Dear Santa

My short story, Dear Santa, is now available for download free from my publisher, LegumeMan Books.

See what Bobby Walker really wanted for Christmas in my ode to everything festive.

www.legumeman.com

Sex, Death & Honey - Review

Reviewing books isn't something I generally do, and not something I'm overly comfortable with, but certain books strike a chord with me. In the past I have rated a book based on stars (Goodreads) or 'liked' a title (Amazon) that I particularly enjoyed. As a reader I have never put much thought into it. But it occurs to me that this is something I should be doing. Writers invest countless hours and months punching out stories for our entertainment, the least we can do is to let them know how they performed. 

But instead of writing negative reviews, I will only be writing reviews on books that I enjoyed. As a writer (who will no doubt receive his fare share of both) I find it hard enough to critique another writer's work, let alone have the balls to tell them (and the world) that it sucked. If you want that kind of thing, there are plenty of places to look. You won't find it here.

I am going to try and make a habit of posting the occasional review of books I find interesting. Perhaps with practice it will become easier. And hopefully my views will help steer other readers to books that I enjoy.

Anyway, below is my review of Brian Knight's recent release Sex, Death & Honey. Enjoy.

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Why did I blitz through Brian Knight’s Sex, Death & Honey in one short sitting? ‘Cause the man can write one hell of a fast paced, kick-arse, compelling novel, that’s why. Doesn’t matter whether it’s dark and bloody, a young adult’s fantasy come true, or a crime thriller like SD&H. The guy has writing talent in spades.

But the number one reason why I loved this book? Characterizations. And what makes his characters so damned appealing? They are all flawed to hell. Now, I’m not suggesting there’s anything amiss with the writing, on the contrary. What I’m saying is that the people that populate the pages of this book are real.

Take Butch Quick, the protagonist. Sure, he’s huge, he’s strong, but he’s not the most attractive fellow, and also not the luckiest. In fact, I’ve never seen a character befall such unfortunate outcomes in a book before. And I love that. To me it breathes a sense of reality into the work. But his multiple professions: bounty hunter, bouncer and repo man also whisks me off to a fictional realm, one I hope never to encounter.

Apart from the characters themselves, the writing is excellent. I’ve been a fan of Brian’s from the get-go, and he is yet to disappoint. This recent foray into crime-thriller appears to be very fluid. And it suits him. From seedy back-alleys, to car chases, to shoot-outs with crooked cops and scumbags alike, Knight writes as if he’s lived the tale himself.

There’s humour, there’s action, there’s the sexy dame; it’s got it all. Only problem I had was I didn’t want the story to end.

If you haven’t read Knight’s work, I highly recommend you do so. Now.

If you have, I guarantee you won’t be disappointed with Sex, Death & Honey.

It’s a hell of a ride.

Third Time's A Charm?

See Williams there? That's me. See his lovely third wife? That's a book deal I just signed.

That's right, it's happening again. This time with an Aussie publisher. Except this time, it's going to happen.

What makes me so confident? Well, apart from this publisher having already printed works from other Aussie authors such as Steve Gerlach and Brett McBean, I trust them. There were no bullshit promises, unrealistic deadlines or release dates, just pure honesty; a welcome change, in light of previous publishing let-downs.

You may sense a little caution in my voice. You would be right, to a point. I'm a realist, first and foremost. Anything can happen. My publishing history has proven that. But still, even though I've suffered a couple of crippling set backs, I have every confidence in these guys. I'm just not screaming from the rafters. Not yet, anyway.

There's also another reason for this: the book, Topsiders, won't be out for a while. At this point, due to a hectic publishing schedule, the release date is sometime late 2013, possibly early 2014. It's hard to fathom a wait that long, for writer and reader alike. And many of you would probably say to hell with it, find someone else. But I've travelled that road, and look where it took me? I quit writing for a time after each book deal fell over, mainly because I felt like such a fool, telling anyone who would listen that 'I have a book coming out' and 'I'm a writer'. Not the only reasons, of course, but the thoughts in my head amounted to the same conclusion: Maybe I'll never be published; Maybe I'm not good enough. Maybe I should quit right now.

Those thoughts were always destined to fade. There's nothing quite like the thrill of writing. For me, anyway.

Besides. Both the deals that fell over were through no fault of my own. Just plain dumb luck. And I'll be honest, reading over those two books, I don't think they were good enough anyway. Always a strong believer in fate, I'm starting to think this was the plan all along.

I'm rambling. Hey, it's a blog, right?

Anyway. The contract has been signed and now the waiting game begins. Strangely, I'm not concerned. The news has only served to strengthen my resolve. My writing regimen has changed as a result. I'm back to writing every weekday, every chance I get. I'm now over halfway through my next novel. I have interest in it already. Things will get better from here on out.

I'll be sure to update this more often. Now that I have something to say ;)

Cheers, and thanks for reading. 

ST

New Beginnings

I know, I know, I've neglected my blog once again. But that's life for you, constantly getting in the way.

Not only that, there hasn't been much to report. No point in rambling on about nothing at all. There's already far too much of that on the inter-webs.

Apart from the day-to-day activities of a writer/father, and the fact that I was laid off from my daytime job, things have been pretty hectic. More so now as the hunt for another job continues. I hear my writer friends cheering in jealousy at the prospect of almost unlimited free time to write. But the reality of it is I have to find a job. It's fantastic having the extra time to sit down at the keyboard and punch out great fiction, but unfortunately it doesn't pay the bills. At least, not yet.

Nothing to report as far as publication goes, but that's okay. Time and a little patience will change that.

Anyway, I better get back to it. This little side detour has been great, but there are stories to be written, beasts crying out, anxious to be heard. And the last thing I want is to keep them bottled up inside.

Until next time.

ST