Friday, December 21, 2012

My 10 Favorite Short Stories of 2012

It was another good year for short stories in 2012. It is great this format has made a comeback. The time investment is minimal, yet the entertainment factor is high.  Here are 10 short stories that I really enjoyed for various reasons. I hope you might take the time to give them a read, check out the websites they were published on. If you dig them, maybe visit them in the future, and if the fancy strikes you, submit your own story(s) to them. I huge thank you to the authors for entertaining me so much!

Favorite Story I Read in 2012:
*too tough to pick from these 2, so it is a tie

JUDITH OF THE LIONS by R.S Bohn
Published by Three Lobe Burning Eye Magazine
Link to the Story HERE

EXPOSURE by Nick Boldock
Published by A Twist of Noir
Link to the Story HERE

My Other 8 Favorites ( in no particular order)

WHITE PEOPLE PROBLEMS by Thomas Pluck
Published by All Due Respect
Link to the Story HERE 

HELL by Christopher Black
Published by Thriller, Killers -n- Chillers
Link to the Story HERE

7 SECONDS by Erin Cole
Published by All Due Respect
Link to the Story HERE

LOSING TRACK by Col Bury
Published by A Twist of Noir
Link to the Story HERE

BABY BOY by A.J Hayes
Published by Yellow Mama
Link to the Story HERE

SNOW PATROL by Laura Roberts
Published by A Twist of Noir
Link to the Story HERE

ANOTHER MANS TREASURE by Joe Clifford
Published by Thriller, Killers -n- Chillers
Link to the Story HERE

LIKE CANDY by Jarrett Rush
Published by A Twist of Noir
Link to the Story HERE

Wednesday, December 19, 2012

A Review: OUTSOURCED by Dave Zeltserman


Finished this eBook version  in two days. The length was 230 pages, using a fairly large font size. I certainly recommend this as worthy read, especially if you really dig heist stories. I put the following review up yesterday. 

5.0 out of 5 stars A Clever Heist Story December 18, 2012
Format:Kindle Edition
This author has been on my radar for a while and after looking through his website, decided to read the sample of this novel. I was intrigued enough by the sample and purchased it. I love heist story's, the author is from the Boston area ( like me), and the story takes place in Massachusetts. A good start out of the gate, but still, the story had to be good to keep my interest, especially with a heist. Happy to report that my experience was very satisfying and I really enjoyed the ride. The author tells the tale in a format that I really love, ie; the story moves forward at all times, but characters are introduced as the story progresses and they all intersect throughout and in the end nicely. Very well done. I'd compare this way of storytelling to that of Guy Ritchie, Tarantino, Goodfella's, Casino, Blow etc... I enjoyed the heist crew, the unique robbery plan, and the Russian bad guys. The police / law enforcement piece of the story was done just to my liking. Just enough to add to the story, without too much annoying procedural detail and cliche, which will make me drop reading a story in a heartbeat. Bottom line: OUTSOURCED was decently priced at under $6.00, well-written and edited, a good story, and kept me very interested and entertained until the end. Can't ask much more for my investment and I will certainly be looking to read another novel from the author, which at this point looks like it will be "KILLER".

Monday, December 17, 2012

My Favorites of 2012:


2012 was a good year for reading for me, mostly because I discovered some writers who wrote novels I really, really dug. Along with them, I also enjoyed novels from writers I had discovered over the last couple of years and have become a loyal fan of theirs. So without further delay.....

Best Novel I read in 2012: TOLLESBURY TIME FOREVER by Stuart Ayris

This one really made a huge impression on me and the author is a top notch gent. Find out more about Stuart, TTF, his other novels, and where you can purchase them at his blog HERE 

Most Entertaining Novel I read in 2012: LOST VEGAS by Steve Brewer


Discovered Steve Brewer via facebook, and he has become one of my favorite writers. Lost Vegas was tremendous. so much so I also read, and really enjoyed his novels, The  Big Wink, and Calabama. I will surely be reading more from Steve. You can learn more about him and his novels at his blog HERE

Great "5 Star"  Reads: 

THE COLD COLD GROUND by Adrian McKinty
Adrian McKinty has consistently delivered the goods with every one of his novels and TCCG is no exception. He is one of my favorite authors and you can too can find out more about him and his novels at his excellent blog HERE

COLLUSION by Stuart Neville

If I had to pick one novel that absolutely changed the type of novel I like to read, and influenced me in both the genre and style I aspired to write in, it would be Stuart Neville's THE GHOSTS of BELFAST. It was truly a game changer. COLLUSION is the follow up to TGoB and it was a great read. Loved it. Find out more about Stuart and his novels HERE

TUMBLIN' DICE by John McFetridge

Rock 'n Roll, motorcycle gangs, and crime equal all the ingredients I love in a story. Been a fan of John's for a while now, and like McKinty, Neville, and Brewer, he seems to always deliver and writes in a style I love. Check out John and his novels HERE

THE OBITUARIST by Paul Waters
I found out about Paul by following his excellent blog and when I read that he had published a novel and read the description, I was intrigued. I read the sample, it was great, and purchased it. I really enjoyed this very much, for the unique premise, story, and writing style. Check out Paul's blog HERE

SAVAGES by Don Winslow
WOW. This one blew me away, for the story, but ultimately, for the writing style. This was the definition of cool.  Consider me a huge fan of Winslow, but it will be hard to top this one. Check out Don's site HERE

So there you have it. These picks are subjective of course and follow my tastes in reading when it comes to story, style, and entertainment factor. Hope you might give the authors and their novels a try, and visit their blogs / websites! 

Friday, December 14, 2012

OUTSOURCED by David Zeltserman


Thank the good Lord that 2012 is coming to an end. It was an incredibly shitty year ( see last few posts)  which continued as the last 4 weeks consisted of a 8 day bout with a nasty stomach virus, which immediately segued into arthroscopic knee surgery ( which was planned) to fix a torn meniscus. The good news is the surgery went very well, the bad news was that I have very bad osteoarthritis in the same knee.  But, the doc has also told me that I can still play lacrosse after 6 more weeks of recovery and start a daily dosage of glucosamine / chondroitin. Basically, that is what I wanted to accomplish..STILL PLAY LACROSSE, so that was great news.

I am a huge fan of heist stories, and have been following Dave Zeltserman's blog for some time. He's a Boston homeboy, and a pretty prolific novelist. I had not read anything he's written, but a post on his novel "OUTSOURCED" piqued my interest, because it was a heist. So.....I read the sample on Amazon and dug it. Enough so, that once my nook charges up, I'm going to buy it from Barnes and Noble. Once I finish, as I always do,  I'll be sure to follow up with a review.  Best of luck to Dave!

You can can find out more about Dave at his blog HERE and check out more details on OUTSOURCED HERE


Thursday, November 1, 2012

7 Seconds by Erin Cole

Just read a great short story over at the All Due Respect site. It's titled "7 Seconds" by a writer that I am a big fan of, Erin Cole. This story was very high on the suspense meter, and the writing, especially the descriptions and phases used throughout the story are just great. I really felt like I was seeing the events unfold from behind the eyes of the MC, like I was inside a helmet cam.

Big thanks to Erin, for providing me some well needed entertainment.

Check out the 7 Seconds HERE, where you'll also find a link to Erin's blog.

Monday, October 29, 2012

The Winners are in over at TK-n-C

What a bad year 2012 has been. First my dad passes away on Mother Day, then last week, my Grandmother, who was my Dad's mom, passed away in the same, slow, agonizing, and eventual morphine induced manner. They both ended up in the same nursing home, and it was very tough to go through for myself, my brothers, and my mom, It's just the four of us now, and I hope we have a long, healthy time ahead of us. The thing things that keep me going are faith, and the fact that no matter how bad things are for me, someone else is always worse off.

Now, in much more positive and uplifting news....

The always dependable site, Thrillers, Killers 'n' Chillers hosted a Halloween Horror Competition and have announced the winner and runner ups. Can't wait to read the stories once they are featured. A big round of congrats to all who participated. Well Done. Check out the announcement HERE...and be sure to give the stories a read when available.

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Hell (of a) Good Story Over At TK-n-C

The Thrillers, Killers -n- Chillers site has always been one of my favorites for finding great short fiction, especially from new (to me at least) authors. It is the site where I also had my first short story featured, thanks to Col Bury, and no writing accomplishment has equaled that moment when Col informed me that the story was accepted.

Once again, I just read a tremendous story, the kind I really like to read, and write. The author is Christopher Black and the story is titled "HELL". At it's core, it is a revenge story, but the way Chris has written it, makes it so much more. Congrats Christopher and best of luck with all your future writing!

Check out this gem HERE

Monday, August 13, 2012

The Sex Machine



Following up on Friday's post, the Killing Pandemic site was kind enough to accept my 760 word story, THE SEX MACHINE ( has nothing to do with Eric Roberts' invention in the movie STAR 80 ) Anyway, it was good to write something new and have the story on a site that has featured many writers I know and admire. Is it a decent story? Who knows, but it's just great to write something.

So, if you want to give it a look, you can check it out HERE



Thursday, August 9, 2012

Killing Pandemic & Off The Record II

Talented author and good guy, Kevin Michaels contacted me a couple weeks ago asking if I would be interested in being "tagged" by him as the next author to follow him on the Killing Pandemic blog. I checked out the site, very cool, and accepted, although I was very apprehensive because I had not written anything in about 6 months since my dad got sick. So, I took a week or so to come up with some ideas and eventually started writing it. It was not easy, but I chipped away at it and just sent it in (760 hard earned words)

The story is called "The Sex Machine" and not sure when it will be on the site, but of course I am very nervous about what readers will think. I will say it was fun to write.

So, you can check out the Killing Pandemic site HERE. It's well worth a look and Kevin M's story The Edge Of The Road is currently featured.


A couple months ago Luca Veste contacted me, asking if Iwanted to be part of the OFF THE RECORD sequel he is putting together. My story "Redemption Song" is in OTR-1. This time the theme is movie titles, rather than song titles.

I chose "Boogie Nights" as my title, a movie I love. Due date for submissions is AUG 31, and I should have it done before that. It has a 2,500 word count limit, so that is the arena I like to write in for short stories, although 3,500 really is ideal.

To find out all the deets about OTR-2 check out Luca's post HERE


Friday, July 27, 2012

Freebies & Tumblin' Dice

Just an FYI for anyone who may be interested, or knows someone who may be, my novel, Mindjacker, and all my short stories are available for free download today thru tomorrow (midnight) on Amazon. Just click on any of the covers on the sides of this blog to get to them. If you do read any, I hope you find them at least entertaining, and of course I sincerely thank you!
Downloaded (to my nook) TUMBLIN DICE by one of my favorite authors, John Mcfetridge. Been wanting to get to this novel for a while now, so I'm psyched to be reading it. I 'm 5 chapters in, and really digging it. Rock-n-Roll, lots of musical references, cool characters, great delivery and dialogue, bad guys, and crimes. Doesn't get much better than that, for me at least. 

You can check it out at B&N, or Amazon HERE and get more info on John over at his site HERE

Thursday, July 26, 2012

The Obituarist by Paul Waters


I have been a follower and fan of Paul Waters' BLACKWATERTOWN blog for some time now. It is very entertaining, he's a great host, and has some really interesting and loyal followers. The long, drawn out sickness and eventual death of my dad, had kept me out of the blogging loop for a good stretch, and I was very surprised and excited when I read yesterday that Paul had a new story available in eBook format. I downloaded it to my nook ($2.75) yesterday and finished last night, and glad I did. You can find out all the details via Paul's blog post HERE. Big-time congrats to Paul and best wishes his way.

I posted the below review on B&N, Amazon US & UK
5.0 out of 5 stars Very Entertaining Read! July 26, 2012
The plot description piqued my interest (very original) and the sample pages sold me on this story. Really glad I read this and it rated very high on the entertainment meter. It was a quick read and I finished it in one day. Once I got into it, I had to keep reading to get to the end (always a good thing for me) This story is very well written and Paul Waters' s style of delivering this particular piece reminded me of Donald Westlake, and also Colin Bateman. Both are authors I really enjoy reading. Along with the good story, what really did it for me was the banter and relationship of the the two main characters, the personal thoughts and asides of the main character, and the humor (of which there is plenty. It was also a nice bonus to get an insiders view of the newspaper / media business, and to learn a bit more of WW2 from an English perspective. I highly recommend this story and look forward to future works from the author.

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Sandra Seamans @ Do Some Damage

If I had to pick a blog that helps writers more than any other blog, I would have to go with Sandra Seamans'. It is a tremendous site and is updated all the time with valuable info of all kinds. A big thank you for this Sandra.  You should surely check out an interview with her that is featured over at the Do Some Damage site to find out more about Sandra, her blog, writing, and especially her new story collection COLD RIFFS, which is pictured above. Best of luck, Sandra, you are on of the good ones!

You can find the interview HERE

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

The Dead Girl & The Broken Nose

Followers of this blog may, or may not, know I am into the sport of lacrosse, big-time. I coach, play, and follow it with a passion. It is a fast moving, exciting, contact sport. It kind of mixes all the best aspects of hockey, soccer, basketball, and even hurling.  Well, just when I thought that 2012 could not be any worse, my wife and I were at Harvard University last Sunday watching my son play in a tournament, and she gets hit in the face with a lacrosse ball , which was moving at least 70 MPH.

It was like she got hit by someone with a sniper rifle. For better, or worse, she had on sunglasses, which probably saved her eye-socket / eyeball, but her nose was not so lucky. She has / had a great nose! I had to give her my tank-top to stop the huge amount of blood pouring out, and it ended up almost 100 % saturated by the time we reached the first-aid tent. Luckily, she fractured the bone between her eyebrows ( yes, it was right between the eyes) and not the cartilage part of the nose. For the first couple days, she looked like Jessica Alba after Casey Affleck gave her "the beatdown" in The Killer Inside Me. I'm happy to report she is doing much better 8 days later, and the break was so clean, she might not need surgery... Fingers crossed. She's a terrific person, and I only wish it was me who got hit, but even more thankful it was not my son who got it.


In other news, I watched a really good movie last night called THE DEAD GIRL.
It's one of those stories I really dig. 5 different sub-stories that all relate to each other as it moves along. It has a great cast with some really excellent performances, most of all, I think is by the late Brittany Murphy. If you can catch it on cable or Netflix, it's def worth a look.

Monday, July 16, 2012

Savages by Don Winslow Kicks Ass!


Read "Savages" by Don Winslow on my nook and finished it in 3 days. It's one of those novels, for me at least, that I could not put down. I really, really dug this story, but what made it for me is Winslow's style. The narration technique is 100% my favorite and I don't know what you call it, but I liken it to Bret Easton Elllis, Chuck Palahniuk, and even John McFetridge. Savages is one of those cool, hip, smooth as silk type of stories that pulls you in and takes you along for a great ride. I want to see the movie, but just from the trailers I have seen ( after I read the novel ) I get the feeling that they changed a lot of stuff and it has potential to be a big let down. But, if my wife wants in, I'll probably part with the cash.  Def going to read more of Don Winslow's novels in the future. Savages was well worth the $12.00 (ouch!) I paid to download from B&N and provided more than enough entertainment and escapism for that price. Highly recommended!

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Jarrett Rush @ AToN... & Savages

Another quality story is up at the A Twist of Noir site. This one is titled LIKE CANDY, and it's written by a new to me author ( which is always cool) named Jarrett Rush.  I liked this story right from the start and even more as I read on. Check it out HERE

After a visit to Jarrett's blog, I also found out he has was offering a free download (via Smashwords) of his 8K word short story REUNION, and I downloaded to my nook. His blog can be found HERE

From the moment I saw the trailer of Oliver Stone's latest movie SAVAGES, I knew it was the kind of movie I would dig. Then, I find out it was based on a novel by some cat named Don Winslow. Well, I'm ashamed to say I had not heard of Mr. Winslow, but I did some internet recon and I think he is most def my kind of author. I just downloaded the sample of Savages to my nook ( 11.99 seems kind of steep, but I figure I'm going to buy if I dig it) I was hooked after the first chapter which consisted of:

"Fuck You"

Sold me right then, and I only needed to read a couple paragraphs of Chapter 2 to know I am going to really, really dig this novel. The writing style is right up my alley. Now, I have to read it fast, so I can see the movie while it is in theaters.

Monday, July 9, 2012

Col Bury's at A Twist of Noir

Good friend and fine writer, Col Bury, has a new story on display over at the A TWIST OF NOIR site. It's titled, LOSING TRACK, and it is a very entertaining, one of his best, in my humble opinion.

Check it out HERE

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

A Review: KILLER REELS by Rob Kitchin

After reading and very much enjoying Rob Kitchin's KILLER REELS, I put the below review on Amazon US & UK. I think it is important and the right thing to do to write and post a review, if I enjoyed something I have read. If I didn't dig it, I won't do a review, but that's just me.  Anyway, I really dug KILLER REELS and I'm glad I found out about it ( big-time thanks to Paul Brazill for turning me on to it). The description really sold me on it and I just had to give it a shot. Best of luck Rob!

5 STARS: A KILLER READ!
"This was truly a good read with a very unique and engaging premise. There are 12 stories, but the author delivers each one so that they seamlessly connect to each other as you move forward. The HAVE TO KEEP READING factor is very high and I finished "Killer Reels" in under 3 hours. The writing is extremely good and the star of the show, lunatic crime boss, Jimmy Kiley (think Whitey Bulger meets Lenny Murphy meets Jigsaw) is evil, yet entertaining and is a bad guy for the ages. As I read it, I felt like I was watching 12 episodes of a well-produced cable crime series (which I think might be an option, if the author chose to pursue that angle.) Fast paced, well done violence, excellent characters and dialogue all combined to provide me with some well needed entertainment!"

Monday, June 4, 2012

KILLER REELS by Rob Kitchin


While checking out Paul Brazill's tremendous blog, I was more than psyched to find out that Rob Kitchin has a new novel out, KILLER REELS. The below description caught my attention, and it sounds like the exact kind of story I love. I will surely be reading this one, very soon, like tonight.

"Jimmy Kiley is a ruthless criminal boss and a keen amateur movie-maker.  He sees no reason why he shouldn't mix business with pleasure."

Rob is does so much for the crime writing community and comes off as such a great guy. I am very excited and happy for him!

Do yourself a favor and check out the "Short, Sharp Interview" Rob did over at Paul B's place HERE  


Rob also hosts a great blog HERE, and of course, if you want to cut to the chase and purchase KILLER REELS for only $1.99, you can do so HERE

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

R.I.P John "PA" Reardon

As some followers of this blog might know, my dad had not been well since before Thanksgiving, He'd been in and out of the hospital and Christmas was the last holiday that he was able to be home and with all his family. He underwent open-heart surgery on Jan 30th, but due to complications, never came home, and passed away on Mothers Day at 6:00 AM. He was suffering very badly at the end, but never gave up, or lost his courage. The pic above is him and mom on a cruise they took to Bermuda a couple years ago.

Here's a link that tells you a bit about him, and what kind of guy he was HERE

The outpouring of support from everywhere was just unbelievable, especially at his wake, where two police details were needed as the main road in my hometown was backed up a half-mile just to get into the funeral home. A great testament to how many people knew, loved, and respected "PA"

Through it all, my fellow bloggers provided excellent posts and stories to keep my mind off things. Thanks so much. Hopefully, my mom gets through it a day at a time and enjoys a really nice stretch of life ahead of her.

He was one of the good ones in life, and will be missed greatly!

Thursday, May 10, 2012

The Talented Mr. Brown

Over at Paul Brazill's site, talented author, interviewer, and reviewer Graham Smith is talking about books vs TV shows. Graham seems like a great gent and doesn't he look perfect in the picture above. If they ever remake THE SHINING again, I think he would be a perfect fit for the Scatman Crothers role from the original.   I loved this line from his guest blog.

"Any copper who kicks down a door and shouts “Don’t move. You’re surrounded by armed bastards will always get my vote."


While your pouring the drinks Graham, I'll take a triple espresso with a Red Bull chaser!


You can check out the post, and find out much more about Graham's writing HERE


- Over at Novel Spaces, Jewel Amethyst is looking for help naming her latest novel. Join the fun HERE

- Two great short stories are featured over at Thriller's Killer's -n- Chiller's. Chris Allinotte takes you to Carnaval with a creepy tale, "My Blood Runs Hot For Carnaval" HERE and Christopher Hivner spins a clever tale with his unique, down and dirty love triangle story "Painkiller" HERE

- After a brief hiatus, editor Dave Barber has posted a new story over at The Flash Fiction Offensive. Allen Watson is featured with a seemingly innocent story that will leave your mouth hanging open when you finish. check out the aptly titled "Mother's Ruin" HERE

Friday, May 4, 2012

Back in (Tony) Black


Been a regular follower of Tony Black's Pulp Pusher blog for a while now. It looks great and he seems like a real class act. He recently announced that he has a new novella coming out (pictured above) titled "R.I.P ROBBIE SILVA" The cover looks great and the description is right up my alley, big-time! 

"Jed Collins, fresh from jail, is struggling to go straight when he hooks up with wild child Gail. Before long Jed's back to blagging - with Gail in tow. But Jed has a past, and Gail has a secret about her gangster father she wants to keep under wraps. In R.I.P Robbie Silva, one week in the Scottish capital for Jed and Gail turns into a bloody rollercoaster ride that leads straight to hell."

Tony says,  'it is a bit of a heist story', and I am all over heists! 

He also has other work out there like the well-received MURDER MILE which is available at Amazon UK HERE and Amazon US HERE

You can check out Tony's blog HERE and the publisher of RIP ROBBIE SILVA is another class act, BLASTED HEATH. Check out all their titles HERE

Thursday, May 3, 2012

Sneak Peak at McKinty's Next One!

It's no secret to followers of this blog as to how much I like Adrian Mckinty's crime novels.  His last one, THE COLD COLD GROUND, I loved and if you have not read it, feel free to check out the post and review I did back in January HERE


 I am pleased to report that the first 4 chapters of the next installment of the 3 novel series is available to read ( and provide feedback ) on his blog. The title is I HEAR SIRENS IN THE STREET, and you can find it HERE I really enjoyed it and I think you will as well. I'm hooked already and I'll surely be downloading it when it comes out, hopefully in January!

In other news.....

* Matt Hilton broke news of a really exciting E-book collection that he is putting together which includes a ton of great writers. Check out all the particulars HERE


* I am a huge fan of Rod Serling / The Twilight Zone  / Night Gallery. Over at Thrillers, Killers -n- Chillers, DB Cox has channeled the Serling / TZ vibe perfectly with his story BOTTLED IN CHICAGO. Give it a read HERE 


Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Clarissa Explains It All


No...not THAT Clarissa from the early 1990's sitcom, whose brother Ferguson (pictured above) was def one of the TV's most annoying ( but I have to admit funny) characters. I of course am referring to the one and only Clarissa Draper, who I have known via the blogsphere for some time now. She's a class act and runs a popular and entertaining blog LISTEN TO THE VOICES.  

She shared some great news about the publication of her debut E-book, a mystery titled THE SHOLES KEY. I could not be happier for her and the description sounds excellent. I will surely be reading this one!

"All across London, single mothers are vanishing. Margaret Hill, mother of two, walked out of her house two months before, never seen again. A month later, Carrie-Anne Morgans takes her two-year-old son for a walk in the park and disappears, leaving him alone in his stroller. Lorna McCauley leaves her London flat in the early hours of the morning to buy medicine for her sick child and does not return.

Newly promoted Detective Inspector Theophilus Blackwell is assigned the case of Lorna McCauley, which on the outside seems to be a simple case of mid-life crisis and child abandonment. Elsewhere in London, MI5 analyst, Sophia Evans, is working undercover to catch an animal rights group responsible for targeted bombings. As Sophia's case (and her personal life) fall to pieces, she receives a strange envelope in the mail. It contains a picture of Lorna McCauley's lifeless face along with a daunting code.

Now the police and MI5 are forced to work together to stop the murders, and Sophia must find her way into the terrifying mind of a serial killer." 




Check out all the deets in Clarissa's blog post HERE or just cut to the chase and download The Sholes Key HERE

Thursday, April 19, 2012

Tom Pitts @ FFO

Tom Pitts has a good story, DEALER SETS PRICE, on display over at the Flash Fiction Offensive. It 's a quick read and some mighty fine dialogue on display. I felt like I was right there with the two MC's the whole story.

You can read DEALER SETS PRICE Here  and you can check out Tom's blog Here

Court Merrigan is doing the "Dancing With Myself" gig, as well as sharing some exciting news regarding a story collection of his that is getting published. Court seems like a good shit...So,  bop on over to Nigel Bird's blog to find out what makes Court tick Here

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Laura Roberts @ A Twist of Noir

Found an entertaining short story by Laura Roberts titled SNOW PATROL, which is featured over at a Twist of Noir today.  Laura does a great job of using the setting as a character and the imagery throughout is very good

You can check out SNOW PATROL Here

Laura's website is very impressive. You can find it Here

She also has a novel out there "Rebels of the 512" Here

Monday, April 16, 2012

Pluck You!

Still been a stressful time for the Reardons related  to my dad and the complications from his quadruple bypass, which was done on Jan 30th. He's been bedridded since and we got the call everyone dreads on Friday to get to the hospital asap. Fortunatley, he pulled through a very scary weekend, and is coherent and able to talk to us today. The old man still has some fight in him, and I knew he would not go out like that. Family is everything to me, and without my mom, two brothers, relatives, and friends, none of us would be able to make it through this. I am so lucky to have them!

The pic above is me and my wife Vikki getting ready to leave for our daughter's school "gala" fundraising event. It was a blast and we have really been enjoying the fact that our 2 kids are older, and now we can enjoy going out together (without them).

Thanks to Chris Ratighan's Blog, I  was able to read a great story by Thomas Pluck called "White People Problems" that is showcased on the All Due Respect site HERE

Tom is an author who I will always read and have been very entertained by all his stories. He's a big dude and seems like one heck of a nice guy. He supports other writers and has incredible "online manners". A real gent in every sense of the word.

You can check out Tom's site HERE

Thursday, April 5, 2012

Abide With Me: Janet Reid Digs It!!


One of my fave writers and one half of the ultra-talented Ayris twins, Ian, (Stuart is his brother) shared some huge news regarding a shining endorsement from big-time lit agent Janet Reid HERE  This is such good news and well deserved..Well done Ian!

I have followed Janet Reid's blog for many years, learned a ton about the industry, and also observed how the e-publishing dynamic has impacted / changed not only her following, but the overall tone of her blog. If there is a more dedicated person to both writers and her clients, I do not know about them. At least that is the image I get. One hell of a sense of humor and well-versed in salty (sometimes), tell-it-like-it is advice, Janet's blog is def a must follow. Best of luck to both her and Ian in all their undertakings!

ABIDE WITH ME can be found on Amazon US HERE and Amazon UK HERE

Monday, April 2, 2012

Liam Sweeney's @ TK-n-C

Thrillers, Killers -n- Chillers is on of my favorite sites. Editors COL BURY,  LILY CHILDS, and MATT HILTON do a tremendous job selecting the stories, which on any given day, could be in the crime, action, or horror genres. TK-n-C was the very first site where I had a short crime story published online. I will be forever thanksful for that!!!!!!!!!

Liam Sweeney's story "Dead Man's Switch" is center stage at TK-n-C HERE

You can find out more about Liam, and his writing endeavors HERE

Thursday, March 22, 2012

9 Days of Madness: R.S Bohn's "RECORDING"


Over at the Leaky Pencil blog, host Chris Allinotte kicked of his 9 DAYS OF MADNESS special on March 18th.  It's a 9 day event, with a new story by a diferent author being featured each day. The theme had to be  "Unsettling" and the word count max was 1,500.

Because of my father's ongoing heath issues, work, famil and lacrosse commitments, the only story I have read so far is by one of my favorite short story authors, who also seems to be a very cool person....R.S BOHN

You can check out R.S's excellent, and yes, very unsettling story "Recording"  HERE 

I will certainly be reading the stories that have already appeared and the one's coming next

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Another Cool Site: ISelfPub

Again, courtesy of Google Alerts, I found another website dedicated to self-publishing and had "Mindjacker" listed as free on Amazon over the weekend.  It is a very good looking site with lots to offer and I'm thankful they featured Mindjacker HERE, and from there you can check out the rest of the site. The cool thing is I had no idea ISelfPub or Pixel of Ink had done this, but in both cases, each site was a great find, I will be following.

Monday, March 19, 2012

COOL SITE: Pixel of Ink

Received a Google Alert that lead me to nice site called Pixel of Ink. It features free and bargain Kindle books. I was very shocked and pleased that my novel "Mindjacker" was featured with 2 other books on Saturday. Mindjacker was free on Saturday & Sunday and was downloaded over 9000 times. I'm thinking Pic of Ink, might have given it a nice boost. So, a hearty thank you to the owner(s) of the site.

You can check it out HERE

Thursday, March 1, 2012

Tumblin' Dice out today!

Found out some great news while reading John McFetridge's blog post this morning. His latest novel, TUMBLIN' DICE was released today. I have been waiting for this with great anticipation and cannot wait to read it, especially after sreading the first chapter over at his publishers, ECW Press, website HERE

You can find out all the details about the release of TUMBLIN' DICE, where to buy, learn more about John, and check out his other excellent novels at his blog HERE

Like I mentioned, the sample first chapter was excellent and you really should give it a try. I loved it and can't wait to read the whole story.

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Update: Personal and Writerly

Since before Thanksgiving, my dad has been in the hospital for what turned out to be a serious heart problem. It all culminated 4 weeks ago when he had quadruple bypass surgery. The post-surgery progress has been slow, and he was moved to a rehab facility late last week. It has been a stressful time for everyone involved, especially my mother. Both the hospital and the rehab are in Boston, which presents its own set of challeneges in terms of getting there from the suburbs where everyone lives. We're told his recovery process will move faster now that he is gettting specialized rehab. So, I'm very thankful he is still with us and things are going okay so far.

In other, less important news, I'm attending a Local Author event at the Nashua (New Hampshire) Public Library tomorrow night. There are about 20 authors attending, and it is very popular from what I'm told. The authors that will be there are a nice mix across many genres and I'm looking forward to meeeting them as well as the attendees. I'm also excited to be able to inform others about the great writers and blogs that I read and follow.

Thursday, February 9, 2012

Don Cornelius : RIP


SOUL TRAIN host Don Cornelius passed away last week (shot himself). I've watched many an episode of ST over the years and love him, or hate him, Dandy Don knew how to dress, and deserves a place in the pioneer catagory of television programming.

Here's Don's way chilly signoff at the end of each episode:

"... and you can bet your last money, it's all gonna be a stone gas, honey! I'm Don Cornelius, and as always in parting, we wish you love, peace and soul!"



Friday, February 3, 2012

Ian Ayris Times Two


I have had the pleasure of gettting to know (virtually) Ian Ayris over the last year or so, and besides being a very talented writer, he seems like a good guy. That counts a lot with me. Even if you wrote the best novel ever, if you come off as a dick, or dickette(?) I'm not going to read your work. Sorry to offend, but learn some manners, respond to comments if others take the time to read your stories or comment on your good news, and maybe, just maybe, take some time away from the self-promo, to give other's writing a try.

Anyway...I am really stoked to hear that Ian's novel ABIDE WITH ME has been released early, and just as pleased to let you know that his crime / noir short story collection UNCLE MILDRED is also available for purchase. Most important, is the fact that all proceeds from sales of UNCLE MILDRED are being donated to Cancer Research UK and The Breast Cancer Charities of America.

WELL DONE IAN!!!!

If you want to to have a look, and perhaps get yourself a copy of either, or both:

ABIDE WITH ME can be found on Amazon US HERE and UK HERE

UNCLE MILDRED can be found on Amazon US HERE and UK HERE

Have a great weekend everyone!






Friday, January 27, 2012

9 Days of Madness

It's that time of year again. Following on the success of Chris Allonotte's EIGHT DAYS OF MADNESS contest last year, he has graciously decided to do it again this year. The theme is "unsettled", max word count 1,500, and you can find out all the deets HERE

Charles Gramlich is over at Novel Spaces ( a great site) talking about the element of  "surprise" in writing. Charles has a great way of breaking things down so they are easily understandable. Check it out HERE

Thursday, January 26, 2012

Ray Banks: California & Arlene Hunt: Black Sheep


Loved Ray's story "GOD ONLY KNOWS" that was included in the OFF THE RECORD collection, so I asked him via his BLOG which should I read first California or Dead Money. He said, California, as it is short, and if I dug it, I would most likely dig Dead Money. I did, and DM is up next after Arlene Hunt's BLACK SHEEP (more about that below) 

CALIFORNIA is up for best novella of 2011 over at Spinetingler, and you can vote for your choice HERE. I posted the below review on Amazon US & UK, and you can check out, and hopefully purchase CALIFORNIA HERE

5 star: You Think YOU Had A Bad Day?
Ray Banks has been on my list of writers that I wanted to read. After recently being very entertained by a short crime story of his that was part of a collection, I decided to read California. The other two reviews of this novella length piece, pretty much summed up my thoughts. The characters and the dialogue are what really made this work. The opening scene reeled me in and the story, pacing, and excellent banter between all the various players, kept me interested right to the end. This was a quick, very satisfying read and I will most certainly be reading more from the author.

Arlene Hunt is an Irish crime writer, who I have wanted to read for some time now, I just didn't know where to start, or what to expect. I decided that BLACK SHEEP would be it. There was no Ebook version available (big bummer) so I ordered via Amazon. I'm 3 chapters in, and it is money very well spent. What the Hell was I waiting for? Killer opening, down and dirty writing, and I am hooked, big time! This is the kind of writing and style that reminds me of when I first discovered Julie Morrigan- the kind a lot of lads could take a lesson from ;) . You can find out more about Arlene HERE

And finally, watched this movie for the umpteenth time last night. Never gets old, and a kick-ass soundtrack. Have you seen it? What did you think?

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Seana, we hardly knew ya


What a good surprise I got when I read Seana Graham's blog post. She did a really excellent podcast at KUSP 88.9 in California, where she talks about her writing, GRIMM TALES, books, and Ebooks. She did a tremendous job with the questions and the quality of the audio is crystal clear. So cool to put a voice with the pic and the virtual personality. Be sure to give it a listen HERE (Seana comes on at about the 45 minute mark) and check out Seana's blog HERE. If you would like to have a look at GRIMM TALES, click on the cover on the left side of this blog.


While I'm on the podcast theme, Steve Brewer, who I became a huge fan of in 2011 was a guest on the Morning Show with Larry Aherns KIVA.AM (New Mexico).Very entertaining and well worth a listen ( Steve comes on at about 6:50 mark)  HERE.

Steve also has a new short story, PAYOFF available for free at Smashwords HERE


On a more personal note, I have 3 short stories available today for FREE on Amazon: THE GREAT ESCAPE, THE BLOOD FARM, and THE MONKEY TREE. If interested, just click on the book covers on the right side of the blog to take a look, and perhaps download.

Friday, January 20, 2012

News From John McFetridge

John is one of my favorite authors. He writes the kind of crime / suspense stories I really, really love. His novel, TUMBLIN' DICE will be on my e-reader the minute it comes out in March. He also shared an exciting, innovate, marketing strategy his publisher ECW Press has come up with. Check out John's post on the topic HERE

And.......I have made my novel MINDJACKER available for FREE download at Amazon today and tommorrow. I have also, since yesterday, made all my crime / suspense short stories free at Amazon. This will continue through end of today.

You can click on any of the covers on the sides of this blog to find them in the US, and click HERE for the Amazon UK store.

Have a Great Weekend Everyone!

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Lacrosse: Crooked Arrows Trailer


This is the trailer of the first major motion picture about the sport of Lacrosse, CROOKED ARROWS. It's being pushed as a RUDY/ MIGHTY DUCKS type of movie. The genre is familiar, but the sport is becoming part of pop culture in the US and is the fasted growing youth sport in the US. It is a Native American sport with a fascinating history and just as my coaches did in (yikes) 1979, I pass this history on to the kids I coach. It is a contact sport and the skills required are very similair to Hurling.


Here's my lad in action.


And of course, and most important, after the warriors do battle, nothing but handshakes and good sportsmanship! ( thats me and my 2 great asst coaches at the end of the line)


The  2011 Irish Men's National IndoorTeam ( someday would love to have a home / away series with our kids and a team of kids from IRE)


Finally, here is how the big boys do it!