About Me

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I write and live with my beautiful wife, Sandra, and sons (Solstice, Finnegan and Brahms) in a little-big house on a dirt road in a valley in the hills. My secret identity struggles through the grind of teaching high school English to the denizens of Vermont's Northeast Kingdom.

Monday, July 30, 2012

Book Review: A Gathering of Crows by Brian Keene

Here is another terrifying jaunt into the twisted mind of Brian Keene and his mysterious 13 (the otherworldly beings which are older than our universe and hate it with a cruel and undying passion). This time a small dying Pennsylvanian town falls prey to five crows which are so much more five crows. The real terror begins rather quickly as everyone in this small town are killed in horrific and awful ways, shut off from escape and all technology.

Thankfully, Brian Keene's supernatural warrior-hero, the ex-Amish Levi Stoltzfus arrives, but can this spell slinging bearded man be enough to save the handful of survivors. Will he even be able to figure out what is doing it in time to make a difference?

This story has some real moments of terror, exemplified by Keene's natural ability to create believeable characters that might carry an entire novel themselves if their life expectancy was not so short.

Do I love Levi's character (who made his first appearance in the mediocre Ghost Walk, an inferior sequel to the wonderful Dark Hallow)? Not really. But he proves himself very heroic by the end of the novel. It is here that I adore Keene's writing and find that it sits above most of the supernatural horror out there today. The morality is always gray and the characters and situation are realistically displayed from multiple points of view. I had a good time reading this book, and would recommend it highly for anyone who loves horror. It isn't Ghoul, Dark Hollow, or The Darkness at the Edge of Town (all of which I loved), but it was a very entertaining read.

Hairy Bromance is a go!

My paranormal dark comedy has been accepted for publication by Damnation Books! I am very excited to have people read about Barry, the werewolf, and Glen, the sasquatch, the great hairy drinking buddy duo as they thwart reptilian conspiracies, cross the country and strive for the mecca that is Comic-con.

Hairy Bromance had been contracted with another company, but the company did not do anything with the book, nor could I reach anyone for comment. The contract stipulates that in this case it returns to me after one year. Thus, good things do come to those who wait... and wait... and wait...

Just a little while longer and things will get very hairy... stock up on your Frontline.

Time to revisit some very old wounds...

Hello, faithful reader. I've decided to really challenge myself this time and write about something that didn't come flying out of my head. I've taken on the daunting task of immortalizing my father-in-law's experiences in and around Vietnam. That's right, it is going to be a no-holds-barred memoir that will take the American Marine's perspective on the conflict that divided a nation and cost thousands of lives. I hope to do it justice.

I've been having some pretty eye opening conversations with Richard for the past few weeks and have managed to crank out thirty pages of narrative getting him to his deployment. After a few edits on a previous work, I should be ready to jump down into the darkness. Wish me luck!