Editing by Elizabeth

December 13, 2010

‘Back to the Basics’ by James LePore

Tomorrow I’ll be reviewing James LePore’s most recent novel, Blood of My Brother. Today, however, I am pleased to welcome James for a guest post and a peek behind the curtain at his writing process.

When my publisher asked me to write this post, I was in the middle of writing a love scene in the novel I am currently working on. When I say love scene, I do not mean a scene in which two people make love, although that may be part of it. I mean a scene in which the spark is lit, the click occurs, that moves two people into the mysterious state we call romantic love.

Since Musings had given me carte blanche, and since the difficulty of writing such scenes——for me at least——was much on my mind (I had already spent about five hours on an interaction that would take up no more than two or three pages in the new novel) it occurred to me that I would write about writing a love scene.

The first thing I did was to look at what I believe is the pivotal click moment in Blood of My Brother, to see how, and what, I did. This is it: →

December 10, 2010

The Remains by Vincent Zandri

For a quick moment I thought about looking into the rear view. But I resisted the urge. Better not to see what was behind me; what might have been stalking me. – Rebecca Underhill

Painter and art instructor Rebecca Underhill is not sure who or what is stalking her, but for six months she’s been receiving odd and disconcerting text messages. Initially they simply said her name, but most recently have consisted of a single word: Remember.

She may have been able to dismiss the messages as just a prank, except that she has been remembering. She’s been having nightmares about a horrific event she and her twin sister, Molly, experienced thirty years prior.

The two sisters were abducted for a harrowing afternoon by a man who lived in a remote cabin in the woods surrounding their family’s farm. The girls escaped and, having been playing somewhere they weren’t supposed to be, made a pact not to tell their parents about what had happened.

Any doubt they had about their decision was removed when the man was arrested for another crime shortly after their ordeal and sentenced to thirty years in prison. Thirty years seemed like an eternity to the young girls; surely the monster would die in prison and they’d be safe. And they were, for awhile. But ten years ago Molly passed away from cancer and the girls’ parents died not too long after. Now Rebecca is alone with her nightmares. Or is she?

As with his previous release, the wonderful Moonlight Falls, author Vincent Zandri demonstrates that he’s most comfortable blazing his own trail and writing in areas that aren’t easily categorized. One would be hard pressed exactly how to describe The Remains. It’s part mystery, part thriller, part suspense, and even has a little touch of the supernatural. What there’s no mistake that it is, however, is gripping.

The cast of characters is tight, with Rebecca and one of her fellow artists, autistic savant and childhood friend Franny, taking center stage. Zandri skillfully interweaves the events currently vexing Rebecca with the events from the past that are haunting her, slowly building tension and revealing the depths of her nightmares and torment bit by tantalizing bit as the book unfolds.

Moonlight Falls was the first Zandri book I read, and I enjoyed it immensely. I went into the The Remains hoping for another experience that would be just as engaging, and Zandri did not disappoint. The Remains is an intense page turner that will keep you reading late into the night.

Vincent Zandri is an award-winning, bestselling novelist, essayist and freelance photojournalist. He holds an M.F.A. in Writing from Vermont College and is a 2010 International Thriller Writer’s Awards panel judge. Zandri currently divides his time between New York and Europe. He is the drummer for the Albany-based punk band to

December 08, 2010

Secrets to the Grave by Tami Hoag

“People are funny about their secrets. It doesn’t matter if anyone else cares or not. People will guard their secrets like junkyard dogs, and take them to the grave if they can.” – Vince Leone

There are a lot of secrets being kept in Oak Knoll, California in Secrets to the Grave, author Tami Hoag’s sequel to last year’s Deeper than the Dead.

Hoag wastes no time plunging the reader into the story, opening the book with a horrific crime scene depicting the aftermath of the brutal knife murder of single mother Marissa Fordham. Her four-year-old daughter, Haley, was also attacked and left for dead, languishing for two days with her mother’s corpse before being discovered.

Detective Tony Mendez is tapped to head up the investigation, and knows from recent experience to make use of a tremendous resource located in town, former FBI Agent Vince Leone, one of the pioneers in the field of behavioral profiling.

Mendez also seeks assistance from child advocate Anne Navarre Leone, herself nearly a victim the previous year of the so-called “See No Evil” killer that plagued Oak Knoll (the case which initially brought her then FBI Agent, now husband Vince Leone to town). Together they must try to help a traumatized child recover and, if possible, provide them with information to help catch her mother’s killer. →

December 06, 2010

‘The real thrill is writing’ by Leigh Russell

Today I’m pleased to welcome to Musings of an All Purpose Monkey Leigh Russell, author of the DI Geraldine Steel series. Leigh’s had quite a rocket ride of success in a very short time, but as she notes, “The real thrill is writing.”

Perhaps I’m unusual, but the thought of publication never crossed my mind when I started writing, which is paradoxical because just two months after writing the first draft of my debut thriller I was offered a three book deal by a leading independent publisher of crime fiction.

Just over two years ago I had an idea, started writing it down and found I couldn’t stop. Since then I haven’t managed to go a single day without writing. I’m absolutely hooked! It still amazes me that I didn’t discover my passion for writing earlier. Within six weeks I finished writing my first story and only at that point did it occur to me that I’d written a book.

With nothing to lose I submitted my manuscript to a publisher and thought that was the end of it. I never expected to hear from them, so you can imagine my excitement when the publisher called me two weeks later to invite me to a meeting and two months after that I found myself signing a three book deal. →

November 26, 2010

The Mad and The Macabre’s Twisty Route To Publication by Jeff Strand

I certainly hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving yesterday, and that you’ve also enjoyed Jeff Strand Week. Personally, I’m very thankful that Jeff found a balance to his meds that lasted long enough for him to write this guest blog. Enjoy!

So one day Michael McBride, Brian Knight, and I decided to write a book.

I’ve known both of them for several years, though the only time all three of us crossed paths in real life was the 2007 World Horror Convention, where most of our conversation consisted of variations on “Ha ha! You don’t have a book deal with a major New York publisher! You must suck!”

(The reason we could say this and have it be delightfully amusing was that none of us had a book deal with a major New York publisher. It’s the same principle that allows me to say “Ha ha! You didn’t win the Bram Stoker Award! You must suuuuck!”)

(Of course, I later published Pressure and Dweller with Leisure Books, forcing me to retire the joke. But then Leisure canceled its mass market paperback line shortly before Wolf Hunt could be published–actually, it was scheduled for THIS VERY WEEK if you’re reading this the day Elizabeth posts it, so the pain is still piping hot–and I pulled the book. So I’m not quite sure if I can make fun of people who don’t have New York publishing deals or not. Maybe I’m only allowed to make fun of other Leisure authors. I’ll have to research this.) →

November 25, 2010

The Sinister Mr. Corpse by Jeff Strand

There were plenty of “bad boy” celebrities, but they had some leeway from audiences in that they were usually physically attractive and had never been dead.

Stanley Dabernath was not exactly what one would call a success in life: thirty-five years old, sixty thousand dollars in debt (his Demented Whackos Video business having never really taken off), recently evicted from his apartment, subsisting on a diet of Ramen noodles (stolen, at that), and reduced to swiping alcohol from his parents to use at meetings with his few remaining potential business partners.

And so a cynic might argue that Stanley’s death (more spectacular than anything he ever accomplished in life – drowning in milk in a freak accident) was not really much of a loss to the world. Ah, but his death ironically gave him a second chance at life. Literally. Project Second Chance “rescued” Stanley from the morgue and, well, brought him back to life. On live TV (to record ratings).

Suddenly an international phenomenon dubbed “The Amazing Mr. Corpse” by the press, Stanley finally has the fortune and fame he always craved. Except, you know, he’s a semi-rotted, kinda smelly zombie. Nevertheless, determined to make the most of it Stanley rides the wave of talk show appearances, rap video cameos, beer commercials, product endorsements (t-shirts, candy, action figures), and personal appearances that come rocketing his way. A zombie living the high life. →

November 24, 2010

Kutter by Jeff Strand (The Mad and the Macabre)

“As he drove to work, it occurred to him that he should have taken the dog for a walk before he left. Oh well. It was far from the first mess he’d have to clean up in that basement.” – Charlie Stanlon

Forty-two years old, painfully shy, single, stuck working a dead-end cubicle job, Charlie Stanlon lives a pretty boring life as far as the world around him is concerned. Which is the way Charlie likes it.

What his coworkers don’t know is that when they head out for drinks after work, Charlie heads out to find his next victim. Charlie is a serial killer.

There’s an invariable pattern to his life that Charlie sticks with, a set of rules he lives by to keep himself from getting caught, and that strict discipline allows him to conduct regular hunts for victims and satisfy his urges while also keeping him under control and out of prison.

But a funny thing happens on a hunt one night. He finds an injured dog and, against his better judgment, takes it home. From that point forward Charlie’s life begins to change in ways he couldn’t previously have imagined possible. →

November 23, 2010

Out of Whack, Elrod McBugle on the Loose, Andrew Mayhem Series by Jeff Strand

Welcome to the continuing celebration of Jeff Strand Week. Though best known for his blending of horror and humor, Strand has written a few straight-up comedy works, such as How to Rescue a Dead Princess. (A sequel to which, How to Avenge a Squished Jester, never really got off the ground.) It’s a funny read, well worth checking out. But I can’t review everything, so I’ve chosen to review Strand’s other pure comedy works, Out of Whack and Elrod McBugle on the Loose, and to also give you an overview of the Andrew Mayhem series, the books that started Strand down the horror-humor road.

– Out of Whack –

“It should be pointed out that real life-panties don’t quite tear the way they do in the movies. ” – Seth Trexler

Out of Whack is the fictional autobiography of Seth Trexler, an aspiring horror writer turned comic, romantically challenged, big-hearted goofball. Along with Travis Darrow, his best friend since age 10, we follow Seth as he progresses through high school and into college. Along the way Seth gets drunk for the first time (which leads to meeting the woman of his dreams in a less than smooth manner), loses his virginity in hilarious fashion (see the quote that starts this review), and pursues a career in sketch comedy (despite having a paralyzing fear of public speaking).

Throughout it all Seth and his companions display the irreverent, self-depreciating humor for which Strand’s characters have come to be known, and the plot strikes the perfect balance between Animal House style madness and sneakily subtle self-reflection on serious topics such as love, friendship, and having the courage to follow your dreams.

And in one of the touches that are hallmarks of Strand’s books, the presentation of the book itself is a bit, well, wacky. The table of contents includes “chapter” listings such as: The first twenty pages (1-20), The next twenty pages (21-40), Perfect bowling score (300), Amount in my bank account ($1.57), and Page one-hundred-and-sixteen (243). Out of Whack also comes complete with a faux, ready-made book report provided by the fictional Seth for any students who may have purchased his book to use for that purpose, as well as an “Out of Whack Activity Page” (Because I care so much about you, the reader, I hereby give you this mostly-blank page to use for whatever you want. Enjoy!) conveniently located between chapters twenty-nine and thirty.

Out of Whack is a coming of age story as only Jeff Strand could tell. →

November 22, 2010

Killers and Corpses, Monsters and Mandibles, Guts and… Gummi Bears? Meet Author Jeff Strand

“No author working today comes close to Jeff Strand’s perfect mixture of comedy and terror.” – Cemetery Dance Magazine

Combining horror and comedy in such a way that neither overpowers the other is a delicate operation, but it’s something author Jeff Strand has demonstrated time and again he is a master of doing with surgical precision.

Of course, it helps that the man is seriously demented. Really, how else can you describe someone who has written books with titles such as Socially Awkward Moments with an Aspiring Lunatic, Casket for Sale (Only Used Once), How to Rescue a Dead Princess, and Werewolf Porno (yes, you read that right)?

Well, actually you can also describe him as extremely talented (he’s a two time Bram Stoker Award nominee – he keeps losing to some dude named Stephen King) and criminally unknown to mainstream audiences. Which is why I’ve chosen to give thanks that I am in the know about Strand’s work and to spread the word about his writing by making this Jeff Strand Week here on Musings of an All Purpose Monkey.

Jeff didn’t always want to be a writer. Initially he wanted to be a cartoonist, and spent the early part of his youth “drawing Spider-Man comics, violating copyright law left and right without a smidgen of guilt.” Eventually, however, the realization that he couldn’t actually draw very well settled in and he turned his attention to writing. →

– Out of Whack –

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