Calling it Quits

I know it's unheard of for me to do two book reviews in the same week, but I just finished reading Quits: Demons and Devils by M.E Ellis and I had to come tell you fine folks about it while my ire was still fresh. Quits is an outstanding example of how a great writer can coax vivid images from the minds of the reader. I submerged myself in the world Wayne Thomas, felt his pain, his shame and cheered when things looked to be going his way. This is a gut wrenching tale of the fragility of the human mind. Then again, as the events of his childhood come forth, even the toughest minds would likely crack under such abuse. Wayne has endured a lifetime of hardships and still manages to have such an engaging personality that I, as a reader, found myself rooting for him, even when some of his deeds stray far from right.


My jaw hurts. Odd statement, but I've spent much of the last two days gritting my teeth as I read about the young man's plight. M. E did a phenomenal job of creating the story and the backdrop with such stunning detail, it almost felt as if I was not so much a witness, but a participant, an observer in the corner, but still privy to every sight, sound, smell and emotion that played out among the pages. Such atrocities as were bestowed upon poor Wayne, should never be endured by a human being, let alone a small child or even a young adult as the abuse never lessened until he was old enough to put a stop to it.


Every beginning hurtles toward an end and every end gives birth to another beginning. I only hope the next chapter in his life will bring him the peace and happiness he truly deserves.

If you're looking for a book that will stir your emotions, take you on a journey or just engulf you so completely that nothing else matters except for finding out what happens to the protagonist next, then Quits is the book for you. My mind is still reeling from this rollercoaster of a ride.

Blurb


Quits: Book 1: Demons Wayne Thomas hides a secret, locking it in the depths of his mind. Has kidnapping a young woman proved to him that all females are conniving, treacherous creatures? His childhood has him convinced that women are evil. Can he rid himself of the traumatic events that plagued his younger years or will they continue to haunt him? Befriended by the woman he abducted, Wayne becomes a different person. He embraces happiness, hoping that for once, things won't go wrong -- until a memory triggers the horrors he has locked away and it all comes tumbling out, forcing him to face up to his demons -- those inside him, and those that still live and breathe.


Quits: Book 2: Devils Still tormented by the demons from his past, Wayne Thomas embarks on a course of therapy at the Klinter Institute. His therapist, Jen, is eager to ensure he faces every single demon he encountered in his childhood and to re-establish Wayne into society. With the help of Kathy, a speech therapist, and Herbert, a physiotherapist, Wayne begins to rebuild not only his mind, but his body and self-confidence. Once therapy makes a marked improvement upon Wayne, he is offered the chance to move out of Klinter to The Apartments, the second stage of his integration. However, inner demons and devils are sometimes hard to erase. Wayne's linger in his subconscious, waiting for a chance to break free once more, to wreak havoc within his unstable mind. Will Jen's hard work pay off? Or will Wayne spiral into a world where redemption and payback rule?

Rating: 5 of 5 Stars

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Dar-Wednesday

That's right, it is time for another installment of The Darwin Awards.


(8 March 2008, Florida) Just because you see it online does not mean it's a good idea. Cameron, 18, was joyriding in a shopping cart as he held onto a moving SUV. An eyewitness said, "It's irresponsible behavior, but what do you expect from these kids nowadays?" (Probably the same old bugger who sits on his front porch and yells, "get off my lawn!") The car and the cart went over a speed bump and the cart overturned, ejecting its occupant, who was clearly not wearing the little seat belt that comes standard on all shopping carts. Cameron was pronounced dead at the scene.

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The Tomb

I recently read The Tomb by F. Paul Wilson. This book is my first foray into the world of Repairman Jack and let me tell you, it won't be the last. Jack is an amazing character. He's equal parts badass and softy with a heart of gold.


Mr. Wilson not only created an array of vivid characters, but did an outstanding job of capturing the essence of New York and setting up an almost tangible backdrop for the story without causing so much as a hiccup in the pace.


This story is the epitome of cross-genre. There's something for everyone among the well crafted pages. Horror, suspense, heartache, mystery, adventure, fantasy (albeit quite dark) and even a fair amount of romance come together to make for an unforgettable read. I highly recommend this book to one and all. If you've yet to discover Repairman Jack, you're missing out.

Blurb


Much to the chagrin of his girlfriend, Gia, Repairman Jack doesn't deal with electronic appliances -- he fixes situations for people, situations that usually involve putting himself in deadly danger. His latest project is recovering a stolen necklace, which carries with it an ancient curse that may unleash a horde of Bengali demons.


Jack is used to danger, but this time Gia's daughter Vicky is threatened. She is the last surviving member of a bloodline marked for extinction. Can Jack overcome the curse of the yellow necklace and bring Vicky safely back home?

Rating: 5 of 5 Stars

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Ranting and Raving

The weekend was full of ups and downs. Saturday afternoon, my son came home from riding his bike, dropped it in the yard and came in to get a drink and cool down for a bit. When he went back out, a foreign red scooter was lying where his treasured bike had been earlier. Yep, no bike. Some punk ass, no account, lower than low scumbag, took my son's bicycle in the middle of the afternoon. We did a circuit around the block to see, if they had just took it for a joyride like they apparently did with the scooter, but we couldn't find it in any yards.

That evening we went to a friend of ours birthday party. We shot pool, talked smack, ate well and just generally enjoyed each other's company. It was a blast, but I kept thinking back to the little bastards who've defiled my personal space.

Saturday night we had another rather severe windstorm blow through. I felt a bit like the big bad wolf was hanging out in my yard. He was huffing and puffing and it sounded like my house would indeed come down.

Sunday morning I went outside to check on the damage and I'd lost another twenty or so sheets of shingles from various parts of the roof. I'd planned to get up early and make my proper rounds for Mother's Day, but it looked like Mother Nature had other plans for me. I went to the hardware store (scouring the ditches and yards for my son's bike along the way) and bought a couple of bundles of shingles and set about patching up my roof… again. This is the third time this spring where we've had damage from the high winds. We are supposed to have our entire roof replaced, but all of the contractors were inundated with requests after the first storm a month ago so it's taking forever to get anyone out here. I'm hoping they can get started this week.

After the roof incident, we took another sweep through the whole neighborhood looking for the bike. Still no dice, so I showered up and went to visit my mom for Mother's Day. After a nice visit, we came back and walked another lap around the hood and found out through the various people we encountered that there were three teenagers running amok around here all afternoon on Sunday and that several kids have bikes missing and one lady even had her lawnmower carried away.

When we got home, I called the police. Now it becomes a waiting game.

And with all the hubbub, I didn't get a chance to make a post yesterday so, here's a belated Happy Mother's Day to all of you wonderful mothers out there.

How was your weekend?

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Looking Back

Alright folks, the object of the game is to write a story using exactly 55 words. If you participate, be sure to drop a comment at G-Man's blog so others will know how to find your story.

The aroma of Listerine and dime-store aftershave barely covers the smell of Black Velvet. A gnarled hand touches my shoulder, a nod, a smile, a hint of mischief in his eye. He leans back in the chair, knee proffered. It's story time. I gladly accept. I wake before the tale begins. I miss my grandfather.

I also wanted to remind everyone that I'm blogging over at Oh, Get a Grip! tomorrow. This week's topic is Predators of the human variety(loosest sense of the word I'm sure).

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Here is a blurb:


Johnny Walker is a FBI agent in need of answers. His sister was murdered a year ago and the police still don't have a suspect.


Mary Marshall founded a watchdog group to rid the world of online predators after her sister fell victim to a charismatic stranger she met on the popular website, HiyaSpace.

The similarities of their losses bring the two together and hurl them down a path wrought with peril, betrayal and unimaginable suffering at the hands of a madman whose unspeakable deeds threaten to destroy them all.


Will they be able to put an end to his reign of terror? Or will they be forever lost in a maniac's world of Pixels and Pain?

Look for The Writing on the Wall from Wild Child Publishing.

A chance encounter in a bar plunges Dennis O'Brien into an adventure wrought with death, love, and the fragility of the human mind. When Dennis realizes he's had a brush with a killer, things take a turn for the worse. Not only is he unable to stop the madman, but he finds himself the chief suspect in the murder investigation. Following a trail of bodies and revolting clues, Dennis uncovers the true motive behind the slayings. Yes, killers kill, but nothing is more shocking than the reason why. He should have seen it coming, shouldn't have become involved. After all, the writing was on the wall…

Have you read The Dance yet? Are you holding out for the print version? I realize that there are still a lot of people who just can't bring themselves to read an e-book.

Well, if this is the category you fall in, I have some fantastic news. The Dance is now available in print!

Click on HERE to order a copy directly from the publisher.

It's also available at Amazon.com You can reach it by clicking HERE

Nearly a decade ago, Detective Tom Wiley worked a case that continues to haunt him to this day. But while the nature of The Puppeteer's horrific crimes will always remain in Tom's memory, it's the guilt of not catching the serial killer before he vanished that still weighs heavily on his heart.

Eight years have passed since the last victim fell under the blade of that maniac during his vicious killing spree. The time of peace and quiet has come to an abrupt and gruesome end.

The Puppeteer is back.

With the unwanted help of his newly assigned partner, Detective Anna Perez, Tom will stop at nothing to end The Puppeteer's latest reign of terror. But as the detectives follow the trail of bodies, they quickly realize The Puppeteer may not be their deadliest enemy, and they're up against something far more sinister than the twisted workings of a serial predator.

Can Tom and Anna survive this world of insanity and death, of love and loss, of myth and magic, where the lines between good and evil are hard to discern? Or will they be forever swept away in The Dance?

James Goodman was born in Dover, Delaware in 1971, but has traveled extensively. Some of his travels around the world have been in service to his country. Others have been in service to his family, but most have been in service to his heart.

He graduated from Peach County, Georgia before joining the Army during Operation Desert Shield. He served with honor, pride and a whole lot of spent shell casings during his three-year hitch. He attended college at Oklahoma State University and eventually received a BS in EET.

He resides just north of Tulsa, Oklahoma with his with his loving wife and their rambunctious son. They are an active family and when they can pull James away from the keyboard or out of a book, they spend their free time wakeboarding, hiking, practicing mixed martial arts, riding motorcycles and taking road trips.

To find out more, visit his website http://www.goodysworld.com/ or contact him directly at jgoodman@goodysworld.com. He would love to hear from you.