Book of Death by S. Evan Townsend (REVIEW)

Mixing genres is always a dangerous literary exercise, more often prone to disaster than to success, and the more distinct the genres, the more volatile the mixture is bound to be. With the notable exceptions of Brian Lumley and F. Paul Wilson, very few authors have managed to successfully merge a historical spy thriller with the supernatural. So, with that in mind, I was curious about the Book of Death . . . but also more than a little cautious.



Fortunately, S. Evan Townsend keeps the camp low and the adventure high, managing to tell a tale that intrigues even as it entertains.



On the one side of the tale we have a decent spy thriller laced with some military adventure. It all begins with a covert investigation of a seemingly innocuous Communist ball bearing plant that just happens to be in close proximity to the castle of Vlad Dracul. On the other side of the tale we have a solid horror story laced with vampires and dark magic. As if Dracula himself weren’t enough, Townsend works in a guild of necromancers to add some thrills and chills.



While I would have preferred either a clear declaration of the villain early on, or a bit more mystery as to his identity, the melodramatic foreshadowing does fit with the tale. Overall, I quite liked the style of Townsend’s writing, and the way in which he pays narrative homage to both genres. The pacing is strong, the action well-choreographed, and the gadgets well-balanced with the gore. There’s a slow unveiling of Peter’s back-story, rounding out his character quite nicely, and the plot is significantly more complicated than I expected it to be – even with the CIA and FBI involved.



I was hoping for something different with Book of Death, and I'm pleased to say it delivered.

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S. Evan Townsend has been called 'America's Unique Speculative Fiction Voice.' Evan is a writer living in central Washington State. After spending four years in the U.S. Army in the Military Intelligence branch, he returned to civilian life and college to earn a B.S. in Forest Resources from the University of Washington. In his spare time he enjoys reading, driving (sometimes on a racetrack), meeting people, and talking with friends. He is in a 12-step program for Starbucks addiction. Evan lives with his wife and has three grown sons. He enjoys science fiction, fantasy, history, politics, cars, and travel.



You can check him out at:



Website: www.sevantownsend.com

Blog: http://sevantownsend.blogspot.com/

Twitter: @SEvanTownsend

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/S-Evan-Townsend/120699138076862

Book Trailer: http://youtu.be/Yx9cFijsA8Q

Series Trailer: http://youtu.be/KDynSa08pe8

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Waiting On Wednesday - Elsewhens by Melanie Rawn

"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:



Elsewhens by Melanie Rawn



Touchstone, the magical theater troupe, continues to build audiences. But Cayden is increasingly troubled by his “elsewhens,” the uncontrolled moments when he is plunged into visions of the possible futures. He fears that his Fae gift will forever taint his friendships; his friends fear that his increasing distance will destroy him.     



But worldly success follows them—an apparent loss in the Trials leads to Touchstone being selected to travel to the Continent with a Royal Embassy to collect Prince Ashgar’s new bride. They are the first theater artists to appear outside Albeyn for at least seventy years—for magic is suspect and forbidden elsewhere, and the Kingdom’s easy race mixing and magic use horrifies the people they are to travel among. (Feb 19, 2013)





With Touchstone coming out in paperback on Christmas eve, it looks like I may just have a chance to get caught up before this second instalment hits stores.

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Traitor Angel by H. David Blalock (INTERVIEW)

Good morning all. Please join me in extending a warm welcome to H. David Blalock, who has stopped by for a brief interview to help promote his latest release, Traitor Angel - the second book of the Angekiller Triad.



Q: Thanks for taking the time to stop by today, David. For those who may be new to your writing, and who haven't yet checked out the Angelkiller Triad, please tell us a little about yourself.



A: My standard answer is “I write stuff.” That gets old after a while, so I'll answer “I write things.” I started writing at a very young age and publishing shortly thereafter, about 30 years shortly thereafter. I have spent the majority of my life in the Southern US, although I did live for almost a decade in the Republic of Panama where I met and married my wife and both of my children were born. Upon my return to the States, I found that little had changed but me. I had a different way of looking at life after living in the third world. It gave me a broadened perspective that helped me develop as a writer.



Q: A broadened perspective, indeed! The journey from 'aspiring' to 'accomplished' can be a long one, even in the era of small presses and digital publishing. When did you begin writing, and how did you feel when you first saw your work in print?



A: I began writing long before there were computers other than those at universities that took up entire rooms to accomplish the simplest tasks. My first hand held calculator, which I bought in 1974, was three quarters the size of an adding machine (if anyone today knows what that is). So it is that I still write longhand and eventually transfer the work to computer. When did I begin writing? I wrote my first short story when I was seven years old. My first publication was in 1971 and I thought it was odd to see it in print. It turned out to be a fluke, however, as my next publication wasn't until 1997. Mundane life, in the form of work and family, had intervened.



Q. Did you choose to deliberately immerse yourself in 'genre' fiction because there's something specific that draws you to it, something you feel it offers that other genres don't, or was it just 'right' for the story you wanted to tell?



A: Not all my works are genre, but I prefer writing speculative fiction. The audience allows you more freedom to express your inner frustrations and bizarre ideas.



Q: For some authors, it's coming up with a title, and for others it's writing that first paragraph - what do you find is the most difficult aspect of writing?



A: Writing itself. There are times when I cannot find the energy to write at all. Then, there are times when I can do nothing else. It's annoying and disturbing both ways.



Q: I get that. Sometimes, characters can take on a life of their own, pulling the story in directions you hadn't originally anticipated. Has a twist or turn in your writing ever surprised you, or really challenged your original plans?



A: I find unruly characters to be extremely mortal. I usually avoid that particular pitfall by planning the story from beginning to end before starting the actual work, making a kind of outline. If the characters stray from that outline, I drop the story and start on something else. The result is I have fewer and fewer unfinished works, but the skeletons still reside in the filing cabinets.



Q: Is there a favourite quote or scene from your work that you feel particularly fond of? Maybe a line or two that sticks in your head and reminds you of why writing is important to you?



A: I seldom reread my own work, so there really isn't anything in particular I have become married to. Once a piece is finished and sent to the publisher, unless he/she wants an edit, I forget about it and move on to the next project. It's part of that “have to write” problem.



Q: When writing, do you ever consider how a reader or reviewer will react, or do you write solely for your own satisfaction?



A: I never think of how a reader will react beyond writing to evoke a particular emotion. I write to instill emotion in the reader. In that way, I suppose my work is a kind of poetry, about which I know very little except it's supposed to create emotion as well.



Q: In terms of reader reactions, what is the strangest or most surprising reaction to your work that you've ever encountered?



A: I get very little feedback from readers. In fact, in the last 35 years I think I've had no more than a handful of letters, so I can't address that. However, reviews have run the gamut from “avoid this book” to “very interesting”. I try to read all the reviews to see if I have accomplished what I set out to do with a particular work.



Q: One of the things that I’ve always found unique about Seventh Star Press is the illustrations they incorporate into the books. How much input do you have into those illustrations, and how do you think they influence the reader?



A: I work closely with Matt Perry, but I haven't had a single instance in which his instinct for illustration didn't perfectly convey the idea behind the passage we agree on. He has an unusually perceptive ability and a great artistic talent.

Q: It's nice when talents mesh so well. Is there a particular author who has influenced or inspired your writing? Somebody who either made you want to write in the first place, or who just refreshes your literary batteries?



A: Heinlein, Clarke, Bradbury ... most of the science fiction writers of the early and middle 20th century stand out, although the writers of the last part of the 19th also hold my interest, especially men like Bierce and Lord Dunsany. I had the great honor of meeting Ramsey Campbell a couple of years ago. His work influenced me in many ways.



Q: When you're not writing (or reading, for that matter), what are some of the hobbies and passions that keep you busy?



A: I am an inveterate gamer. I began gaming as a youngster with the strategic board games of the 60s and have never stopped. I find board games like chess and backgammon relaxing while online games are fascinating and entertaining.



Q: Assuming you had total creative control over the production, who would you cast as the leading roles, were the Angelkiller Triad to be made into a movie trilogy?



A: I really haven't given that much thought. My problem with that would be that, although I love movies, most of what I watch is hopelessly outdated. I seldom go to the theater and get most of my movies from rental outfits. I don't follow particular actors, as I am more interested in the stories than the actors' names.



Q: That's a fair answer - too bad more directors didn't take that approach. Is there a particular theme or message you're expecting readers to take away from your work?



A: Each work is different. For the Angelkiller Triad, I would like people to walk away with a feeling of hope in the face of the terrible events and disheartening atmosphere they might face every day, to know that there is a Greater Force at work in the background tirelessly pushing to make things better.



Q: Finally, before we let you go, what can we look forward to from you next? Are you hard at work on the next volume of the Angelkiller Triad, or is there perhaps a project on the horizon that you're really excited about?



A: I am working on the final book, Doom Angel, as well as another novel for a different publisher and several short stories for multiple anthologies. I also edit parABnormal Digest for Sam's Dot Publications of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, so that keeps me busy as well. My plate is quite full.



Thanks again for joining us, David!



Thank you for letting my connect with your audience. If they would like to know more about my work, I invite everyone to visit my homesite at www.thrankeep.com and watch my Facebook page.

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H. David Blalock has been writing speculative fiction for nearly 40 years. His work has appeared in print and online in over three dozen publications, spanning every format from short stories to novels, non-fiction articles to screenplays.



He is also editor of _parABnormal Digest_ for Sam's Dot Publishing.



To find out more visit his Website at www.thrankeep.com or on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/Writer.HDavidBlalock.

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Traitor Angel by H. David Blalock



In Traitor Angel, the second book of the Angelkiller Triad,  the war between The Army of Light and The Enemy continues behind the scenes. Unknown to the general population, the battle for control of humanity is heating up.



Jonah Mason, called Angelkiller, faces more than one decision. His Army resistance cell is wounded physically and emotionally, on the brink of falling apart. The mysterious allies calling themselves Knights are pressuring him to abandon his people. Meanwhile, the world outside draws closer to Armageddon.



As Mason and his friends pursue their campaign against Dorian Azrael's global megacorporation, Andlat Enterprises, the stakes get higher with each desperate foray into the enemy's computers. They are fated to lose one of their number and gain an unlikely ally, but any advantage they gain could be fleeting at best.



If they fail, it could mean the end of The Army and all resistance to the forces of Darkness.

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Duchess of the Shallows by McGarry and Ravipinto (REVIEW)

Character-driven, tightly-plotted, and propelled along by an intriguing central mystery, The Duchess of the Shallows is a refreshing addition to the fantasy genre. Neil McGarry and Daniel Ravipinto demonstrate their love for the genre, as well as their talent for creating living, breathing, identifiable characters. By the time the opening chapter is done, you can't help but want to see Duchess succeed, and it doesn't take more than a few chapters more for the likes of Lysander and his fellow ganymedes to endear themselves to the reader.



In many ways, this is a typical fantasy novel, complete with the young protagonist who is destined for greatness. What sets Duchess apart, however, is the well-played mystery of just who she really is, and precisely how she fits into this new world into which she's trying to gain entry. The setting is typical too, a medieval-like city, separated by class, but there's a novelty to the overall cascading design, as well as to the elements within it. The mysterious fog that regularly rolls in, disguising and transforming the town, is a very nice touch, enhanced by Duchess and her connection to it.



The plot had me concerned at first, with things working out a little too conveniently - and coincidentally. Once the story gets going, and new elements begin to be layered upon the opening quest/task, however, McGarry and Ravipinto find their stride and seem to settle into a smarter, more comfortable plot. I quite liked the way the story developed, and the conclusion managed to play to my expectations while somehow managing to surprise me at the same time.



I think what really put it over the top, though, was the intelligence and creativity involved in the dealings, negotiations, and manoeuvrings. This is a world where nothing is free, and no good, no service, and no snippet of information is exchanged without wringing every ounce of value from it. Manipulation is the name of the game, and just about everyone is playing it.

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Neil McGarry and Daniel Ravipinto are, collectively, a computer programmer, a stand-up comedian, a pianist, an Ultimate Frisbee enthusiast, and are hard at work on the sequel to THE DUCHESS OF THE SHALLOWS.



You can check them out at:



http://trackerneil.blogspot.com

http://www.facebook.com/trackerneil

https://twitter.com/Peccable

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Stacking The Shelves with Gray, Grann, Lebbon, Weis and Hickman for Mailbox Monday

Stacking The Shelves is a weekly meme being hosted by Tynga over at Tynga's Reviews. Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you've added to your shelves - physical and virtual, borrowed and bought. Mailbox Monday, meanwhile, is a similar meme being hosted by Kathy from BermudaOnion’s Weblog this month (check out the Mailbox Monday blog to see who's hosting next month).

I'm still muddling through with a borrowed e-reader to stay on top of those books that I have scheduled for various book tours until I can get my hands on one of the new Kobo Glo readers, so it was off to the used bookstore today for some paperback reads.

The Ancient by Muriel Gray

I remember being intrigued by this tale of monstrous horror on a supertanker at sea when it was released, but it seemed to disappear before I could snag a copy.



The Lost City of Z by David Grann

Not really sure what happened with this real-life adventure novel. It seems as if I waited forever for it to come out in paperback . . . and then missed it entirely.



The Nature of the Balance by Tim Lebbon

I'm familiar with his dark fantasy work, but have never dabbled in his horror, so this was a must-buy.



Journey into the Void by Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman

Epic fantasy is just one of those genres I prefer to read in mass-market paperback, and now that I have the entire trilogy, I can get reading.

What's topping your shelves this week?

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Faithful Shadow by Kevin J. Howard (REVIEW)

Faithful Shadow is novel I find myself having a difficult time reviewing. On the one hand, the structure frustrated me to no end, especially Kevin J. Howard's use of short (sometimes exceptionally so) chapters. I've never been a fan of short chapters, preferring instead to be drawn in and deeply immersed in the story, so that kept me at a distance. The third person omniscient narrative bothered me as well, especially when the POV shifted characters within a scene, or divulged too much information to which the characters aren't privy.



On the other hand, I liked the uniqueness of the setting, and the novelty of the monster. There's a reason so many horror movies are set either in the wild, uncontrollable expanse of the outdoors, or the close, claustrophobic confines of an abandoned building. Howard takes advantage of both settings, dragging the reader out into the woods above and caverns below Yellowstone National Park, à la Friday the 13th, and into the shadowy halls of the Old Faithful Inn, à la The Shining. Both work very well on their own, and the contrast between them adds a really exciting edge to the story. As for the monster, the less you know going in, the greater the horror, so I won't say much more than I liked it a lot.



As for the characters, they fall somewhere in between. Reasonably well-developed, if not necessarily likeable, they're sufficient to move the story along, but never really endear themselves to the reader. Like the characters in one of those horror movies I mentioned earlier, they primarily serve as fodder for the monster, leaving the reader to play the old guessing game as to who will die first, and who will survive to the end. They're clearly defined, and have their own personalities, I just didn't find myself caring much about them - which, in the case of a story like this, is perfectly fine.



Overall, an above average concept, with an average execution. Readers who don't share my structural pet peeves will likely find a greater enjoyment in the story, but even those who do will find enough originality here to warrant a read.

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In the Seventh Star Press Spotlight Today - Me!

If you get a chance, please pop over to the Seventh Star Press Blog today and check out this week's Blogger Spotlight.



Taking the spotlight this week for a brief interview is none other than me! :)

Blogger Spotlight: Beauty in Ruins

Today, we must thank SSP's Michael West a little, as it was a pair of his short stories that initially brought Bob Milne of Beauty in Ruins into regular contact with SSP. Since then, SSP has been honored to have been on Bob's site with several of its authors on tours, Amazon Free Days, reviews and other activities. Beauty in Ruins is a first class site run by a dedicated guy with both a love for speculative fiction and an openness to independent and small press releases. You can't ask for anything more than that! So proceed forward and visit with the main man at Beauty in Ruins, Bob Milne!
-Stephen

A huge thanks to Stephen for inviting me to take the spotlight today, and to
Seventh Star Press for being one of those publishers I continue to get
excited about.

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