In All Seriousness

The post below was a bit of fun for me and hopefully gave one or two of you a small laugh. Or maybe it's just me that has an unhealthy fascination with woodchucks.

Anyway, I want to give you quick look ahead of what I've got coming up next week since it'll be quiet around here this weekend due to me travelling. I'll have two book reviews that I'll be posting, The Summoner by Layton Green (not yet finished) and Abominable by William Meikle (just finished it and loved it). I'll also have two guest blog posts next week from authors and along with each of the guest posts I'll be giving away an e-copy of one of the author's books. So make sure you tune in next week for your chance to win a free e-book!

Interview with Woody

I’m pleased to offer you the first-ever interview for Bookhound’s Den—okay, maybe pleased is a bit of an overstatement. Oh, who am I kidding? The interview is crap. I’ve never conducted an interview and I don’t seem to possess the natural ability that Misty Baker does. And I’ll be honest: my interviewee was not the best choice. But I really dug the commercial he was in and thought he’d be interesting to talk with. Turns out he’s pretty much a prick. Hindsight’s 20-20, I guess. I wouldn’t post it, but I don’t have anything else to post and I don’t want to leave you hanging over the weekend since I’ll be out of town.

Without further ado, I give you my interview with Woody the woodchuck:

Me: It’s nice to have this opportunity to talk with you. I love your work!

Woody: Yeah, that’s nice. Can we hurry up and get this over? I’ve got some important things to do.

Me: Oh, yeah, sure. Sorry. So, tell me a little about yourself.

Woody: I’m a woodchuck. What the hell am I supposed to tell you? I play in the water and I chuck wood.

Me: Is it true that your species is also referred to as "groundhog" and "whistle pig"?

Woody: Is it true that you're a jackass?

Me: Ah, okay. So…um…you started doing commercials. Do you have any plans to pursue an acting career?

Woody: Acting? Who was acting? That crazy old guy’s wife caught me and my brother chucking his wood with one of those new video-recording gadget thingies. I still haven’t seen a cent from those commercials. I’m thinking about suing that insurance company. But it’s hard to find representation when you walk on four legs and are covered in fur.

Me: So you really go around chucking people’s wood?

Woody: Duh! Of course I do. It’s pretty fun. Everyone needs a hobby. Besides, it pisses the old guy off. We get a kick out of that.

Me: I see. Well, this interview hasn’t gone exactly the way I expected.

Woody: What tipped you off, Einstein?

Me: Okay… Well, do you have anything to do with Woodchuck Cider?

Woody: Are you serious? What’s with you, man? Don’t you do any research?

Me: Sorry, man. Er, I mean woodchuck. I mean…

Woody: Yeah, I get your drift. You’re just like all the other humans. You think we’re at the bottom of the food chain and we’re dumb little critters that are a nuisance. Well, you know what? We are a nuisance! But it’s not because we’re dumb; it’s because we want to make your life a living hell! You better keep an eye on your woodpile this winter; you might just wake up one morning to find it all in the nearest pond. I’m through with this so-called “interview”!

At this point in the interview, Woody the woodchuck hopped off the wood stool he was sitting on and chucked it across the room at me. I’m doing okay now; I only needed 14 stiches. Who knew woodchucks were such ornery creatures?

A Quick Update

I don’t have a book review ready and it may be a few days before I finish the next book I’m reading for review. But I want to give you a quick update on a couple things going on.

First, today marks the official launch day for Debbi Mack’s new book, Least Wanted. This is the follow-up to her breakout first novel, Identity Crisis. If you enjoy hardboiled crime novels, make sure you check this one out because the heroine in this series will have you coming back for more. And with both of these books priced at $0.99 for a limited time, they’re a steal! For more info on each of these books, check out my review of Least Wanted and my review of Identity Crisis.

Second, Scott Nicholson’s new novella, Crime Beat, is now live at Amazon and is also available for the Nook and at Smashwords. I had the pleasure of proofing this one and it’s a blast to read. Witty and entertaining throughout, it had me staying up late into the night to finish it. Do yourself a favor and grab a copy of this treat.

I’m not sure if I’ll have a new review up before the weekend; if not, it’ll be sometime next week before one will be up. There’s a nasty rumor going around that it’s my birthday next Monday and my wife has something planned for the weekend that she won’t tell me about. All I know is that we’ll be travelling, so that means I won’t have much time for writing reviews. In the meantime, take care and snag a copy of these great books while they’re cheap!

AS I EMBRACE MY JAGGED EDGES by Lee Thompson

Lee Thompson* first sold his stories this past year and his work has appeared in a number of places. His novelette, As I Embrace My Jagged Edges from Sideshow Press, is the first of his work that I’ve read. I went into this one not knowing what to expect but came away with my mouth hanging open.

Boaz’s family has a legacy to uphold. They are the latest in a long line of those entrusted to protect a sacred relic: a bronze shard from the fabled Temple of Solomon. Constantly moving around, they never settle in one place for long and are always in danger from those who want to get their hands on the powerful relic. One day Boaz’s uncle, Jack, is found dead with his throat sliced open. Not only have they been discovered, but the one person who understands and accepts Boaz is dead. Now Boaz must face not only his inner turmoil alone, but he also must make a stand against the dark forces seeking the shard.

I was amazed to find that I could be so affected by such a small work of fiction. Thompson’s writing can only be described as beautiful, passionate, and emotional. Though he just recently began selling his work, his writing displays a maturity of a much more seasoned author. He crafted a truly engaging story that left this reader wanting more. Keep an eye on Lee Thompson; he has a bright future and will be an author to be reckoned with.

Reminiscent of Tom Piccirilli’s style, if you enjoy a raw, put-it-all-out-there type of storytelling, As I Embrace My Jagged Edges is for you. Also available from Thompson is Before Leonora Wakes.

*Thompson is a co-reviewer for The Bag and The Crow with me.

Book Reviews Are Now Indexed

Just want to bring it to your attention that there's now a tab at the top of the page titled "Book Reviews." This is an alphabetical (by the author's last name) index of all my book reviews for this blog. Hopefully this will make older reviews easier to find. As I add reviews, I'll update the index.

Let me know if you find any links that don't work properly.

"Die Already" by Kipp Poe Speicher

“Die Already” is a short story by Kipp Poe Speicher. It’s about a man with the unique ability to keep things alive—whether he wants to or not. He discovers his remarkable talent as a boy and lives the rest of his life in fear and solitude because he’s afraid of what may happen when he gets too close to other people. However, one day he finds the love of his life and allows himself to open up some—which turns into the biggest mistake of his life.

“Die Already” is a very interesting and creative story. There are a few typos and errors throughout, but nothing that majorly distracts the reader. My biggest complaint about the story is that it’s too short. I was just getting into it and it was over! I thoroughly enjoyed the story and hope to read more from Speicher in the future.

The Kindle edition includes a bonus partial short story by Tom Raimbault and an interview with Mr. Raimbault. Priced at $0.99, I recommend “Die Already” for an interesting, quick read.

TERRORLORD by Guido Henkel

Terrorlord by Guido Henkel is the first book I’ve read in the Jason Dark: Ghost Hunter series. This is actually the ninth book in the series, but they are written as such that you can pretty much read them as standalone books.

What happens when all Hell breaks loose? Ghost hunter Jason Dark and his friends are about to find out as the Terrorlord attempts to open the Seven Gates of Hell in Victorian England. With the help of his human pawn, the Terrorlord begins to unleash the minions of Hell and initiates his quest to take over the world. Jason Dark starts to put the pieces together, but it may be too late. Not only is he fighting the Terrorlord, but his past and its impact on his future looms over him. Jason can’t do this alone; he needs his friends more than ever, but are they ready for the impending showdown with the Terrorlord?

This novella piqued my interest from the opening pages. The mood of imminent danger is appropriately set and the story wastes no time jumping into the action. Fast-paced and fun, this work of pulp horror is pretty much all that any fan can ask for. I enjoyed the historical setting of the novella, and the scene at Butcher’s Row is gory and fun. This latest installment is more about Jason’s friends, Siu Lin and Herbert, than it is about Jason. My only complaint is that there are some typos throughout the Kindle edition and, at times, they can be distracting (a couple of times the names of minor characters are not consistent).

I’d recommend Terrorlord to anyone who’s interested in pulp horror and wants a quick, fun read.