Category: Authors

The Far Empty by J. Todd Scott / Z-View

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The Far Empty by J. Todd Scott

Hardcover: 448 pages
Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons

First sentence…

My father has killed three men.

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

J. Todd Scott pulls us in from the first sentence and proceeds to unfold his story from the perspective of believable characters with a slow burn to a dramatic conclusion that leaves us satisfied and yet hoping for more. (Rest easy, more stories are coming about those who survive.)

The Far Empty is a modern day western-noir wrapped around a mystery (mysteries) with enough action and suspense to satisfy the most critical reader.

 When Chris Cherry, a new deputy in Murfee, Texas, finds the handcuffed, skeletal remains of a body in a remote area not far from the Mexico/Texas border, he starts an investigation.  It’s an investigation that will uncover secrets best left hidden and may cost him his life.

The Far Empty hooked me from the first sentence.  I loved every page and give it my highest recommendation.  J. Todd Scott is the real deal.

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RIP – Stephen Verona

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Stephen Verona died on Saturday after a year and a half long battle with lung cancer.  Readers of this site probably know Verona best as the Producer, Co-Writer and Director of Lords of Flatbush, but Verona was much more than that.

Verona got his start creating commercials.  He met and became friends with John Lennon which led to Verona getting to animate the Beatles song I Feel Fine.  Next came a music short with Barbara Streisand.  He went on to work with Natalie Cole, Chicago, Simon & Garfunkel and many others.

Verona was a screenwriter, an award-winning  director of feature films, television episodes and specials, an  an award-winning painter and photographer.  A renaissance man, indeed.

The Hollywood Reporter posted that “When Stallone learned that Verona was ill, he sent him an email saying that his career would not have been the same without him.”  The same could be said for many other celebrities.

Had Stephen Verona only been known as the talent behind Lords of Flatbush, it would have been worth noting here, but I hope fans know he was so much more.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Stephen Verona’s family, friends and fans.

The Last Good Guy by T. Jefferson Parker

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Coming on August 13th from T. Jefferson Parker is The Last Good Guy.

In this electrifying new thriller from three-time Edgar Award winner and New York Times bestseller T. Jefferson Parker, Private Investigator Roland Ford hunts for a missing teenager and uncovers a dark conspiracy in his most personal case yet.

When hired by a beautiful and enigmatic woman to find her missing younger sister, private investigator Roland Ford immediately senses that the case is not what it seems. He is soon swept up in a web of lies and secrets as he searches for the teenager, and even his new client cannot be trusted. His investigation leads him to a secretive charter school, skinhead thugs, a cadre of American Nazis hidden in a desert compound, an arch-conservative celebrity evangelist–and, finally, to the girl herself. The Last Good Guy is Ford’s most challenging case to date, one that will leave him questioning everything he thought he knew about decency, honesty, and the battle between good and evil…if it doesn’t kill him first.

Love that title and T. Jefferson always delivers.  The Last Good Guy is on my to-buy list.  If it makes yours, then click here.

Dark Duet: Two Noir Novellas by Eric Beetner

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I just put in my order for Dark Duet: Two Noir Novellas by Eric Beetner.

For the first time in print two novellas in the pulp paperback tradition of fast and no-punches-pulled noir.

In White Hot Pistol Jacy needs to get out of town and away from her stepfather, Brian. The only one she can turn to is her estranged brother, Nash. But getting away won’t be easy. Throw in a bag of cash, dark family secrets and a town cop who doesn’t want them to leave–who also happens to be the very man they’re trying to escape–and you’ve got a pulpy ride down the dark alleys of Noir. First time in paperback.

In Blood on Their Hands Garret and his friends get more than they bargained for with a teenage prank gone wrong. Now killers are after them and the one man who could help them can never know. Friendships will be tested and these young men will see what they’re really made of and if they’ll even make it out of their teen years alive. It’s a violent coming-of-age story and pulp fiction at its action-packed best. Never before published.

If this sounds like something you’d dig, here’s your shovel.

Frank Miller Talks “Cursed”

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I’m not particularly a big fan of young adult novels or the King Arthur legend, but I may just have to get on board when Cursed by Frank Miller and Thomas Wheeler comes out later this year.

Cursed…

…approaches the legend of King Arthur from a very different angle, focusing not on the destined King of the Britains, but the “Lady of the Lake” herself, Nimue. Featuring color and b&w illustrations from Miller, its an all-ages tour de force not to be missed!

You can learn more and see additional art at the PREVIEWSworld Q&A With Frank Miller.

Deep Silence by Jonathan Maberry / Z-View

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Deep Silence by Jonathan Maberry

Hardcover: 480 pages
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin

First sentence…

“We’re coming up on it,” said the pilot.

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

A series of earthquakes rock the eastern seaboard and are accompanied by outbreaks of temporary madness causing people to attack each other or commit suicide.  Joe Ledger and his team soon learn that terrorists using advanced technology are behind the strikes. The terrorist have plans that will leave the United States and much of the world helpless unless they can be stopped and the clock is ticking!

Maberry’s latest outing for the DMS team is perhaps their toughest yet and will lead to the end of the Joe Ledger series as we know it.  As you can imagine, series regulars (who survive) will be forever changed.

Deep Silence is another great Joe Ledger tale and like all of the others in the series is highly recommended.

Rating: 5 of 5 stars.

Pandemica by Maberry, Sanchez and Fotos is Coming!

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Jonathan Maberry is teaming with artist Alex Sanchez and colorist Jay Fotos to present Pandemica a new comic series coming from IDW.  Maberry describes Pandemica…

“Pandemica reflects a lot of fears about the direction in which our country and the world is going,” says Maberry. “It deals with a diverse group of people who discover that a secret organization is selling designer pathogens for use in ethnic cleansing. My story is about the kinds of people who take a stand against this, who find the courage to fight back, who put themselves in harm’s way to protect the innocent.”

IDW’s press release states…

The first issue of Pandemica, slated for release in September, will depict an America on the verge of war, as a shadow government prepares to launch “purity bombs” for ethnic cleansing, and a small group of scientists and former SpecOps shooters bands together to avert this disaster.

If this sounds like something you’d like be sure to let your local comic shop owner know.

Maberry’s & Milnes V-Wars: God of Death Preview!

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Jonathan Maberry’s V-Wars is being adapted into a Netflix series starting this fall.  V-Wars concerns humans facing a potential apocalypse not of zombies but of vampires!

As a companion piece and direct tie-in to the V-Wars series, creator Maberry and IDW Publishing are teaming up once more for a fanged foray into this horrific universe with the V-Wars: God of Death one-shot coming to comic shops May 29.

If this sounds like something you’d like SyfyWire has an advanced look: EXCLUSIVE: THE VAMPIRE APOCALYPSE GETS REAL IN IDW’S V-WARS: GOD OF DEATH.

Ken Meyer, Jr. Takes Us into the Realm!

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Ken Meyer, Jr. presents a monthly column called Ink Stains. In the column Ken (who is an amazing artist) posts a fanzine from his collection.  Here’s Ken…

I have a collection of over 200 fanzines from the 60’s-80’s that I plan to scan and talk about, one at a time. I hope to have some of the participants answer a few questions. Many of those participants are established comics professionals now, while some have gone on to other things. I will show a few snippets from each zine and give you a link to download a pdf of the whole thing, which I hope all of you will do!

In Ink Stains 103, Ken shares with us Realm #5 which features an interview with Ray Bradbury, a Berni Wrightson checklist, a story by Jan Strand, art by Michael Kaluta, Vaughn Bode, Darrell Anderson, Dan Adkins, Alan Weiss, Carl Barks, Roy Krenkel, Barry Smith, Frank Frazetta, Richard Corben, Gil Kane, Bill Black (whose art is posted above) and many others.

As always, thanks to Ken for bringing back great memories of fandom!

“L.A. Confidential” Gets the Cinephilia & Beyond Treatment

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L.A. Confidential is a great film and in The Sunny, Seedy ’50’s Underbelly of Curtis Hanson’s L.A. Confidential it gets the Cinephilia and Beyond treatment.  Click over and you’ll get…

  • A larger version of  Vlad Rodriguez’s L.A. Confidential poster
  • L.A. Confidential screenplay
  • Brian Helgeland: Screenwriters Lecture (Video)
  • L.A. Confidential audio interview with James Ellroy & Curtis Hanson
  • L.A. Confidential: Off the Record – Behind the Scenes Video
  • Rare behind-the-scenes photos
  • and much more!

The Killer Collective by Barry Eisler / Z-View

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The Killer Collective by Barry Eisler

Hardcover: 401 pages
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer

First sentence…

That was the dirty little secret of 9/11, he thought.

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

When sex crimes detective, Livia Lone uncovers a child pornography ring with ties to government officials and a cover-up by the FBI, she becomes a target.  Barely avoiding assassination by a two person hit team, Lone reaches out to Dox, a mercenary and former Marine sniper.  When a second attack on Livia is thwarted, Dox contacts his former team:  John Rain, Rain’s ex-lover Delilah, black ops soldiers Ben Treven, Daniel Larison, and Colonel Scot “Hort” Horton.

Eisler is not only an excellent writer but his experience in a covert position for the CIA and black belt in judo provide authenticity to the action scenes.  He’s especially good at bringing out the underlying tension when a group of mercenaries are brought together under circumstances where any one (or more of them) may be secretly part of the group they are working to bring down.

The Killer Collective is an intelligent action novel that entertains.

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“Black Summer” / Z-View

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Black Summer (2019)

Creators: John Hyams, Karl Schaefer

Stars: Jaime King, Justin Chu Cary, Christine Lee, Sal Velez Jr., Kelsey Flower and Erika Hau.

The Pitch: “Let’s make a prequel to Z-Nation.”

The Overview:

Black Summer is a new Netflix series that serves as a prequel to Z-Nation. Since it’s a prequel it’s not necessary to have watched Z-Nation.  (Truth be told, I like Black Summer better than Z-Nation).

The series starts off following what appears to be random folks working to survive a zombie outbreak.  The cool thing is that as the episodes progress people that we see in the background might become the focus of the next installment.  Ultimately a band of survivors forms with the goal of getting to a stadium where they hope the military is waiting to transport them to safety.  Because Black Summer is (at this point) a limited series, there is no “star” that you just know is going to survive.  This raises the stakes and adds to the tension.

You’d think by now we’d have seen it all when it comes to zombie stories.  Black Summer is proof that just ain’t so.  I really liked this first season and hope that it returns for a second.  Guess who else likes Black Summer?  Stephen King said this today…

“BLACK SUMMER (Netflix): Just when you think there’s no more scare left in zombies, THIS comes along. Existential hell in the suburbs, stripped to the bone.”

So don’t just take my word for it, take Stephen King’s.

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Rage: A Joe Ledger Novel by Jonathan Maberry

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Jonathan Maberry has a new Joe Ledger novel, Rage, coming out on November 5th and I can’t wait.  Here’s the synopsis:

Rage is the first title in Jonathan Maberry’s brand new Joe Ledger spin-off series of international weird science thrillers.

A small island off the coast of Japan is torn apart by a bioweapon that drives everyone―men, women, and children―insane with murderous rage. The people behind that attack want Korea united or destroyed. No middle ground. No mercy. And they are willing to punish any country that stands in the way―the United States, China, and Japan could all be consumed by a plague of pure destructive slaughter.

Joe Ledger leads his newly formed band of international troubleshooters in their first mission to stop the terror cell, fighting alongside agents from North and South Korea. With the lives of billions at stake, Ledger is willing to bring his own brand of terror to this frightening new war.

Rage is the first of the new adventures of Joe Ledger and Rogue Team International.

If this sounds like something you’d enjoy, you can pre-order Rage here.

All the Way Down by Eric Beetner / Z-View

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All the Way Down by Eric Beetner

TPB: 276 pages
Publisher: Down and Out Books

First sentence…

As Dale rode up in the elevator he thought, This is it, they know everything.  I’m fired and then off to jail.

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

Dale is a crooked cop who gets a chance at redemption if he can save the mayor’s daughter, Lauren. She’s being held captive in an abandoned building by a local gang.  Being on the gang leader’s payroll will get Dale in the building and to the top floor where Lauren is being held.  It will take a miracle and a lot of people dying for Dale and Lauren to get out alive.

All the Way Down, reads like a cross between Game of Death, Die Hard and The Raid: Redemption.  It’s an action-packed page-turner as Dale and Lauren work their way down, floor-to-floor meeting different folks out to kill them.  To complicate matters, thanks to Dale’s efforts, his wife is now in the crosshairs of gang members who want her dead… and does the Mayor really want Lauren brought out alive?

I’m a big Eric Beetner fan and All the Way Down doesn’t disappoint.

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