With Which Authors Would You Choose To Share A Meal?

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This idea of meeting with a few authors over a meal and having a conversation with them is something I have discussed before, and it was fun to consider. I have, therefore, decided to cover this scenario again.  I was thinking about with whom I would like to dine and with whom I would enjoy having a conversation, among authors, both living and dead. Obviously, for the sake of this idea, if an author is dead, he/she will be resuscitated for the meal and conversation.

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I consider myself an author of speculative fiction, which can encompass many genres, but one of my areas in writing, in teaching, and in study is Gothic/Horror.  Three of my novels, Maledicus: The Investigative Paranormal Society Book 1, Gallows Hill: The Investigative Paranormal Society Book 2, and Evil Lives After, The Investigative Paranormal Society, Book 3 are all of the Horror and Gothic genres. I have already written the first draft of two other horror novels. Horror and Gothic have interested me since I was a youngster, and it will the rest of my life.

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I would like, therefore, to have a meal with 3 masters of this field: Stephen King, Edgar Allan Poe, and Bram Stoker. I think this would be an enlightening, provoking, stimulating, and lively conversation. I would raise a glass with them and toast to their enduring brilliance.

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My question, then, to all of you is this: with what three authors would you like to have a meal and conversation?

 

 

A Review of Lion Scream by Robbie Cheadle

I received this book and read it in one sitting. It is staggering in its beauty and message. Robbie Cheadle has crafted an excellent book, filled with syllabic poetry, commentary, and a short story. Taken as a whole, this text is an important lesson on the impact of humanity on the wildlife of Southern Africa and, by extension, the rest of the world.

“Lion Scream”, the title of the book and one of the poems within, is my favorite. It is short but deeply impactful. Cheadle shows her talent with words as she creates this poem, and then many others in a fascinating form called the Double Enead, which has 99 syllables.

Cheadle’s book is a masterpiece! I do not use these words lightly or easily, but this book moved me emotionally and intellectually. I was shaken and in tears while I read it. As a man of my age and generation, I am not given to crying easily, but Cheadle’s words staggered me with their power, their beauty, and their message.

I recommend it to anyone who loves poetry, cares about global climate change, animals, and the craft of using words to create messages.

This book is a must read! I encourage everyone to get it as soon as possible. I hope the world soon learns of this extraordinary, beautiful, and excellent work.

Distant Flickers

I am very proud to host this post for the newly released anthology, Distant Flickers featuring 8 excellent authors. Please check out this excellent book!

~ 8 Accomplished Authors
~ 10 Memorable Stories
~ Compelling Characters at a Crossroads
~ What Choices Will They Make?

The emotive stories in this anthology take readers to the streets of New York and San Francisco, to warm east coast beaches, rural Idaho, and Italy, from the early 1900s, through the 1970s, and into present day.

A sinister woman accustomed to getting everything she wants. A down-on-his luck cook who stumbles on goodness. A young mother who hides $10 she received from a stranger. The boy who collects secrets. A young woman stuck between youth and adulthood. Children who can’t understand why their mother disappears.

The distinct and varied characters in Distant Flickers stand at a juncture. The loss of a spouse, a parent, a child, oneself. Whether they arrived at this place through self-reflection, unexpected change, or new revelations—each one has a choice to make.

Book information:

 Title: Distant Flickers: Stories of Identity & Loss

Genre: Short Story Anthology

Universal Purchase Link: https://books2read.com/-distantflickers?format=all

Book Trailer:

 Link: https://vimeo.com/751438828

Contributors’ Bios:

 Link: https://vimeo.com/753604128/2839b7b9e4

Excerpt:

Opening Paragraph

“Idaho Dreams”

by Joyce Yarrow

 Cora would never have admitted this to Damien, but there were times when she missed Seattle so much that traces of salt air flowed through her nostrils and she heard a faint ferry horn in the distance. On such mornings the interminable blue sky of Idaho threatened to drive her mad and she was haunted by the blurred faces of old friends. Oh, to be able to return to bygone haunts like the Zeitgeist Cafe, where she took breaks from teaching aerobics at the fitness center near King Station.

Excerpt:

Opening Paragraph

“Idaho Dreams”

by Joyce Yarrow

 Cora would never have admitted this to Damien, but there were times when she missed Seattle so much that traces of salt air flowed through her nostrils and she heard a faint ferry horn in the distance. On such mornings the interminable blue sky of Idaho threatened to drive her mad and she was haunted by the blurred faces of old friends. Oh, to be able to return to bygone haunts like the Zeitgeist Cafe, where she took breaks from teaching aerobics at the fitness center near King Station.

 

Reviews Of Two Of My Short Stories

Hello to everyone! I wanted to share a few reviews of two my short stories.

First, “The Phone Call”

Available on Amazon

5.0 out of 5 stars Deep messages packaged in an entertaining short story

Reviewed in the United States on December 6, 2021

 

This short story tells the tale of a young man, Cathal, who is not coping with the stresses and strains of his job and his life and is using alcohol to give him endurance and help him relax. His behaviour has spiraled out of control and he has already had an accident due to driving under the influence. He is not performing at work and his job is under threat which is making him more stressed and anxious. One evening, on his way home he gets a phone call from a strange number and the voice message is from his father. The complexity is that Cathal’s father is dead.

This short story examines a few themes, despite its brevity, including the lack of concern for employees and their mental health and general well being exhibited by employers who focus only on making money and are ruthless in their behaviour, as well as the genetic predisposition of some people to become alcoholics and follow in the footsteps of alcoholic parents. These messages are packaged in an entertaining paranormal story of a father’s whose love for his son and determination to help him extends beyond the limitations of the grave.

Can Cathal get his life back on track or will a ghostly visitation from his father drive him deeper into the bottle? You’ll have to read this short story to find out.

 

 

5.0 out of 5 stars Eerie but well told

Reviewed in the United States on October 11, 2021

 

Losing your parents is an awful experience. But when your life spins out of control, and you find yourself drinking way more than you should, how can you turn it all around? Charles F. French, a great horror and supernatural author, shares one option in his short story, The Phone Call. I’ve previously read the first book in his ghost-hunting series but wanted to try something different too. He adds layers of emotion as a man drinks himself to healing. How is it possible that someone who died a decade earlier could be calling from a strange phone number? What could he want? Is it a trap? Or is it a test of one man’s strength in a world we’ve yet to uncover. Give this one a chance; it’s reminded me to pick up the second book in his series this fall.

  

 

 

Available on Amazon

 

“The Christmas Ghost: An Investigative Paranormal Society Adventure”

 

5.0 out of 5 stars An exciting and well written short story

Reviewed in the United States on May 25, 2021

 

The four members of the Investigative Paranormal Society are called in just before Christmas to assist with a suspected haunting of the local children’s home.

Roosevelt is keen to take the case which will present a welcome distraction from memories of his beloved wife, Sarah, whose passing has left him bereft, especially at Christmas time.

As the foursome start digging into the case, they unexpectedly come across some new information about an unsolved murder case. The victim was a a good friend of Sam’s and a supporter of the children’s home.

The four must unravel the details of Randell’s murder and engage with his spirit in order to resolve the haunting and enable the orphans to return home before Christmas.

This is an exciting and well-written short story.

 

 

 

 

Happy Birthday to Edgar Allan Poe!

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Happy 209th birthday to Edgar Allan Poe, one of America’s greatest writers! Not only is Mr. Poe one of the most important writers of Gothic literature, in which he explored the darkness in the human soul, but also he is considered to be the father of the modern detective story. In his detective M. Dupin, Poe laid the groundwork, in terms of observation and deduction, for the great Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

Among his best short stories are “The Fall of the House Of Usher”, “The Masque of The Red Death”, “The Tell-Tale Heart” and “The Purloined Letter.”

Equally as important as his fiction is his extraordinary poetry. My two favorites are “Annabel Lee” and “The Raven.” When reading these, please try doing it out loud. Hearing the words gives life to the rhythm of the poems.

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I first encountered Poe as a student in 8th grade. For some reason, many consider his works to be juvenile writing, but that is a complete misreading of his deeply complex work. I have studied his writing in graduate school, and I also teach his work in a variety of college courses, both at the Wescoe School of Muhlenberg College in Allentown, PA and at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, PA.

If you have never read his work, do yourself a favor, and read from one of the masters of writing.

Again, here’s to you Mr. Poe!

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