Holy moly am I ever exited to introduce you to today’s 3Q’s Special Guest. In the early days of ole Steve’s writing journey, a few UK folks really embraced me, supported me and encouraged me. Christa Wojciechowski was one of those writers and her support for me hasn’t wavered. Couple that with the phenomenal dark fiction she creates and her ongoing Writers’ Mastermind programs, she’s a force to be reckoned with.

I’m so very happy to have Christa join me today!

Welcome!

 

Steve: What does your writing time look like? Do you try and write at the same time each day? Do you have a word count you attempt to hit?

Christa: I run a virtual writing group called the Writers’ Mastermind, and we have write-ins on Zoom. These co-writing sessions force me to set aside all the busyness I have piled on my to-do list and commit to writing no matter what. Life always finds a way to commandeer writing time, so it’s important to have accountability. Having a meeting to show up at with fellow writers gives you that. I also try to reserve my Saturday’s for long, intensive writing sessions. I don’t get to write as often as I’d like, so I guard my little writing windows fiercely.

Steve: You end up at an estate sale and discover an unpublished manuscript from an author you love. Do you keep it just for yourself or do you share it with the world?

Christa: I would most definitely share it with the world, especially if it’s something I love. Even if they requested it not to be published, I would probably go against their wishes. I’m a huge fan of Kafka, and I can’t imagine a world without his work. He entrusted his stories, diaries, and letters to his friend, Max Brod, and his dying wish was that all his writings be burned. Max Brod published them instead. Not the greatest move a friend could make but imagine if Kafka’s legacy was destroyed unseen.

Steve: Tell me about your newest release (novel/story/poem/novella) and why someone should read it!

Christa: Popsicle is the most recent release and a standalone novella. It is by far the most bizarre thing I’ve ever written. In it, Andre, a drug-fueled hustler comes to after a blackout and finds himself gnawing on a man’s head in a sewer. He discovers someone has implanted a cybernetic device in his neck that connects him to the internet. Two weeks of Andre’s life are a complete blank, and he has to use the social media posts (accessed inside his head) to figure out what happened.

At its core, Popsicle is about using addiction in all its forms as an escape from ourselves. Andre refuses to acknowledge his feelings from a troubled childhood, and in his drive to obliterate the pain, he destroys the relationships with the only people who love him. It’s also a statement about the frighteningly rapid dominance of the internet in our lives, and how we can either use it to devolve as human beings, or become greater. The choice is ours.

Popsicle is one of five books of mine that came out this year. The others are Oblivion Black and Hierarchy of Needs from The Sculptor Series as week as Afflicted and Disfigured from the new edition of The Sick Series re-released by Raven Tale. I wish I could say I’m a prolific writer, but these are all old projects that have all come to fruition at the same time!

Steve: Bonus Question! You wake up in a comic book. What is your comic book character and what is your superpower?

Christa: I am under-read in the world of comic books, but if I had a superpower, I would like to have a limitless brain that could fully comprehend the immensity and complexity of the universe and consciousness. Not too much to ask, is it?

Ha! What a great answer!

Thank you so much, Christa!

To find more of her work – check the links!

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Christa-Wojciechowski/e/B015UJZIXE

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ChristaWojo

Website: https://christawojo.com/

Fun one (as always) today friends! Today’s guest is not only a talented author and a super supportive person, but also the creator of a really fun Youtube Channel.

That’s right, I’m talking about the one and only, Carver Pike!

Welcome Carver!

Steve: What does your writing time look like? Do you try and write at the same time each day? Do you have a word count you attempt to hit?

Carver: Most of my writing now takes place in the morning. I’m lucky that I’m currently working from home so when I don’t have medical appointments or errands to run, I write as soon as I wake up. Then, I’ll also kind of write here and there throughout the day in-between my day job projects. I try to hit at least 2,000 words per day. On an uninterrupted day, I’ll usually pass that. An average good day for me is probably close to 5,000 words. The problem is I do have a lot of appointments. Lots of health stuff going on between my wife and me so I don’t write every day. I try to, but I don’t. I’ve also learned to put all work away by about 5pm, and I don’t work on weekends. That’s wife time. Back in the day, I’d work all day, half the night, and all weekend. I burned myself out. It’s difficult to do, but you have to learn to stop at some point or you will eventually burn out.

Steve: You end up at an estate sale and discover an unpublished manuscript from an author you love. Do you keep it just for yourself or do you share it with the world?

Carver: Oh, that’s a good question, Steve. Damn, man. I can approach this a couple of ways. First, is the author alive or dead? I have to ask because the next question I have is why didn’t/hasn’t the author published it? I wouldn’t want to disrespect the author by sharing something with the world he/she didn’t want shared. Let’s say it was Ray Bradbury. I’m a fan of Bradbury’s work. He’s obviously no longer living. So, I’d have to wonder why he never published it. Was it because he passed away before he got the opportunity? If that were the case, then I’d share it with the world if it were in a stage that made sense. Or maybe I’d reach out to whoever is running his estate and see what they have to say about it. Some stuff is meant to be kept close to the vest. Maybe Ray wouldn’t want this particular piece to be shared. You know what I mean? I definitely wouldn’t keep it to myself for selfish reasons. That kind of stuff doesn’t interest me at all. If the author was alive, like maybe I’d stumbled upon something Brian Keene or Bentley Little let slip out, I’d reach out to the author and let them know I had it. I’d probably never be able to get a hold of Little, but I’d try. I’d just hand it to Keene at Scares That Care Authorcon 2 next year.

Steve: Tell me about your newest release (novel/story/poem/novella) and why someone should read it!

Carver: Kin of the Fallen is the book I’m working on now. It should be at least available for pre-order, if not released already, by the time this interview goes live. This one is going to be super violent. It’s basically a serial killer VS bikers. You know how there are all these books and movies about the final girl from all the slasher movies? Well, what about all the people who didn’t survive in those slasher situations? Think about them. Now, think about their family members. The parents, the siblings, the aunts and uncles, the cousins, the husbands and wives, the friends… they’re left mourning the loss of their loved ones. Of course, they go to therapy meetings. Well, for some, that’s not enough. In my book, some of those trying to deal with this pain and misery band together and form a motorcycle club hellbent on revenge. The Kin of the Fallen MC. “Grief Breeds Rage & Vengeance.” It’s their creed. Their mission is to hunt killers before they strike again. But Craw, a wild, animalistic psychopath has seen them on the news bragging about their abilities, and he’s ready to call their bluff.

Craw has been a fun villain to write, and I’ve had a blast with each character of the Kin of the Fallen MC. I think people are really going to enjoy this book. It’s fast paced and violent as hell.

Steve: Bonus Question! You wake up in a comic book. What is your comic book character and what is your super power?

Carver: Oh, hands down, Multiplicity Man. I want to be like Michael Keaton in the movie Multiplicity, but with versions of myself that were all good versions. Excellent copies. Not the flawed versions he kept getting in the movie. Man, can you imagine? I have three pen names. I’d be like, “Okay, Me-A, you are going to focus on the romantic suspense biker books under the CM Genovese pen name and handle everything for that name. Me-B, you focus only on tiger shark shifter books under Chris Genovese and other stuff for that name. Me-C, you go ahead and work on the young adult book ideas we’ve been plotting out. Me-D, you just clean the fuckin’ house. Only do house shit. Me-E, you get our website up to par so we can get our signed paperbacks out faster like I want. Me-F, you just worry about medical appointments and any other personal issue. The Real Me will write Carver books and focus on my wife and kids.

That would be my super power. Can we make this happen, please?

Oh, great answer! Not gonna lie though, when this email came back and I scanned the reply, I saw Me-B and thought it said Mel B and Carver wanted to be a Spice Girl! That could be a rad superpower too! Haha!

Thanks again, Carver!

To discover more of his work, check the links!

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Carver-Pike/e/B01MPWAO4H

Twitter: https://twitter.com/CarverPike

Website: http://carverpike.com/

Over the last number of years, the magnificent Tony Jones has given me a ton of great book recommendations. One such recommendation I still haven’t got to reading yet. ‘The Clackity’ is the debut novel of today’s Special 3Q’s guest and not only am I super excited to read it (and I just even one a gorgeous copy of it!), but I’m super excited to have Lora Senf stop by today!

Please, welcome Lora!

Steve: What does your writing time look like? Do you try and write at the same time each day? Do you have a word count you attempt to hit?

LS: I so envy writers with processes! I would love to say I have one but I really don’t. I work full time and have third-grade twins, so I write where and when I can. That usually means very early in the morning or late at night. I’m also fortunate to be able to write in the midst of chaos, so I’ve done my fair share of drafting and revising sitting on the couch while the kids watch tv. When I’m actively drafting a story, I usually aim for 500 words every day. It doesn’t always happen (and sometimes I end up with far more) but it’s a reasonable goal for me.

Steve: You’re riding an elevator and BAM! It gets stuck. What two authors (one living and one dead) would you happen to find yourself stuck with?

LS: Easy. Ray Bradbury and Neil Gaiman. Both have been so important to me as a reader and a writer. I would love to stand quietly in a corner and listen to them talk story and storytelling.

Steve: Tell me about your newest release (novel/story/poem/novella) and why someone should read it!

LS: Sure! The Clackity is my debut novel and came out about six months ago. In it, twelve-year-old Evie Von Rathe lives in Blight Harbor, the seventh-most haunted town in America (per capita). Her Aunt Desdemona, the local paranormal expert and otherworldly advice columnist, doesn’t have many rules. One absolute, iron-clad rule is to stay out of the abandoned abattoir at the edge of town. Evie obeys – until she doesn’t, following her aunt to the slaughterhouse one bright June day. When her aunt disappears into the abattoir, Evie goes searching for her.

There she meets The Clackity, a creature that lives in the shadows and seams of the slaughterhouse. The Clackity promises to help Evie get Desdemona back in exchange for the ghost of John Jeffrey Pope, a serial killer who stalked Blight Harbor a hundred years earlier, and who has unspeakable ties to the abattoir. To find them both, Evie crosses through the abattoir to a strange neighborhood of seven houses. She must make her way through them, one by one, until she reaches the seventh house, and her aunt. The task sounds simple enough, except these aren’t regular houses, and she’s being followed by a dead man.

Save her aunt, escape a dead serial killer, and get them all back to The Clackity before the sun sets. None of it is going to be easy, especially with Evie’s panic attacks, but the strange neighborhood plays by its own set of rules, and some of them might just be in Evie’s favor.

I believe middle grade horror is a safe place for readers to practice being brave, and that’s what I set out to create. I wrote Evie, the main character of The Clackity for scared but brave kids (and those of us who used to be those kids) who deserve to see themselves as heroes. For lots of reasons, I especially hope Evie and The Clackity reach young readers who will benefit from them. But I also set out to write a story for readers of all ages who love story for the sake of story (that makes sense to me and I hope it makes sense to everyone else) – it’s something writers like Bradbury and Gaiman mastered in their own work. And, if nothing else, readers can ignore everything I just said and simply read The Clackity for the spooky adventure it is. Because, at the end of the day, sometimes a monster is just a monster and a scary book is just a scary book.  

 

Steve: Bonus Question! If you were transported back in time, which Pop Band/Hit Band would you hope to find yourself a member of?

LS: I have absolutely no musical ability whatsoever, so I’d be a detriment to any band. That said, probably Ednaswap. They flew under the radar in the 90’s but their lead singer, Anne Preven, was the coolest person I’ve ever been in close-ish proximity to. Being part of that would have been incredible. Now I’m going to go find one of their CDs and listen to it very loudly. You heard me. CDs.

You know what? I don’t believe I’ve ever heard them! I’ll go take a look now and see if I have!

Thank you so much for doing this Lora!

To follow along and find more of her work, check the links!

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B09JN39VQV/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Lora013

Website: https://lorasenf.com/

Today’s guest is a new-to-me author, and while I’m scheduling this on September 30, 2022 (hey from the past!), I do have her upcoming 2023 release already on my Kindle and may have read it by now!

I’m super glad to have Samantha Eaton as my 3Q’s guest today!

Welcome!

Steve: What does your writing time look like? Do you try and write at the same time each day? Do you have a word count you attempt to hit?
Samantha: Lately, my writing time looks a lot like me standing in a checkout line, at the gas pump, or in the middle of the woods mid-hike frantically dumping ideas for my new WIP into Scrivener mobile. When I’m less chaotic, I try writing on my lunch break at work and then for a few hours afterwards before I start my evening wind down routine. Usually I like to shoot for 1,000 words a day, but early in the drafting phase I consider it a win if I write even ten words.

Steve: You end up at an estate sale and discover an unpublished manuscript from an author you love. Do you keep it just for yourself or do you share it with the world?

Samantha: I have a hard time keeping things to myself, but if the author was still alive I’d consider reaching out to them and see what they’d prefer I do with it so as to respect their privacy. Plus, it’d really suck to be on the flip side and have some rando sharing an unpublished manuscript of mine with the world. Chances are there’s a reason that thing is unpublished. Of course, I’d read it and probably vague tweet on Twitter for a day, two tops, before getting distracted by some sort of animal in my yard as one does.

Steve: Tell me about your newest release (novel/story/poem/novella) and why someone should read it!
Samantha: My debut horror novel, THE INSATIABLE HUNGER OF TREES, comes out on February 21, 2023 and it is about a girl named Cara who’s a bit of an overachiever because you kind of have to be when you want to break the cycle of poverty and intergenerational debt. When her sister, Shelby, who’s been missing for a year, comes back under mysterious circumstances, Cara must reluctantly team up with a local, self-proclaimed monster hunter to figure out what happened to Shelby.
Folks should definitely read it if they like monster horror where the animal characters survive without being harmed. I personally relate to the threads about debt, especially student debt and drew from my own experience as someone with student loans who will likely outlive her. I hope folks can’t relate to Cara and her family’s financial struggle (because I wouldn’t wish it on anyone) but I hope those who need the representation feel seen. If nothing else, read the book for Paisley the menace kitten and go foster a litter with your local shelter to keep you warm while reading!

Steve: Bonus Question! You wake up in a comic book. What is your comic book character and what is your super power?
Samantha: My comic book superpower would be that I am able to soothe and gain the trust of any animals encountered along the comic’s plot—especially geese. Canada geese LOVE me. I would probably have an army of Canada geese who do my bidding against the baddie.

Excellent choice!

Thank you again, Samantha for doing this!

To keep up to date with her work, check the links!

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Samantha-Eaton/e/B0B4Y6X3M7

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Samantha_Eaton3

Website: https://www.samanthaeaton.com/

You ever read a story from an author and just sit back and ponder how someone becomes just that amazing? How, this person’s work makes you question what timeline you’re even living in and if you quietly slipped through a wormhole somewhere along the way?

Every single time I’ve read anything from today’s Special Guest, that’s how I’ve felt.

Kurt Fawver is an award-winning author, a creator of phenomenal fiction, and I’m so truly honored to have him as today’s 3Q’s guest!

Welcome Kurt!

Steve: What does your writing time look like? Do you try and write at the same time each day? Do you have a word count you attempt to hit?
Kurt: I used to have a set time almost every night when I tried to hammer out some words—from midnight to two or three in the morning. I’ve always been a creature of the night; it’s generally when I do my best work. However, with work and family responsibilities mounting over the past year or two, my writing time has been slashed down to half an hour or an hour a day, at best. I try to fit that writing time in wherever I can, which means I’m not working to my strengths, but at least I’m getting something down. Given how slowly I write, I never keep careful count of how many words I’ve written in any given session.

Steve: You’re riding an elevator and BAM! It gets stuck. What two authors (one living and one dead) would you happen to find yourself stuck with?
Kurt: I think it would be interesting to be stuck with Cormac McCarthy and Jorge Luis Borges. A gritty ultra-realist mixing it up with a metaphysically-minded fabulist—I’d love to hear their conversation.

Steve: Tell me about your newest release (novel/story/poem/novella) and why someone should read it!
Kurt: My newest story is coming very soon in Looming Low Vol. 2 from Dim Shores. It’s called “Radius Unknown.” It’s a low-key apocalyptic tale about an odor that destroys the world—or, at least those who can smell it. You should read it because it’s weird, it’s prescient, and it’s delightfully grim.

https://dimshores.bigcartel.com/product/looming-low-volume-ii-dhc

Steve: Bonus Question! If you were transported back in time, which Pop Band/Hit Band would you hope to find yourself a member of?
Kurt: Pretty much any 80s New Wave band. Keytar forever!

Ha! Excellent choice!

Thank you once again for doing this Kurt!

To find more of his work, check the links!

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Kurt-Fawver/e/B007A590OU

Twitter: https://twitter.com/KurtFawver

Website: http://kurtfawver.com/

It’s interesting to see how online groups and sites can help a book gain exposure and get readers. Such is the case with today’s guest. Felix Blackwell’s ‘Stolen Tongues’ exploded through Reddit/Books of Horror and Tik Tok exposure and has created a ton of fans!

I love seeing how each person comes about finding their readers and Felix definitely found his!

Please, welcome Felix!

(Due to personal reasons, Felix has asked me not to use an ‘official’ author photo. I have respected that request and in place of his grinning mug, will use the cover of his most well known book)

Steve: What does your writing time look like? Do you try and write at the same time each day? Do you have a word count you attempt to hit?

Felix: For me, writing is divided into three distinct phases: my favorite is the first phase, when I just sit down and free-form write a ton of ideas in prose and bullet points in a spiral-bound notebook. I love doing this for several weeks / months in the park near my home, or in the woods. I can always tell whether I’ve got a book or just an idea depending on how quickly and easily that journal fills up. The second phase is organizing all of those notes on the computer. This process is painstaking and requires a lot of meticulous effort. But if I do a good job at that, the third phase – writing the manuscript – is super quick and easy. I don’t have a writing schedule, but I’m a creature of habit and I always find myself writing a few times per week, a few hours at a time. I don’t try to hit word counts; I just stop when I feel I’ve moved the ball forward in a significant way.

Steve: You end up at an estate sale and discover an unpublished manuscript from an author you love. Do you keep it just for yourself or do you share it with the world?

Felix: If that author was alive, I’d email that person and ask if I could share the manuscript (or if they wanted it back). If they were dead, and if the surviving family wasn’t concerned, I’d share it with the world!

Steve: Tell me about your newest release (novel/story/poem/novella) and why someone should read it!

Felix: My forthcoming novel (due some time in late 2023) is the prequel to Stolen Tongues. I haven’t announced the title yet, but it takes place on Tiwé and Nathan’s reservation on Pale Peak, long before either of them were born. The story follows their people’s experiences with the dark presence that haunts the mountain, and examines the collisions of their culture and lifeways with unwelcome outsiders. It’s bigger in scope than Stolen Tongues, and will have a ton of surprises. Readers who finished ST with a lot of questions are going to find out if they really wanted to know the answers…

Steve: Bonus Question! You wake up in a comic book. What is your comic book character and what is your super power?

Felix: My comic book character’s name is Deathcult and he is an antihero who sets out to demonstrate to the world how easy it is to masquerade as a prophet and lead the desperate masses astray, only to lose himself in the grip of power and become something truly evil.

Hey that’s great! Thank you again, Felix!

To find more of his work, check the links!

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Felix-Blackwell/e/B01MEF1RC7

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/felixblackwellbooks/

Website: https://felixblackwell.com/

Title: The Marigold

Author: Andrew F. Sullivan

Release date: April 18th, 2023

First, huge thanks to Andrew for reaching out to see if I’d be up for reading an eARC of this one. While it’s not out until April, after reading the synopsis I needed to dive in almost immediately.

I will say, Andrew’s email had the most convincing opening sentence I’ve had received for a review request. “Hey, Steve. My name’s Andrew F. Sullivan and I’m friends with Andrew Pyper.” Sold. Haha! He went on to say something like, I’m a well-respected Canadian author, I have a book coming out soon with Nick Cutter, etc etc etc, something else, but I skimmed. I knew I was in! Haha! I kid. In truth, Andrew F. Sullivan is a name that has been recommended to me previously and when he reached out, I was surprised and humbled that he’d even considered me. So, huge thanks to him for that boost!

Now, regarding the book. There were two key things that really caught my eye about the synopsis. That is was described a urban dystopia and featured environmental chaos. As much as the climate crisis fills me with ongoing dread and worry – both regarding what we’re doing now and what kind of future my son will have – I actually enjoy reading about it. Recent books that I’ve read and enjoyed were Eden and The Last Storm by Tim Lebbon, The Road by Cormac McCarthy and Lost Girl by Adam Nevill. All books that feature a significant change in our way of life directly due to the ecological impact and climate crisis events.

The other thing that had me intrigued was the Toronto aspect. I’ve mentioned it before, but Toronto is a mythical city for me. Growing up, it was where Canadian movies, tv shows and those appearing in them lived. It was where Hockey Night in Canada happened and where the Leafs and the Canadians battled. It created a spot in my small town brain that hasn’t left. So, I wanted to see what Sullivan was going to do to this place that continues to shimmer in my mind.

What I liked: ‘The Marigold’ follows a number of inter-woven storylines, all surrounding the strange mass growing below the surface of the city, called The Wet. This gelatinous mold material that seems to have a sentient component and a human-like emotive element is transforming and taking over everything in its path, including the people it comes into contact with.

The various characters that we are introduced to are all solid, well formed folks, people we either root for right away or (rightfully so) detest immediately. It’s one aspect of the book that keeps you turning the pages, hoping for redemption to those struggling (looking at you Soda) and ramifications for those who treat people poorly and only want progress and not well made, dependable product (looking at you all of The Marigold/Dundee folks).

Additionally, The Wet itself is an intriguing and often used device that keeps the tension high and when we get the ‘human’ aspects introduced, especially involving a search for a specific character, it worked so very well to give it a cinematic aspect.

The ending is powerful, reaching inwards to the reader and making us confront a tough question, one that revolves around our personal beliefs and challenges us to try and be better.

What I didn’t like: Yes, there are a lot of characters, but Sullivan handled that well. What I wasn’t too much of a fan of was the random entries/chapters regarding specific apartments in The Marigold building itself. After a couple of them, you know they are added purely to show how The Wet is pulling itself further into the building itself and the reader will have no care or concern for the resident themselves.

Why you should buy this: The way the dystopian aspect is positioned here, a lot of this book reminded me of what I loved about the 80’s and 90’s comic book movies and Tim Burton movies. Where Gotham City is overrun by crooks and crazies. Where Robocop patrols the streets of a Detroit overrun by gangs and madness. It turned Toronto into this heightened, horrifying place where the ground itself is crumbling, but progress can’t be stopped.

This was a fascinating, if not awful look, at just what our future could become, but done in such a way you want to hold onto hope.

Even when that seems impossible.

5/5

Super excited for today’s 3Q’s Special Guest! Glenn Rolfe has been super supportive of all of my work since my early days and was one of the first authors to reach out and see if I’d be up to reviewing an ARC of their work. Since then, it’s been great to see his new work and how much fan’s have been clamoring for his dark fiction!

Please, welcome Glenn!

 

Steve: What does your writing time look like? Do you try and write at the same time each day? Do you have a word count you attempt to hit?

Glenn: I used to sit down for a set few hours before or after work, but in the last year, life has changed a lot for me. I’m writing whenever I can grab an hour or so to myself. With a new baby on the way, that is going to be even more spastic. I like to try and write every day. Even if it’s just a review or blog post, new outline, or idea sketch.  I’d love to hit between 500-2000 words a day. If I miss that mark, I don’t kick my ass. Life is crazy and you have to be flexible. 

 

Steve: You decide to host a writer’s retreat. One weekend in a luxury house on an island. What three other authors do you invite to come along?

Glenn: I’m bring Hunter Shea, Ronald Malfi, and Brian Keene. I want to be entertained, soak in their depths of knowledge and experience, and just have a good fucking time.  

 

Steve: Tell me about your newest release (novel/story/poem/novella) and why someone should read it! 

Glenn: My next novella comes out this winter from Crystal Lake Publishing. It’s part of their Dark Tides series where they feature three authors. Our books will consist of each of us offering a creature feature. Mine is called It Came from the Lake.  A couple of kids end up around a private lake and stumble upon the monster. A few other surprises pop up, as well. It was hellafun to blast that one out. As with all my stories, it’s more about the characters than it is about the monster. I can’t wait to start promoting this one.

 

Steve: Bonus Question! You receive an invitation in the mail from one of these two people. The invitation invites you to have dinner and spend the night in their home. Do you accept the invitation from Victor Frankenstein or Dracula and why?

Glenn: Frankenstein. I wanna wander around that castle and see the weird shit he has hanging around. Also, he won’t try to suck my blood!!!!

Excellent choice! Thank you so much for doing this Glenn!

To find more of his work – as always – check the links!

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Glenn-Rolfe/e/B00AXYEBTY/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/grolfehorror/

Just to clarify – my clickbait title has nothing to do with ‘The Sixth Sense’ and everything to do with an answer at the end… Just to clarify! Ha!

Hey, welcome, welcome, welcome! Another 3Q’s has arrived and today’s guest is a hoot!

Please do welcome Naching!

Steve: What does your writing time look like? Do you try and write at the same time each day? Do you have a word count you attempt to hit?

Naching: I am the mother of three children ranging in ages from thirteen to four, so I usually write in the morning before they wake up. Then, I’ll try to get snatches in throughout the day while the older kids are at school. Word count isn’t really Important to me, because I believe in quality more than quantity, but I try to write something every day, even if it’s just a few words.

Steve: You end up at an estate sale and discover an unpublished manuscript from an author you love. Do you keep it just for yourself or do you share it with the world?

Naching: Oh, I share it with the world. I can’t keep such a wonderful thing to myself. (Especially if it’s something by Dean Koontz.)

Steve: Tell me about your newest release (novel/story/poem/novella) and why someone should read it!

Naching: My most recent release is a for fans of Sherlock Holmes and the Occult. It’s a short story included in the anthology Sherlock Holmes and the Occult Detectives Vol. IV, and it’s called “The Case of the Colonel’s Corpse.” In this story, the reader meets Sherlock Holmes’ cousin, Dr. Vernet, and must aid her in a strange mystery involving Colonel Sebastian Moran. Readers who enjoy Sherlock Holmes and his more paranormal adventures will enjoy reading this story of monsters and magic.

Steve: Bonus Question! You wake up in a comic book. What is your comic book character and what is your superpower?

Naching: I’m a huge fan of comic books. When I was young, I read Batman, Superman, The Flash, Green Arrow, Green Lantern, Dr. Strange, Conan, House of Mystery, Tales from the Crypt, Secrets of the Haunted House, Warlord, Swamp Thing, and all the Disney, Harvey, and Archie comics I could. I love Batman and issues of Detective Comics were always my favorite, so I would be Shade Mistress and I’d have the superpower of speaking to ghosts and ghouls. I’d then use their information to solve murder mysteries. And if you’d like to know my secret identity, it would be Tammy Richards, a mild-mannered librarian who teaches children the value of literacy.

Very cool! Thank you so much Naching!

To find more of her work, check the links!

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Naching-T-Kassa/e/B005ZGHTI0/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/nachingkassa

Website: https://nachingkassa.wordpress.com/

Title: Long Walk Back

Author: A.S. MacKenzie

Release date: December 2021

I love random book finds.

For example, I was recently scheduling folks for my ongoing 3Q’s interview series and came to scheduling A.S. MacKenzie’s. I’ve known A.S. for a number of years now – we are both former review team members over at Kendall Reviews and have appeared in an anthology together – and have enjoyed reading his dark and cerebral take on horror fiction. While scheduling it, he mentioned that his latest release was this one, ‘Long Walk Back,’ and that it was free on his website. Sure enough, when I took a look, there it was and immediately downloaded it to take a look. Then, when I realized that three of my current reads were pushing 500+ pages, I knew I needed a novella to slot in to give my reading brain a bit of a break. So, this one got bumped way up the TBR!

Look, if you’ve read any of my reviews or my own fiction, you’ll know the woods/the forest will always have a place in my heart, so knowing this was about two friends and a hiking trip gone wrong, I was excited to dive in.

What I liked: The story follows two co-workers that go on a weekend camping trip together. They hike into the area and enjoy a nice stay beside a lake. Things take a turn when it’s time to go and they can’t find their GPS. Suddenly, a storm rips through the mountains and they realize they’re lost.

MacKenzie does a great job of using the setting as the biggest antagonist, something I really do love. Even though it frustrated me (I’ll talk in a minute about that) that these two guys were so unprepared and still decided to do all the things you should never do if lost in the woods, it works well for their characters and keeps the reader pulled along, wondering what animals they’ll encounter and whether they will survive or not.

There’s a layered approach to the storytelling as well, with some glimpses into the ‘after’ of the hike at the start of each chapter, which helps to reveal the truth behind what occurred and the reasons for it happening.

What I didn’t like: Honestly, I couldn’t stand either of the main characters. They acted like children and their lack of preparedness and constant fighting was frustrating. But that was the point. So, even though it did grind my gears, MacKenzie used it perfectly to push the story along and heighten the ‘real-life’ stakes that revolved around their location and scenario.

Why you should buy this: Well, you don’t have to – it’s free on his website! But instead we’ll call this the ‘why you should read this’ section, shall we? If you want a survival story that has no paranormal/supernatural elements and focuses on two friends getting lost and doing their best to make it out alive, all while growing to hate the other one and dealing with that relationship dissolution, look no further.

This one was a fun one and will make you double check your supplies the next time you go camping!

4/5

Get your free copy at the link below!

https://claims.prolificworks.com/free/y1577OjG