Y/A CORNER: THREE-QUARTERS DEAD!

Y/A CORNER: THREE-QUARTERS DEAD!

RICHARD PECK

Kerry thinks life has finally begun when she is noticed by the three coolest girls in the school. For once she’s in on the jokes and sitting at the right table, and she is willing to do whatever it takes to be part of their clique.

But how much will it take? And after her life with the popular crows starts to feel as cruel as death, what will she decide to do about it?

Exhilarating, nail-bitting suspense is crossed with a thought-provoking examination of peer pressure in Richard Peck’s return to his contemporary teen – and ghost-story roots – a master author’s smart, stylish, and fun.

Y/A CORNER: GO, MUTANTS!

Y/A CORNER: GO, MUTANTS!

LARRY DOYLE

The author of I Love You, Beth Cooper returns with an ingenious contemporary satire set in an alternate universe populated by the aliens, mutants, and atomic monsters of B-movie legend.

It came to Earth . . . and now its spawn goes to high school.

Earth has survived repeated alien invasions, attacks by hordes of mutants, and the ravages of ancient beasts brought back to life. Now we’re in the blissful future…for most.

J!m, the son of the alien who nearly destroyed the planet, is a brooding, megacephalic rebel with a big forehead and exceptionally oily skin. Along with Johnny, a radioactive biker ape, and Jelly, a gelatinous mass passing as a fat kid, J!m navigates a particularly unpleasant adolescence in which he really is as alienated as he feels, the world might actu-ally be out to get him, and true love is complicated by mis-understanding and incompatible parts. As harmless school antics escalate into explosive events with tragic consequences, J!m makes a discovery that will alter the course of civilization, though it may help his dating life.

Replete with all the rock ‘n’ roll, hot-rod racing, and heavy petting of classic teen cinema—and packed with famous film-monster cameos—Go, Mutants! is fun strapped to an atomic rocket, and Doyle’s deadpan delivery and razor-sharp wit will have you laughing out loud before he even starts the ignition sequence.

HARRY e-POTTER!

HARRY e-POTTER!

PER BOOKSELLER.COM . . .

J K Rowling looks set allow Harry Potter fans to read her novels as e-books at last.

Neil Blair, partner at the Christopher Little Agency (CLA) which represents Rowling, said the agency was “currently considering all the options and opportunities that this evolving space provides”. The agency was “actively” looking, whereas previously it had just been “monitoring the developing area”, he said.

Richard Charkin, executive director of Rowling’s print publisher Bloomsbury, declined to comment on whether Bloomsbury was in discussions with the author on e-book plans, saying: “That’s between us and CLA.”

FOR THE FULL ARTICLE CLICK HERE

I BLASTED THE CUBAN LUST SYNDICATE!

I BLASTED THE CUBAN LUST SYNDICATE!

THE TITLE SAYS IT ALL FOR THIS TALE FROM MAN’S STORY MAGAZINE POSTED OVER AT THE TWO-FISTED TALES OF TRUE-LIFE WEIRD ROMANCE . . .

TO GET ALL THE PERVERTED DETAILS CLICK HERE

COCKTAIL NATION #126 ~ HD RADKE!

COCKTAIL NATION #126 ~ HD RADKE!

Thanks to Tiki Shark, it’s the Cocktail nation with Koop Kooper. Tonight, we catch up with and incredible singer by the name of HB Radke, and Koop will let us know about a great website for all the gals. There’s also the regular segment Ask Koop, and the look at the world of swank’ Plus, tonight, Koop gets up on his soapbox about retro antiquities. He’ll let us know about the man who had a Tiki wash up in his back yard, and as always, there’s the very best lounge and exotica ready to go!

PLAYLIST:

Dom Halpin ~ Mambo
John Zorn ~ Tiki for Blue
HB Radke ~ Jet City Swingers-Live Till I Die
Martin Denny ~ Congo Train
Jimmy Vargas ~ Love is a Racket
Vibes on Velvet ~ Ink Mysterioso
Don Tiki ~ Primitiva
Annie Ross ~ I'm Nobody's Baby
Joey Altruda ~ Playboys Theme
Chaquito Big Band ~ Our Man Flint
Richard Hayman ~ When I Recall
Hugo Montenegro ~ Perfidia
DJ BoneBrakeTrio ~ Bernstein 007
Threesons ~ Caravan

TO DOWNLOAD CLICK HERE

RETURN OF THE ORIGINALS PULP LINE!

RETURN OF THE ORIGINALS PULP LINE!

THEY'RE BACK! Better than ever...accept no substitutes!
All of those great ideas for those great characters you know...came from somewhere.

These are the characters that inspired all that came after them! So, before there was horn-head, shell-head, a web-slinging dude, a guy who wears a skull on his chest, or even before that rich guy who dresses as that rodent from the night....they're was THE ORIGINALS!

There will be 5 on-going titles that each feature two characters in all new comic stories!

BLACK BAT is written by Mike Bullock with art by Michael Metcalf. Co-feature DEATH ANGEL by the same creative team!

PHANTOM DETECTIVE is written by Aaron Shaps with art by Danillo Guida.

SECRET AGENT X is written by David Watkins and Matthew Baugh with art by Robert Geronimo.

The SPIDER is written by Martin Powell with art by Pablo Marcos. Co-feature OPERATOR#5 written by Gary Phillips with art by Roberto Castro.

ROCKETMAN will be written by James Kuhoric with art by Hannibal King.

The following is a list of other characters that will rotate through some of the titles, as well as appear in other Moonstone publications:

GREEN LAMA written by Mike W. Barr

G8 will be written by Chuck Dixon and Shannon Denton.

GREEN GHOST written by Win Scott Eckert and Eric Fein with art by David Niehaus

MOON MAN will be written by Elizabeth Massie with art by Cortney Skinner.

KI-GOR will be written by Martin Powell with art by Tom Floyd.

I.V. FROST will be written by Ron Fortier with art by Jake Minor.

SECRET 6 will be written by Will Murray.

CAPTAIN FUTURE will be written by Mike Bullock with art by Norm Landing.

SKULL KILLER will be written by Jai Nitz with art by Christopher Jones.

GOLDEN AMAZON will be written by Howard Hopkins.

GLADIATOR will be written by Mike Bullock and Josh Aitken.

THE SCOOP HAS DONE A TWO PART ARTICLE ON MOONSTONES RETURN OF NUMEROUS PULP CHARACTERS TO THEIR LINEUP OF BOOKS AND COMICS.

FOR PART ONE CLICK HERE

FOR PART TWO CLICK HERE

TO READ A RELATED A FEATURE ARTICLE AT COMIC BOOK RESOURCES CLICK HERE

TREASON ~ FEE e-BOOK!

TREASON ~ FREE e-BOOK!

DON BROWN

AMAZON IS OFFERING THIS KINDLE TITLE FOR FREE FOR A LIMITED TIME . . .

When Muslim terrorists infiltrate the Navy Chaplain Corps, Lieutenant Zack Brewer, just three years out of law school, is pitted against the world’s greatest defense attorney in the court-martial of the century. Book One in a series.

The stakes are high . . . and the entire world is waiting for the verdict.
The Navy has uncovered a group of radical Islamic clerics who have infiltrated the Navy Chaplain Corps, inciting sailors and marines to acts of terrorism. And Lieutenant Zack Brewer has been chosen to prosecute them for treason and murder.

Only three years out of law school, Zack has already made a name for himself, winning the coveted Navy Commendation medal. Just coming off a high-profile win, this case will challenge the very core of Zack’s skills and his Christian beliefs—beliefs that could cost him the case and his career.

With Diane Colcernian, his staunchest rival, as assistant prosecutor, Zack takes on internationally acclaimed criminal defense lawyer Wells Levinson. And when Zack and Diane finally agree to put aside their animosity, it causes more problems than they realize.

NEW BOND GADGET!

NEW BOND GADGET!

A rather confident 007 walks into a bar and takes a seat next to a very attractive woman. He gives her a quick glance, then casually looks at his watch for a moment.

The woman notices this and asks, "Is your date running late?"

"No", he replies, "I am here alone. Q has just given me this state-of-the-art watch and I was just testing it."

The intrigued woman says, "A state-of-the-art watch? What's so special about it?"

"It uses alpha waves to telepathically talk to me," he explains.

"What's it telling you now?"

"Well, it says you're not wearing any panties..."

The woman giggles and replies, "Well it must be broken because I am wearing panties!"

007 taps, taps his watch, and says "Damn thing must be an hour fast!”

KUDOS FOR THE CHUCKLES TO MISS CELANIA

ERIN BOHEME @ COMPLETE ACTOR'S PLACE!

ERIN BOHEME @ COMPLETE ACTOR'S PLACE!

FRIDAY JUNE 4TH, 2110

WE'VE BEEN TO SEE ERIN PERFORM AT VIBRATO AND SHE IS GREAT. A WONDERFUL NEW JAZZ ARIST.

Come meet Erin Boheme in person ~ Billboard Top 20 Star & Signed Recording Artist!

Superstar Michael Buble is producing her 2nd album.

Limited number of tickets available
Other artist's schedule to perform during this venue.

Complete Actor's Place
13752 Ventura Boulevard
Sherman Oaks, 91423
8:30 - 11:00 PM

LONDON CALLING

LONDON CALLING

DOWN THE TUBES, the British comics blog, also tips us to London Calling, a graphic novel written by Stephen Walsh, with artwork by Keith Page, due October 2010 featuring Keith's wonderful female detective Charlotte Corday.

There are vampires afoot in London's Highgate Cemetery and only Charlotte and the garlic-toting, stake-swinging coppers of the Metropolitan Police's V-Squad can stop them!

Channelling the spirit of traditional British adventure comics from yesteryear, with a dose of Hammer horror and Ealing Studios thrown in, London Calling features classic black and white storytelling from respected Commando artist Keith Page.

CINEMA RETRO MOVIE CLASSICS SPECIAL EDITION!

CINEMA RETRO MOVIE CLASSICS SPECIAL EDITION!

COMING SOON!

In footsteps of Cinema Retro's landmark Movie Classics special edition tribute to Where Eagles Dare, publishers Dave Worrall and Lee Pfeiffer present their most ambitious release yet: the most extensive tribute to the Clint Eastwood/Sergio Leone 'Dollar' film trilogy ever published. Years in the making, with contributions from prominent film historians from around the globe.

THIS ISSUE WILL SHIP IN JUNE TO THE UK AND EUROPE AND IN JULY TO NORTH AMERICA AND THE REST OF THE WORLD.
PRE-ORDER TODAY TO ENSURE YOU GET YOUR COPY! THIS IS A LIMITED EDITION AND WILL NEVER BE REPRINTED ONCE THESE ISSUES SELL OUT!

PLEASE NOTE: CINEMA RETRO MOVIE CLASSICS SPECIAL EDITIONS ARE NOT PART OF OUR SUBSCRIPTION PLAN AND MUST BE ORDERED SEPARATELY.

• Full coverage of 'A Fistful of Dollars', 'For a Few Dollars More' and 'the Good, the Bad and the Ugly' - and why these films remain timeless cinematic classics.

• 80 full pages (16 pages more than the standard Cinema Retro issue)

• Packed with hundreds of rare production stills, collectibles and international movie poster art culled from archives from around the world.

• Many photos never before published - including rare behind the scenes production stills from people who acted as extras in 'The Good, the Bad and the Ugly'

• Special foreword by Leone biographer Sir Christopher Frayling

• The legendary film locations - then and now

• Coverage of the rare, deleted sequences

• Cast and crew biographies

FOR MORE INFO CLICK HERE

BRITFORCE ~ SECOND COMING!

BRITFORCE ~ SECOND COMING!

Britannia! Bulldog! Lionheart! Stonehenge! Moonwitch! Helspawn! In the 1990s they were BritForce - the UK’s very own team of super-powered heroes. But driven appart by catastrophe, BritForce disbanded and haven’t seen each other in over a decade... until now.

Waiting in the wings is a threat so huge it might just be enough to throw the team back together. The Grail and his army of meta-human zealots have attacked Downing street and are intent on making Britain the power base for their brutal religious crusade

Will BritForce reunite to combat the threat? Or does Britain face a future crushed beneath the heel of religious oppression, presided over by a man convinced he’s the ressurection of the Messiah himself?

ANOTHER HAT TIP TO DOWN THE TUBES

THE RETURN OF STRIKER!

THE RETURN OF STRIKER!

THE ENTIRE 25-YEAR ARCHIVE OF THE FOOTBALL STRIP STRIKER, FIRST PUBLISHED IN THE SUN AND NOW FEATURING IN MENS MAGAZINE NUTS, IS TO BE AVAILABLE ONLINE AS FREE TO VIEW COMICS ON THE STRIKER WEBSITE WHEN IT RELAUNCHES IN EARLY JULY.

CREATOR PETE NASH TOLD FANS VIA THE STRKERWORLD FORUM (REGISTARTION REQUIRED) EARLIER THIS WEEK THAT THE STORIES WILL BE RELEASED IN STAGES OF AT LEAST ONE PAGE A DAY, SEVEN DAYS A WEEK, WITH FIVE STRIPS TO A PAGE.

A HAT TIP TO DOWN THE TUBES

JAMES BOND ~ PROJECT X!

JAMES BOND ~ PROJECT X!

THE YOUNG BOND DANGER SOCIETY WEBSITE HAS THE SCOOP ON THE NEW PROJECT X FROM IAN FLEMING PUBLICATIONS . . .

Ian Fleming Publications has announced that American mystery novelist Jeffery Deaver will pen a new adult James Bond novel due for release on May 28, 2011. For now the book will remain under the codename, Project X.

In a surprise, the new Bond adventure will be set in the present day, unlike Charlie Higson’s Young Bond novels (and 2008s Devil May Care) which fit into Ian Fleming's original timeline.

FOR THE FULL STORY CLICK HERE

FORGOTTEN BOOKS: THIS IS A BUST!

FORGOTTEN BOOKS: THIS IS A BUST!

ED LIN

I’M POSTING UP EARLY AGAIN THIS WEEK ~ DIFFERENT DRAGONS, BUT THE RUSTY LANCE OF TRUTH IS NEEDED AGAIN ALONG WITH MY SPAVIN STEED, SO I DON’T KNOW HOW MUCH I’LL BE POSTING OVER THE WEEKEND. HOPEFULLY, I’LL GET TIME TO HIT SOME OF THE REGULAR HIGH NOTES . . .

Not so much forgotten as overlooked, this 2007 gem of a novel from a small press may now get some well deserved attention as the sequel, Snakes Can’t Run, has just be published by the more mainstream Minotaur Books.

This Is A Bust, set circa 1976, is a slice of life novel following rookie NYPD patrol officer Robert Chow walk the beat on the streets of the last place on earth he wants to be a cop – Chinatown.

THIS IS A BUST

This Is a Bust, the second novel by award-winning author Ed Lin, turns the conventions of hard-boiled pulp stories on their head by exploring the unexotic and very real complexities of New York City’s Chinatown, circa 1976, through the eyes of a Chinese-American cop.

A Vietnam vet and an alcoholic, Robert Chow’s troubles are compounded by the fact that he’s basically community-relations window-dressing for the NYPD: he’s the only Chinese American on the Chinatown beat, and the only police officer who can speak Cantonese, but he’s never assigned anything more challenging than appearances at store openings or community events.

Chow is willing to stuff down his feelings and hang tight for a promotion to the detective track, despite the community unrest that begins to roil around him. But when his superiors remain indifferent to an old Chinese woman’s death, he is forced to take matters into his own hands. This Is a Bust is at once a murder mystery, a noir homage and a devastating, uniquely nuanced portrait of a neighborhood in flux, stuck between old rivalries and youthful idealism.

Lin, of Taiwanese/Chinese descent, truly writes from the heart. His plotting is sure handed, but the whodunit aspect of This Is A Bust is only a framework for much deeper literary aspects. I’m really looking forward to the sequel, Snakes Can’t Run to see what Lin has in store for his hero next.

TO CHECK OUT LIN’S WEBSITE CLICK HERE

SHIRLEY BASSEY: ON TV!

SHIRLEY BASSEY: ON TV!

This DVD brings together some of Dame Shirley Bassey’s finest performances, taken from various shows including the Royal Variety Performance and An Audience With.

Dame Shirley Bassey Britain’s biggest female singer performs her greatest hits on this DVD, including Goldfinger, Music, Love Story, Diamonds Are Forever, Kiss Me Honey, Honey, Something, Big Spender, Send In The Clowns and many more.

Featuring Special Guests – Rolf Harris, Englebert Humperdinck and Les Dawson.

FOR MORE INFO CLICK HERE

COMIC TWART ~ FRANCESCO FRANCAVILLA!

FREE e-BOOK ~ SHADOW OF POWER!

FREE e-BOOK ~ SHADOW OF POWER!

A PAUL MADRIANI NOVEL ~ STEVE MARTINI

PROBABLY FOR A LIMITED TIME ONLY, AMAZON IS OFFERING THE KINDLE VERSION OF THE THE LAST STEVE MARTINI NOVEL FOR FREE . . .

New York Times bestselling master of suspense Steve Martini returns, ensnaring defense attorney Paul Madriani in a web of terror and death being spun in the shadows of America's most sacred and secretive institution—the Supreme Court.

A writer is savagely slain while on a publicity tour—a literary provocateur who craved headlines, but whose last book may have gone too far. His revelations about secret language buried in the U.S. Constitution—and hints about an explosive missing letter of Thomas Jefferson's—may be enough to cause an irreparable tear in the fabric of the nation . . . and perhaps drove a volatile youth to homicide. But Paul Madriani thinks a troubled young man with dark connections has been chosen as a scapegoat to cover up something far deadlier that festers in America's political heart. And in the wake of the strange disappearance of a Supreme Court judge, Madriani must survive long enough to find the devastating answers hidden in the shadow of power.

This special free edition includes an excerpt from Steve Martini-s latest Paul Madriani novel, The Rule of Nine.

FOR MORE INFO CLICK HERE

THE CAT'S MEOW!

NICE GIRL DOES NOIR!

NICE GIRL DOES NOIR!

VOLUMES I AND II ~ LIBBY FISCHER HELLMANN

SPEAKING OF e-BOOK GEMS, HERE ARE TWO VOLUMES OF GREAT SHORT STORIES, MANY OF THEM INTRODUCTIONS TO THE CHARACTERS FROM HELLMAN’S SERIES NOVELS.

BOTH VOLUMES ARE AVAILABLE AS E-BOOKS AT SMASHWORDS AND AMAZON, AND THEY ARE THE ONLY PLACES TO CURRENTLY PICK UP THESE VOLUMES, WHICH ARE MORE THAN WORTH YOUR WHILE . . .

FOR MORE CLICK HERE AND HERE

THANKS TO NAOMI JOHNSON AT THE DROWNING MACHINE BLOG FOR TIPPING ME TO THESE TITLES

VIVA THE REVOLUTION!

VIVA THE REVOLUTION!

I remember a time before the total generification of bookstores and the products they carry, when I could find independent bookstores carrying small local publications and books, things different from the pabulum carried by the chain stores. Often these books and publications were pretty rough and not worth reading, but sometimes they were unique, well written, and worth owning.

We live in a time now when those special finds while you were traveling or on vacation don’t exist anymore. Every airport bookstore carries exactly the same books as all the chain stores, and most independent bookstores have either gone out of business or are on shaky foundations.

A few independent bookstores, like The Poison Pen in Scottsdale, Arizona, have gone so far as to establish their own publication imprint and are producing an excellent product, but they are the exception not the rule.

For the past ten years, as this process has taken over, self-publishers and vanity presses have flourished – most taking advantage of delusional scribblers (most can’t be called writers). Very few fiction novels of any note have sprung out of this self-publishing morass.

With the advent of e-books, however, especially those from Amazon’s platform, I’m beginning to find some different things on offer again. I’ve downloaded a dozen or so novels from little known authors without major print contracts (William Meikle and J. R. Rain are two examples) for less than two bucks, which I’ve enjoyed. Yes, some of it is still fairly rough, but for the most part I’ve been discerning in what I try and I’ve been pleasantly surprised.

Author J. A. Konrath is the most vocal mainstream author making noise about the publishing revolution that the e-book format is heralding. Konrath is exceptionally articulate and promotion savvy. He is the voice of the future of publishing – and he is scaring hell out of traditional publishers. You can check out his blog via my sidebar links.

Not everything offered on the e-book platforms is wonderful or fantastic. There are not only format glitches, but there is also a lot of dreck being shuffled out as content. It’s a buyer beware market, but for less than two bucks, I more often than not willing to take a chance.

I love my Kindle and wouldn’t give it up on a bet. It’s great to be carrying a whole bookstore around in my hands. I’ve read some old gems and some new ones on my Kindle I might not have read otherwise. I still love paper books, but there’s a lot of room in my life for their electronic counterparts as well.

DON'T MESS WITH A BIG BAND!

DON'T MESS WITH A BIG BAND!

THE BRIAN SETZER ORCHESTRA!

A MESSAGE FROM SURFDOG RECORDS:

FROM THE VAULT!!!!!

Surfdog has made a lot of live recordings from Brian's shows over the years. As we've listened we realized we've captured some insanely great music and wickedly sick guitar playing!! We went to Brian and asked if we can start making some of these available, 'cuz (after hearing what we've got) we're sure other people will wanna hear them too!

Lots of these tours and shows have been put out there into the market without our consent as terrible-quality bootlegs. With Surfdog's releases, while we want to purposely keep all of them in their true, pure, unfixed, un-overdubbed form, we have gone to great effort to ensure top-level audio and great packaging so that fans actually get a top-quality experience.

Because we have released live material before at various stages of Brian's career, many of the songs will have been previously released from other concerts ("The Ultimate Collection," "Red Hot & Live," etc.). So look at the track listing and know what you're getting!

Our goal is NOT to just sell you more stuff. Instead, we just want you to have the opportunity to enjoy some of this magic we've captured.

The first release will be "Don't Mess With A Big Band"; a kick-ass recording of The Brian Setzer Orchestra's 2009 tour of Japan. Brian is in rare form and his display of guitar playing is truly jaw-dropping!

More to come in the near future.

DISC 1

Batman
Drive Like Lightning
(Crash Like Thunder)
'49 Mercury Blues
Good Rockin' Daddy
Your True Love
The Dirty Boogie
Sleepwalk
Honey Man
This Cat's On A Hot Tin Roof
Summertime Blues

DISC 2

Runaway Boys
Gina
Gene & Eddie
Fishnet Stockings
Stray Cat Strut
Jump Jive An' Wail
Rumble In Brighton
Rock This Town
The House Is Rockin'

BRIAN SETZER ~ NITRO BURNIN' FUNNY DADDY CD!

BRIAN SETZER ~ NITRO BURNIN' FUNNY DADDY CD!

Limited time offer! Get Brian Setzer's 'Nitro Burnin' Funny Daddy!' now for only $5.99 at iTunes! This awesome deal ends Tuesday, June 1st.

NITRO BURNIN' FUNNY DADDY

13 revved up tracks to get your summer rockin'!

DOWNLOAD AT iTUNES

GOOD ROCKIN' SUMMER!

This summer is gonna be a lot cooler than you might think! Keep your eyes peeled for more amazing deals on Brian's music. There are a few surprises lined up that you'll get to enjoy all Summer long.

tHE HUNGER GAMES GIVE-AWAY!

THE HUNGER GAMES GIVE-AWAY!

I’ve been reading a lot of Y/A fiction recently and catching up with some titles that have taken a while to get to the top of my to be read file.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins absolutly lives up to all the hype and critical attention it has received since it’s publication in 2008. For years now, I’ve maintained a lot of the most literate, honest, and involving writing is being ignored because it is labled as young adult (Y/A) fiction. This is changing, but only slowly. Given the chance to be shipwrecked with the Y/A section of a bookstore or the Fiction section, I’d take the Y/A section in a heartbeat.

Dystopian societies are a popular theme in Y/A fiction, but it is rarely done with the complete world-building skill Collins brings to The Hunger games.

THE HUNGER GAMES

In a not-too-distant future, the United States of America has collapsed, weakened by drought, fire, famine, and war, to be replaced by Panem, a country divided into the Capitol and 12 districts. Each year, two young representatives from each district are selected by lottery to participate in The Hunger Games. Part entertainment, part brutal intimidation of the subjugated districts, the televised games are broadcasted throughout Panem as the 24 participants are forced to eliminate their competitors, literally, with all citizens required to watch.

When 16-year-old Katniss’ young sister, Prim, is selected as the mining district’s female representative, Katniss volunteers to take her place. She and her male counterpart, Peeta, the son of the town baker who seems to have all the fighting skills of a lump of bread dough, will be pitted against bigger, stronger representatives who have trained for this their whole lives. Collins’ characters are completely realistic and sympathetic as they form alliances and friendships in the face of overwhelming odds; the plot is tense, dramatic, and engrossing.

PER WIKIPEDIA:

Collins states the idea for The Hunger Games came to her one day when she was channel-surfing, and the lines between a reality show competition and war coverage "began to blur in this very unsettling way." She also cites the Greek myth of Theseus, in which the city of Athens was forced to send young men and women to Crete to be devoured by the Minotaur, as inspiration for the nation of Panem; she explains, "Crete was sending a very clear message: 'Mess with us and we'll do something worse than kill you. We'll kill your children.'"

I have one copy of The Hunger Games to give away. To enter add a comment to this post telling me you’re in it to win it before June 1st, when I’ll pick a winner at random.

THE CAT'S MEOW ~ TEMPTATION SPEAKS!

HISTORICAL FICTION CORNER: THE BRITON ALERIC TRILOGY!

HISTORICAL FICTION CORNER: THE BRITON ALERIC TRILOGY!

RICHARD BLAKE

CONSPIRACIES OF ROME

THE ROMAN EMPIRE IS DEAD. LONG LIVE THE CHURCH OF ROME! 609 AD. Rome is torn apart by war, plague and internal power struggles between the Emperor, the aristocracy and the Church. Into this morass stumbles the young and handsome Briton Aelric. His father was murdered, his inheritance stolen. Forcibly separated from the woman he loves, he is determined to win back all that he has lost. Through his naivety and ambition, he unwittingly becomes involved in a heretical plot that will lead to fraud, high treason and murder. Introducing the most compelling anti-hero since Flashman, CONSPIRACIES OF ROME takes you back to one of the darkest and least known periods of history.

THE TERROR OF CONSTANTINOPLE

610AD. The bloodthirsty Emperor Phocas is preparing for the greatest battle of his life. Enemy armies are racing closer to attack his fortress, the golden city of Constantinople, and traitors within plot his downfall. Clinging to power by masterminding a campaign of terror, he is running out of funds, allies and time ...but he has one card left to play. Aelric, a naive and ambitious young clerk from Britain, is sent to Constantinople ostensibly on a mission to copy old texts for the Church of Rome. On his arrival he discovers the terrible dangers lurking behind the shining streets and glittering facades. A pawn in a secret conspiracy that will change the course of history, he can only rely on his wits, charm and fighting skills to stay alive.

THE BLOOD OF ALEXANDRIA

The tears of Alexander shall flow, giving bread and freedom ...612 AD. Egypt, the jewel of the Roman Empire, seethes with unrest, as bread runs short and the Persians plot an invasion. In Alexandria, a city divided between Greeks and Egyptians by language, religion and far too few soldiers, the mummy of the Great Alexander, dead for nine hundred years, still has the power to calm the mob -- or inflame it ...Aelric, the young British clerk who has become a senator and the trusted henchman of Emperor Heraclius, has come to Alexandria to send Egypt's harvest to Constantinople and to force the unwilling viceroy to give its land to the peasants. But the city -- with its factions and conspirators -- thwarts him at every turn. And when an old enemy from Constantinople arrives, supposedly on a quest for a religious relic that could turn the course of the Persian war, he will have to use all his cunning, his charm and his talent for violence to survive.

FANTASY CORNER: THE OFFICE OF SHADOW!

FANTASY CORNER: THE OFFICE OF SHADOW!

MATTHEW STURGES

If 2009's Midwinter was the Dirty Dozen in Elfland, this thrilling sequel is Magical Mission Impossible. Former lothario Silverdun becomes a priest, but finds himself bored. When his government recruits him as a spy, he takes the offer and is shocked when they demand he learn extraordinary physical and magical skills. Silverdun, scholarly former soldier Ironfoot, and deadly empath Sela are assigned to discover the origin of Einswrath, the city-killing weapons unleashed in the previous Seelie/Unseelie war.

Standard spy tropes—training sequences, double agents, betrayals from within—take on new life when melded with high fantasy, and Sturges has an easy ear for dialogue and character. Silverdun's backstory is nicely fleshed out in the process, though fans of the first book should be warned that the other characters appear briefly or not at all.

FANTASY CORNER: THE LEFT HAND OF GOD!

FANTASY CORNER: THE LEFT HAND OF GOD!

PAUL HOFFMAN

They call him Cale.

He is destined to save the world...

...or destroy it.

In the Redeemer Sanctuary, the stronghold of a secretive sect of warrior monks, torture and death await the unsuccessful or disobedient. Raised by the Redeemers from early childhood like hundreds of other young captives, Thomas Cale has known only deprivation, punishment, and grueling training. He doesn't know that another world exists outside the fortress walls or even that secrets he can't imagine lurk behind the Sanctuary's many forbidden doorways. He doesn't know that his master Lord Bosco and the Sanctuary's Redeemers have been preparing for a holy war for centuries-a holy war that is now imminent. And Cale doesn't know that he's been noticed and quietly cultivated.

Then, Cale decides to open a door.

It's a door that leads to one of the Redeemers' darkest secrets and a choice that is really no choice at all: certain death or daring escape. Adrift in the wider world for the first time in his young life, Cale soon finds himself in Memphis, the capitol of culture-and the den of Sin. It's there that Cale discovers his prodigious gift: violence. And he discovers that after years of abuse at the hands of the Redeemers his embittered heart is still capable of loving-and breaking.

But the Redeemers won't accept the defection of their special subject without a fight. As the clash of civilizations that has been looming for thousands of years draws near, a world where the faithful are as brutal as the sinful looks to young Cale to decide its fate.

Y/A CORNER: INFINITY!

Y/A CORNER: INFINITY!

SHERRILYN KENYON

At fourteen, Nick Gautier thinks he knows everything about the world around him. Streetwise, tough and savvy, his quick sarcasm is the stuff of legends. . .until the night when his best friends try to kill him. Saved by a mysterious warrior who has more fighting skills than Chuck Norris, Nick is sucked into the realm of the Dark-Hunters: immortal vampire slayers who risk everything to save humanity.

Nick quickly learns that the human world is only a veil for a much larger and more dangerous one: a world where the captain of the football team is a werewolf and the girl he has a crush on goes out at night to stake the undead.

But before he can even learn the rules of this new world, his fellow students are turning into flesh eating zombies. And he’s next on the menu.
As if starting high school isn't hard enough. . .now Nick has to hide his new friends from his mom, his chainsaw from the principal, and keep the zombies and the demon Simi from eating his brains, all without getting grounded or suspended. How in the world is he supposed to do that?

INFAMOUS ~ ACE ATKINS

INFAMOUS ~ ACE ATKINS!

BOOKGASM’S ROD LOTT HAS POSTED A COOL INTERVIEW WITH AUTHOR ACE ATKINS COVERING NOT ONLY HIS CURRENT NOVEL, INFAMOUS, BUT ALSO TOUCHING ON HIS NICK TRAVERS’ SERIES, WHICH HAS ALWAYS BEEN FAVORITES OF MINE . . .

Formerly a Pulitzer Prize-nominated reporter for THE TAMPA TRIBUNE, Ace Atkins is now a full-time novelist, and a true rising star in crime fiction. (No less than Michael Connelly calls him “one of the best.”) With eight books under his belt, his latest is INFAMOUS, a novelized version of Machine Gun Kelly’s 1933 kidnapping of an Oklahoma City oilman. Prior to finishing his book tour in OKC, Atkins talked to us about the novel’s genesis, his intensive research process, and how his current job compares to his old one.

BOOKGASM: Why this novel?

ATKINS: I was actually researching another story. This is the fourth true-crime book I’ve been working on. And I was in Memphis two summers ago, pulling records from another case. And the clerk in the Shelby County Clerk’s office, we were just shooting the bull and I had said, “How far do your records go back?” And he said, “Man, I got records going back to Machine Gun Kelly.”

I said, “No kidding,” and he said, “Sometimes I’ll just read that stuff while I’m filing. I found it a few months ago, and man, it’s incredible. He was from Memphis, but he kidnapped this guy from Oklahoma City, and there was this big manhunt and they ended up cornering him in Memphis, like something out of the movies.” I said, “Well, could you get a me a copy of that file?” He said, “Sure, let me dig it out,” because they have to go to another building to the archives and pull it.

About a week later, he called and said, “I’ve got your Machine Gun Kelly file,” so I drove to Memphis, which is about an hour for me, and I was just hooked.

FOR MORE CLICK HERE

HARD CASE CRIME NEWSLETTER!

HARD CASE CRIME NEWSLETTER!

Back in 2008, we published one of our most popular books (and our first by a female author), Christa Faust's MONEY SHOT. The book was called "an instant pulp classic" by Rolling Stone magazine, was a finalist for the Edgar Award, and is currently in development as a movie. Ever since it came out, people have been asking us if there was a chance they'd someday get to read more about Angel Dare, the former adult film star turned vigilante killer.

I'm happy to report that the answer is yes. There'll be a bit of a wait -- 9 months, give or take, and why shouldn't gestation take about that long? -- but when next February comes to a close you'll see a book called CHOKE HOLD arriving in bookstores. You can already get an early peek at the book's gorgeous cover at our Web site: www.HardCaseCrime.com. We haven't posted a sample chapter yet (Christa's still putting the finishing touches on the final draft), but the cover's worth a look all by itself...

Want a great read sooner than 9 months from now? I urge you to visit your favorite local bookseller (or online retailer) and pick up a copy of our latest title, NOBODY'S ANGEL by Jack Clark. It's an extraordinary novel -- written by a Chicago cab driver, about a Chicago cab driver -- and I don't think I've ever read a more passionate, heartbreaking, moving depiction of the Windy City in my life. This is a dark book, a sad book, a noir book through and through...and you'll be kicking yourself if you don't give it a read. The Chicago Sun-Times will shortly be running a profile about the book and the author; Booklist magazine has already given it a starred review, writing "The cynical, melancholy cabbie point of view is perfect for this kind of neon-lit, noir-tinged, saxophone-scored prose poem, and Clark hits all the right notes." Originally, when Jack wrote the book, instead of publishing it the conventional way, he printed up 500 copies himself and sold them to his passengers by hand; the only way you could get a copy of the book was if you were lucky enough to catch a ride in the author's cab. We are incredibly proud to be able to give the book the professional publication it has deserved all along, and I very much hope you'll try it.

One other bit of news, and it's a big one: Our best-selling title of all time, Stephen King's THE COLORADO KID, is about to become a TV series! The show is called "Haven," and it debuts on July 9 on SyFy (the network formerly known as The Sci-Fi Channel). In New York, it airs at 10PM; not sure what time it's on in other parts of the country, but check your listings. It'll also be shown outside the U.S., so wherever you are, there's a good chance you'll be able to watch it. The series expands on the story of the book, introducing a new main character (an FBI agent with a mysterious past), but you'll see as the series unfolds that the central mysteries of the book are very much at the heart of the TV show as well. There's a brief video up on SyFy's Web site if you want to get a taste of the show: you can find it by going to http://www.syfy.com/haven/ and clicking on the video link on the right side of the screen that's labeled "Haven - Everyone's Hiding Something." I'm fortunate to be working on the show as a writer and producer and am very excited about how it's coming out. There are some terrific stories hidden in the town of Haven, Maine, and week by week we'll do our best to bring them to you.

We've got more big developments in the works that I'm itching to tell you about...but those are still in the works, so we'll save them for a future update. In the meantime, please do grab a copy of NOBODY'S ANGEL -- and when July 9 rolls around, please tune in to SyFy and join me in watching Hard Case Crime's television debut!

Many thanks,

Charles Ardai
Editor, Hard Case Crime

Y/A CORNER: THE DARK DAYS OF HAMBURGER HALPIN!

Y/A CORNER: THE DARK DAYS OF HAMBURGER HALPIN!

JOSH BERK

Will Halpin has ditched his former "deaf school" and is now trying to merge into the auditory-able mainstream at Carbon High in eastern Pennsylvania. As the new, overweight kid who has to sit off to the side during classes so he can try to read the lips of both his teachers and his classmates, Will—no slouch when it comes to reading human reactions—quickly downsizes his social expectations and retreats back into the soundless cocoon of his own skull. Luckily for readers, it's darkly hilarious in there.

That's this debut novel's most potent hook: the opportunity to spend some quality time inside the precociously perceptive and sardonically witty head of this ultimate outsider as he visually eavesdrops—and rips on—the sick subtleties of a typical high school's social order. What teens wouldn't want to have Will's skills as he, notebook in hand, monitors the school bus mirror and pieces together what all the cool kids are talking about?

Most, Will discovers, as he deftly dissects personalities and devilishly deconstructs high school culture, are slavishly focused on being invited to an exclusive party being thrown by popular jock Pat. But when Pat dies during a field trip to a defunct coal mine, under suspicious circumstances, the story morphs into an engaging mystery as Will reluctantly accepts the unsettlingly friendly overtures of a quirky classmate bent on enlisting him as a partner in some amateur sleuthing.

A coming-of-age mash-up of satire, realistic fiction, mystery, and ill-fated teen romance, The Dark Days of Hamburger Halpin is a genre-bending breakthrough that teens are going to love.

NOBODY DOES BOND BETTER!

NOBODY DOES BOND BETTER!

THE MOVIE FAN FARE BLOG HOSTED BY MOVIES UNLIMITED HAS STARTED A SERIES OF BOND RELATED POSTS . . . 001 TAKES ON SEAN CONNERY . . .

Bad news came to James Bond fans recently with word that development on Eon Production’s 23rd Bond film was suspended indefinitely due to MGM’s current financial woes. Now that 007 followers are forced to curb their enthusiasm for the next appearance of the famous gunbarrel logo (though there is very little doubt that "James Bond Will Return"), we can pass some time doing what fans of the superspy love to do during the down times—argue once more about the previous 22 movies!

It gets asked over and over again, so why not here: Who's the best James Bond?

It's hardly as much fun to simply ask fans to rank Sean Connery, George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan, and Daniel Craig like so many contestants in an acting pageant. Choosing a real champion in the realm of the Bond series offers opportunities to conduct an exercise that, especially unique to this franchise, I believe also depends on picking "bests" that reside outside any evaluation of the lead actor's performance. Fans and critics alike have frequently declared that the best Bonds in general are only as good as their villains, but as we Bond fanatics know, there are many—so many—other elements involved in picking the winner.

By the end of these posts, we’ll have figured it out once and for all.

TO READ THE COMPLETE POST CLICK HERE

HOTEL LAFAYETTE ~ DENISE BRIGHAM CD!

HOTEL LAFAYETTE ~ DENISE BRIGHAM CD!

Wherever she performs she brings down the house! The most often heard expression is “how does such a big voice come out of such a tiny person?”

Indeed her 5'3” stature hides a voice rivaling the best in professional entertainment anywhere, and her new album HOTEL LAFAYETTE is proof. Backed by a 70 piece all professional orchestra, Denise makes full use of her wide vocal range and unique styling to light up the electrifying new arrangements written and produced by Carey Deadman.of Wicked and Jersey Boys fame.

The CD features the incredible pianist Jeremy Kahn assisting with all of the re-harmonization work. Backing Denise is most of the orchestra from from the hit show Wicked along with its star conductor Colin Welford. Recorded at the multimillion-dollar Chicago Recording Company and engineered by Chris Steinmetz, one of the industry's best, this is an album for all who love great orchestral/big band standards.

TRACKLIST:

• Almost Like Being In Love
• The Cincinnati Kid
• Whatever Lola Wants
• At Last - Johnny Angel
• Fools Fall In Love
• Wee Small Hours Of The Morning
• Around The World
• Fly Me To The Moon
• You Belong To Me
• Somebody Loves Me

FOR MORE INFO CLICK HERE

TO VISIT DENISE BRIGHAMS WEBSITE CLICK HERE

MOVIE REVIEW ~ CITY ISLAND!

MOVIE REVIEW ~ CITY ISLAND!

Every so often a small independent film comes along and really amuses me with its structure, dialogue, and performances of the actors – the whole package coming together. A few years ago it was Little Miss Sunshine. Last year it was 500 Days Of Summer. Both of those films I walked into without any preconceived knowledge of their premise. In both cases, I was dragged along by friends, going only to please them, and ending up having a wonderful film experience.

This year I’ve experienced the phenomena again with City Island, starring Andy Garcia, Julianna Margulies, Steven Strait, Emily Mortimer, and Alan Arkin. It relies strictly on good writing, good directing, and outstanding acting – there isn’t a swear word, a car chase, in your face violence, or even an exposed private body part. It could have had all of those things, but City Island doesn’t need them. The film lives or dies for the viewer simply by being entertaining.

Set in a quaint fishing community on the outskirts of New York City, City Island is a humorous and touching tale about a family whose comfortable co-existence is upended by surprising revelations of past secrets and present day lies. Vince Rizzo is a lifelong resident of the tiny, tradition-steeped Bronx enclave of City Island. A family man who makes his living as a corrections officer, Vince longs to become an actor.

Ashamed to admit his aspirations to his family, Vince would rather let his fiery wife Joyce believe his weekly poker games are a cover for an extramarital affair than admit he's secretly taking acting classes in Manhattan. When Vince is asked to reveal his biggest secret in class, he inadvertently sets off a chaotic chain of events that turns his mundane suburban life upside down.

A perfect storm of deception, half truths, and confusion makes Vince and his family members realize that the truth may not set them free, but it is easier to keep track of than all their well-intentioned white lies.

City Island is a film that should have imploded. Coincidence, misunderstandings, and conventional clichés abound, but they are spun so differently as to appear fresh. Part of the viewing fun is waiting to see how all of the divergent stories will collide – knowing they will at some point – all the while hoping against hope for a worthwhile ending, which City Island delivers.

There is real writing going on here, genuine emotion, and humor arising out of character instead of in spite of it. There is some brilliant acting by everyone involved, but particularly Andy Garcia as the bewildered yet intelligent Vince Rizzo.

City Island is a human film – one you will continue to talk about with friends after you’ve walked out of the theater, will continue to think about, and chuckle about the next day. Find the art theater in your town where it is currently playing, or tag it to your Netflix queue – you’ll be amused and entertained.

Y/A CORNER: ARCHVILLAIN!

Y/A CORNER: ARCHVILLAIN!

BARRY LYGA

Kyle Camden knows exactly where he was the night Mighty Mike arrived: Sneaking around the fallow field behind Bouring Middle School (motto: "The U Makes It Exciting!"), running the electrical cabling that would allow him to dump the contents of the old water tower on the visiting football team during the next day's game. Which is why he couldn't tell anyone where he was. Or what he saw.

Those lights everyone saw in the sky weren't tiny meteors burning up in the atmosphere. They were some kind of strange, supercooled plasma that bathed the entire field - including Kyle - in alien energies, energies that boosted Kyle's intellect and gave him superpowers.

Unfortunately, the energies also brought Mighty Mike to earth.

Kyle is the only one who knows that Mighty Mike is an alien. Everyone else thinks that Mike is just some kid who stumbled into the field, got beefed up on meteor juice, lost his memory, and decided to start rescuing kittens from trees. But Kyle knows the truth. And he'll do anything in his power to stop Mighty Mike, even if it means being an Archvillain!

INTERNET BOBBY DARIN TRIBUTE!

INTERNET BOBBY DARIN TRIBUTE!

SUNDAY, JUNE 6TH, 2010

1PM TO 2PM (EASTERN STANDARD TIME)

BOBBY DARIN RADIO TRIBUTE

SPOTLIGHTING BOBBY DARIN THE SONGWRITER

HOSTED BY MICHAEL MACOMBER OF DARINLAND.COM

ON WTSR 91.3 FM OR LISTEN LIVE WORLDWIDE ON THE INTERNET

GO TO http://wtsr.org AND CLICK LISTEN LIVE IN THE UPPER RIGHT

MODESTY BLAISE/PETER O’DONNELL TRIBUTE!

MODESTY BLAISE/PETER O’DONNELL TRIBUTE!

ARTISTS FRANCESCO FRANCAVILLA (INKS) AND STEVE GORDON (PENCILS) POOLED THEIR TALENTS TO PRODUCE THIS STUNNING TRIBUTE TO MODESTY BLAISE AND HER CREATOR, THE LATE PETER O’DONNELL. IT’S DEFINITELY A KEEPER . . .

BLACK BEETLE #0 ~ LTD EDITION!

BLACK BEETLE #0 ~ LTD EDITION!

Francesco Francavilla still has a few copies left of this very cool (and reasonably priced) limited edition (100 copies) of No Way Out, his first Black Beetle story arc.

The fullly colored book contains the first 5 sequential pages (which he has previously posted on his Pulp Sunday blog) and a sketchbook section with lots of concepts and illos. The book contains 12 pages plus inside covers, and measures approx. 7.5x10.75" (magazine size). You can see the front cover above and the interior front cover below.

All books come with a quick Black Beetle sketch when purchased directly from Francovilla (he created a space in the book specifically for this purpose).

FOR MORE INFO OR TO ORDER CLICK HERE

24 TRIBUTE!

24 TRIBUTE!

MY FAVORITE PULP ARTIST, FRANCESCO FRANCAVILLA, GIVES HIS TRIBUTE TO 24’S JACK BAUER IN ACTION ON HIS ACTION! THRILL! SUSPENSE BLOG . . .

TO SEE MORE CLICK HERE