Hit the Pause Button

I know I haven’t posted much here in the past few weeks. I’m a bit frustrated with my lack of output because I worked hard on this blog the last few months and tried to be consistent each week. However, recently consistency has been a major challenge. I want to let you know what I’m working on right now and ask for your patience as I continue to try to find a happy balance for this site.

There will be reviews coming from me in the not-too-distant future. I’m currently reading The Ascent by Ronald Malfi for review at The Crow’s Caw. I also have some very exciting books in my review queue that I’ll be getting to shortly: Pages of Promises by Stephen James Price, Ravenmarked by Amy Rose Davis, and Choke on Your Lies by Anthony Neil Smith. There are others in line after these and I’m excited about the books I have to read for review. Also, there are some guest blog posts from authors scheduled for March.

My proofreading service is doing well and I’m keeping fairly busy with it. I plan on adding a page here with more information for those who may be interested in my service. This is exciting because this is also something I’ve been working hard at the past few months.

This is just a little insight into what’s going on with me. Due to the number of books I have in my review queue and the number of works I’m proofing, I am going to temporarily halt the acceptance of any new review books. I hate to do this so soon after I really got this blog going, but the response has been far better than I expected for both reviews and proofing. Proofing gigs come first because they are paid, and my review queue is longer than my arm at the moment. Please know that I’m still open to new proofing jobs, so if you are interested you can still contact me via e-mail for more info.

Bottom line, I’m pretty busy at the moment. Which is a good thing. I believe suspending acceptance of new review books for a time will help me to not stretch myself so thin that I go past the point of no return. I’m truly grateful for everyone that’s stopped by here to check out one of my reviews. Please know that more are coming but they may be a little more sporadic for the next little while. But make sure you stop by to check out my recommended reads that you will find on that fun carousel on the left side of my page that I’ll update weekly. I’ll include the books that I’m currently reading and throw in a few others that I recommend.

Thanks for your patience and support!

THE HAUNTING OF ESTHER COX by William Meikle

I had a notion again the other night for a quick, fun read, and somehow I again ended up with one of William Meikle’s novelettes on my Kindle. The Haunting of Esther Cox sounded intriguing and exactly what I was in the mood for. So, like I did with Meikle’s Abominable, I downloaded it and read it in one sitting.

Esther Cox isn’t a bad girl. Really, she’s not. However, after a day with her suitor goes terribly wrong, things begin to take a turn for the worse for her. Her suitor disappears, she can’t sleep, and she begins to sense things are just not right in her home. Soon, things escalate from Esther feeling that something is wrong to Esther experiencing things, such as the sound of walking and voices. When the malevolent force that’s oppressing Esther starts to affect the lives of those around her, they seek help for her. But the more help offered to Esther, the worse the results.

I enjoyed reading The Haunting of Esther Cox. Meikle’s writing is smooth and I was quickly pulled into the story. It’s fast paced and spans over a year’s time (in the late 1800s) in just a novelette-length work. Was it groundbreaking? No. But I became lost in the story and I forgot about everything else around me for about an hour. That’s exactly what I wanted at the time I read this, and to me that’s what a good story is all about. If you like ghost/poltergeist stories and are looking for a quick read with some creepy moments, this one’s for you.

KILLERCON by William Ollie

William Ollie is an author that’s been on my “Authors To Read” list (yes, I literally keep a list) for a long time. So when the opportunity to read his upcoming book, Killercon, for review arose, I naturally said “Yes.” William Ollie’s works include The Damned, Sideshow, and the recently released Lord of the Mountain.

Horrorcon is THE convention for horror aficionados; it’s literally a who’s who of the horror industry. With Horrorcon quickly approaching, all of the heavy hitters of horror writing are getting ready for it. However, half the battle is making it to Horrorcon alive. Those attending this year’s Horrorcon include Bryan Kenney, the up-and-coming author who can’t seem to avoid trouble. Also coming is Graham Greystone, the accomplished author who’s trying to reclaim his life after health problems. Rick Greaton is a talented author who can’t seem to catch a break. Damien Crabtree is a young author breathing new life into the genre. And Red33 is a wannabe writer who has an ax to grind with all of the above. If Red33 has it his way, heads will roll at Horrorcon—literally.

This book grabbed me from the opening scene and didn’t let up until the last word. There’s a psycho killer, a bar fight, and a car chase—in the first twenty percent of the book! The story focuses on a real-life situation that happens regularly—an Internet message board flame war. Except one of the parties involved in this flame war doesn’t stop at insulting others anonymously via an Internet message board.

Ollie’s prose is solid and the dialogue throughout the book flows naturally. Full of balls-to-the-wall action, this book is a must-read for horror fans; especially those of Richard Laymon. I’m not sure if Ollie meant Killercon as an homage to the late, great Mr. Laymon, but to me that’s exactly what it turned out to be.

This book is going to be a limited edition put out by Thunderstorm Books. For the real-life inspiration for this book, check out Ollie’s blog post about it. To order the book, go here.

PAGES TORN FROM A TRAVEL JOURNAL by Edward Lee

I had the pleasure of reading a few of Edward Lee’s books this past year, but I had not read any of his Lovecraftian books until I read Pages Torn from a Travel Journal. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect going into this one, but based on other books I’ve read by Edward Lee, I had a feeling there would be plenty of sex, violence, and quality writing. Needless to say, I wasn’t disappointed.

It’s a hot summer day in the mountains of Virginia during the Great Depression. A bus travelling through the area breaks down and all the passengers disembark. Soon they learn they are stranded in this remote backwoods area for the night. Some decide to go stay at an over-priced hotel. Some decide to sleep on the bus. But three—Howard, Nate the mechanic, and the bus driver—have the good fortune to attend the nearby O’Slaughnassey’s Travelling Show. Approaching the carnival with eager expectations, the night quickly descends into madness, mayhem, and the macabre. Howard’s fantastical writings have not prepared him for the weirdness he is about to encounter this night.

The book is written as journal entries from the main character’s point of view. While the main character is only identified as “Howard,” there is no doubt he is none other than H.P. Lovecraft. Written in a style similar to the real-life Lovecraft, this book had me turning the pages late into the night. While Lee’s books are definitely not for everyone, this book is a treat for his fans. The description on the product page is spot-on: “A novella of the most debauched, degenerate evil.” This one is full of sex, violence, and the weird. I enjoyed the hell out of it.

Pages Torn from a Travel Journal is a limited edition release of 300 signed and number copies from Bloodletting Press. It’s a must-have for any Edward Lee fan.

Winner of THE GREEN DAWN

I don't have much time today, so I'm just going to cut to the chase. The winner of an e-copy of The Green Dawn by Justice and Wilbanks is...

Darkeva!!!

You have five days to contact me to claim your prize, at which time if it's unclaimed I will draw a new winner. Send me an e-mail to bookhound78 (at) live (dot) com and state which format (Kindle, Nook, etc.) you prefer.

Thanks to everyone for their comments and thanks to David for doing the interview!

An Interview with David T. Wilbanks

I’m proud to have author David T. Wilbanks as guest here at Bookhound’s Den. David is a published genre author who lives in the currently-frozen state of Minnesota. He is the co-author of the Dead Earth series with Mark Justice and is co-editor with Craig Clarke of the recently released e-book Living After Midnight. David also runs a book review blog, Page Horrific, and publishes other people’s work with Acid Grave Press.

I’ve read the first book in the Dead Earth series (my review of The Green Dawn) and I can’t recommend it highly enough. I enjoyed it so much that I’m going to give away an e-copy to one lucky person who leaves a comment below by noon on Sunday, January 30th.

Here’s my interview with David…

BH: So who exactly is David T. Wilbanks?

DTW: I’m a dude from Minnesota who makes up stories and sends them out into the world, hoping they’ll find a home—in your brain!

BH: What does the T stand for? Triumphant? Tex?

DTW: I’m named after a city in ancient Turkey apparently. Something to do with a wooden horse.

BH: Who are some of the influences on your writing?

DTW: In some way, all these authors influenced me, for better or worse: Edgar Rice Burroughs, Robert E. Howard, H.P. Lovecraft, Michael Moorcock, Gene Wolfe, Stephen King and Thomas Ligotti. And hell, let’s throw in Kurt Vonnegut and Philip K. Dick while we’re at it.

BH: It seems like music is a big part of your life. You’re about to be exiled to Siberia; what five albums are you taking with you?

DTW:   Devo: Q: Are We Not Men?
            Beatles: Rubber Soul
            Judas Priest: Screaming for Vengeance
            Claudio Arrau: Chopin Nocturnes
            Gunter Wand/NDR-Sinfonieorchester: Beethoven’s 9th Symphony

BH: What’s it like living in Minnesota? How the hell do you deal with the cold? Do you hibernate?

DTW: Yeah, it gets cold here in the winter but I’ve gotten to where I don’t notice weather much. Dressing for it is half the battle.

BH: How did the Dead Earth series come into existence? Why more zombies?

DTW: I say, why not more zombies? Lots of people who don’t know better like to draw a line in time and say this zombie thing is over as of now, but I don’t see it happening yet. Besides, Dead Earth is so much more than zombies and will be expanding into new territory as the series grows.

BH: Seems like you’re a pretty busy guy. What projects do you have going on now?

DTW: Folks can head on over to their favorite online book store and pick up the first two Dead Earth books: The Green Dawn and The Vengeance Road. There’s also an e-book anthology called Living After Midnight which I co-edited and snuck a story into; I’m a bad boy. Mark Justice and I are working on the third Dead Earth book and I always have new ideas popping into my skull. I’m going to turn those ideas into books.

*********************

Many thanks again to David for taking the time to do this interview! Now, go buy his books and make him a happy guy…

THE SUMMONER by Layton Green

The Summoner by Layton Green is the first book in the Dominic Grey series. Green was a practicing attorney for nearly a decade and has traveled the world over. He also has a lifelong interest in religions and cults and fifteen years of Japanese Jujitsu training. Combine all of these things together and you have the birth of the character Dominic Grey.

Life in modern-day Zimbabwe is more than difficult. Corrupt politicians, poor government, thugs, and superstitious religious beliefs are just some of the problems. When a former U.S. diplomat goes missing, Dominic Grey is given the task to investigate the disappearance. However, the deeper Grey digs the more mystery he finds shrouding the disappearance. As the questions pile up, Grey and his government-assigned chaperone find themselves spiraling down into the world of an obscure religious cult whose roots date back thousands of years. Soon, Grey finds himself in a race against time in a matter of life and death.

This book was a bit different than my usual reading material. It didn’t take long to see that Green is a competent and more-than-capable writer from a technical standpoint. For the first third of the book I didn’t really connect with the characters; however, after that point it seems Green begins to come into his own and he not only nails the technical aspects of writing, he also gets the reader feeling for his characters. Dominic Grey is an interesting protagonist who turns out to be much more complex than he first seems.

The book was nicely formatted with very few minor errors. Green clearly has spent a large amount of time learning the intricacies of the political and religious systems in Zimbabwe. This thriller calls to mind such series as Jason Bourne and Indiana Jones, with supernatural/religious overtones thrown in. I recommend The Summoner to anyone looking for a suspense-filled journey into a unique—and at times, terrifying—culture that’ll keep you guessing. Personally, I look forward to reading about more of Dominic Grey’s adventures.