TOP SUSPENSE by The Top Suspense Group

Cover by Jeroen ten Berge

If you haven't heard of The Top Suspense Group click on the link and go check them out. These guys and gals are providing some of the best high octane suspense fiction in the business.

Top Suspense: 13 Classic Stories by 12 Masters of the Genre is the first anthology to be released by the group and is guaranteed to have something for everyone, whether you favour classic noir, crime or blood rushing suspense, it's all here.

The excitement begins with Max Allen Collins' UNREASONALBE DOUBT, an old school noir tale about a PI solving a despicable crime by a couple of young lovers. If you like the classics this one will be sure to satisfy.

Lee Goldberg, co-author of the kick ass The Dead Man: Face of Evil (check out my review here), is quickly becoming a favorite of mine. His story REMAINDERED is one of the most enjoyable of the bunch. It's about Kevin Dangler, a bestselling writer trying to get back in the game after a few unpopular novels. At an innocent signing at K-Mart in Spokane, Kevin runs into his number one fan at a book signing. We all know about about Annie Wilkes but how about Megan the librarian?

Another fun story is THE CANARY by Dave Zeltserman. Like Goldberg, Zeltserman is one of my favourites of late. His novel The Caretaker of Lorne Field: A Novel was my favorite book from last year (check out my review here). His novels Small Crimes and Pariah are amazing. Not to mention his Julius Katz Mysteries are terrific (and award winning!).

Though THE CANARY is one of the shorter selections, its one of the most fun with a hilarious twist at the end.

TOP SUSPENSE also has a few grim and grimy tales of lowlifes that are sure to twist your guts as good as any carving knife. Most notable in this group of stories is Vicki Hendricks THE BIG O. You're just going to have to read this one yourself to know what I'm talking about. It's brutal and mean and will surely leave you wanting a shower afterward.

If THE BIG O is any indication of the type of writing I can expect from Vicki Hendricks she's gained a fan.

Genre veteran Ed Gorman provides another story that will sucker punch you right on the chin. THE BABY STORE is a futuristic tale about the genetic modification of babies to create the ultimate child. The couple in this story don't carry guns, don't rob banks or break anyone's knees, yet I still found them to be two of the saddest and despicable characters in the whole collection.

It's been a few years since I've read Ed Gorman so I was pleased to hear he'd teamed up with THE TOP SUSPENSE GROUP and had a story in this anthology.

Now let's get to my two favourite stories. My second favorite in the whole collection was the tag team tale by six members of THE TOP SUSPENSE GROUP called THE CHASE. This is the last story in the anthology and is tire tearing, bullet blazing, pitch fork flinging free for all. I think if you have any pulse at all you will get a kick out of this story. THE CHASE is the reason why I love this genre. I could read stories like this all day long.

When you're finished with the story the writers direct you to a link where you can take a quiz to see if you can guess which author wrote which sections. I failed miserably. What does this say about your reviewer Wormies? Actually, lets forget I asked that question.

My personal favorite of the bunch was Harry Shannon's A HANDFUL OF DUST. I hope there are some Hollywood producers out there paying attention to this great little story about a tough hit-man and a crazy terminal dude. It would make a great movie, especially if they film it the way Shannon had me imagine it. Just terrific.

I can't recommend Top Suspense: 13 Classic Stories by 12 Masters of the Genre enough. It's pretty much got everything a suspense junkie could want.

Table of contents: 

Unreasonable Doubt by Max Allan Collins
Death’s Brother by Bill Crider
Poisoned by Stephen Gallagher
Remaindered by Lee Goldberg
Fire in the Sky by Joel Goldman
The Baby Store by Ed Gorman
The Jade Elephant by Libby Fischer Hellmann
The Big O by Vicki Hendricks
The Chirashi Covenant by Naomi Hirahara
El Valiente en el Infierno by Paul Levine
A Handful of Dust by Harry Shannon
The Canary by Dave Zeltserman
The Chase by Top Suspense Group

THE JEROEN TEN BERGE INTERVIEW

Today we have a very special guest visiting The Man Eating Bookworm, graphic designer Jeroen ten Berge. I have been very excited to bring you this interview. I can't tell you how pleased I was when Jeroen agreed to answer a few questions.

If you have a passion for books you probably have a passion for really great book and e-book covers. Recently I began to notice some nifty covers on e-books by Blake Crouch and J.A. Konrath, particularly their SERIAL UNCUT (Extended Edition)and KILLERS - A Psycho Thriller.

As I began to read more Blake Crouch I began to see a trend. I really dug his e-book covers. It came as no great surprise the covers were the work of one designer...Jeroen ten Berge.

In my opinion one of the main jobs of a book cover is to grab my attention. Jeroen's covers do just that.

So, without further adieu...The Jeroen ten Berge Interview:

The Man Eating Bookworm (MEB): Jeroen, a hearty welcome to THE MAN EATING BOOKWORM! Before we delve into your graphic design work, why don't you tell all the Wormies a little about your background?

Jeroen: Thanks, great to be here.

After high school I studied graphic and typographic design for 6 years (flunked one year) at the Royal Academy of Arts in The Hague, The Netherlands (I'm Dutch). The final year was dedicated to being an intern at a design firm, in order to get industry experience. I was fortunate to work for a young and expanding design company, where the founding partners quickly gave me responsibilities beyond my experience. It allowed me to get a taste for all aspects of design, including strategy, concepts, marketing, client and supplier contact, and so on. 

After several months they offered me a position as a junior designer, which I gracefully declined. Instead I started working for them freelance, found my own clients along the way, and established my own design company before I graduated at 23. My one-man-band company eventually morphed into a company with partners and numerous employees, myself as creative director. We worked for big name companies in The Netherlands and beyond, mostly designing logos, brands and marketing material.

But things change and so did my interest. I wanted the second half of my life to be as exciting as the first half had been, so I left my company, sold up whatever I owned and relocated with my wife and our three young daughters to New Zealand. After three years working as a creative director at a Wellington based design company it was clear I needed to move on, and I set up shop for myself. 

I still design brands, packaging, wayfinding and websites, however, designing book covers combines my love for reading, books (I'm an avid collector when I can afford it, and sometimes when I can't) and my love for design. I work from home, no room for employees. I'm once again a one-man-band and wouldn't have it any other way.

MEB: You are putting out some of the most eye catching designs to grace e-book covers. Take us through the steps of designing a cover for an author after first contact.

Early sketch of Blake Crouch's RUN

Jeroen: Thanks! Nice to hear my work is highly appreciated.

After receiving an email with a cover request I usually google the writer to get some background information. Getting to know the person behind the book is important to me, it helps the design process.

When cost and time frame are agreed upon I read the manuscript. Key for me is getting a feel for the story, and finding elements that could visually represent the book. 

Occasionally writers offer their ideas. While reading I make notes and doodles up to the point where I have a design concept in my head. Still using pencil and paper I sketch out what I have in mind. If I like what I see I develop it on my Mac. I look for fitting typefaces, photos that match what I have in mind, sometimes shoot them myself, and create one or more covers.

I send the best one (or two) to the author. He or she then offers feedback. Most times the first cover hits the sweet spot, sometimes there is tweaking required, very rarely my interpretation doesn't meet expectations. If that is the case I start anew and create a different cover, based on the feedback received and answers to my questions. 

After approval the author receives the cover - ready to go. When the book goes live I upload it on my website with links to the book on Amazon and the author's website or blog. From start to finish the design process takes about two to three weeks, but I have created covers that were live on Amazon within 72 hours after first contact with the author.

MEB: "Never judge a book by it's cover." What do you think?

Jeroen: Baloney.

A picture tells a thousand words. A great cover should do exactly that - convey the essence and feel of the book in a confident and striking fashion, with a design that stands out, one that hooks you in mere seconds. Once that is achieved the product description hopefully complements the cover, pulls in the buyer even further and a sale is made.

Today, with e-books and Amazon, an effective cover is even more important than before. Unlike traditional bookshops, unknown writers and renowned bestselling authors now share the same shelf, next to each other, with equal opportunity to present their work. That has never happened before and it is a major game changer. But if you're an unknown, and your cover looks crap, a potential buyer will most likely not read the product description, move on, and click and buy someone else's book.

MEB: A good many of your designs are for e-books in the mystery/crime/horror genres. Are you a fan of those types of books and if so, is it easier to design covers for books in a genre you personally enjoy?

Jeroen: I like a well told and intriguing story. There are quite a few crime, mystery and horror novels I started reading that didn't work for me for whatever reason, even though I like those genres. Last year I read a romantic suspense novel which I - surprisingly - really enjoyed. Right now I'm reading (and designing a series of covers) for The Icarus Helix Series, a YA series by J.E. Medrick. I don't fit the intended reader's profile at all, but I love it. And - yes, designing a cover for a book I enjoy does make it easier. 

There are several great authors whose novels I very much admire, that aren't yet available as e-books. I would jump to design their covers. To my shock and amazement one of my all time favorite books doesn't even exist as an e-book - I would LOVE to design the e-book cover for Cormac McCarthy's THE ROAD.

MEB: Your covers for Blake Crouch really impress me. They're bold, colourful and make this reader want to read those books. Which cover(s) are you most proud of and why?

Jeroen: Blake and I have worked together on his branding and covers for three years now - it had been an absolute blast, and there is more to come. I'm still proud of the first series of covers I did over two years ago for Blake's short stories *69, REMAKING, and ON THE GOOD, RED ROAD.

Instead of photography the main visuals are my illustrations, making them more personal. They also represent my first steps in designing covers for e-books. For the same reason I still love the SERIAL series by Blake and Jack Kilborn. More recent are UNCONDITIONAL and Run. And both are equally personal, albeit for different reasons. The hand pressed against the safety glass on UNCONDITIONAL'S cover is mine. The couple seen sitting in the car on RUN's cover are Blake and my oldest daughter.

Well, there you have it Wormies. I would like to take this time to thank Jeroen for taking time out of his busy schedule to answer my questions. I hope you guys enjoyed it!

THE WALKER PLACE by James A. Moore

James A. Moore has written some books I really enjoyed, particularly his science fiction thriller Fireworks and his opus Serenity Falls. Another good one is Under the Overtree (Leisure Horror).

Fans of limited edition horror will be familiar with the name but if you are not, try The Walker Place. It's a short story for $0.99 on Kindle.

The story is more suited to the Halloween season and certainly isn't enough to show Moore's full capability but is a fun tale regardless.

THE WALKER PLACE is a cliched ghost/Halloween yarn about a three boys that dare to enter the local "haunted" house on Halloween night, where a heinous murder occurred.

The results are predictable but Moore is a talented writer that imbues the story with his own style of Halloween spookiness.

Recently James A. Moore released a YA novel called Subject Seven. Look for a review of that release and more in weeks and months to come!

DEVIL RED by Joe R. Lansdale

Most everyone loves Joe R. Lansdale's Hap and Leonard stories. I know I do. If I had my druthers they would be my best friends.

The way I see it, everyone should have a Hap or a Leonard for a buddy, for a brother.

Brothers is a lot about what Devil Red (Hap and Leonard) is all about. It's about being there for your BFF. It's about having a brother's back.

This time around Hap and Leonard are on the trail of a serial killer that goes by the name Devil Red. It seems this bad dude is laying waste to a lot of folks and someone wants Hap and Leonard to find out who.

The question is, are Hap and Leonard tough enough? Are they good enough?

If you're a fan of Lansdale then you pretty much know what you're going to get. However, this one tugs a bit on the heart stings.

It's got all the familiar wisecracking shinanigans and thrilling confrontations but it's the close look at the two friends relationship that made DEVIL RED a memorable read.

If you've never read a Hap and Leonard book, fix that immediately by buying Savage Season: A Hap and Leonard Novel (1) (Vintage Crime/Black Lizard). I guarantee you won't be disappointed!

The only negative thing I have to say is about the actual book. It's that kind of publication where the edges of the page are cut unevenly. So if, like me, you thumb the pages along the length, turning pages is a bitch. Really, unless you want to frustrate yourself to no end, you have to turn the pages from the top or bottom.

Why do this?

Truly, I have no answer Wormies. But don't let it stop you from picking up Hap and Leonard's latest thriller.

CHEAT by J. E. Medrick

J.E. Medrick is an e-book writer from Ohio. She was born in 1984 and graduated from Kent State University in 2005. Her debut e-book release is called Shackled and is available for $2.99.

Cheat (Icarus Helix) is Medrick's second release, and is the first chapter in what will be a larger story told month to month.

Here is the description:

How far would you go for money? For Marcus Tiller, gambling debt was an overwhelming shadow on his life. As a neonatal attendant at St. Mercy Four Cities Hospital in need of cash, he became CGT-Inc's ideal pawn. The contract: secretly inject newborns with an experimental compound - for $1,000 a head. But, three years after he began, he disappeared.

Now, 14 years later, the effects of the compound are starting to show. 17-year old Ian Reynolds, an aspiring varsity football player, suddenly finds he can control things with the power of his thoughts. Footballs miraculously end up in his hands, girls' skirts catch sudden drafts and life is good. But the gift comes with a price, both physical and mental.

As Ian tries to understand his power, the big rivalry against the Waredo Firehawks looms. But when a stranger who may know his secret begins leaving him cryptic notes, will Ian decide his power is best left... undiscovered?

CHEAT is a novella approximately 20,000 words and is geared towards the tween - YA crowd.

The writing is decent and easy to read, pulling me comfortably into the story. There are a few passages which come off as awkward, places where the dialogue is a bit on the bland side. Generally, though, it's fairly smooth.

I was sucked into the story right from the start when we learn about the nefarious deeds of a shady genetic research company injecting newborns with an experimental concoction. The rest of the story revolves around Ian Reynolds discovery of his new gift and learning to control it.

It's a fast read, as it's intended to be. If you enjoy tween or YA fiction I'm sure this will satisfy. Personally I look forward to reading episode two, proposed to hit Amazon mid April, called LIAR.

PARIAH by Dave Zeltserman

Pariah by Dave Zelterman is probably my favorite crime novel to date. To say I was blown away would be an understatement.

When Kyle Nevin is released free and clear from prison he finds his old stomping grounds, South Boston (Southie), has changed since he went away. To some extent it's been gentrified, to another extent the old boys have, well, aged. But that's not going to stop a man like Kyle Nevin from stomping a few heads and setting things straight again.

At the top of his list is a crime that will rock the nation in its depravity. The other is hunting down the dirty rat bastard that set him up, his old boss Red Mahoney.

Leaving behind a trail of dead bodies, chaos and meyhem, Kyle Nevin just might be the baddest bastard to ever walk the streets of South Boston.

I thought Small Crimes was a masterpiece of crime fiction. I had yet to read PARIAH. This is one mean novel. Check that, Kyle Nevin is one mean son of a bitch. He's a reprehensible, dispicable, cocksure crook that lets nothing stand in his way when he wants something.

Despite all the horrible things Nevin does I have to admit feeling refreshed reading about a man that takes shit from no one, cracks heads like no ones business and is an all round menace.

Sometimes all I want to do is back the bad guy. Sometimes as a reader I want to live vicariously through the meanest mother around and feel a little bit of that take-no-shit from anyone, burn down the world attitude. If that's how you feel sometimes then PARIAH is just what the doctor ordered. It's fast, tough, and once again shows why Dave Zeltserman should be considered one of the best in the genre.

 

WILD NIGHT IS CALLING by Ann Voss Peterson and J.A. Konrath

Wild Night Is Calling is a tale of suspense and horror fans of SERIAL UNCUT (Extended Edition) and KILLERS - A Psycho Thriller will be sure to love.

Ann Voss Peterson is the author of numerous romantic thrillers under the Harlequin banner. For WILD NIGHT IS CALLING Mrs. Peterson is teamed up with a master of the thriller (in my opinion) J.A. Konrath.

When a couple of girls decide to have a wild night out they get more than what they bargained for when they pick up a couple of strangers.

The moment Caitlin gets separated from Hannah she knows something is wrong. She's right but for all the wrong reasons.


WILD NIGHT IS CALLING is tight, well written story with a twist which will appeal to any fan of Alfred Hitchcock or Richard Laymon, for that matter.

WILD NIGHT IS CALLING also acts as a nice preview of what you can expect when these two terrific authors team up for the full length novel called FLEE.

From what I read on Konrath's blog, FLEE sounds like it's going to be a killer read. James Bond on steroids, I believe is how he put it. If you are a fan of anything he's written I'm sure you'll want to get this one.

For details on how you can aquire FLEE for free and a week earlier than everyone else, head on over to his blog.

THE METEOROLOGIST by Blake Crouch

THE METEOROLOGIST is another satisfying short by thriller writer Blake Crouch.

It's about loneliness and closure and new beginnings in the howling G-force of a massive tornado.

When Peter, a meteorologist, meets Melanie, a hoarder, he finds purhaps the perfect companion for his voyage into the center of a catastrophic storm center.

This one is a longer than UNCONDITIONAL, landing in the 7000 word range, which makes it a little more reasonably priced for what you get (UNCONDITIONAL was about 1000 words).

I am still undecided when it comes to how I feel about authors releasing single short stories for $0.99. On one hand it seems quite a bargain but on the other it could be a rip off, right? A talented author, or heck even my own bad self, could knock out a 1000 word story in a few hours. Get a friend to whip a cover up and presto.

Now don't get me wrong. I'm not talking about quality here. Let's assume my story and Crouch's are equally good. I'm more trying to illustrate how, in most cases, the 1000 word story was probably less work. It was probably written in far less time (Yes, I know one could argue that point. But most of the time...).

What I'm asking here is, should there be a scalable price for these e-stories? Should it matter if you are paying a buck for a story that is a 1000 words or one that is 10,000, a novelette if you will. Would it not make the product more appealing if the buyer were getting three stories instead of one? Or one short short story and one longer. Should Blake Crouch have combined UNCONDITIONAL with THE METEOROLOGIST as as single package?

(Please note, Crouch's e-stories come with an interview and chapter selections from his novels.)

Should probable enjoyment come into it? For instance UNCONDITIONAL touched me far more than THE METEOROLOGIST. So am I lucky I only paid a buck for it and not more? Or did I overpay for THE METEOROLOGIST?

Should you pay more for Blake Crouch's stories than ones put out by an independent author because he's had books published with real paper and ink?

Yes, I'm aware I'm putting an argument out there that revolves around mere cents. But it's curious, and as the market is expanding at a phenomenal rate these are questions and market curiosities that will be interesting to follow. Soon, if it isn't the reality already, those cents are going to be adding up into the millions for authors.

Just look at J.A. Konrath's success. He claims to be earning $1500 a day. A day! So these cents add up.

If this topic is of interest to you and other similar topics, Konrath's blog is a great place to stay tuned to what is happening in the market place.

For the record I do not mean to focus on Blake Crouch's work in any negative way. My hope was this was a positive post and that's how I look at it, especially as a person that hopes to have his own e-books out there one day.

If you have not read Blake Crouch's work please do. Here is a selection of stories I enjoy immensely:

Serial Uncut
KILLERS - A Psycho Thriller
UNCONDITIONAL
THE METEOROLOGIST
FULLY LOADED: The Complete and Collected Stories of Blake Crouch