See what lurks in the deep, dark woods—a place of fairy tales, secrets, and monsters… Where the unexpected looms at every turn. Where twisted shadows meet dappled sunlight. Where even the silence grows teeth. Into the Deep, Dark Woods features 28 all-new stories and poems that explore the magic and mystery of the primeval wilderness. Venture from the decay of a demented pumpkin patch to worlds where dragons hide among the trees and the sycamore beckons the blue ghost fireflies. Face the strangeness of an alien planet, then dine in a themed restaurant that may or may not be staffed with werewolves. Edited by New York Times bestselling author Kevin J. Anderson and award-winning editor Allyson Longueira, along with their Publishing graduate students at Western Colorado University, this page-turning anthology presents new stories by Sherrilyn Kenyon, Jonathan Maberry, Charles de Lint, Sebastien de Castell, and many others. Step off the path and into a world where every tree tells a story and every clearing offers a choice. The deeper you go, the darker it gets. The darker it gets, the more interesting the light becomes. Welcome to the woods. Try not to get lost.
I received a digital copy of the Into the Deep Dark Woods anthology from executive editors Kevin J. Anderson and Allyson Longueira in exchange for an honest review. All opinions stated here are my own.
Into the Deep Dark Woods is this year’s anthology put out by the graduate in publishing students at Western State Colorado University. Every year international bestselling author, Kevin J Anderson guides a cohort of Western’s publishing students through the process of putting together and publishing an anthology on the professional level, through his publishing company, Wildfire Press and Draft2Digital, as a group thesis project. submission numbers are higher every year. My cohort in 2022 published Gilded Glass, with over 600 submissions, and I heard they had over 900 for this one. Every story or poem is hand selected by the grad students, and I’m always happy to review these wonderful anthologies.
There are things in the woods. Whether they be shape shifters, the undead, all types of crawly things, fearies & dragons, golems, witches, alien life forms, or just the trees themselves, the stories found in this collection will make you believe they are there and you should be very afraid.
Some stories made me laugh, others made me cry, some gave me the creeps and others had me sitting on the edge of my seat. There are so many good tales in this anthology, that I wouldn’t even attempt to try and review each one. But I will give you an idea about the ones which stick out in my mind:
“Underneath the Sycamore Tree on the Hill”, by Sam Knight was sad and made me want to cry.
“This Real World”, by Lea Harper was my favorite poem.
“Mulch”, by Brent Nelson offers excellent dark humor.
“Metsubishu”, by Benjamin Spada has the feel of Ninjas and Samurai. I try and view such stories through the eyes of my son, Mike, who absolutely would have loved this story, therefore, it gets my vote.
“The Dreadwood Dragon”, by Sebastian de Castell is an intense tale of friendship and sacrifice which touched my heart and made me smile.
Whether the forest or the things which lurk within, there is definitely something to fear if you dare to venture Into the Deep Dark Woods. I give this dark fiction anthology five quills.
About A Harmony of Hells
A poet haunted by grief. A lover marked by blood. A sister silenced behind asylum walls.
In the decadent heart of fin de siècle Paris, Averill Charron makes a devil’s bargain. To rescue his sister—locked away by their father—he joins forces with the last man he should trust, Blaise Dancier, the crime lord who once ordered his death. No longer enemies. Now they are lovers. Together they descend into the underworld, searching cabarets and crypts, brothels and back alleys, chasing whispers that lead to deception and death. Even as they hunt for her, Jeanette fights for her freedom. But escape only leads to recapture. Once again, she’s trapped in a world where only dreams of forbidden love and the promise of revenge keep her sane. Their paths converge in the drowning beauty of Venice at Carnevale, where every mask conceals a threat. In a world ruled by power, madness, and betrayal, love may be the final sacrifice.
I received a copy of A Harmony of Hells: A Love Story of Paris…with Murders, by Yves Fey, through the Review Pool in exchange for an honest review. All opinions stated here are my own. I chose this book because of the awesome cover and because I love gothic horror and gothic mystery.
Let me start by saying, I’m not a big fan of m/m romance/sex scenes. It’s not a statement about morality, but rather something that doesn’t do anything for me, personally, so I will usually skip over those stories. But…, this story is written in such a way that the sex does not overwhelm the plot, and the romance is tactfully written to support the story. Although the m/m relationship does play a key role, and in places, it is very graphic, there is so much more to this story.
Driven by a need to find his sister, Jeanette, who has been hidden away in the asylums and brothels of Paris and beyond by his father, Averille makes an alliance with Blaise Dancier, Parisian crime lord. It is risky business, but he feels he has no choice, and then finds himself surrendering to lust and wholly giving himself over to a man he knows he shouldn’t trust. In the search for Jeanette, it seems they are always at least one step behind his father, but Jeanette is resourceful and works toward her freedom at every opportunity. Their efforts bring them so close to crossing paths, but not close enough, and it is a race for time to find one another before their father can whisk her away once more.
A scandalous gothic thriller that will keep readers turning pages. I give A Harmony of Hells five quills.
About Kaye Lynne Booth
For Kaye Lynne Booth, writing is a passion. Kaye Lynne is an author with published short fiction and poetry, both online and in print, including her short story collection, Last Call and Other Short Fiction; and her paranormal mystery novella, Hidden Secrets; as well as her poetry collection, Small Wonders. Her novels include Books 1 & 2 of her Women in the West adventure series, Delilah and Sarah, and Books 1 & 2 in her Time-Travel Adventure series, The Rock Star & The Outlaw, and Double Visions.
Kaye holds a dual M.F.A. degree in Creative Writing with emphasis in genre fiction and screenwriting, and an M.A. in publishing. Kaye Lynne is the founder of WordCrafter Quality Writing & Author Services and WordCrafter Press, where she edits and publishes two short fiction anthologies and one poetry anthology every year amidst her many writing projects. She also maintains an authors’ blog and website, Writing to be Read, where she publishes content of interest in the literary world.
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Kaye Lynne Booth does honest book reviews on Writing to be Read in exchange for ARC digital copies, (she also accepts print copies). Have a book you’d like reviewed? You can request a review on the Book Review tab above.
It is well known that I earned my degrees at Western State Colorado University. Their graduate program in Creative Writing was one of the few that leaned toward genre fiction, rather than literary fiction, and it was a low residency program, which means you only have to be on campus for two weeks each summer. The fall and spring semesters were completed online. It was perfect for me, as I had a family and a job to think about, so I couldn’t just up and run off to college. Two weeks during the summer was something I could manage. It still wasn’t always easy, but I did it.
The program has changed since I got my first dual-emphasis degree in genre fiction and screenwriting. They now offer a M.A in Publishing, taught by international bestselling author, Kevin J. Anderson. I was already my own publishing house and feeling like I needed to know more about the business of publishing shortly after they added this program, and you know I had to go get just one more degree to round out my education. Beyond that, the program gave me the tools which I had lacked, and it offered me hands on experience. By the time I graduated, I had two publishing credits to show on my resume. But, more than anything else, I emerged from the program with a profound sense of community, a community of like-minded people, (writers & publishers), which I share with and rely upon for support still today, three years later.
And right now, you can earn a M.A. in Publishing with Kevin J. Anderson and the Western’s Master’s in Creative Writing Program, too. Applications for the 2026-27 cohort are being accepted now, and from now until the end of May, they are waiving the application fees. Learn to become your own publishing house and treat your writing as the business that it is. You’ll be glad that you did.
I’m a big fan of the Dan Shamble, Zombie P.I. series, so when I got a review request for the two latest books in the collection, you know I couldn’t turn it down. All opinions stated here are my own.
Other titles I’ve reviewed in the Dan Shamble, Zombie P.I. Series
Dan Shamble, zombie P.I. is back from the dead and back on the case in this new collection of eight wacky adventures with enough plot twists and stomach turns to keep you guessing, and chuckling, until the very end.
My Review of Stiffs and Stones
I requested a digital revew copy of Stiffs & Stones from Kevin J. Anderson’s Reader’s Club. All opinions stated here are my own.
Stiffs & Stones, by Kevin J. Anderson is a collection of eight Dan Shamble, P.I. short stories, some which were published earlier, so I chose to focus my review on the stories I hadn’t read and reviewed previously. This collection of undead stories will keep you laughing until the last page.
“Hand Job” is the tale of a disembodied hand who has been framed for a robbery it didn’t commit and it’s up to Dan Shamble to prove its innocence. If there’s one thing the zombie P.I. doesn’t need with this case, it’s a hand. (Although these stories are filled with it, that corney humor is my own.)
“Bull Runs” is the tale of the Meter Maid Minitaur with tummy trouble. It’s up to Dan Shamble to discover the reason the Minituars are all falling ill and stop the debilitating illness before the big charity race.
“Mystery Meat” is the case of the giant Momma Fly with missing baby maggots. This case takes Dan Shamble into the backstreets of the Unnatural Quarter where he uncovers the source of the new and delicious mystery meat being served while searching for the missing tots.
“Holy Balls” is the tale of a warlock whose witchy wife is after his (crystal) balls, and it’s up to Dan Shamble to protect them. But the witchy wife is relentless, and Dan Shamble must use the highest security measures he has to protect the warlock’s balls.
“The Eyeball at the End of the Rainbow” is the tale of an inebriated Leprechaun who has misplaced the eye of the Centuar stoner, leaving him blind and straight until Dan Shamble can solve the case and find the missing eyeball.
Kaye Lynne Booth does honest book reviews on Writing to be Read in exchange for ARCs. Have a book you’d like reviewed? You can request a review on the Book Review tab above.
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Want exclusive content? Join Kaye Lynne Booth & WordCrafter Press Readers’ Group for WordCrafter Press book & event news, including the awesome releases of author Kaye Lynne Booth. She won’t flood your inbox, she NEVER sells her list, and you might get a freebie occasionally. Get a free digital copy of her short story collection, Last Call and Other Short Fiction, just for joining.
I’m a big fan of the Dan Shamble, Zombie P.I. series, so when I got a review request for the two latest books in the collection, you know I couldn’t turn it down. All opinions stated here are my own. ( You can catch my review of Stiffs & Stones on Friday, January 10th, 2025.)
Other titles I’ve reviewed in the Dan Shamble, Zombie P.I. Series
Dan Shamble’s most pointed case, with murdered unicorns,frog princes, corporate fairy godmothers, and lagoon creatures, all looking for a fairy-tale ending in the gritty streets of the Unnatural Quarter.
My Review of Horn Dogs
I requested a digital review copy of Horn Dogs, from author Kevin J. Anderson’s Reader’s Group. All opinions stated here are my own.
Everyone wants a happily ever after, and Dan Shamble, Zombie P.I. is determined to make it happen.
The unnatural characters and their crazy antics in the Unnatural Quarter after the Big Uneasy, are what keep me coming back to the Dan Shamble, Zombie P.I. series, and Horn Dogs is no exception. In addition to all my favorite characters, such as Dan Shamble and his ghost girlfriend Shyenne, his human partner Robin, his vampire half-daughter, Alvina, and his best human friend Officer McGoo, this volume brings us frog demons, evil wizards, fairy godmothers, and unicorns and their pet horn dogs spreading magic and warm fuzzies throughout the Unnatural Quarter.
When Prince Dirk is changed into a frog by the evil wizard, Oorgak, he falls in love with a frog demon, RRita, heiress to the successful local pool service in the Unnatural Quarter. But Oorgak had an epiphany after seeing a unicorn, and reversed all of his previous evil deeds, and now the happy couple isn’t happy, especially when their illegitamate tadpoles are held hostage by the swamp monsters who own the new swamp water park.
And when someone dognaps all the unidogs, and unicorns are being murdered, the Secret Society of Horn Brothers and Horn Sisters must come out of hiding to employ Dan Shamble’s services, too. Can this zaney zombie P.I. save the unidogs and tadpoles, and reunite the unhappy couple, giving everyone the happily ever after that they’re looking for? You’ll have to read Horn Dogs to find out.
A fun and silly read, I give Horn Dogs five quills.
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Kaye Lynne Booth does honest book reviews on Writing to be Read in exchange for ARCs. Have a book you’d like reviewed? You can request a review on the Book Review tab above.
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This post is sponsored by WordCrafter Press with a reminder that all WordCrafter Press books are currently 50% off in the SmashWords End of Year Ebook Sale, only in the SmashWords store: https://www.smashwords.com/shelves/promos/
Welcome to the revival of “Chatting with the Pros”, where I’ll be interviewing seasoned authors and experts in the publishing industry to learn what works for them and why. Learn from the experts and industry professionals as we explore the ins and outs of the publishing industry and gather tips and tools to add to our writer’s toolboxes to help make us all better writers.
Today I am pleased to introduce my guest for this first segment, international and national best seller, Kevin J. Anderson. I had the privilege of studying under him at Western State Colorado University, and besides being a successful author in the traditional publishing arena, he runs his own independent publishing house, Wordfire Press, and teaches the business of book publishing at Western. I pleased to welcome him here today because of all that, but there another reason which is maybe even more important. Kevin J. Anderson is a genuinely nice guy who enjoys down to earth things like hiking in the Colorado wilderness, as he dictates his next story, and he always makes time for fellow authors. Even with his extremely busy schedule making appearances at conferences and in person events, preparing for the upcoming movie release of Persephone, and teaching graduate courses, he didn’t hesitate to grant me this interview.
His generosity with his time and willingness to share with my readers is much appreciated, and you all are probably excited about it, too. So, I’ll just give you his bio real quick, and then we’ll get on with the interview.
About Author Kevin J. Anderson
I have written more than 175 books, including 59 national or international bestsellers. I have over 24 million books in print worldwide in thirty languages. I’ve been nominated for the Nebula Award, Hugo Award, Bram Stoker Award, Shamus Award, and Silver Falchion Award, and I’ve won the SFX Readers’ Choice Award, Golden Duck Award, Scribe Award, and New York Times Notable Book; in 2012 at San Diego Comic Con I received the Faust Grand Master Award for Lifetime Achievement.I have written numerous bestselling and critically acclaimed novels in the Dune universe with Brian Herbert, as well as Star Wars and X-Files novels. In my original work, I am best known for my Saga of Seven Suns series, the Terra Incognita trilogy, the Dan Shamble, Zombie PI series, and Clockwork Angels and Clockwork Lives with Neil Peart. Along with my wife Rebecca Moesta, I am also the publisher of WordFire Press. Find out more about me at wordfire.com, where you can sign up for my newsletter and get some free fiction.
Interview
You started out as a traditionally published author, back when that was the only way to do it. Now you have your own independent publishing company, Wordfire Press, where you publish your own books as well as the books of others. What prompted you to make the switch to independent publishing?
The publishing world changed in so many ways. As you say, there used to be only one main career path for an author, and many parts of it were out of the author’s control. But remarkable tools and opportunities became available around 2010 or so—an author with skills and persistence could now create their own books (covers, typesetting, interior design) and make ebooks and print books that were comparable to what trad publishers were doing…and that happened at the same time traditional publishing hit some real rough patches, with major houses consolidating down to only five big publishers (where there used to be a dozen or more), advances dropping, Borders book chain going bankrupt.
I had a lot of my own backlist titles that were out of print and readers wanted them, but no trad publisher wanted to reissue them. Many of my author friends were in the same situation. So I decided to do it myself.
You are always willing to help your fellow authors when you can. In fact, you share your expertise with aspiring authors and publishers on a daily basis as the head of the publishing program for Western State Colorado University, where I got my M.A. in publishing. I learned so much from you there, and you can’t share it all in one interview, so tell me, what is the most important piece of advice that you hope every one of your students comes away with?
That there are plenty of possibilities out there for an aspiring author or publisher—more so now than ever before. If you put in the work and learn what you’re doing, you CAN get your book published and available for sale worldwide. Whether or not it’s successful depends on a lot of factors, many of which are out of your control—but a lot of them ARE things you can control. Big publishers are very slow to adapt to changing market circumstances, but you can be nimble and respond to what readers want. Be a speedboat instead of an oil tanker.
You are one of the most prolific writers that I know of. You do things a little differently from many authors, in that you dictate your stories and have a team of folks who work with you to be sure the publication of each book goes smoothly. So, what is your best piece of advice for authors wishing to increase their productivity?
Ha, well I could plug my book Million Dollar Productivity, which distills a lecture/workshop I have given hundreds of times. There are many different tips and techniques to find more time to write and to squeeze more writing out of the time you have. A lot of it is prioritizing your work—consider it your job, and put in a day of work. I am a lot more productive by writing with dictation—I go out on a walk or a hike and I tell my story aloud, which (to me) is a lot faster and more inspirational than sitting in an office and pounding on a keyboard.
And I think the real key is that I truly love to write.
Within the past couple of years, you’ve begun to sell books direct through Kickstarter. Could you tell my readers why you did that and how it is working out for you?
That was a surprise to me, and not something I thought I was interested in doing. I had seen other authors run Kickstarters to raise money for pet projects they wanted to do. Then I had a series I loved—Dan Shamble, Zombie P.I. The first four novels were published by a trad publisher, not very successfully. Humorous horror was not my “brand” of big epic SF, but I just had so much fun writing them. I published a story collection at my own WordFire Press, and eventually got the rights back to the novels and reissued them at WordFire. Finally I wrote the next novel in the series and published it myself. They did OK, but nothing comparable to the big books I was doing with trad publishers, so I had kind of given up on the series.
But fans kept asking for more, and a friend of mine suggest I run a Kickstarter for the next novel in the series. That way the fans could put their own money down and prove they were interested. If not enough people supported it, I wouldn’t do it. Wow, did they want it! The Kickstarter earned three times as much money as the trad publisher was paying. It showed me the real power of a dedicated fan base. I’ve run five total now, all of them very successful, and I save them for very special projects I want to do.
Any advice for someone considering running a Kickstarter campaign?
Know what you’re doing, do something unique—and have as big a platform as you can. Your supporters will come from the pool of people who like your writing, like your subject matter, and believe that you will deliver. And don’t underestimate how much WORK it is, not only to build the campaign, but to run it and promote it successfully, and then the real fun of having to produce the book (and all the goodies) that you promised.
What do you think is the biggest misconception aspiring authors have about publishing that first book?
That they will instantly get rich and famous. Most first novels don’t do very well at all, but the next one maybe does a little better, and then the next one. It’s a long haul.
You write mostly science fiction and fantasy. You’ve written Star Wars books, and X-Files, and of course the Dune books with Brian Herbert. Persephone is coming out as a motion picture soon, or maybe it has already. You’ve written the Dan Shamble, Zombie P.I. books and The Dragon Business books, which are a mixture of dark humor and fantasy or speculative fiction. Your story take place in fantastical imaginary worlds which are always fun to read. Where do your ideas come from?
Mostly from reading a lot, watching a lot of movies and shows, and having a goofy imagination. I’m a big fan of the various genres and I love living in them.
As someone who has been in the business for a while now, what do you see as the future for the publishing industry?
I think it’s very bright and vibrant. I was just at a convention last weekend that had an entire dealers’ room set aside solely for authors who had published their own books and were there to meet new readers and promote their work. The “democratization” of publishing is amazing and writers have a direct line to connecting with their readers, rather than going through a lot of intermediary steps. IF you’re willing to do the work.
A current hot topic in the writing and publishing worlds is the use of generative AI in writing and imagery, and even AI narration for audiobooks. Where do you stand on the use of AI?
I like AI as a *tool* for streamlining some of the more tedious parts of writing. Effectively a really smart spellchecker. And writers are stupid if they refuse to use a spellchecker. I use an AI routine to swiftly and cleanly transcribe my dictation, and it works great. It doesn’t rewrite anything, doesn’t “improve” what I wrote…just alleviates the grunt work.
But I’m not OK with using AI as a crutch to write your book for you. That’s what your brain is for.
Is there one book you have wanted to write, but haven’t written yet. If so, what is it and why not?
In college I minored in Russian History, and I was captivated by Russian/Ukrainian history and folklore. I always wanted to write my Russian equivalent of SHOGUN, and I have the great story in my head, but the sheer amount of work and research it would entail just makes it impossible for me. I don’t know that I’ll ever get around to it.
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Thank you so much for sharing with us, Kevin. You’ve been a wondereful guest. I know you are a fountain of writing and publishing information, and we can only cover so much in this brief interview. In addition to being one of the most prolific authors I know of, you are also one of the busiest, but you always answer emails promptly and were gracious enough to join us here today.
Kevin loves readers as much as he does his fellow authors. If you’re a science fiction or fantasy fan, then you are both. You can learn more about Kevin on the WordFire Presswebsite, or better yet, sign up for his Newsletter, where he shares lots of photos of conferences and cats, and there is occasionally a free book.
Join us next month on “Chatting with the Pros”, when my guest will be author and publishing industry expert, Mark Leslie Lefebvre.
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This segment of “Chatting with the Pros” is sponsored by The D.I.Y. Author and WordCrafter Press.
n author involves not only writing, but often, the publishing and marketing of the book.
In this writer’s reference guide, multi-genre author and independent publisher, Kaye Lynne Booth shares her knowledge and experiences and the tools, books, references and sites to help you learn the business of being an author.
A shambling horde of new cases hits Dan Shamble, Zombie P.I. in the Unnatural Quarter. Dan and his gang—including his ghost girlfriend, feisty lawyer partner, cop best friend, and little vampire half-daughter Alvina—are out to seek justice, solve mysteries, and keep their heads on straight … or at least attached.Alvina’s singing lessons for the Banshee Tabernacle Choir end on a sour note when the troll choir director plunges to her death from a high belfry, and the only witness is a deaf-as-a-post gargoyle who sits too close to the loud bells.A frustrated imp, woefully unsuccessful in betting on the nightmare races, is dead certain that his bookie BatGN (GN for “gender neutral” to avoid copyright issues) is cheating him.Francine, the salty bartender at the Goblin Tavern, is worried when One Fang the vampire—her on-again, off-again suitor—disappears without a trace.A shady vendor discovers a market for living shrunken heads that are conversational as well as decorative, but the demand by far exceeds the supply.A heartless therapist has ulterior motives when she counsels zombies, distracting them from their woes to concentrate not just on brains, but on self-improvement as well.There is much at stake in the Unnatural Quarter, and it’s up to Dan Shamble to keep the streets dark and safe for monsters and humans alike. After all, the cases don’t solve themselves!This zombie detective puts the P.I. back in R.I.P.
My Review of Bats in the Belfry
I received a digital copy of Bats in the Belfry through author Kevin J. Anderson’s Bats in the Belfry Kickstarter campaign back in March. I love Anderson’s Dan Shamble, Zombie P.I. series, so I jumped right in and backed this Kickstarter campaign. I knew right off that I wanted to read this book. In fact, I kept checking back to see if it was finished and my early digital copy ready, even though I had received other rewards already and had plenty to read.
I was not disappointed. Bats in the Belfry was one of Dan Shamble’s most intriguing cases yet. Dan Shamble is on the scene when the troll choir director plummets to her unnatural death from the church bell tower, and the only witness is a deaf gargoyle in the belfry, who claims to not have seen a thing. He’s also looking into a crooked betting claim at the Nightmare Races.
For tickle in your tummy and a giggle in your heart, Dan Shamble is always sure to please. He may have Bats in the Belfry, but he gets five quills from me.
About Heart of Clay
Heart of Clay was a short story in the Dan Shamble P.I. series which was offered soley as a Kickstarter reward, so it isn’t available through distributors. I’m including my review here to demonstrate the value I got from backing the Bats in the Belfry Kickstarter campaign at the $5 tier level.
My Review of Heart of Clay
Heart of Clay is a short story by Kevin J. Anderson, from his Dan Shamble, Zombie P.I. series, which I received as a stretch goal reward in digital format. In the past, I have reviewed many books and stories from this series, because I truly enjoy the characters in the absurd world Anderson has created, post Big Uneasy. Perhaps because this is a short story, rather than a novel, I didn’t feel that it had the same depth as the other stories in the series. But there was plenty of the undead and unnatural humor which the Dan Shamble, Zombie P.I. books are known for.
Someone is killing golems, the legendary Excaliber is missing, and Dan Shamble vows to find it. Dragons, ogres, werewolves, ghouls, vampires, mummies, trolls, and more. A walk through the unnatural quarter offers more than a few chuckles as Dan Shamble looks for clues to solve the case.
Short, but funny. Heart of Clay fun quick read with some of my favorite unnatural characters. I give it four quills.
It was supposed to be just another Sunday night fantasy role-playing session between friends…
But after years of playing, the game had become so real to David, Tyrone, Scott, and Melanie that all their creations now had existences of their own.
And when the four outside players decide to end their game, the characters inside the game world—warriors, scholars, and the few remaining wielders of magic—band together to keep their land from vanishing.
Now they must embark on a desperate quest for their own magic. Magic that can twist the Rules enough to save them all from the evil that the players created to destroy their entire realm.
Roll, Book 1 in Kevin J. Anderson’s Hexworld series is an intriguing fantasy about a roll playing game from the other side of the board. I acquired this book as a Kickstarter stretch goal reward from the Dragon Business campaign.
A world was created for the game, and Hexworld takes on a life of it’s own, with the players sending characters on perilous quests for their amusement. But when the players grow bored with game and one decided to end it, destroying the world, three characters vow to fight back and protect Hexworld from total destruction. Delreal, a strong warrior, Vailret, a near-sighted historian, and Bryl, a half-sorcerer set out on a quest to save Hexworld, and their stronghold after a band of marauding ogres take it over. To do so, they must travel long distances, meet interesting peoples of each hex they travel through, battle a cyclops, and outwit a dragon, all while staying within the rules of the game and their own personal limitations, making new and interesting friends along the way who join them in their quest.
I received a digital copy of Roll as a stretch goal reward from one of Kevin J. Anderson’s Kickstarter campaigns. I found this story and its unusual characters to be enchanting, drawing me back again and again. I give it five quills.
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Kaye Lynne Booth does honest book reviews on Writing to be Read in exchange for ARCs. Have a book you’d like reviewed? You can request a review on the Book Review tab above.
Nineteen gut-wrenching reports from the front lines of the War of the Worlds, as logged by Albert Einstein, Mark Twain, Theodore Roosevelt, H.P. Lovecraft, Winston Churchill, Jules Verne, and many of the other most famous writers of the time. The most popular and acclaimed science fiction writers of today relive the Martian invasion through the eyes of their famous predecessors.
My Review
I received War of the Worlds: Global Dispatches as a stretch goal reward from Kevin J. Anderson’s Bats in the Belfry Kickstarter campaign. This anthology offers a global take on the invasion begun in a novel by H.G. Wells and the 1938 radio broadcast that caused near panic when thought to be real. Compiled by Kevin J. Anderson, this anthology contains stories by various authors, portraying the invasion through the eyes of various historical figures. Authors with featured dispatches include Kevin J. Anderson, Dave Wolverton, Mike Resnick, David Brin, Gregory Benford, Walter Jon Williams, Connie Willis, Robert Silverberg, and others. MacLeod Andrews narrates these fictional tales from arounf the globe.
H.G. Wells nearly created a mass hysteria with his famous radio broadcast in 1938. By now, we’re all familiar with the infamous tale of a Martian invasion and foiled plan to take over the world. They came, smashing their cyclinders into the Earth at every vantage point they could find. We know what happened here in the U.S., where the original story was set, but what about the rest of the world?
Global Dispatches presents nineteen different perspectives on the Martian invasion from around the world, with more tripods and tentacles than you can count. Mike Resnik offers up the perspective of Theodore Roosevelt, Kevin J. Anderson speaks as Percival Lowell, a Chinese Empress speaks through Walter Jon Williams, Danial Marcus gives us the Picaso perspective, etc… How each of these historical figures might have percieved such an alien invasion is presented through nineteen talented authors.
To me, it seemed like all these stories were just more of the same, and I was easily bored as one tripod looks the same as the next. The fact that I was familiar with the oiginal story and knew how it ended, made it difficult for me to feel fear for any of the characters in these tales. Reactions are not surprising. All watch in fear as the invaders wreck havoc wherever they are until they all eventually come to a halt as our viruses and germs which their systems couldn’t fight off.
Although it may be interesting to explore this tale from different historical perspectives, how much variance can there be between the different areas of the globe? This one wasn’t for me. I give this story collection three quills.
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Kaye Lynne Booth does honest book reviews on Writing to be Read in exchange for ARCs. Have a book you’d like reviewed? You can request a review here.
#1 Bestselling author Kevin J. Anderson is known for his grand science fiction sagas, his epic fantasies, his fast-paced adventures, or his steampunk Clockwork chronicles.
But Kevin J. Anderson also has a lighter side. You’ll laugh so hard, brains will come out your nose.
What happens when—
A wimpy, henpecked man finds an enchanted loincloth that turns him into a real jungle Ape Man?
A stranded alien uses his advanced technology to fool audiences as a stage magician?
A frustrated monster-movie actor uses a gypsy witch’s special makeup to turn into a real werewolf when the cameras start to roll?
A group of heavy-metal fans finds a spell on the internet to raise their favorite dead rock star from the grave for a final encore?
A vampire, just minding his own business, wakes from his coffin to find he’s being stalked through his own castle by an over-enthusiastic vampire hunter?
A futuristic law firm uses time travel as a legal loophole to win their client’s case?
Dan Shamble, Zombie P.I. takes on the Boogeyman for a client, or is hired out to save a sacrificial Aztec Christmas turkey?
These twenty stories cover a range of slapstick, subtle, short-short, and groaner humor. The Funny Business also includes for the very first time the scripts of the hilarious comic miniseries Grumpy Old Monsters, never before published.
Beware—silliness ahead. Open the book, and prepare to snicker!
The Funny Business, by Kevin J. Anderson is a collection of 20 totally silly stories, which entertain and elicit chuckles, including a few that he wrote with wife, Rebecca Moesta or other co-authors.
With so many stories, I’m not going to talk about them all. But I will mention those which particularly stuck out for me.
“Frog Kiss” is a classic fairytale turned upside down and a lesson in appreciating what life offers.
“Special Makeup” is werewolf story that proves you should be careful what you wish for.
“Bump in the Night” is a short Dan Shamble, Zombie P.I. adventure, when Dan is hired by the Boogyman to protect him from his overbearing aunts. Dan Shamble as always, is good for a few laughs.
“Paradox & Greenblatt, Attorneys at Law” are legal beagles specializing in time-travel dilemmas. By the time the case is through Paradox’s defense tactics may leave your head tied in ridiculous knots of possibilities and probabilities.
“Eighty Letters, Plus One” (with Sarah A. Hoyt), tells the tale of a misguided inspector with his priorities terribly twisted. The final letter offers a final ironic twist to this tale.
“The Sacrifice” brings us a village virgin awaiting the dragon to come for his ritual sacrifice, harboring a secret that may put the joke on the dragon.
“Technomagic” is a story about what happens when an alien being is stranded on Earth for twenty-seven years. The report he gives upon rescue may surprise you.
“Dark Carbucle” ( with Janis Ian), is a story of a rock stars personal hell.
“Cold Dead Turkey” is another Dan Shamble, Zombie P.I. story. Always a favorite for me. I love the antics of Dan and the antics of the unnatural quarter. In this one, an Aztec mummy hires him to track down his stolen wish turkey. ( I told you many of these tales were just plain silly… but really fun.)
“Loincloth” (with Rebecca Moesta), is the story of a timid little man who uses Tarzan’s loincloth to bring out the beast in him.
Of course, there are many more, including a comic strip script for “Grumpy Old Monsters” (with Rebecca Moesta), which is a different kind of reading, but funny just the same.
Twenty stories that will tickle your funny bone, I give The Funny Business five quills.
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Kaye Lynne Booth does honest book reviews on Writing to be Read in exchange for ARCs. Have a book you’d like reviewed? You can request a review here.
Atlas is a struggling colony on an untamable world, a fragile society held together by the Truthsayers. Parentless, trained from birth as the sole users of Veritas, a telepathy virus that lets them read the souls of the guilty. Truthsayers are Justice—infallible, beyond appeal.
But sometimes they are wrong.
Falsely accused of murder, Troy Boren trusts the young Truthsayer Kalliana…until, impossibly, she convicts him. Still shaken from a previous reading, Kalliana doesn’t realize her power is fading. But soon the evidence becomes impossible to ignore. The Truthsayers’ Veritas has been diluted and someone in the colony is selling smuggled telepathy. Justice isn’t blind—it’s been blinded.
From an immortal’s orbital prison to the buried secrets of a regal fortress, Kalliana and Troy seek the conspiracy that threatens to destroy their world from within. For without truth and justice, Atlas will certainly fall…
Blindfold, by Kevin J. Anderson takes place on the colony of Atlas, where the lands are divided among several landowners, each doing his part to make Atlas run like a well oiled machine, but not everyone plays by the rules. Killiana is a young Truthsayer who, comes to believe that her mindreaading powers may have falsely convicted Troy Boren, a young man who was in the wrong place at the wrong time. When she unwittingly uncovers that one landowner isn’t playing fair and may soon take over control of the colony, she finds herself a fugitive with Troy, as they fight to uncover the truth.
As all of Anderson’s works, Blindfold is well written and skillfully crafted to emmerse readers in the story. It keeps the reader guessing, and that keeps pages turning. I give it five quills.
