Call for Submissions - Silver Birch Press NOIR Erasure Poetry Anthology

Announcing the Silver Birch Press NOIR Erasure Poetry Anthology, a collection of passages from hardboiled detective novels -- by Raymond Chandler, Dashiell Hammett, Ross MacDonald, and others -- with sections marked out to create poems. If you're unfamiliar with erasure poetry, check out our posts that feature The Great Gatsby erasure poems by james (w) moore and  Cathy Dee.

TO SUBMIT: Photocopy a page from a noir/hardboiled novel, mark out passages with magic marker or white out (or another form of your choosing) to create a noir poem. On a separate sheet, list your name, address, phone, and email, along with the title of the novel, author, edition, publisher, page number, and any other identifying information.

SEND TO: Silver Birch Press, P.O. Box 29458, Los Angeles, CA 90029 (DO NOT FOLD, AS WE WILL FEATURE THE ORIGINAL SUBMISSIONS IN THE BOOK) or email as an attachment to silver@silverbirchpress.com.

DEADLINE: September 1, 2013

PAYMENT: All contributors featured in the book will receive a paperback copy of the Silver Birch Press NOIR Erasure Poetry Anthology

We look forward to reading your inspired NOIR erasure poems! 

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Dateline: Atlantis by Lynn Voedisch (#bookreview #giveaway)

While Amaryllis is hardly a female Indiana Jones, and the story dives (pun intended) a little too much into the mystical depths of Atlantis for my tastes, I still found this to be a thoroughly satisfying read. Dateline: Atlantis is a bit predictable at times, as if Lynn Voedisch were conscious of trying to touch on all the standard elements of the genre, but it also contains enough surprises, genuine thrills, and awe-inspiring details to make it worth a read.



Voedisch wastes little time taking us into the subterranean and underwater ruins, painting a vivid picture of an ancient civilization lost as much to the waters as to time. The level of detail is just about perfect, offering enough to satisfy readers with an interest in archaeology, but not so much as to lose readers who are more interested in the mystery and adventure.



As I said, Amaryllis is hardly an Indiana Jones (or even a Robert Langdon), she is still an interesting heroine, and more than capable of carrying the story. The proverbial dogged reporter, she pairs professional diligence with personal enthusiasm for her quest. Gabriel is probably my favorite character in the novel, a man of secrets who clearly knows more about Atlantis than he's letting on, but who is everything you could ask for in a sidekick. As much as I disliked the man and his motives, Landon Hewitt makes for an interesting foil, a museum archaeologist who is willing to hide or destroy the truth of history to preserve the biblical mythology of his employers.



Like I said, the mystical element was a bit too heavy for my tastes, and I found some of the crystal scenes confusing, but the conflict between faith and history was strong enough to counter it. I wasn't quite sure where Voedisch was leading us, and precisely how she'd wrap up all of the elements, but the final scenes are just as satisfying as the initial explorations.

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Author Bio:

Lynn Voedisch is a Chicago writer who had a long career as a newspaper reporter and worked for 17 years at the Chicago Sun-Times. She also freelanced for many other publications, both in print and online. She lives with her husband and pet cat three blocks from the Chicago border. Her son, a new attorney, lives in the city. Her hobbies are tennis, tai ch, an promoting the appreciation of literature.



Catch Up With the Author:

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Read an excerpt:

She dives underneath the waves. Next to her is the tip of a giant stone structure. It widens as it plunges down to the ocean floor, filling her line of sight. She surfaces and swims toward the top of the rock. Amaryllis fights for breath as the waves roll up toward her chin and away. She dives again. The structure is a pyramid, without a doubt. It can’t be a natural formation. Its lines are too regular. The stones used to fit the pyramid together are huge—twenty-ton boulders at least—yet they are meshed with knife-edge precision. She can’t get her fingernail between them. Another thing occurs to her: this pyramid is not built in steps, but is smooth-sided like the monuments of Egypt.



She bobs up and down, diving and surfacing for a quarter of an hour, finding more impossible things. These walls, unlike those of the Maya structures they found on land, are still smooth. They are weathered and pitted, but not covered over with barna- cles and seaweed. She sees the remnants of writing carved into the rock near the top, but can’t tell what language it is. It has neither the pictorial intricacy of Maya glyphs nor the simplicity of Roman characters. It has a modern aspect, clean and stylized, proportionally balanced, as if it were a font designed by an adver- tising agency. Yet, some of the figures recall the ancient themes of the American Indians: swirling vortices, men with large heads, hunting dogs. The most prominent of all symbols is a cross in- scribed with concentric circles.



Amaryllis’ strength is nearly gone, but she dives once more if only to give the fullest of reports to her cohorts sleeping back onshore. She slips below the surface and feels along the eastern wall, pulling herself down. She is looking for a dark square she glimpsed before, gaping and black. It yawns at once before her, its edges wavy in the ocean swells. A sea turtle darts in front of her, and she constricts her lungs. She streaks to the surface, gulps a huge lungful of air and immediately she’s at the opening again. Seconds disappear as she measures the portal. It’s just big enough to slip through, but will she be able to get back out? A shining gem illuminated by a sun ray catches her eye. She swishes inside.



With lungs screaming, she scans a tiny chamber, carved from top to bottom with ancient writing. Gold glints from porticos on the sides. A painting is still visible on the ceiling. A carved hand, claw-like and strong, rests on a pedestal in the center of the space. The red hand holds a stone so beautiful, she can’t bear to leave it. In the filtered sunlight that passes through the door- way, the gem dazzles like Venus in the night sky. The morning star—the guide that Amaryllis can rely on. She grabs the jewel.

Through the door, up to the surface, sucking in the air—she’s free.

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Giveaway:



a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Waiting on Wednesday: King Breaker by Rowena Cory Daniells

"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:



King Breaker by Rowena Cory Daniells

Sept 30, 2013 (Solaris)



The conclusion to the hugely popular King Rolen's Kin series!



The story of Byron, Fyn and Piro picks up immediately where the cliff-hanging ending of The Usurper let off! When Cobalt stole the Rolencian throne, Byren, Fyn and Piro were lucky to escape with their lives, now they’ve rallied and set out to avenge their parents' murder.



Byren is driven to defeat Cobalt and reclaim the crown, but at what cost? Fyn has sworn to serve Byren’s interests but his loyalty is tested when he realises he loves Byren’s betrothed. And Piro never wanted to win a throne, now she holds the fate of a people in her hands.





I've been waiting for this one for almost a year now, having mentioned in my review of The Usurper that "the story really does demand one more volume." Well, Rowena promised that one more volume was coming - two, if your count The King's Man, this winter's surprise novella - and I finally have a release date and cover to share. Definitely looking forward to this!

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Shadow Sights and Ghost Lights with E.J. Stevens (#bookreview)

Well, consider me pleasantly surprised. Given the cover of Shadow Sight, with the thigh-top leather boots, perilously high stiletto heels, and apparent lack of miniskirt, I was all set for another urban fantasy full of a heroine looking hot, kicking ass, and falling all over the hunky bad boy. I know they say you should never judge a book by its cover, but I likely would have passed this one by if the cover and book blurb for its sequel hadn't been what caught my eye.



E.J. Stevens hasn't quite turned back the clock to a time before sexy-vampires and leather-clad gymnasts ruined the streets of urban fantasy, but she's put the mystery and mythology back ahead of the other nonsense, where it belongs. This is a surprisingly dark story, with scenes that could slide very well into a horror novel, but it also has its whimsical touches, complete with pixies, mermaids, and even unicorns. The psychic who can't touch anything has been done before, but Ivy Granger is interesting enough as a human being to make the concept work, and to drive the story forward.



If I had a complaint about the first book, it's that there's no real sense of urgency. It's an interesting story, with several layers to keep you occupied on an intellectual level, but little to engage the reader on an emotional level. Stevens wisely steers clear of the tacky, artificial, soap-opera drama that permeates so many urban fantasies, but seems to have had some trouble finding an adequate replacement for it.



With Ghost Light, Stevens doesn't really offer anything new, but she does develop the themes and characters of the first book. We get to see more of her world, and more of the magical creatures that inhabit it, which is probably my favorite aspect of the series. There's a real depth to the mythology here, with faeries, vampires, and mermaids falling into their own roles in society. It's not just a bunch of monsters dropped into the 'real' world, but a subtly different world where race extends beyond just skin color.



Ivy is better developed here as well, coming across as a significant participant in the world around her, rather than just an outsider. I felt her struggles to understand and come to grips with her powers were better defined her, giving her a much-needed strength that seemed to be somewhat lacking in the first volume. The characters around her come to life a bit more this time around as well, particularly Jinx, who breaks out of the generic 'someone to confide in' role. Torn is a fantastic new character, and once it became clear he wasn't being introduced solely to fill the hunky bad boy role, I really took to him.



The storyline this time around is a bit more of your standard urban fantasy tale, but it still has enough touches of originality to keep it fresh and intriguing. Stevens' vampires are subtly different from what we've become used to, and she does a great job of handing the touchy subject of putting children as risk, which is something of a relief for me, since stories of the fae almost demand a child-stealing element. There's a much better balance of emotions here as well, creating more of a connection with the reader, and moving beyond mere intellectual interest.

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E.J. Stevens is the author of the Spirit Guide young adult series and the bestselling Ivy Granger urban fantasy series.



When E.J. isn't at her writing desk she enjoys dancing along seaside cliffs, singing in graveyards, and sleeping in faerie circles.



E.J. currently resides in a magical forest on the coast of Maine where she finds daily inspiration for her writing.



Visit E.J. at her blog From the Shadows, Amazon, Goodreads or Twitter.

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

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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 Book Obsessed 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:

In Extremis: The Most Extreme Short Stories of John Shirley

by John Shirley

Paperback, 320 pages

Published July 26th 2011 by Underland Press



Purchased from Amazon - I ran across a mention of him writing songs for the last two Blue Öyster Cult albums, and I just had to give him a read.







Wrath-bearing Tree (A Tournament of Shadows Book Two)

by James Enge

Paperback, 320 pages

Expected publication: August 13th 2013 by Pyr



Acquired via publisher/publicist - a previous Waiting on Wednesday pick, and a key part of my second-half TBR plans.









The Companions: The Sundering, Book I

by R. A. Salvatore (Author)

Hardcover, 384 pages

Expected publication: August 6th 2013 by Wizards of the Coast



Acquired via NetGalley - a late addition to my second-half TBR plans (along with The Godborn), but I'm anxious to get back to the Forgotten Realms.

Crash

by Guy Haley

Paperback, 384 pages

Published June 25th 2013 by Solaris (Author)



Acquired via publisher/publicist - not sure where this fits into my second-half TBR plans, but it sounds like an intriguing read.

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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Laugh out loud with Thunderbird (#bookreview)

Thunderbird by Jon Konrath 

Paperback, 186 pages

Published June 7th 2013 by Paragraph Line Books

Synopsis:



Absurdist writer Jon Konrath returns with another collection of hilarious and demented flash fiction. Descend into a manic world of Kafkaesque insanity and paranoia including FDA drone strikes against weight-loss clinics, amputee porn, a celebrity kickboxing match between Yo Yo Ma and Manuel Noriega, and hobby shop exorcisms. The author of the cult classic Rumored to Exist continues his surreal nonlinear journey through a nightmarish terrain of Jeff Spicoli-themed restaurants, indian casino abortion clinics, and an apocalyptic landscape laced with insane humor and nonstop non sequitur references to pop culture, medical technology, military machinery, and extreme heavy metal. This collection of 26 short stories and flash fiction pieces explores the human element through deranged comedy in what demonstrates Konrath's bizarre style of experimental writing. Bonus: The paperback edition of Thunderbird also includes the short story "The Zombies of Kilimanjaro," an undead parody of the Hemingway classic.





Review:



I really didn't want this book to end. I wish it was one of those 365 day calendar things that gives you a word of the day. Instead a quote from this book just to let out a laugh.



The Long John Silver Vinegar Douche Abortion Attempt, Death Metal Taco Bell, Bearded Woman Crapping on Tables.



It's all in here and much more. Jon Konrath is a laugh out loud, rant of pure absurdist literature. Tons of pop culture references that will have you laughing or just saying what the hell did I just read. O need to buy the paperback copy, just so I can say here read this when someone is looking at my bookshelf.

(as posted by Donald on Goodreads)

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Heading Down the Rabbit Hole with Juan Pablo Villalobos (#bookreview)

Down the Rabbit Hole: A Novel by Juan Pablo Villalobos

Paperback, 70 pages

Published October 2nd 2012 by FSG Originals

Synopsis:



Tochtli lives in a palace. He loves hats, samurai, guillotines, and dictionaries, and what he wants more than anything right now is a new pet for his private zoo: a pygmy hippopotamus from Liberia. But Tochtli is a child whose father is a drug baron on the verge of taking over a powerful cartel, and Tochtli is growing up in a luxury hideout that he shares with hit men, prostitutes, dealers, servants, and the odd corrupt politician or two. Long-listed for The Guardian First Book Award, Down the Rabbit Hole, a masterful and darkly comic first novel, is the chronicle of a delirious journey to grant a child’s wish.





Review:



The story is told from a little boys perspective about his father's life as a gang member. And how much he wants a pygmy hippopotamus. The boy believes he is a samurai and also wants a sword.



The heart warming ending and the story itself is great, think of a seven year old trying to explain how heads are severed and gangs do there business.



Another writing trick the author used was all the main characters were Nahuatl names that translate to an animal. That fit the characters personality.

(as posted by Donald on Goodreads)

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