Review: 12 Burning Wheels by Cesar Torres (M-Brane SF)

12 BURNING WHEELS is the new collection by Cesar Torres.  It is the result of his challenging himself to write a short story a day for twelve days.  There was no common theme, no editor to work with; Torres just wrote to write.  I found it a beautiful, sensual collection with no two stories quite alike but read together, they provide a unique look into the bizarre landscape of Torres's mind.

Torres writes with a very sure hand and the tales in this collection is range from the erotic to the creepily horrorific.  The pace is very fast and because of the nature of the project some of the stories end abruptly, begging for further expansion, so I hope that Cesar revisits some of his worlds very soon!

All the stories are quite good but here are my favorites:

"The Broken Chest" is a story of of the relationship between a father anf daughter and immediately reminded me of the early works of Tanith Lee, beautiful!

"The Scryer" is weird and wonderful and the world of the Worm Queens needs to be explored further!

"Honey" is a retelling of the Greek Circe myth, from her point of view - beware her wrath!

"Mantis Love" is the most upbeat tale in the collection and was very touching as well.  There weren't a lot of kids out when I was in high school as there is today and I always applaud the young people that are proud of who they are at such a crucial age.

"Tincture DRK-01"...Cesar, LOVED IT!  Love potions always come with a price...

"We Merge" reads as if its from a larger work but it is still an action packed piece and compelling intoduction to Dax the Spider's world...

and "Lemonade..."; again, I believe part of a larger piece and another snapshot of a weird, colorful world...

I really enjoyed each of these short peeks into Cesar's mind and at the same time was sad there wasn't more to read to whet my appetite.  I definitely look forward to reading more of Cesar's work and recommend you do the same.  In the meantime, pick up a copy 12 BURNING WHEELS here  http://bit.ly/dwwpUZ  from Amazon.

Review: The Blue Moon Cafe by Rick R. Reed (Amber Allure)

I am loving that werewolves are making a comeback in horror fiction!  So it was with huge excitement that I plunged into Rick R. Reed's new book, THE BLUE MOON CAFE.

Terror has struck the gay community of Seattle.  Someone (or something) is killing gay men right in the heart of the gay district of the city and the murders are so violent that the authorites have no clue as to who is committing the crimes...or if the killer is even human.

Thad is unemployeed and single and is becoming dissatisfied with the recent downturn his life is taking.  Then one day, he wanders into The Blue Moon Cafe, a new Italian bistro that's just opened.  Here he meets Sam Lupino, the restaurant's owner, who is everything that Thad wants in a man-handsome, dark and passionate.  The attraction is mutual and after a dinner that satisfies one appetite and whets another, Thad takes Sam home.  The sex is rough and incredible and Thad  finds himself falling for Sam...but Sam is full of secrets.

Thad also meets Jared who is blond and sexy, and while Thad finds Jared attractive, he is too hung up on Sam and getting to the bottom of where Sam disappears to during the full moon to give in to that attraction...and the violent killings are continuing, and striking closer to home.

This was a great read and that is due in large part to Rick's expert handling and blending of the two storylines he has going here; the romance building between Thad and Sam is fraught with passion but also mystery since Thad feels Sam has secrets he's not telling him.  Then there's also the snapshots we get into the killer's mind as it continues it's bloody attacks on the gay men of Seattle.  Rick early on creates a creepy suspense and builds on it throughout the tale; he also captures Thad's confusion and insecurity about Sam equally well and as the book races to it's conclusion, secrets are revealed and more lives are put in danger when  the two storylines converge in a bloody yet satisfying climax.

I believe there is more to the story then what Rick's revealed to us so far.  There is definitely room for a sequel and then there's the question of a certain character that comes to the rescue just in the nick of time.  Let's hope Rick doesn't leave us hanging for too long and we hear more from Thad, Sam and Jared very soon. 

I highly recommend this book for you horror and werewolf lovers out there.  It will be a great addition to your library.  You can buy THE BLUE MOON CAFE here http://amberquill.com/AmberAllure/BlueMoonCafe.html .

And I also remind you to keep a lookout for ON THE EDGE, Rick's forthcoming collection due out this summer!

Press Release: Angry Robot Books To Join Osprey Publishing

On Tuesday May 11 Angry Robot Books issued this press release on its website, detailing its move from HarperCollins to Osprey:

Following an acclaimed first year of publishing, the revolutionary science fiction imprint Angry Robot Books has parted company with HarperCollins UK. It will now run as an independent publishing imprint, with the full backing of niche publishing experts, Osprey Publishing.

Angry Robot will continue to operate from its Nottingham base and with its existing team under Marc Gascoigne, its founder and publisher. Marc said: “With the support of HarperCollins UK, my team and I have worked very hard on Angry Robot since it was founded. We have a great publishing programme in place and a dedicated bunch of supporters, the Robot Army, as well as some excellent sales of our first titles in the UK and an imminent launch into the USA. We are very pleased to have become part of the burgeoning Osprey empire. They understand our business and the enthusiasts who drive it.”

Chris Michaels, HarperCollins Digital Publisher, Fiction/Non-Fiction, who helped set-up Angry Robot, said: “Having helped build the foundations for a successful future, we are delighted that the Angry Robot team has found a new publishing partner in Osprey. We believe this will help them develop their niche offering, supported by Osprey’s specialist sales and marketing teams. We wish them good luck for the future.”

Marc Gascoigne added, “Our publishing programme for 2010/11 will be basically unaffected by these changes. There will be a short break while the transition is sorted out, but we will be re-launching in September 2010 and then it will be business as usual.”
Osprey’s move is a reflection of the company’s continuing strategic drive into niche communities that share a deep enthusiasm for their interest or hobby, whether it be military history (Osprey Publishing), heritage (Shire Books), or science fiction and fantasy.

Richard Sullivan, Marketing Director at Osprey commented: “We have a great deal of experience of serving specialist niches with a very tight product focus. Angry Robot is a great fit with our existing businesses. We are very excited about the opportunity to enter into a new market and we are looking forward to helping Angry Robot, its authors and its readers go to some exciting places.”

Review: Contraband by Charlie Vazquez (Rebel Satori Press)

 

CONTRABAND is only the second novel by Charlie Vazquez and I look forward to many more from him.  He and I crossed paths on Twitter and after learning we shared interests, he was gracious enough to send me an ARC of his novel and allow me to review it.

Told in the first person, it is the story of Volfango Sanzo, a Latino man who is a government employee in a near-future America.  The country has turned in on itself because of civil war and revolution; government designed operating systems have rendered all other computers useless, communication satellites have been seized and media outlets restructured, all for the Revolution.  Curfews are mandated and public executions of dissidents have become popular entertainment.  It is in this America that Volfango works, as an employee for the Ministry of Technology.  But it wasn't always so.

Volfango remembers places and people seen with his father who was a sea-loving man, so much so that he left his children and wife behind to sail again on the sea, never to return.  Volfango remembers places full of color and music and people full of passion and life.  Now his life is working in the Ministry,always under the eye of the Republican Guard.  And Volfango also has secrets of his own, secrets that make him paranoid and fearful for his life.  Then he hears rumors of people "sinking down", defecting undeground to escape.  When his government mandated "gene test" is scheduled, he is so afraid of renegade genes in his DNA being discovered that he sinks down and tries to make a life underside, where everone he comes into contact with is a rebel and where he is also looked on with suspicion by them.

I read this book in one sitting.  Vazquez's colorful language is absolutely poetic and he also kept Volfango's adventures underside coming at me at a fast pace.  I found myself eagerly turning the pages to see what happened to Volfango next. And the other undersiders that Volfango meets on his journey are a gritty cast of characters indeed.  There are ex soldiers, thieves, prostitutes, high born citizens and even circus folk and for Volfango, they are all not to be trusted.

Vazquez was inspired by Latin American revolutionary struggles and this informs his near future, Big Brother setting.  There is no escaping the effects of the Revolution for Volfango.  He is never at peace and lives his life by doubting everything.  He becomes too bruised by the conflict raging topside and even within himself to express his emotions to those most close to him.

CONTRABAND is a fast paced, riveting tale that I enjoyed very much.  I am now going to seek out Vazquez's first novel as well.  Do yourself a favor get a copy of CONTRABAND today.  It is available on Amazon and at Rebel Satori Press as well.  You won't be disappointed.

Review: Tales From The Sexual Underground by Rick R. Reed (MLR Press)

This was the first collection of short pieces from Rick that I've had the pleasure to review; I dove into it immediately, eager to see to which dirty corners of the backrooms of his mind he would lead me.  And I wasn't disappointed.

I knew that Rick would excite and titallate me with this collection.  What I didn't expect was how uncomfortable some of the subject matter would make me.

Rick is very upfront in his introduction and tells us that he "wanted to write about people that were not just out, but out there, people who lived their sexual lives in ways most of us could only imagine...and for whom the flavor vanilla had absolutely no appeal."  And he covers this ground quite well, delving into topics like different sexual fetishes, the lure of the internet and thought provoking pieces that examine love,sex and monogomy in relationships.  Then there are the stories where he looks at gay men and drugs and bad judgement and HIV and it is here with these tales that I felt myself start to squirm a little.

To be sure, Rick isn't saying here that all gay men act as some of his characters have.  But the reality is those who haven't are in the minority.  Who among us hasn't seen a "sex god" and wanted to do whatever we had to to get into his pants?  Or been too high from a night of partying that we didn't think of the possible consequences of our actions?  Those consequences can be devastating as seen in "Negative. UB2", "Stranger Danger" and "Getting a Workout At The Health Club".  These stories made me shiver as I read them because the danger in them is very real.  The sexual underground indeed because we know the risks but ignore them for the more immediate gratification.

Equally chilling are "Meat Mallet" and "Craigslist", which had a cliff hanging ending that made me scream and then scream in frustration for wondering what happened next.  And there are the funny, laugh out loud tales as well: "The Truth-And The Myths-About Being A Slut", "Sick Day" and I am now waiting for Rick to collect all of the adventures of his friend Pete Thickwhistle ("Big And Sexy: A Late
Night Tale", "Glory Hole Grabber") into one volume, they are that hilarious.

Yes, I thoroughly enjoyed this collection and the ride Rick took me on in its pages and would absolutely recommend it to readers of horror and gay lit.  It definitely isn't for everyone but if you proceed with caution, you will be titillated, amused, thrilled and chilled.  Open your mind (or your legs) and you will enjoy the ride, too.

The Blue Moon Cafe/Tales From The Sexual Underground by Rick R Reed

Yay for me!  I've recently received review copies of Rick's two new books, THE BLUE MOON CAFE and TALES FROM THE SEXUAL UNDERGROUND!  He was generous enough to make sure I got them and I will be posting their reviews here shortly.

Thanks Rick!

The Dell/Abyss Reading Project

So for the last few months I've been slowly but steadily chipping away at organizing my storage space, or as it's more commonly known, my parent's garage.  As soon as the both stopped driving it became the catch all for all of our junk.  It's been quite full, to say the least.  Then last month my sister got married and started moving HER stuff out and suddenly I have all this space to work with!  So...

While I was consolidating and rearranging, sorting things to keep and things to donate, I came across this one box that contained books from that amazing old imprint Dell/Abyss.  I tore into the box and decided I was going to start rereading these books because I remembered them so fondly and I've been missing reading some REALLY GREAT horror.  Not that there isn't any really great horror being published now, there is; but I remember that these books were so cutting edge back in those days and now, some may be considered classics.  Some of these authors have turned to other genres, some still toll away in horror and some have stopped writing.  All I know is these books are great reads, scary and horrifying, just like I like my horror!  I may "review" some, maybe not,  but if you're interested in reading some really excellent horror try searching for these old title; you won't be disappointed!