PERFECT LITTLE TOWN by Blake Crouch

PERFECT LITTLE TOWN by Blake Crouch is a novella length tale of terror and suspense.

Lone Cone is the 'perfect little town', nestled snugly in the mountains of Colorado. It's quaint, quiet and free of the regular trappings of a tourist town. There are no chain stores, no time-share condominiums or tourist crowded sidewalks.

But come the winter solstice, Lone Cone becomes a dangerous place for Ron and Jessica, a couple on vacation from California. It isn't long after arriving in this seemingly peaceful town that they discover the dark rot behind its glossy veneer.

For the most part I'm a fairly laid back reviewer. I don't read to be critical. As long as a story entertains me I'll recommend it. And I certainly recommend Crouch's PERFECT LITTLE TOWN. It manages to be suspenseful, thrilling and offers enough moments of wtf, to make it satisfying.

However, PERFECT LITTLE TOWN could have been much better. For one thing the second half of the story seemed terribly rushed, as if the author wanted to get to the finish line as fast as he could. This is too bad because he could have easily stretched the tension and suspense to greater lengths. The story also makes an substantial jump in time in the latter half of the story, making this reader feel like the author missed out on a chance for a great revenge plot.

That being said, the writing is great. I like Blake Crouch's voice. When browsing some of the reviews on Amazon.com I came across one reviewer's opinion that PERFECT LITTLE TOWN was like an early Stephen King story. I would agree. The first half certainly captured that old King feeling.

PERFECT LITTLE TOWN is available as a Kindle download for $2.99. It's a bit high for a short novella, when a lot of authors are putting out full length novels for the same price. But if you're gauging the cost on the reading experience I think you'll find you get your moneys worth.

The download also comes with an interview of Blake Crouch by Hank Wagner and some selections from the authors four published novels.

SERIAL UNCUT by Blake Crouch, Jack Kilborn and J.A. Konrath

Pretty soon THE MAN EATING BOOKWORM is going to become an unofficial fan site for J.A. Konrath, Jack Kilborn and Blake Crouch. Everything I've read with their names on it has been excellent. Their books are hard hitting, hardcore and well, not for the feint of heart.

If you are in any way squeamish or easily offended by the darker side of nature then stop right now, because there's a Danielle Steel novel out there and it's waiting for you.

Still here? Good. We don't need any mamsy pamsies around here, anyway. Now they're gone, let me tell you about SERIAL UNCUT.

SERIAL UNCUT is an amalgamation of BAD GIRL by Crouch, TRUCK STOP by Kilborn and Konrath, and SERIAL by Crouch and Konrath. Let me put it this way. Get SERIAL UNCUT and you get it all in one downloaded package for your Kindle. And trust me, you get your money's worth!

One of my favorite passages was an exchange between a couple of highway killers, Donaldson and sweet little Lucy:

"So you should know, then, opiates and I are friends from way back."

Donaldson took a big pull off the soda. "So spiking my drink here hasn't done much more than make me a little horny. Actually a lot horny." Donaldson turned to Lucy. "You're about as musical as I am Christian. So you want to tell me what your game is, or do I take you over my knee and spank you right now like naughty girl you are?"

Lucy said, "It's Oxycontin. Did they have that back in 'Nam, gramps? And you being one fat bastard, I squirted two hundred and fifty milligrams into your drink. I'm not some frat boy trying to roofie up a chunky freshman. I gave you the rhino dose."

It's about serial killers. Six of them. And they all meet up at various stages to do what serial killers do. Torture and Kill.

But the question remains, do they kill each other or hunt together?

The imaginative and varied ways these killers find to hurt people is really quite genius and horrible. There is a scene in a hotel bathroom where one killer is showing another killer the instruments in his murder kit. The objects described and the ways they use them are...well, lets just say I'm never, ever, letting myself be alone with Joe Konrath or Blake Crouch (I believe that particular scene was written by Crouch but believe me, Konrath writes some scenes that will make your toes curl)

SERIAL UNCUT combines a lot of characters from the fictional worlds of Crouch, Konrath and Kilborn, most notably Konrath's lieutenant Jack Daniels, from his Jack Daniels series of mystery books (a whole collection of signed hardbacks of which I ordered from the man personally on Black Friday). There is also a cameo from Crouch's Andrew Thomas, a mystery/horror writer from DESERT PLACES: A Novel of Terror and LOCKED DOORS: A Novel of Terror.

Don't mistake these guys for gorehounds. These guys aren't writing splatterpunk. This is probably best described as hardcore crime. The story is tight and very well written with characters you want to spend a bit of time around (normally one might say 'care about' but saying I cared about serial killers might make sound as crazy as Crouch and Konrath!). Simply, these guys are cool and I wish I had discovered their work earlier.


SERIAL UNCUT (Extended Edition) comes with lots of extras, including a Konrath and Blake discussion on the book and other things, but also excerpts from various other works. For $2.99 on Kindle you can't go wrong. If you don't have one of those infernal contraptions, then you can read SERIAL in  Shivers 6.

DEAD EARTH: THE GREEN DAWN by Mark Justice and David T. Wilbanks

Things have become pretty stale in the zombie world. You can hardly go anywhere these days without running into the un-dead. They have invaded every facet of pop culture from comics to video games to PC and Toyota commercials.

I actually really like the commercials and I'm probably less tired of the genre than most. I just like zombies.

But with the hugely successful premier season of THE WALKING DEAD on AMC, many folks might be looking for a little zombie fiction to whet their appetite between episodes. Okay, so after you go buy The Walking Dead: Compendium One, some folks might be looking for something to whet their appetite.

And that's where Mark Justice and David T. Wilbanks come in to the picture. If you haven't started to read their DEAD EARTH series, now is the perfect time. For $2.99 you can read Dead Earth: The Green Dawn on your Kindle (or you can grab the hardcover for a bit more).

It's about a young deputy named Jubal Slate who finds himself in charge when the apocalypse comes shambling into town. The sheriff and most of the town folks are off their feet with a mysterious illness and the military is up to God knows what out in the desert. And then there are the dreams about a monstrous figure in crimson leading an army of dead. In no time things are spiraling out of control and Jubal finds himself face to face with creatures out of a late night horror show.

DEAD EARTH: THE GREEN DAWN is a well done, if quick read. A lot of zombie books these days follow a pretty stale formula. Usually there's a group of survivors that barricade themselves into a building or somewhere similar, they argue among themselves for a couple hundred pages (usually about who's in charge yada yada yada) like something out of a reality television show, only find themselves overwhelmed by the zombie hordes in the end. Not only does this book not follow that tired path but I found the sci/fi reason behind the dead returning to life pretty cool and original.

The writing is tight, the action fast and furious. It will even pull at your heart strings a little bit. But most of all it will fill that hunger for zombie goodness.

The DEAD EARTH series continues with Dead Earth: The Vengeance Road. Check back here for an opinion of this latest installment in the near future.
   

Abandoned Six Flags New Orleans Tour

Bev Vincent tweeted about this today. I thought it was very cool and decided to share it with any Wormies who haven't seen it. I love the cinematography and the soundtrack goes perfectly with it. Very haunting and sad.

FULL DARK, NO STARS by Stephen King

I wasn't going to write about my thoughts on this one because, I figure, King is one of those writers you're going to read or you're not. You're either a Constant Reader, or you're not. And I'm certainly not going to fool myself into thinking some bloke out there is going to stumble across my little blog and think, "Dang, The Worm likes this King guy. Perhaps I'll give him a go."

But, in my own way, because I was harsh towards Scribner for their hefty Kindle cost for the book (which is now down to a normal $9.99) I thought it only fair to give my opinion of the actual book. It's just how I roll.

Full Dark, No Stars is exactly that. It's a lightless journey through some damn dark valleys populated by murderers and psychotics. It's a Stygian highway across the plains of Hell and back. I've read a lot of other reviews on the book and many of them say similar things. This is no happy crappy book and King warns you right on the front cover. Full dark, no stars.

The book opens with perhaps the superior of the four stories. It's called 1922 and is about a man and son who commit a heinous crime to preserve their way of life. This one is gut wrencher. It's very well written, perhaps up there with some of King's greatest works, and tugged mightily at my heart by the time it was over. As a friend of mine said, this one is worth the price of admission and he's right. He also said 1922 was like a Jim Thompson tale as told by Stephen King. I think that's a smart observation and couldn't agree more.

BIG DRIVER is basically a rape revenge story. A mystery writer named Tess is brutally attacked and left for dead. She manages to return home and that's when she begins planning her vengeance. And as one character says of her, "Little book-writing lady, my ass. You're one bad bitch."

BIG DRIVER, nor any of the rest of the stories in FULL DARK, NO STARS, are as sophisticated as 1922 but is still is a damn fine story, if not overly original. But it's dark and as I said, King warns you right on the front cover.

The third entry in called FAIR EXTENSION, and in my opinion is the sore thumb of the collection. It's the only one that has an overt 'supernatural' element to it and just felt like it took me out of my head space for the book. This story, the shortest of the collection by far, seems more Nightmares & Dreamscapes than FULL DARK, NO STARS. Still, it's a decent enough story and, as I said, it's short, so in no time you can move on to the last entry.

A GOOD MARRIAGE is another gut wrencher. It's about a woman who one day makes a discovery that shatters her conception of the man she has been married to for twenty some odd years. This is a good story to finish the collection. Again, it's not original by any means, but something taken from sensational media headlines and dunked in the abyss. This one also had a character I wish we could have got to know better, one Holt Ramsey, a smart old detective who King should sit down and write an entire novel around, in my opinion.

So there you have it. King delivers another satisfying read. Just make sure you take your anti-depressant medication of choice before you begin because as I said before, and will say again, this is all about the dark and King warns you on the cover.    

DANIEL I RUSSEL'S WORLD BLOG TOUR - CANADA

Today I got something a little different for all you Wormies out there. I have a guest in the house and his name is Daneil I Russell. He's a horror writer from down under, by way of the land of double deckers buses and Jack the Ripper.

Daniel is a member of the Australian Horror Writers Association and the Associate Editor of Necrotic Tissue magazine. Stygian Publications will be re-releasing his novel SAMHANE before the end of the year.

MAN EATING BOOKWORM: How is the blog tour going so far?

DANIEL I. RUSSELL: The blog tour has been a lot of fun so far, despite being kidnapped by a Scotsman, ousted by a crazed cult member and tortured in Ohio. Other than that, it’s been pretty standard. Having a virtual tour is a lot better than an actual world tour. I’ve had enough traveling horrors for now, including spilling an inflight myself during heavy turbulence, sitting next to a spitting Chinese man and nearly having my shoes taken by Dubai airport security. Thanks for that, Dad (they were his shoes).

MEB: Your novel SAMHANE is getting a relaunch soon. Can you tell the Wormies about the book's history?

DIR: The book has a history, sadly, so much like many others. It’s my debut novel, written when I was a fresh-faced 24 year old, while living in an awful apartment working a low paid and demeaning job. It was accepted by a publisher after things had improved a little. The original publisher released it in digital only and no promotion was ever done beside my own trifling efforts. For an ebook like that, there’s a lot of competition!

I removed another book I had with the publisher, but had to wait for the contract on Samhane to expire. Meanwhile, a publisher I had a great relationship with, having been published in the debut issue of Necrotic Tissue and the anthology Malpractice, was Stygian Publications.

Very early on, the editor in chief, R. Scott McCoy had mentioned that he’d love to release a novel when he deemed the publisher ready. I offered any of my novels as when needed. Skip forward a few years and Samhane is ready to be released in print through Stygian Publications. I also now work for Necrotic Tissue, which is good to help fellow writers, especially those just starting out on a very frustrating journey!


MEB: Did you make any changes between the first version of the book and this re-release of the novel?

DIR: The first version was even more extreme than the current one. The first set of editors went to town on the censoring. I kinda agree with them now, as the finished version, while still ultra hardcore, has its moments of restraint. The differences between the first and last published versions are minimal. We had an editor go through the manuscript again and made a few changes, but that’s all.

MEB: What influenced you to write SAMHANE?

DIR: The afore mentioned crap job! I wanted to write a novel and know that I could do it, probably to mentally escape the rut I was in. Many of the settings in Samhane can be found in the town of Ormskirk in West Lancashire, UK, where I was living at the time. The plot was an amalgamation of short stories I was writing, all centred in this weird little town of Samhane.

MEB: Do you read horror fiction in your spare time or are there other genres that you like to read and would you ever write in another genre besides horror?

DIR: I know it’s healthy to read genres other than that in which you work, but I do read horror almost exclusively. A bit of fantasy now and then is good, but I prefer it contemporary rather than traditional. If it’s not horror, I tend to dip into nonfiction, particularly scientific stuff.

As for writing, again, I don’t tend to stray far from the horror genre unless I’m asked to write otherwise. For example, I was asked to write sci fi/humour/gross out/erotica for the anthology Tabloid Terrors 3: Alien Perverts Wrecked My Pubes from Skullvines Press. That was a whole lot of fun to write! I was actually quite pleased with my effort…but it’s not quite something I can show to my mum.

MEB: Some of my favorite horror movies are Carpenter's THE THING, Spielberg's JAWS, and Ridley's ALIEN. What would be the ultimate DVD horror line-up for a Friday night at your place?

DIR: Well I always see JAWS as the ultimate movie. Full stop. Others for me would be the original Hellraiser (despite Hellbound floating my boat more visually), an Evil Dead movie, a SAW film and without a doubt, one of the best films ever made, Killer Klowns From Outer Space.

MEB: If you had to reveal one thing that really scares the crap out of you, what would that be?

DIR: As I’ve confessed to in another interview, aliens creep me out. Not the Albino Nympho Alien Lesbians (or ANALs, from tabloid Terrors 3) but the stick-thin, big-eyed greys. I can remember watching a talk show as a kid. The guy being interviewed claimed to have been abducted by aliens, and it flashed on screen a picture of his supposed abductor. I went hysterical with terror looking into that face. Something similar happened a few years later. My uncle had a paperback copy of Communion by Whitley Streiber with a grey on the front. I couldn’t even walk into the same room as it. Things are better now I’m all grown up (I’ve even read Communion) but I never quite got over it.

MEB: Thanks for this Daniel!
 
DIR: Thanks for this opportunity.
 
Okay Wormies, it's time lock the doors, pull up the covers and treat yourselves to a little excerpt from Daniel I Russell's SAMHANE...
 

Sam opened his eyes and scanned the dim bedroom. The dark shapes of boxes left over from unpacking lay about; shadows stretched across the carpet and seemed to reach for his bed. Sam spent a few seconds searching for any sign of motion.



A cool breeze entered through an open window. At the other window on the opposite side of the room, the curtain hung limp. The glow of the streetlight shone through. Raindrops hit the glass and pattered on the road.


Sam inhaled the freshness of the summer night. He lay in bed and pulled his Spiderman sheets closer to his body. In the dark, the hypnotic music of the falling water lulled him back to sleep.


Splash.


Sam’s eyes popped open, and he glanced towards the open window.


Splash.


It sounded like footsteps in puddles. Heavy boots hitting the water. Sam imagined the rain running down the street in a river.


Who would be out in the middle of the night? And in a storm too?


He abandoned the warm comfort of his bed to investigate.


Splash.


Sam approached the open window and slid back the curtain. He gasped.


Through the hazy blur, a tall, naked figure walked along the street. It lurched to a stop at the front of the house. The glow from the lights reflected off the creature’s glistening hide, the creamy white of a mushroom. Its body stood whip thin. Sam thought of a skeleton wrapped in a tight skin.


Rain dripped from the tips of its lank, white hair. Large, clawed feet slapped the wet ground with each step.


The creature swung its head in Sam’s direction.


He dove away from the window and pressed his back against the cool wall. His heart hammered. After a deep breath, he ran from the wall to the sanctuary of his bed. He dragged the sheets over his head and waited.


The seconds became minutes, and Sam’s breathing slowed to normal.


Did it see me?


He knew he couldn’t return to sleep if that…that thing stayed out there. With all his courage, he threw back the sheet and walked to the window again.


His legs shook and threatened to give way at any moment. He peeled back the curtain.


In the front yard, the thing gazed at his bedroom window.


At him.


Afraid to scream, Sam bolted back to his bed, the sheets once again a monster shield. A cold sweat soaked his skin and chilled him. His pyjamas clung to his back and legs.


If I stay in bed, maybe it won’t come after me. It can’t get into the house without waking Dad. If it can’t see me, it might go away.


Tap.


Sam’s breath caught in his throat.


Tap.


At the closed window, a thin hand with long, extended fingers hung there, shadowed on the curtain. The thick nail of the forefinger struck the glass.


Tap.


The hand slid away, fingernails scratching the brick.


Sam leapt from his bed, intent on reaching the open window before it did. Sweeping back the curtain, he swung the window shut and hammered closed the lock with his fist.


Its face filled the window, inches from Sam’s. Large eyes blinked out heavy drops of water and studied Sam. The mouth pulled back in the smile of a skull. Teeth, so thin they resembled needles, clicked against each other. The creature hissed with frustration.


Sam backed away from the window.


The creature scurried upwards.


Sam strained to detect any sign of the creature’s whereabouts. His heart climbed a gear at the sound of footsteps above him. The floorboards creaked, followed by a muffled crash.


It’s inside the attic.


Panicked, Sam ran out of his bedroom and across the landing towards his father’s room.


His feet skidded to a halt on the landing. The attic hatch, halfway along the ceiling, shook in its frame. His father’s room lay further along the hall.


Sam stopped and listened. The voice of his father drifted through his head.


Don’t ever go into an attic alone. No matter what the situation, never, ever go in without someone.


The creature hissed on the other side of the hatch.


Sam ran. His outstretched hands hit his father’s door and swung it open. Faint snores issued from the bulk beneath the bed sheets.


“Dad!” he cried, shaking him by the shoulder. His father didn’t respond, and, for a moment, Sam feared the creature had already done its worst. “Dad! Wake up. It’s here!”


His dad rolled over and barely opened his eyes.

“What’s up, Sam? Can’t a guy get his beauty sleep?” He rubbed the thick stubble on his chin and yawned.


“The creature! It’s in the house,” Sam whispered. He struggled to tug his father out of bed by his arm.


His dad sat up and held Sam’s arms.


“Whoa! Hold on a second. We’ve been through this before. Remember?”


Sam looked into his father’s deep brown eyes and nodded. The left eye, marred by a scar running from the forehead to the bottom of the cheek, had something dark brown in the corner. His father rubbed it away and yawned again.


“I know you’re scared, but there’s only one way to get over this fear. I want you to go back to bed and be brave. Creatures can’t harm a big, brave boy, can they?”


Sam offered a nervous smile and nodded again.


“Come here, son. Give your old man a hug.”

Large arms surrounded Sam. He loved the musky smell of his father. It always made him feel safe.


Too soon, the hug ended. His dad held him by the arms.


“Come on then, son. Back to bed with you. And remember, if you’re brave, everything will turn out fine.”


Sam climbed off the bed and approached the doorway. He glanced at the attic hatch.


“I love you, Dad.”


“I love you too, son.”


Sam made a dash for his room. Passing underneath, he swept a cursory eye over the attic hatch. It seemed knocked out of place, but closed. Certain the creature had not escaped, he carried on into his bedroom.


Back in his bed, Sam clutched the sheets to his chin. His gaze lingered on the open bedroom door. He wept in the dark and hoped neither the creature nor his dad would hear. The fear of letting his father down seemed almost as bad as being eaten.


No further scratches or hissing added weight to his hopes the creature had gone. Lack of sleep eventually crept up on Sam, and his eyelids grew heavy.


Hissssssssssss...


Sam rolled over and sucked in a sharp breath, wide awake in an instant. The closet slowly creaked open. Long white fingers curled around the wood, the nails leaving white scratches on the paintwork. The door eased wider. Yellow eyes peered out and, a second later, the creature crept from the closet. It tiptoed across the carpet towards him.


Sam’s body snapped rigid, tight with terror.


It loomed over him, stick-thin arms outstretched. Teeth clicked in a frenzy, and a string of saliva dangled from its thin lips.


Hissssssssss...


Sam screamed.


The creature screamed too, and its hands shot to the back of its head. It fell to the floor, revealing Sam’s dad behind it, baseball bat in the air for another swing. His dad caught the haggard torso in the ribs. Fragile bones shattered. The thing wailed in agony, body convulsing.


“Hit it again, Dad!”


His dad raised the bat over his head and swung it onto the front of the creature’s skull. After a good few hits, its twitching stopped.


Sam’s dad rolled the beast over with his foot. It flopped onto its back, spread-eagled. A dark puddle on the carpet expanded behind its head.


“Now then, son,” his dad said, calmly wiping blood off the bat with the edge of his dressing gown, “what is that?”

Sam climbed off the bed and crouched next to the creature. He studied its contorted face in greater detail.


“Forest ghoul?”


“Well done.” He ruffled his son’s hair and beamed with fatherly pride. He kicked off his slippers and threw them to the other side of the room, away from the pool of blood.


“Ignore the carpet stains,” he said and scratched his head while he studied the dark mess. “I know it’s been an exciting night for you, but I want you to try and get some sleep. We leave for home tomorrow. You know how your grandmother overreacts when we’re away for too long. We’ll get our money for this little job on the way.”


“I’ll try.”


Sam jumped into bed, pulling the sheets—thankfully still clean—from the floor.


“I’d better go and get some bin liners.”


“Goodnight, Dad.”


“Goodnight, son. We’ll make a monster hunter of you yet.” He grabbed the ankle of the ghoul corpse and headed for the door. The body left a long red trail across the bedroom.



Thanks again to Daniel I Russell for stopping by for a visit. Look for a review of Daniel's SAMHANE on THE MAN EATING BOOKWORM in the not too distant future!

MIDNIGHT MOVIE by Tobe Hooper and Alan Goldsher (coming next year)

I came across this while surfing the net and thought it sounded pretty cool. Tobe Hooper directed some of my all time favorite movies, TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE, INVASION FROM MARS and POLTERGEIST to name just a few.

Below is what I copy and pasted from the book's Facebook page:

From legendary horror director Tobe Hooper and acclaimed novelist Alan Goldsher comes a horror event that mixes fact and fiction to tell the story of what happens when one of Hooper's films causes a strange contagion to spread across America, forcing Hooper to delve into long-forgotten corners of his past to solve the mystery.


As MIDNIGHT MOVIE opens, Tobe Hooper is attending a festival screening of his "lost" film "Destiny Express," a movie that Tobe wrote and directed when he was sixteen years old and that hasn't seen the light of day for over thirty years. Over the coming days, Tobe learns that terrifying, seemingly supernatural events are befalling all those who saw the movie that night. Soon, the audience members' friends are affected, too. And their friends. And their friends. The effects are growing exponentially, and before long, people are dying by the thousands. Suspecting that the solution to the movie's strange power lies in his own past, Tobe begins a desperate cross-country quest to understand the film's thirty-year-old origins... and come to terms with his own secrets.


Tobe Hooper is the award-winning writer and director of the Stephen King film adaptation "Salem's Lot," the Steven Spielberg-produced "Poltergeist," and the cult classic "The Texas Chain Saw Massacre."


Alan Goldsher is the author of seven books, including "Paul Is Undead: The British Zombie Invasion."

I'll be checking this one out. Midnight Movie: A Novel hits shelves July 12, 2011.

100 BULLETS vol. 1 (FIRST SHOT, LAST CALL)

"Inside this attache case is irrefutable evidence that what I'm telling you is true. Also in the attache is a gun, and one hundred rounds of ammunition. All untraceable, all yours. Do with it as you see fit. If you act on this information you will have carte blanche."- Agent Graves

Have you ever wanted revenge so bad you could just kill someone? Okay, I don't think I've ever felt that strongly about getting revenge, but then I've led a pretty normal existence.

But what if you were raised in an environment of guns and drugs, gangs and five-oh. What if getting respect meant more than just getting that office promotion? What if to move up in the world crooked cops and gang bangers took everything away from you, your husband, your child?

Maybe then you would want some hardcore revenge. Maybe then you'd be ready to kill, to kill them all. Now what if you could do it and get away with it?

100 Bullets Vol. 1: First Shot, Last Call is a kick ass book about revenge, street style. It's written by Brian Azzarello and contains some superb dialogue and lots of action and suspense. The art is by Eduardo Risso and I really dug it. It's sexy and gritty (and don't ask me why but it reminded me of the old Fat Albert television show, if Fat Albert was Puerta Rican and carried heat, can you say, "Hey, hey, hey!").

I really dug 100 BULLETS. There's nothing supernatural or magical. This is just straight up crime-noir goodness, where the good guys aren't all good and the bad guys don't necessarily get what's coming to them. The whole series runs 13 volumes and I will certainly be picking up the next volume, 100 Bullets Vol. 2: Split Second Chance in the very near future.

Special shout-out to one of my subway buddies for talking me into getting this first volume. Thanks bud!

TRAPPED by Jack Kilborn (a.k.a. J. A. Konrath)

Horrific. Gut-wrenching. Intense. Scary. Nail-biting. Sick. Chilling. Crazy. Absorbing. Numbing. Jaw dropping. Hardcore. Insane. Wicked. Thrilling.

Those are just some of the words I could use to describe Jack Kilborn's kick butt novel of extreme terror. I love this guys writing. It's straight up, no b.s. prose and story telling that drops you right into the action after a quick set up.

Eight people go camping, on a supposedly deserted island on Lake Huron, only to discover soon after dark that it's not quite as deserted as they thought.

That's all I'm going to tell you about the basic plot because, truthfully, it's not the deepest of story lines but that's not what Kilborn is about. If you want miles and miles of plot twists and miss direction go read Dan Brown and his ilk.

TRAPPED is about adrenaline packed action!

There are twists, some you can see coming from the start, some that will take you by surprise, but don't expect it to have to do with the Templars or descendants of Jesus Christ living in modern day Rome. It does, however, have descendants of a bad ass Civil War prison warden!

TRAPPED is one of those books you hear people describe with, "Don't start this before bed because once you start you won't be able to put it down." or "Read this with the lights on!". If you've had enough of Maeve Binchy (mom) try some Kilborn. It's dark and scary and lots of fun.

TRAPPED is not for the faint of heart or stomach. This is a book that was supposed to come out in print, the second of J.A. Konrath's Kilborn books after Afraid, but the publishers decided it was too gory, too disgusting and scary. It's all those things, Wormies, and for that you should love it. For the life of me I can't imagine why the publishers would think that readers of AFRAID would balk at TRAPPED.

One last thing before I let you go and download it ('cuz I know I've convinced you!), TRAPPED is the first book I've read where an infant gets put through such a wild and ridiculous ride. I mean, remember the baby in the movie THE HANGOVER? Well, he's got nothing on the baby in TRAPPED.

WARNING, this book has cannibals doing cannibal things.

Another thing and then I really promise I'll let you go download it. TRAPPED comes with a great deal. Not only do you get the final version of the book to read first (the version the publisher said was still too violent) but also the original, un-cut version. That's right! You get two books for the price of one (which is still cheaper by half of a real paperback). You really can't beat it.

Now go, download it, read it and come back and tell me what you thought!

Trapped (A Novel of Terror)

MONSTER HUNTER ALPHA cover art

This is the final cover art for Larry Correia's next Monster Hunter book, called MONSTER HUNTER ALPHA (obviously!).

I still have to get around to Monster Hunter Vendetta and this new cover art makes me want to go pick it up right now.

I just have to ask, what are those creepy ghouls on the cover? Man! I would not want to run into one of those things in my neighborhood. They look like they could shred you and then eat you!

Before ALPHA hits shelves next year, Correia's next hot series will jump start with Hard Magic: Book I of the Grimnoir Chronicles. It will hit stores in early May.

MONSTERS by Paul Melniczek

I don't read a lot of short story collections. I'm more of a novel guy. However, every once in a while I'll buy one, having been drawn in by great reviews or a bitchin' cover, as was the case with Paul Melniczek's MONSTERS. It was recently released in trade paperback form from one of my favorite small presses, Dark Regions Press.

Monsters is a collection of eight stories, each one filled with wicked and devilish monsters. As is the case with most short story collections, there are some strong stories, some stories that won't do much for you and then those that make you scratch your head wondering why they were included. Fortunately MONSTERS has more of the former and less of the latter.

The collection starts off with one of my favorites, called WHITE, a chilling tale of explorers in the Himalayan mountains and their run in with a beast out of legend. Like a lot of the stories in this collection I was reminded of the writings H.P. Lovecraft and his ilk. Melniczek does a great job of building the suspense and letting his reader's imagination run wild before the big reveal.

Another one I really liked was WHERE TRAILS SOMETIMES LEAD, a adventuresque tale of the Jersey Devil. This was probably the best in the collection. If you even have a passing love of cryptozoology and American myths, then this one will be a treat.

TWILIGHT'S EMBRACE is dark thriller set along the Mexico/US border and the stark wild of the Arizona desert. When a boarder patrol team comes upon an abandoned bus, they discover first hand what has been hunting and killing thousands of illegal immigrants crossing lands in the barren night.

A lot of Melniczek's stories firmly ground the reader in a certain environment, be it the cold peaks of the Himalayan mountains or the jungles of South America. These are places in mankind's world but certainly not ruled by man but by things out man's primal nightmares.

If I had any complaint about the collection it would be the formulamatic nature a lot of the stories take. A group of explorers, adventurers, or whatnot, head out into the wild (taking a trail or route the locals warned them to avoid) and encounter a beast out of myth and cryptozoological legend. It's not to say the stories aren't well done. But reading them one after the other felt a little like treading down the same dark path over and over with the same results.

I have another Melniczek collection on my pile called A Haunted Halloween, and look forward to embracing more of his dark creations. If you have a few bucks sitting around, then click on the above links and treat yourself to some monster goodness. 

STEPHEN KING OVER PRICED?

A lot of folks are pissed over at Amazon.com. Why? Simple. The new Stephen King novella collection, called FULL DARK, NO STARS, is costing Kindle users $13.06 (American).

Right off the bat, I can tell you, I will be buying the hardcover version of this book. I'm a massive Stephen King fan and I want the evidence up on my shelf right next to UNDER THE DOME. That's just how I roll.

However, I can sympathise with Amazon.com reviewers who are bitching about the Kindle price. The reason is because the hardcover is being sold on Amazon for $14.51.

Doesn't make much sense, does it? Here you have a device that is supposed to help save the book industry, while also being cheaper and greener for the environment. No, I'm not one of those freaky environmentalists, or an industry doom and gloomer. But honestly, this is like telling people to drive electric cars and then out pricing them to anyone but the rich and famous. Okay, not quite, but you see my point.

These e-readers can no longer be ignored as a fad. Even I realized that recently and asked for one on my birthday. And I gotta tell you, I really like the thing. Again, don't get me wrong. I love my 'real' books. And for the time being, if a book is out there in the real world, I will buy that instead of the Kindle edition. My primary reason for the buy was to read the books that were strictly digital.

But suppose I bought the Kindle because the books were supposed to be cheaper, and I would be helping the environment? Well, how does pricing the hardcover and e-book at damn near the same price help to convince people to buy the e-book edition? It doesn't. If you're going to spend the same amount of money on the book either way, why not have a 'real' book that you can pass on to friends when you're done, stick it up on your shelf next to your other books, or donate it to a library for fans that can't afford either version?

So I propose, this is a ploy to get people to spend more money on the hardcover by pricing the Kindle just a tiny bit lower. It's this kind of criminal corporate behaviour that is destroying our economy. It all comes down to greed. If you can sell a hardcover novel for fifteen bucks, then you can sell, and still make a hefty profit, by selling the e-book for under ten dollars.

So go ahead, Amazon reviewers, spam the crap out of the review boards. Stick it to the man any way you can. Sure, some folks out there will say your review has nothing to do with the content of the book but who cares? I don't. I can find enough reviews on the book elsewhere if I so desire.

If you don't absolutely have to have the book right away, wait for the book to hit the bargain bins (King books always end up there eventually), or borrow it from the library. For the rest of us, I guess we have to decide what's best for us. I'm going to buy the hardcover anyway. But if I got the Kindle version I would probably feel the urge to spam that review board with a big ol' one star.

Screw you Scribner!

And Shame on King for not making an issue out of this. For a man that has made millions from his very loyal fans the least he could do is stand up for his Kindle readers.

PLANTS vs. ZOMBIES

Over the weekend I was introduced to a game that some of you have probably heard of and others maybe not. It's called PLANTS vs. ZOMBIES.

It's a simple tower defence game, where you have to defend your house against zombies using...plants! This simple, yet exceedingly fun game, is very addictive and very creative. One hour in front of the computer soon turned into two and two turned into four. And it wasn't just me. Sitting by my side was Aidan, while over my shoulder hovered my daughter and wife, each begging for a turn at battling hungry zombies.

The game is quite creative, with an assortment of different types of zombies being introduced as the difficulty levels increase. There is everything from football player zombies to ogre-like zombies being steered by stubby zombies. There are zombies that ride zambonis (my personal favorites) and zombies that hop on pogo sticks!

And while the zombies get harder to kill, you are provided with better and better weapons, er...plants, to fight them off with. Here again the game shows it's clever, yet simple, genius. You can load up with pea shooters, plants that spit peas out at encroaching zombie hordes, as well as corn on the cob catapults. If that isn't enough there are dozens of other nifty fruits and veggies to bombard the walking dead. There are watermelon catapults, zombie squashing gourds, and purple Venus Flytrap things that can gobble a zombie whole!

My absolute favorite weapon was only available near the end after you defeat enough levels. It was a gatling pea shooter that could blast four peas in rapid succession. Any zombies in the line of fire would soon rest in peace once more.

The game is great fun for anyone in the family. There is no blood and about the only thing scary is the occasional deep throated zombie moan of, "BRAAAINNNNSSSS!". It's available on-line for just a few bucks but is sure to provide you with a few hours of non-stop fun.

Special thanks to my nephew for introducing the game to us.

"BRAAAAAINNNNNSSSS!"

AMERICAN VAMPIRE written by Scott Snyder and Stephen King

October saw the release of the hardcover version of the first five issues and the opening sequence of AMERICAN VAMPIRE, a tale of vicious blood suckers in the wild west and the back lots of Hollywood's cinematic playland.

American Vampire Vol. 1is actually two stories in one, coming together by the finale to open the doorway to future blood sucking adventures for the survivors. In the King penned story we get the origin of the outlaw Skinner Sweet and his transformation into something the vampire world has never seen before, an American vampire. You see, Sweet is more than just a bad ass bloodsucker, he's a bloodsucker that doesn't have to follow any of the usual vampire rules. In other words he's something different.

Once back from the dead Skinner Sweet is after all those who crossed him, particularly the aristocratic European vampires that killed him.

The other story takes place some time in the future, a time when Hollywood is beginning to move on from silent films to talkies. It's a time of big dreams for two ladies that have stars in their eyes and dream of the big break. Unfortunately for Pearl Jones, her dream of being a big Hollywood starlet is interrupted by a nightmare coven of vampires that leave her for dead in a dirty ditch. If not for the a certain devilish vampire Pearl Jones wouldn't get her chance at revenge.

Both stories are great pulpy fun and I really enjoyed the whole thing. I've been on a great run of vampire fiction of late, great enough so that I can hardly remember those sparkly teen dreams from the Twilight books and movies. After Dracula The Un-Dead and DRACULAS (A Novel of Terror) this was the perfect graphic novel companion.

I really dig the artwork in AMERICAN VAMPIRES. It's filled with big splashy pages of bright vampire action that can't help but draw you into the story and leave you wanting more bloody action.

If I had one complaint about the book, and it's really me being a nit picker here, it's the lack of much gunfighter action during the Skinner Sweet origin story written by King. I was looking forward to big wild west gunfights between outlaw vampires and the sheriff and his posse. That's not to say that there isn't plenty of action, there is, in droves, but given that Sweet is a gunslinger, I imagined more grand gun battles between the living and the undead.

I'm unclear on this but at this time I believe King is no longer penning the current single issues of AMERICAN VAMPIRE. But don't let that put you off. Scott Snyder is a good story teller and probably had the better execution of the two scribes.

I look forward to more brutal American style vampire action in the future.   

Coming Soon THRALL by Steven L. Shrewsbury

"Set in an ancient world, Thrall is gritty, dark-edged heroic fantasy in the vein of Robert E. Howard and David Gemmell.  It tells the story of Gorias La Gaul, an aging warrior who has lived for centuries battling the monstrosities of legend and lore.  It is an age when the Nephilum walk the earth, and dragons still soar through the air … living or undead.  On a journey to find one of his own blood, Gorias' path crosses with familiar enemies ... some of whom not even death can hold bound." - from a Seventh Star press release.

This is one I've really been looking forward to since I first heard about it on the Seventh Star website. Well, the wait is nearly over and now both the limited edition and trade paperback editions are up for pre-order (to be released mid-December).

Normally a small press hardcover might cost you big bucks, but Seventh Star Press are not any small press. They offer a good product at a great price. I recommend you click on over and check out the great deal for the limited hardcover. And why not grab yourself a t-shirt while you're at it?

Before you go, check out the book trailer below.

THE SANDMAN vol. 1 PRELUDES & NOCTURNES by Neil Gaiman

This was a long time coming.

If you have ever walked into a comic book store or simply talked comics with someone that has delved deep into it's dark pools you inevitably heard about a series many consider to be one of the greatest accomplishments the industry has ever seen.

I'm talking about Neil Gaiman's SANDMAN, a twelve volume epic that begins with The Sandman Vol. 1: Preludes & Nocturnes (New Edition). I can't tell you how often I've been in a comic book shop and picked up a trade edition of volume one and flipped through it before setting it back in the rack. What always held me back was the art. It just didn't engage me.

I'm not a fan of Neil Gaiman, either, and by that I mean, I don't know Gaiman's work enough to call myself a fan. The one book I have read was CORALINE. I enjoyed it quite a bit but unfortunately, at the time, it didn't send me racing off to the book store to grab the rest of Gaiman's library. 

After reading the first SANDMAN book I can say I quite enjoyed Gaiman's story. And I guess you could say I'm a fan. The art? It's okay, but isn't anything to write home about. That's not to say it's not good. It's quite good. And it's probably better than that, it's just that these eyes have different tastes.

What hooked me was the story.

This first book surrounds Dream (or Morpheus), the King of Dreams, and his quest to acquire three objects that were stolen from him while being incarcerated by the dark magician Roderick Burgess (a pouch of sand, a helm and a ruby). His quest takes him on a journey from Arkham Asylum to Hell and into his very own realm of dreams, all the while battling humans and demons and demon-like humans.

SLEEP & THE JUST is my favorite of the stories. The issue surrounds Burgess and his coven trapping Dream (Burgess is actually attempting to capture Dream's sister Death). A HOPE IN HELL is another favorite of mine and is about Dream's descent into Hell to retrieve his helm from the demon Choronzon. There he meets with Lucifer, Beelzebub and Azazel before doing battle with Choronzon. Of the seven issues that make up volume one A HOPE IN HELL is one of the more artistically pleasing.

The volume ends with THE SOUND OF HER WINGS, an issue that pretty much stands on its own. It's about Dream and his sister Death. It's a 'day in the life of' story where Dream follows his sister during her work day, collecting the dead and taking them wherever its is she takes them. This is one of the more sombre issues but also one of the most humorous. A nice end to the first volume.

I really enjoyed the book. It didn't blow me away but certainly intrigued me enough to get the next two volumes, The Sandman Vol. 2: The Doll's House (New Edition) (Sandman (Graphic Novels))and The Sandman Vol. 3: Dream Country (New Edition) (Sandman (Graphic Novels)) .

If you are thinking of reading the series now might be a good time to start as Vertigo is releasing the entire series in fully recolored editions.

Note: Can any SANDMAN experts out there tell me, was it the artists intention to make Dream look like Neil Gaiman? And doesn't Lucifer look like a young David Bowie?

TORMENT by Jeremy Bishop

TORMENT is the debut horror novel from Jeremy Bishop and charts some very dark territory.

When Matt Brenton is captured by Russians before he can attempt to assassinate the Russian President it starts a chain reaction that will turn Earth into a living hell. War is declared and before there can be any diplomatic resolutions the nukes are flying.

The end of the world as we know it is nigh.

Mia Durante and her niece Elizabeth just happen to be in the best possible place when the proverbial shit hits the fan, that being the White House, having brunch with the President of the United States. When the bombs start to fly the White House is evacuated to special space crafts called Earth Escape Pods (or EEP's for short). In minutes Mia, Elizabeth, the President and his staff are soaring over a planet being blown to smithereens.

It isn't long before the crew realizes their predicament and the fact they might be stuck on the EEP for several years before its safe to return. Unbelievably, however, within a few hours of the bombs dropping the on-board computer declares the surface levels to be normal and begins their descent.

What the survivors discover is something out of their worst nightmares.

TORMENT is a fast paced horror story filled with monsters and zombies (but not the kind you might expect in a novel like this). From the moment the EEP lands back on Earth the survivors are in a fight for their lives, and their very souls, as they navigate through a world that may literally be Hell on Earth.

The premise for TORMENT is an intriguing one and an interesting look at the world after a nuclear war from two differing perspectives, one biblical and the other atheist. As the survivors flee from hordes of killers and giant hunters, their beliefs might be the only thing that can save them in the end.

Me personally, I'm not a very religious person. I might pray to "God" if I'm in a tight spot, but a Sunday church goer I'm not. Unfortunately, I'm not big on reading novels with a heavy religious slant, which TORMENT takes towards it's second half. For one, I think I miss a lot of references and allusions to God and the afterlife, such as it is, and this probably takes away a lot the enjoyment I might get out of a novel such as this.

That's not to say TORMENT isn't a good book. It's fast paced, gory and intense, all things a book like this should be.

But don't just take my word for it. Check it out for yourself.

TORMENT hits the digital shelves on November 15th and you can check out Jeremy Bishop's website here, for more information!