Blake Crouch Creeps Me Out and Intrigues Me With Pines (#bookreview)

Damn, but it's been a very long time since a book sucked me in as quickly, and as deeply, as Pines did. I originally picked this up a few months ago, after hearing it favorably compared to Twin Peaks, but I didn't really have any concrete plans as to when I'd give it a read. Sure, hearing that Blake Crouch shared my agonizing frustration with that series-ending cliffhanger served to whet my appetite even further ("How's Annie?" indeed, Agent Cooper), but I had a pretty busy summer of back-to-back series reads planned.



Then, of course, the good folks at Thomas & Mercer had to go and offer me an ARC for Wayward, the second book in the series. How could I refuse? Suddenly, I had another back-to-back series read suddenly wedged into my schedule . . . and what a read that first book was!



Reminding me as much (and perhaps even more) of The Twilight Zone and Nowhere Man, with a healthy dose of The X-Files and The Prisoner mixed in, this is a story that starts out kind of creepy and strange, gets weirder as it goes on, and then twists into something completely unexpected by the end. I'm finding it a hard book to write about without getting knee-deep in spoilers, simply because the twists are very much integral to the story. It all starts with a gentleman waking up beside a stream-bed, battered, bruised, disoriented, and missing not just his wallet, keys, and cellphone, but his memory. He sets out, naturally enough, to find some clue as to who he is, where he is, and what's happened to him.



As it turns out, those answers are far harder to come by than we might expect, and the answers we do get only open up deeper mysteries. It's a confusing way to enter the story, but Crouch does an amazing job of forcing us to identify with Ethan Burke, making us share in his frustrated disorientation. However, it's not until he discovers the tiny speaker hidden in the bushes, artificially providing the noise of night-time crickets, that the shivers really begin to creep up your spine. By the time he finds himself hospitalized against his will, the only patient in an otherwise empty floor, with a too-perfect nurse who seems incapable of delivering upon the smallest promise, we really begin to wonder what's going on.



I could go on and on about the too-difficult sheriff, the too-kind bartender, the dead body in the abandoned house, the urgent calls home that go unanswered, the creepy kids, and the entire Mayberry-esque town of Wayward Pines, but that only brings us through the first few chapters.



Pines is a book that wastes no time on pleasantries or filler. It's a fast-paced thriller where every scene matters, where every interaction is of significant consequence. To Crouch's credit, he maintains the suspense throughout, never faltering in the way he keeps us on edge. I really had no idea what was going on, but I was completely invested in finding out. Thanks largely to a back-story involving Gulf War torture and marital infidelity, Burke makes for sympathetic protagonist. We want him to find the answers as much for himself as for us, and that's what makes the novel really work.



Having said all that, the ending was a little - okay, a lot - more 'out there' than I anticipated, to the point where I really had to think about whether or not it satisfied me. It was bold and brilliant, absolutely, but far from what I was expecting. Looking back, there are certainly enough clues to back it up, so it doesn't feel like a cheat, and it really does provide that same feeling of being kicked in the stomach that The Twilight Zone did so well. I suspect I won't know whether I liked it or not until I get through Wayward, but I certainly admire the audacity of it.



A great read, and given that I devoured the final 200 pages in one sitting, I can honestly say it's one you won't be able to put down.





Published August 21st 2012 by Thomas & Mercer

Kindle Edition, 315 pages

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Dwarves, Dragons, and Danger with James Enge (#bookreview)

In this first book of his Morlock Ambrosius origin story, James Enge provides us with a 'classic' epic fantasy tale, centered around the clash between dwarves and dragons, augmented with a little alternative history, a story of parallel worlds, and a really interesting take on the Arthurian legends. It's an odd mix of storytelling elements, but A Guile of Dragons works quite well, despite a few awkward passages.



The opening chapters certainly felt a bit rushed, as if Enge were impatient to have Ambrosius grow up, without getting into the whole coming-of-age storytelling mess. Don't get me wrong, there are some authors who have done the coming-of-age thing well (Tad Williams immediately comes to mind), but all too often it feels like padding, so I'm not disappointed that Enge passed it by.



Fortunately, once we get outside the city and meet back up with Earno, the man responsible for Merlin's exile, the story really begins to pick up. There's a subtle antagonism between the two men that you can feel, and enough conflicted loyalties on both sides to really add some tension to the tale. Neither are particularly likable as protagonists, which does present a bit of a challenge - especially when the dwarves so often steal the show - but they're interesting, and admirable in their own way.



It's with the first appearance of the dragons, however, that Enge completely won me over.

The dragons broke through the clouds in groups of three, casting distorted shadows behind them by their own light. There were perhaps a dozen groups. Most of them soared steeply out of the range of sight, but three dragons flew directly to the windows of the High Hall of the East. One roosted directly before the windows (the mountain shook beneath them) and peered within: smoke and fire trailing from his jaws, his bright scales shedding red light at their edges, his slotted eyes as red and gold as molten metal.

It seems as if dragons have become somewhat passé in recent years, as gritty realism and militaristic tales have come to dominate much of the market, so it was refreshing to encounter real dragons again - intelligent, greedy, treasure-seeking, malevolent creatures, full of magic and fire. Add to that the idea of a guile, of a collared dragon claiming mastery over a group of its kin, herding them and marshaling them into a sort of army, and you've got one hell of a great story.



The writing is crisp, and flows well; the battle scenes are played out beautifully; and the characters are both complex and engaging. A Guile of Dragons isn't a particularly deep fantasy tale, although I can sense a great story waiting to be told. Perhaps readers already familiar with the character will find more nuances to the tale than I, but it's still more than adequate as an introduction to Ambrosius' world, and strong enough to make me want to read Wrath-Bearing Tree, the second book of A Tournament of Shadows.





Published August 24th 2012 by Pyr

Paperback, 280 pages

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The Residents of this Town Eat Zombies for Lunch by William McNally (Guest Post)

The Residents of this
Town Eat Zombies for Lunch

Welcome
to Auraria, a place the dead have never left. The setting of my latest book, Beneaththe Veil, is a ghost town forgotten by time and most everyone else. To
those lucky enough to drive by and keep going, this town is just a whisper from
the past with crumbling buildings and overgrown fields dotted with rusting farm
implements.  

Like
any place, this town has many sides and only the truly unfortunate get to see
them all. These people, the ones that stumble too close, quickly realize it’s
impossible to leave. So, what do you do if you find yourself trapped in this
unforgiving place? You try to make friends. Here’s a helpful listing of the
town’s most prominent citizens:

Barry (Rhodes)
Ryan
is a successful sculptor suffering from a terminal illness. Adopted when he was
an infant, he is forced to seek out a blood relative for a transfusion to save
his life. Frequently creates art work weighing several tons…

Jen Ryan, Barry’s adopted younger sister, is brave, independent and free
spirited. She works as a free lance photographer and lives in downtown Atlanta with her
boyfriend Jackson. Prefers shooting in black and white…

Jackson is Jen’s boyfriend. He’s an easy-going
dude who runs a small record shop. When he’s not slinging vinyl, he likes
hanging with Jen and her brother. Drives a ‘70s van…

Willow is a young, local girl with a charitable
heart who possesses a set of very unique talents. Loves children…

James Downs survived a
plane crash that stranded him in Auraria.  Retired military…

Don “Doc” Randolph is the de
facto mayor of Auraria. Doc provides free medical care to his neighbors…

Evangeline Rhodes hails from
an uncertain past and preys on the locals. She’s not really a brunette…

Ezra Rhodes is
Evangeline’s constant companion and takes care of many of her more unpleasant
tasks. Once owned a bank in town…

Owen Bigsby loves to
sample the corn liquor grown locally and is Auraria’s own town drunk. Lets
others control him…

Well,
there you have it, a sampling of the Auraria locals and don’t worry, there’s plenty
more of them to meet and many to be avoided.

Special
thanks to Beauty in Ruins for hosting the residents of Auraria, a town in ruins
located deep Beneaththe Veil.

αωαωαωαωαωαωαω

αωαωαωαωαωαωαω

Beneath the Veil

William McNally



Genre: Paranormal/Science Fiction/Horror

ISBN: B00CZDVZLI

ASIN: 978-1481953627

Number of pages: 276

Word Count: 44,966

Amazon Paperback   Kindle

Book Description:

Welcome Beneath the Veil, a Place Where the Dead Have Never Left...

With his life turned upside down, a terminally ill man seeks answers from a family he never knew. Barry Ryan, a successful sculptor, goes on a journey to find his roots and the extraordinary family that somehow evades death and ties him to a terrifying future. 

Driven to find answers, Barry is joined by his sister and her boyfriend on the road to Auraria, a mysterious ghost town where terrible secrets lie hidden since the days of gold and greed.

All is well until they cross the city limits and fall beneath the veil, a place where the bizarre rules the living, and the living are prey trapped in an ever-changing web. 

Generations of conflict come to light as these unfortunate visitors struggle to survive. Echoes of the past are lethal here...in this place where the dead have never left.

αωαωαωαωαωαωαω

About the Author:

William McNally is a former executive, husband and animal advocate based in the mountains of Dahlonega, Georgia. Drawn to dark and thought provoking stories, he released his first book, Four Corners Dark in 2012 and recently followed it with his second, Beneath the Veil. Visit him online at williammcnallybooks.com for updates and events.



Look for William's next release, The Knights of Moonshine, spring 2014.

Web – www.williammcnallybooks.com

Twitter - https://twitter.com/WilliamMcNally

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/WilliamMcNallyWriter

Goodreads - http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6477654.William_McNally

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IWSG - Revisions, Restorations, and Reactions

I used Grammarly to grammar check this post, because you're two busy too no its hear were are lye's our.

The Insecure Writer's Support Group is a once-monthly blog hop hosted by Alex J. Cavanaugh that provides authors with an avenue to share their doubts and concerns (without fear of appearing foolish or weak), and to offer one another assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!



Every first Wednesday of the month we gather to connect with one another and share our insecurities.



I've been working on a story lately, one that I originally wrote as a novella, later revamped as a magazine-length short story, and am now revisiting as a novella once again. Over the course of my obsessive edits I've shifted the POV, added/removed characters, and even changed the identity of a primary character. It's an interesting exercise, and thought I'd share the opening scene from each, just to see if you, as readers, have a preference.





NOVELLA

Three, maybe four, floors later, the elevator shudders
and rocks. It groans, as if fighting against something in its way.

Kate instinctively moves away from the fat bastard to
her left. She slips a tissue from inside her blouse and uses it to grab a hold
of the rail. It never crosses her mind that they might get stuck, or injured in
a fall. She simply doesn’t want to stumble into the mountain of lard, the
grubby little secretary, or the geek with the cheese stains. The guy working
the door – Steve, she thought he’d said – might be worth a tumble, but she would
let him come to her.

The lights flicker.

Something squeals. Mechanical at first, it gave way to
an ear-piercing scream, matched by an all-too-human wail as the new guy throws
himself at the doors. “No! Don’t like this! Want to get—“

The lights dim. Something outside the elevator howls
in protest.

Her hands are beginning to sweat. Dinner is churning
uncomfortably in the greasy pit of her stomach. She seriously considers using
both hands to hold on, just in case.

Bare hands, even, if need be.

SQUEAK-CRUNCH-BANG!

The elevator comes to a sudden, jarring halt. Feet leave
the floor. Bodies tumble every which way. Flesh bounces off flesh, into the
walls, and off flesh again.

Fortunately, with her scant hundred and seven pounds
stretched across a six-foot frame, she doesn’t present much of a target. In the
blind eternity of the moment, she feels somebody’s arm sideswipe her breast. A
stray foot glances across her polished, Italian leather pump. A metal zipper
scratches the back of her hand as somebody’s crotch slams into it, pinning her
arm against the rail.

She loses her purse in the confusion and immediately
lunges for the floor.

That is probably all that saves her from the rolling
tide of flesh that washes past her head instead into it. It swamps one of the
other passengers. Judging from the muffled, wordless howls coming from beneath,
it is likely the nerdy little freak.

A few seconds later, and it’s all over.

Kate pushes herself up off the floor. She’s broken a
nail – there was fifty bucks wasted – and her hair must be an absolute mess. In
the dim, flickering light, she can see a streak of orange across the cuff of
her jacket, and another on the back of her hand. Somebody was going to pay for
this mess, and it sure as hell wasn’t going to be her. The rough framework of a
lawsuit is already sketching itself in the back of her mind by the time she
regains her feet.

“Are you okay?” Steve looks a little worse for wear,
but seems to be managing fine. There is a trickle of blood on the knuckles of
his right hand, but at least he had kept his bodily fluids to himself.

“Yes. Thank you.”

The girl kneeling beside her giggles. “I think we’d
better help him.” She actually giggled. “He may not survive for long down
there.”

“Ugh.” Simply impossible. Kate steps back from the
jumble of bodies and watches as Steve and the other girl work to free the
skinny little nerd. Utterly disgusting. She doesn’t have anything against
physical exertion itself – she does a thousand calories on the cross-trainer
every morning – but there is a time and place for everything. Sweat belonged at
the fitness club. Either that, or in the sheets of a lover’s bed. In either
case, it certainly has no place beneath a silk blouse or a finely tailored
Farczagoni suit jacket.

The lights cease their flickering, but they are
certainly dimmer than before.

SHORT STORY

The elevator shuddered and rocked. It groaned, as if
fighting against something in its descent. I stared at the shadowy, distorted
reflections doing their best not to stare back at me from the polished steel
doors. From what I could see, nobody else had noticed the irregularities of our
descent.

Stephen was deliberately avoiding me. He was standing
as far away as the cramped space would allow, staring at the ceiling. That was
okay. He’d be forced to acknowledge me soon enough.

I had no idea who the fat bastard with the
cheese-doodle stained hands was, but I figured the centre of the elevator was
the best place for him, at least in terms of balance. He was muttering
something to himself and chewing on his bottom lip. Oh . . . and, for some
reason, he kept his back to the doors. I half expected him to pull a knife on
me.

So far, he hadn’t even made eye contact.

Kate, the skinny bitch in the opposite corner, I knew
very well. She, as much as Stephen, was the reason I was here. The reason
everything that was set to happen, had to happen. Oh, she could pretend as if
she didn’t have a care in the world, play the game of ignoring me, as if we
hadn’t met a dozen times before. She knew damn well why we were here.

We passed the nineteenth floor. I stepped casually
away from them all – or as much as the cramped confines of the elevator would
allow. I slipped a tissue from inside my blouse and used it to grab a hold of
the rail. Between the methadone clinic, the legal aid office, and two call centers
in the building, far too many unsavory people had ridden the elevator today.

The lights flickered.

Something banged.

The sound was mechanical at first. It gave way to an
ear-piercing squeal, matched seconds later by an all-too-human wail.

The fat bastard was moving.

He’d noticed.

Bad timing.

He threw himself at the doors. “No! Don’t like this!
Want to get—“

The lights dimmed. Something outside the elevator
howled in protest.

My hands were beginning to sweat. I seriously
considered using both hands to hold on, just in case. Bare hands, even, if need
be.

SQUEAK-CRUNCH-BANG!

The floor fell out from under my feet. The elevator
came to a sudden, jarring halt. Bodies tumbled all over. Flesh bounced off
flesh, into the walls, and off flesh again. Fortunately, with my hundred and
twenty-eight pounds stretched across a six foot frame, I didn’t present much of
a target. In the blind eternity of the moment, I felt somebody’s arm sideswipe
my breast. A stray foot glanced across my polished, black leather pumps. A
metal zipper scratched the back of my hand as somebody’s crotch slammed into
it, pinning my wrist awkwardly against the rail.

I lost my purse in the confusion and immediately
lunged for the floor.

That was probably all that saved me from the rolling
tide of flesh that rolled over my head. Instead of dragging me under, it
swamped one of the other passengers. Judging from the muffled, wordless howls
coming from beneath, it was likely Kate.

I really hoped it was Kate.

A few seconds later, and it was over.

“Damn.” I pushed myself up off the floor. I’d broken a
nail – there was fifty bucks wasted. My hair must have been an absolute mess.
In the dim, flickering light, I could see a streak of powdered cheese across
the cuff of my jacket, and another on the back of my hand.

“Are you okay?” Stephen looked a little worse for
wear, but seemed to be managing fine. There was a trickle of blood on the
knuckles of his right hand, but at least he’d kept his bodily fluids to
himself. He still was doing his best not to look at me, though.

“Yes.” I spat the words out. “No thanks to you.”

The lights ceased their flickering, but they were
certainly dimmer than before.

Well, there you have it. Comments, criticism, and praise are all welcome . . . and not necessarily in that order! :)

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Waiting on Wednesday - The Worlds of Edgar Rice Burroughs

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.



This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:

The Worlds of Edgar Rice Burroughs edited by Mike Resnick & Robert T. Garcia

Oct 1, 2013 (Baen)



Eleven new tales set in the legendary worlds of Edgar Rice Burroughs. Contains stories by top writers such as Mercedes Lackey, Sarah Hoyt, and Mike Resnick. 



Most people don’t know it, but the best-selling American writer of the 1920s wasn’t Hemingway or Fitzgerald, but Edgar Rice Burroughs. Everyone knows that he created Tarzan, but he wasn’t limited to that one classic creation.  There was John Carter, Warlord of Mars.  There was Pellucidar, the wondrous world that exists at the center of the Earth, and  Carson of Venus, the Wrong-Way Corrigan of space, who set off for Mars and wound up on Venus for four novels and part of a fifth.



Many top science fiction and fantasy writers of today grew up reading Burroughs, and this anthology is their way of “paying back” and thanking him for stirring their imaginations. Join their celebration with these all new tales set in the astounding worlds that Edgar Rice Burroughs brought to life: giving their own spin on the unforgettable characters conceived by one of the great masters of science fiction, adventure, and fantasy., (Editor) 





I'll confess, I haven't read nearly as much Burroughs as I should have, and it's been years since I've visited any of his worlds, but I really like the idea of this anthology. Plus, you have to admit, the pedigree of authors is outstanding - Kristine Kathryn Rusch, Mercedes Lackey, Kevin J. Anderson, Peter David, F. Paul Wilson, and Joe R. Lansdale.

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What Readers Really Need by David Wellington (Author of Chimera)

You know what readers really need? A way to find books.



That might seem like a ridiculous statement. It’s never been easier than now to just jump online and type a few keywords in a box and find thousands of books that meet your criteria. Amazon and BN.com make it effortless to find books and buy them with a few clicks. But there’s a problem. Online booksellers can’t tell you if a book is any good.



Oh, they try. They get readers to review books, usually on a star system, and they even let them write little mini-essays about why such and such a book is great or terrible. But that system is way too easy to game. Nefarious people even pay for reviews, which makes the star rating hard to trust. And there’s another problem: if you find a list of a thousand books, how many of them do you actually click on before buying something? Five? Maybe just the first one. And that’s a terrible way to browse for books. Just because Amazon thinks that you really, really want to read the new Dan Brown novel doesn’t mean you’re going to enjoy it. I know for a fact that most fans of my gruesome, very non-romantic vampire novel 13 Bullets won’t enjoy Twilight, but that’s the next book you’ll see on most sites. Their recommendations are usually based on - at best - sales numbers. Five hundred places down that list there might be a fantastic book that you’d really love, but your never going to find it. Even if you really wanted to you would have to waste a ton of money working down the list. You’re going to stick with what you know, instead, reading just authors you know won’t disappoint you. Safe inside your comfort zone. But that’s no way for a reader to live.



So where do you turn? There are a bunch of recommendation websites out there.



Whatshouldireadnext.com asks you for the name of an author and spits out twenty more authors you might like. Sadly, there are no ratings - just links that go to Amazon. Literature-map.com gives you a fun graphic of author names flying around your favorite author, moving constantly so you have to chase down the links. Fun, but again, no ratings, and the only criterion here is how many people bought books by two given authors. You know what? Last year I bought non-fiction history books, science fiction novels, and children’s books (as gifts). Does that mean that every science fiction fan wants to read Good Night, Moon?



No, a real recommendation engine wouldn’t base its results on sales data, or who bought what, or five star reviews written by the author’s grandmother. It definitely shouldn’t base its results on reviews written by somebody who doesn’t like Amazon’s return policies and thought that a random book page was the place to complain. A good recommendation engine should come from a place of understanding books. Of understanding why people read. Ideally each book would be matched up with others by someone who loves the genre, or the themes, or what have you. That’s a tall order because it’s so labor intensive. But would it be so hard to write an algorithm that can tell you that if you liked Master and Commander you might enjoy Moby Dick?



I don’t have time to build such an engine, because I’m too busy writing my own books. But there’s a huge talent pool out there who could help - readers, in all their millions. Hardcore genre experts who can be impartial. And there are organizations that should definitely be in charge of hosting the engine, namely the International Thriller Writers, the SFWA, the Horror Writers of America, and so on—groups that exist purely to advance the careers of working writers.



It could be done.



But if somebody does it, they need to own it. They need to trumpet to the far corners of the earth that they have such a thing. It needs to be honest, with no chance for authors to buy good reviews. And perhaps most importantly, whoever runs the engine needs to demand that authors put a link at the end of every ebook, a listing at the back of every hardcover, saying, “Now that you’ve enjoyed this novel, head to www.blahblahblah.com to find another book.” NPR and the New York Times should do features on this great new service. Because nothing is sadder than a vital resource nobody knows is there.



In the meantime, may I recommend a book? It’s called Chimera, and it’s fantastic—you’re going to love it. A rollicking spy yarn full of action and thrills. Trust me. It’s by my favorite author.

αωαωαωαωαωαωαω

David Wellington is the author of numerous horror novels, including the 13 Bullets and Monster Island series. His newest book is his first thriller, Chimera, which is available July 23rd. He lives in Brooklyn, NY.

αωαωαωαωαωαωαω

For those of you who missed my review, you can check it our here.

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Stacking The Shelves & What I'm Reading

Stacking The Shelves is a weekly meme being hosted by Tynga's Reviews, while Mailbox Monday is being hosted by The Reading Fever this month (see Mailbox Monday for each month's host). Both memes are all about sharing the books you've added to your shelves - physical and virtual, borrowed and bought. It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a weekly meme hosted by Book Journey, and it's focused on what's in your hands, as opposed to what's on your shelf.

With an eye towards my plans for the next few months, I'm still trying to hold off on adding too much to the TBR pile, but I did pick up a few new titles:

Metal on Ice: Tales from Canada's Hard Rock and Heavy Metal Heroes

by Sean Kelly

Paperback, 208 pages

Expected publication: Oct 8th, 2013 by Dundurn



Acquired via NetGalley - Helix, Anvil, Coney Hatch, Killer Dwarfs, Harem Scarem, and Honeymoon Suite? 'Nuff said!







Appalachian Undead

edited by Jason Sizemore

Paperback, 212 pages

Published July 27th 2013 by Apex Book Company



Acquired via Apex Book Company, along with Jason's companion short, Mountain Dead.









Second Chance

by David D. Levine

eBook, 65 pages

Published July 11th, 2013 by Book View Café



Won via the Librarything early reviewers program.

Sudden Death Overtime: A Story of Hockey and Vampires

by Steve Vernon

eBook, 122pages

Published July 9th, 2013 by CreateSpace



A review request from a fellow Canuck, described as Slapshot meets 30 Days of Night.

You Are Sloth!

by Steve Lowe

Paperback, 150 pages

Published July 1st, 2013 by Eraserhead Press



No matter how towering my review pile is, I always find it hard to refuse a new Bizarro title.

As for what we're reading, the team has reviews coming up over the next 2 weeks for:

What's topping your shelves this week?

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