Author Archives: Keith West

Lawsuit Over Carnival of Souls

This is nuts. There’s this guy named Jazan Wild who’s a comic creator. Among his creations is a comic by the title Carnival of Souls. A title which he has trademarked. There’s also a fantasy novel title Carnival of Souls by a lady named Melissa Marr. Mr. Wild is suing her publisher, Harper Collins for trademark infringement. That’s trademark, not copyright.

The really nutty thing is that he’s sending cease and desist letters to book bloggers who review the book. Seems someone might be a bit too full of himself. You can read the details here.

Meanwhile, I may have to bump ~~Carnival of Souls~~ Ms. Marr’s book to the head of the review queue. Not that I’m trying to stir up trouble or anything. I would never do that. Honest.

A Review of Brad Sinor’s Where the Shadows Began

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Where the Shadows Began
Bradley H. Sinor
Merry Blacksmith Press
tp, 182 p., $13.95

I’d intended to run this review in conjunction with an interview I conducted with Brad and his wife Sue. Unfortunately, Brad suffered a stroke about the time I finished transcribing the interview, so he hasn’t had a chance to check it for accuracy (there were a couple of places where the recording isn’t clear). I have no intention of rushing him. I’d much rather he focus on getting back on his feet.

In the meantime, I will run this review, partly as a show of support for Brad and partly because I try to find things I think the readers of this blog will enjoy. And there’s plenty here to enjoy.

Bradley H. Sinor is mainly a writer of short stories. This volume contains 15 selections, plus an afterward telling a little about how each story came to be written. There’s a wide variety here, from Lovecraftian horror, to alternate history, to Arthurian vampires.

Rather than give a synopsis, even a one line synopsis, of each story, I’ll highlight some of my favorites.

“The Adventure of the Other Detective” was one of the best, although I did have some issues with it. In this tale, John Watson, M.D., finds himself in a parallel universe in which the master criminal Sherlock Holmes is pursued by the great detective Professor James Moriarty. This one involves Jack the Ripper. At one point we’re given the information that the Ripper was captured in July of 1888. I’ve read quite a bit about the Ripper, and this threw me out of the story. The Ripper murders took place in the autumn of that year. But then I remembered that this was an alternate timeline, so they very well could have been committed earlier than in our timeline. And I was back in the story. This was one of the longer entries in the collection, and Sinor does a great job of capturing the voice of Watson.

“When the Wind Sang”, Oaths”, Central Park”, and “Final Score” all involve the famous vampire Lancelot du Lac. What’s that you say? You didn’t know Lancelot was a vampire? Well, now you know. On the surface, that might sound like a mashup you don’t need, but I assure you, you do. These stories take place throughout history, from shortly after the fall of Camelot in the first tale to a ren faire in contemporary Norman, Oklahoma. Lancelot is an interesting character who hasn’t managed to get Guinevere out of his system. Not surprising since she’s the reason he’s a vampire. We get enough of the back story through these tales to whet our appetites and make us want to know more. In “When the Winds Sang”, Lancelot returns to Camelot not long after its fall to discover there’s another knight impersonating him. In “Oaths” he meets a serving girl who is the spitting image of his lost love. Merlin reminds Lance that even the smallest of deeds can carry on the principles of Camelot in “Central Park”. Lastly, Lance hunts down a serial killer at a renaissance festival in “Final Score”.

“John Doe #12” takes place contemporaneously with “Final Score”, although the characters and killer are completely different. This one has series potential, and I’d like to see more of the characters.

This list is by no means exhaustive. There are fairy tale mashups. Several of the stories take place in theaters, both the live and the film kind. There are ghosts and superheroes.

There is one thing all the tales in this book share. They’re entertaining. Make that two things. They’re also fun. If you haven’t read Sinor, Where the Shadows Began is a great place to start.

An Exciting Return to Feyland

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Feyland: The Bright Court
Anthea Sharp
paperback $12.99
ebook $4.99 Kindle Nook Smashwords

Earlier this year I received an very polite email from a lady whose name was new to me. The sender of the email, Anthea Sharp, asked me if I would be interested in reviewing her new YA fantasy novel, Feyland: The Dark Realm. She was kind enough to say that if the book turned out to not be my thing, I didn’t have to review it nor should I feel obligated to finish it.

I thought this was very gracious of her. I took her up on her offer, and the book turned out to very much be my kind of thing. It was well written, exciting, with characters who were real and reminded me at times of my younger days. You can read the whole review here.

Well, now the next installment in the series is out (and has been out for a few months; my apologies to Ms. Sharp for taking so long to review it.) I’d like to thank Ms. Sharp for sending me a review copy. The question most of you are probably wondering about is, does this volume match the first in quality? Continue reading →

More Orcs From Tom Doolan

Paying for Reviews

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Apparently you can get as many positive reviews for your books as you want. Provided you’re prepared to buy them in lots, of course. At least according to this story in the New York Times. I consider services like this to be about on the same level as those that sell term papers. And since I commit dayjobbery in academia, you can probably guess where that level is. Somewhere beneath pond scum.

I want to state for the record that I have never accepted payment for any review. I have received free books for review, but that’s an accepted practice. Most of the reviews I post here are positive. That’s because I have a good idea of what I like and tend to pick books that I’m predisposed to enjoy. Some bloggers seem to take great pride in tearing a book apart. That’s not my intention. Usually if I can’t find some positive things to say about a book or story, I probably won’t review it. That’s a personal choice I make.

Which is not to say I won’t write a negative review. I’ve written a few, but they tend to be the exception rather than the rule. As I said, I have a good idea what I like and tend to choose things for review I think I’ll enjoy.

The difference between anonymous product reviews and reviews on blogs such as this one is that with a blog, the readers can comment, take part in discussions, and develop relationships with the reviewer. This allows a degree of trust to form over time. Even when the reader doesn’t agree with the reviewer, the relationship can be beneficial. There are certain reviewers who help me select reading material by the fact that we are so opposite. If they love a book, I know it’s one I probably want to avoid, and vice-versa. Hopefully, the reviews I post here will be helpful, whether to point you to books/stories/films you might like or to warn you away.

From what I can tell, there’s been an increased interest in reviewing on the internet over the last month or so, an increase that just spiked with the Times story. I wanted to toss my two cents in. I may visit this topic again when my schedule settles down and the semester is fully underway.

A Review of Starvation Lake by Bryan Gruley

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Starvation Lake
Bryan Gruley
Simon and Schuster
TPB, 370 p., $15.00
ebook $11.99 Kindle, Nook

Yes, I know this book is a mystery, and this blog is devoted to heroic fantasy and historical adventure. But this is what I’ve been reading this week, and I wanted to discuss it here. I’d spent the two previous weeks trying to read a science fiction novel (which I’ll review at the other blog in a day or two) and wanted something different to read. It won’t be the first mystery I’ve reviewed here.

I’ll be looking at short fantasy fiction the rest of the week.

Anyway, the basic set up is this. One winter night ten years ago a popular youth hockey coach was out snowmobiling with a friend on Starvation Lake when his snowmobile went through a thin spot in the ice, killing him. Neither the body nor the snowmobile were ever recovered. Now the snowmobile has washed up on the beach. There are just two problems. The first is that there’s a bullet hole in it. The second is that it’s on the beach of an entirely different lake.

Gus Carpenter was once the star goalie for the team Coach Blackburn took to the state championships. He failed to stop a shot in overtime, causing a loss he’s still getting flak over more than a decade later. No team from the town of Starvation Lake has come close to the playoffs since. Gus left shortly after that to become a reporter for a major paper in Detroit and wasn’t around when Coach Blackburn’s snowmobile went through the ice into the frigid waters.

Now Gus has come home again, although someone failed to tell him you can’t do that. But he’s about to find out. As the editor of the local paper, he immediately becomes involved in the investigation of what now appears to be the murder of his former coach.

For a first novel, this one was a hum-dinger. Gruley populates the fictional town of Starvation Lake with real people. At least they seem real. They have their own personalities and histories and secrets. By the time the book ended, I felt I knew many of them. The depth of characterization was impressive, especially for a debut novel.

And the mystery works well. This is a detailed, complexly layered novel where that little throw-away detail in the fourth chapter or the tenth or what-have-you turns out to be something major. It was easy to see why this one was shortlisted for an Edgar Award from the MWA. There are two sequels. I know from experience that the second novel in a series doesn’t always live up to the inaugural entry, but even so, it the others are half as good as this one, they’ll be worth reading.

8 Award Winning Ebooks

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Keith here: What follows is an announcement about 8 ebooks that were selected as best in their respective categories at the 2012 eFestival of Words. Moses Siregar III was kind enough to pass this along. His novel The Black God’s War won in the fantasy category and has been sitting in my electronic TBR stack for a while. I’m hoping to make some progress on that this fall after I clear some comiitments, so keep your eye out for a review of that title sometime around October. Anyway, I’m passing this along in case some of you are looking for something to read.

Readers! Eight award winners in the 2012 eFestival of Words “Best of the Independent eBook Awards” have grouped together to offer you an amazing opportunity. They’ve reduced the prices of their award-winning novels to 99 cents for August 27 and 28th!

Whether you like to read mysteries, romance, horror, young adult, women’s fiction, or fantasy, this group has it. Are you a writer yourself? Do you want to learn all about digitally publishing your next masterpiece? They’ve got you covered there too.

Get all eight award-winning ebooks for the price of one single paperback!

Award Winners

Best Mystery/Suspense: Dead is the New Black by Christine DeMaio-Rice

Best Non-Fiction: DIY/Self-Help: Let’s Get Digital by David Gaughran

Best Horror: 61 A.D. by David McAfee

Best Romance: Deadly Obsession by Kristine Cayne

Best Young Adult: The Book of Lost Souls by Michelle Muto

Best Fantasy/Urban Fantasy and Best Novel: The Black God’s War by Moses Siregar III

Best Chick Lit/Women’s Lit: Carpe Bead’em by Tonya Kappes

Award for Best Twist (“I’ve Been Shyamalaned”): The Survival of Thomas Ford by John A.A. Logan

Here’s a one-stop shopping link for your convenience: http://amzn.to/MO7qBY

Book Blurbs

Dead is the New Black by Christine DeMaio-Rice

Laura Carnegie gave up on the man of her dreams a long time ago. He’s fashion designer Jeremy St. James, and not only is he her boss, everyone knows he’s gay.

When the woman who holds the company purse strings is found dead in the office, and Jeremy’s arrested for the murder, everything changes. If Laura can just solve this crime, keep the cops off her tail, break up a counterfeiting ring, and get the show on the runway by Friday, she might stop being Seventh Avenue’s perpetual loser.

If you love Project Runway, or enjoyed The Devil Wears Prada, try Dead Is the New Black.

Let’s Get Digital by David Gaughran

This guide contains over 60,000 words of essays, articles, and how-to guides, as well as contributions from 33 bestselling indie authors including J Carson Black, Bob Mayer, Victorine Lieske, Mark Edwards, and many more.

It covers everything from how the disruptive power of the internet has changed the publishing business forever to the opportunities this has created for writers. It gives you practical advice on editing, cover design, formatting, and pricing. And it reveals marketing tips from blogging and social networking right through to competitions, discounts, reviews, and giveaways.

If you are considering self-publishing, if you need to breathe life into your flagging sales, or if you want to understand why it’s a great time to be a writer, Let’s Get Digital: How To Self-Publish, And Why You Should will explain it all.

61 A.D. by David McAfee

61 A.D. For ten years, Taras has lived in the young city of Londinium, feeding off the city’s underbelly. But now Theron, his old enemy, has come looking for revenge, and Taras’ nights of living in relative peace are about to end.

Yet not even Theron can slip into town unnoticed, and the Council of Thirteen sends Ramah to deal with the two renegades once and for all. But unknown to the Council, a much older enemy is also in Londinium, and this time even the great Ramah might not be safe.

Set against the backdrop of the Iceni uprising in Roman-era Britannia, 61 A.D. continues the story of Taras, Theron, and Ramah, as they fight their way through history.

Deadly Obsession by Kristine Cayne

Nic Lamoureux’s perfect movie star life is shattered by a stalker who threatens any woman close to him. When he meets photographer Lauren James, the attraction is instant–and mutual. She’s exactly the sort of woman he craves, but the stalker makes deadly clear Lauren is the competition.

And the competition must be eliminated.

“Stock up on ice cubes because this is definitely one sizzling debut. Readers will be hooked from the first sentence- on the book and on Nic! As rich as a white chocolate cheesecake, Cayne’s entrance into the suspense genre is invigorating, explosive and simply intoxicating.” ~ RT Book Reviews Top Pick

The Book of Lost Souls by Michelle Muto

When teen witch Ivy MacTavish changes a lizard into her date for a Halloween dance, everything turns to chaos. And when no one is powerful enough to transform him back except Ivy, it sparks the rumor: Like father, like daughter. Worse, someone has used an evil spell book to bring back two of history’s most nefarious killers.

Ivy’s got a simple plan to set things right: find the real dark spell caster, steal the book, and reverse the spell. No problem! But first, she’ll have to deal with something more dangerous than murderous spirits: the school’s hotter-than-brimstone demon bad boy, Nick Marcelli. Demons are about as hard to handle as black magic, and Ivy soon discovers it’s going to take more than a lot of luck and a little charm if she wants to clear her status as a dark witch, get a warm-blooded boyfriend, and have her former date back to eating meal worms before the week’s end

The Black God’s War by Moses Siregar III

Against the backdrop of epic warfare and the powers of ten mysterious gods, Lucia struggles to understand The Black One.

Her father-king wants war.

Her messianic brother wants peace.

The black god wants his due.

She suffers all the consequences.

“Moses is a fine writer deserving of success, and I think that it will follow … I really enjoyed Moses’s work.” – David Farland, NYT Bestselling Author of The Runelords

Carpe Bead’em by Tonya Kappes

Hallie Mediate was raised by her (slightly) crazy Great Aunt Grace on the wrong side of the tracks in Cincinnati. Hallie escapes her hometown and never looks back.

That is, until she’s transferred back to the hometown. Not wanting her past to cross paths with her future, Hallie puts her life on hold.

Aunt Grace is still up to her old tricks, but Hallie finds some sanity at a local jewelry-making class where she uncovers a hidden talent for beading.

Will she keep searching for the happiness she may already have found?

The Survival of Thomas Ford by John A.A. Logan

Thomas Ford is the only survivor of the car crash which killed his wife. He is also the only witness who would be willing to identify the young, reckless driver who caused the crash. But the driver would sooner see Thomas Ford dead than ever let that happen.

Happy Reading!

RIP, Neil Armstrong

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This obituary would probably be more appropriate at Futures Past and Present, but this blog currently gets way more traffic. Neil Armstrong, the first human to set foot on the Moon, has passed away due to complications from recent bypass surgery. The news broke only minutes ago as I write this, so I don’t have any links with more detail.

Armstrong was a true hero, not just to Americans, but people worldwide. I don’t remember the Apollo 11 landing, although I remember the followup missions in the early 70s. They cemented in my mind the idea that space travel was part of the way things are. Unfortunately, things have changed.

To many of my generation Armstrong embodied the values that took us into space: courage, investigation, imagination, exploration. Values that built this country. While we as a society don’t seem to place as much importance on these characteristics as we once did, I maintain that they are essential to our future and the survival of our culture and civilization. I hope that as we mourn the passing of a true pioneer, we remember these things. It’s only by embracing these traits, traits that Neil Armstrong embodied, that we can build a better world.

Rest in peace, Neil.

Adventures Fantastic

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