies and saw his debut novel, Dreams of Ivory and Gold, published in May of 2014.  His YA dystopian novel, Jacked, leads the launch of Ragnarok Publications' Per Aspera SF imprint.  He's also completed a SF/Lit RPG novel, Reset, and is working on a sequel to Dreams of Ivory and Gold.  Kirk makes his home in Ohio with his wife and four children.

Where Wolves Run - by Jason Parent - Can you guess what this horror novella is about?

4 of 5 Stars     Review copy

A werewolf novella where the hunter is also the hunted.

No new ground is broken in Jason Parent's entry into this sub-genre, but he does deliver a solid tale with a twist in the final pages, and there are some cringe-worthy moments.  "Most of Joren's fingernails, pried loose by Father's dagger, now resided in the bucket.  A few were still attached to fingers.  A couple of toes, several teeth, and most of an ear completed the collection."

If werewolves are your thing and you're looking for a quick read, Where Wolves Run, might not satisfy your hunger fully, but should be enough to take the edge off.

Where Wolves Run is published by Corpus Press and is available in both e-book and paperback formats. If you subscribe to Kindle Unlimited you can read this book at no additional charge and if you are an Amazon Prime member you can read it for FREE through the Kindle Owners Lending Library.

In his head, JASON PARENT lives in many places, but in the real world, he calls New England his home. The region offers an abundance of settings for his writing and many wonderful places in which to write them. He currently resides in Southeastern Massachusetts with his cuddly corgi named Calypso. He is the author of the novels Seeing Evil, What Hides Within and many published short stories.