Tag Archives: Bible

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It’s An HNoR

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iPOS6 I write for my own enjoyment (though I do have a target audience in mind when I write most of my stories) but there are a handful of people I hope to earn the Head Nod of Respect from one day. These are people who aren’t celebrities by any means (though some have audiences far larger than mine). They are creators whose work I have known for some time and whose work I in turn respect and enjoy. I won’t list those people (that would feel like I was begging for attention), but I will list some people who I believe have earned it from me.

You need to check out the stuff these people produce. I’ve sung their praises before, but you can’t say too many good things about a person.

JC Hutchins – He’s one of the reasons I got into podcasting my own fiction. He consistently tells amazing stories in interesting ways. He also likes to try new things and isn’t afraid to set those things aside when they don’t work.
Paul Cooley – One of the smartest horror writers I know. If you like a good scare, you need to be reading his work.
Terry Mixon – I’ve just started reading Terry’s work. Not everything he’s written is my cup of tea, but he knows his ish when it comes to writing.
Christiana Ellis – One of the funniest and most gentle spirits in the world of podcasting. She’s put so much amazing stuff out into the world I just can’t begin to list it.
Mike Plested – He started a podcast on getting published and then worked his butt off to get it done. If you like good YA or heck, just good fiction period, you need to check out his stuff.
Tee Morris – One of the father’s of podcast fiction; Tee has a biting sense of humor, amazing taste in beer, and constantly surprises me with the variety of fiction he tackles.
Jared Axelrod – Seriously one of the most multi-talented artists I know. I can’t say enough good things about what he’s done for me as a creator (whether he realizes it or not).
Philippa Ballantine – Another early presence in the podcast arena, Pip has gone on to be quite the success with her husband and writing partner Tee and on her own.
Skinner Co. – I’m a podcast junky and I know how hard it is to put good work out there on a regular basis. These three people do that and then some. They’ve built a tremendous community and I can’t wait to see what the future holds for them.
Jake Bible – Seriously one of the most thoughtful and hardest working writers I personally know. He’s living proof that horror writers can be sweet, kind, and not at all what you would expect.
Starla Hutchton – A savvy business person, a great writer, and a sharp designer; Starla is a whole lot of talent in one package.

I hope to give more head nods down the line. Please feel free to give your own in the comments and provide links!

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Review – Anti-Bio (Ebook)

antibio Jake Bible puts out a book and I buy and review it. That’s pretty much how this game works. Considering he’s putting out a book a month this year I’ll have a lot of reading to do.

Antibiotics.
They have failed.
All that’s left are the Strains- bacteria so strong they have brought the world to its knees.
But humanity has fought on, carving out pockets of civilization in a wasteland known as the Sicklands, creating the super high-tech Clean Nation cities.
And from the cities GenSOF has been born- Genetic Special Forces Operations. An elite military branch of the government that enlists men and women with specific genetic anomalies that allow them to be hosts to bacteria that even the Strains cannot defeat. Under the watchful eye of Control, GenSOF protects the Clean Nation cities from the ever encroaching Strains and the diseased inhabitants of the Sicklands.
But now Control has other plans for GenSOF, and possibly the Clean Nation cities themselves, and it is up to the operators of GenSOF Zebra Squad, and their cloned Canine Units known as bug hounds, to find out what those plans are.
Or die trying.

As I said in the intro, Jake’s putting out a bunch of books this year. On the one hand, as a fan and as a writer, I was worried that given the ramped up production schedule the quality would suffer. On the other hand I was all “WOOHOO! MORE BOOKS!!”. Well it turns out *DRAMATIC PAUSE* I needn’t have worried. Jake is returning to fertile ground that he knows well; a blighted no man’s land, a post apocalypse, and para-military ass kickers. The good thing is, to me, this doesn’t feel like more of the same.

The Goods – The characters in this book are deeper than some of the ones in past books. I can see that Jake is spending a lot more time with his characters and thinking through them. He’s created deep characters in the past, but in this book there’s more of them. Fewer two-dimensional characters is a good thing, most definitely. The plot is also very enjoyable. There’s a lot that the main characters don’t know and just when they think they’ve figured something out the world gets a little more screwed up. They have help along the way, but even this help isn’t always reliable or available. The whole thing moves along briskly and when I saw that it was almost three hundred pages I was a bit surprised.

The Bads – I first few chapters of this book were awesome. Then it hit a few dead spots for me as they trundled through the Sicklands. Things got… weird. Even by Jake Bible’s standards. This may not be a problem for anyone else but me, but when the tone of the book changed, about the time they met the GenWrecks, it stumbled. It didn’t fall, but it took a few chapters for me to get back into the swing of things. When the group got to its destination the whole book picked right back up again. There are also a few typos that the copy editor missed. I’m seeing more and more of these pop up and not just in the Indie books I read. There’s not a lot of bad to be found here. I had to look.

Overall – This was a fun read. I like the “land mines” he laid for book two. He says this looks to be a two to three book series. If he takes his time I could see it going four. The concepts, especially the bug hounds and how he handles AIs, are a lot of fun, and I’d be interested to see more of what life in the Clean Cities is like for the general population. Hopefully we’ll get a little more of that.

I give this book four out of five Cooties.

Jake’s Site
Jake’s Twitter
Available at Amazon

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Review – Mega (Ebook)

Fans of the blog will know that I’ve long been a fan of Jake Bible. In the spirit of full disclosure, I also count myself as his friend. So let’s get on with the review.

There is something in the deep. Something large. Something hungry. Something prehistoric.
And Team Grendel must find it, fight it, and kill it.
Kinsey Thorne, the first female US Navy SEAL candidate has hit rock bottom. Having washed out of the Navy, she turned to every drink and drug she could get her hands on. Until her father and cousins, all ex-Navy SEALS themselves, offer her a way back into the life: as part of a private, elite combat Team being put together to find and hunt down an impossible monster in the Indian Ocean. Kinsey has a second chance, but can she live through it?

I love, love, love giant sharks. The thing I love even more than that are stories that put a rag tag bunch against nearly unbeatable odds. This book is a bit light on the first, but it hits the second nail on the head. There are giant sea critters, make no mistake, but most of that action takes place later in the book. The focus is largely on the interpersonal relationships and some epic military action. I was a little disappointed that the book, billed as a “Deep Sea Thriller” with a picture of a giant shark on the front, didn’t give the beasts more page time.

With that gripe out of the way, I enjoyed the hell out of this book. There’s a lot of humor of the dark variety on display, as any of Jake’s readers will be hoping for. There’s also some excellent character development. Kinsey, the character mentioned in the blurb, undergoes a very realistic transformation. I enjoyed watching that and getting to know the other members of Team Grendel, the pirate killing, hunters of giant sharks. (If a book that features pirate killing, giant shark hunters doesn’t make you put this on your list, this isn’t the book for you probably.)

The pace moves rapidly. Much of the first half of the book is set up, but it’s entertaining set up. You need to meet these people and get to know them and it’s as much fun as the rest. For all of the fun, this is a gritty book, filled to the gunwales with gore, coarse language, and extreme amounts of gunfire. If that appeals to you then check it out!

I give this book four dorsal fins out of five.

Jake’s Site
Jake’s Twitter
Amazon Kindle Link

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Dead Ends Author Intro – Jake Bible

I’m finishing up listening to the next podcast I’ll be reviewing. I expect that review to go live tomorrow. To tide you over I want to introduce you to one of the authors who participated in Dead Ends, the charity anthology I put out earlier this month (available at Smashwords and Amazon).

DeadEnds-002-sm Jake wrote the story “Blister”. It’s a great piece of body horror. He lives in Asheville, NC with his wife and two kids. He is the author the Apex Trilogy (DEAD MECH, The Americans, Metal and Ash), Bethany and the Zombie Jesus, Stark- An Illustrated Novella, and the YA horror novel Little Dead Man, as well as the forthcoming YA horror novel Intentional Haunting. Check out Friday Night Drabble Party every week! Free drabbles for all! Find him at jakebible.com and all his books on Amazon here.

Why do you write horror? I like to go to those dark places others try not to look at. I love pushing boundaries, pushing people’s buttons, and pushing limits of what can be allowed. I also like blood. Lots and lots of blood.

What inspired this particular story? I honestly don’t know. I wanted gruesome and graphic with a twist of bizarro. I think this did that.

What’s the best horror movie you watched recently? Sinister, for sure. I also liked State of Emergency. It’s a low-budget zombie flick. Some acting not so good. Some is great. But I liked the intimate feel of it and thought it was well done. Although, I’d call it more situational suspense than horror.

What scares you? The thought of something happening to my children. That and losing my intelligence. Both of those things scare the crap out of me. Otherwise, I’m good.

What are you working on now? A crazy urban fantasy mash-up. It’s beyond profane. It’s so profane I had to start inventing profanity because I ran out of words. It’s awesome.

What’s your favorite beverage while writing? Depends on the time of day. Morning writing is coffee. Day time is ice water. Evening is beer or bourbon. Late night is bourbon and coke or earl grey tea.

Dead Ends is available at Smashwords and Amazon
All proceeds go to the Office of Letters and Light. Please spread the word!

Stories include:
“In The Deep Dark” by Justin R. Macumber
“Morning Dew” by Edward Lorn
“Power in the Blood” by Scott Roche
“Getting Even” by Philip Carroll
“Breakers” by Paul E. Cooley
“Breakup” by J.R. Murdock
“Blister” by Jake Bible
Edited by Sue Baiman
Cover by Scott E. Pond.

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Dead Ends – New Horror Anthology

DeadEnds-002-sm In a week I’ll be releasing a brand new horror anthology. It will contain the following stories:

“In The Deep Dark” by Justin R. Macumber – A sinister power is overtaking men at the bottom of a West Virginia coal mine.
“Morning Dew” by Edward Lorn – A golden liquid surrounds a boy’s treehouse and its taste for human flesh is standing between the boys and safety.
“Power In The Blood” by Scott Roche – Reggie discovers that his thirst for blood can give him strength, but may cost him his soul.
“Getting Even” by Philip Carroll -The wealthy and reclusive Mr. Scott Hasbrook must pay for his sins of greed and murder.
“Breakers” by Paul E. Cooley – People known as “Breakers” remove the broken ‘cogs’ from society’s machinery as ruthlessly as possible.
“Breakup” by JR Murdock – Ruby wants to leave her boyfriend Victor, but he wants eternity or nothing.
“Blister” by Jake Bible – Going to the doctor early is a good idea, particularly if your affliction makes you a happy little psycopath.

The release date for this e-book is 7/26/13. All proceeds for the books sales will be donated to the Office of Letters and Light. If you’re interested in an ARC for review, a full size image of the cover or any more information, leave a comment or email me at scott@scottroche.com.

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Other Spooky Books!

Yesterday I linked to some of my works so you’d have something to read for the time of year MADE for haunts. Today I introduce you to some writers that actually have talent.

Sophia (Never Let The Right One Go) by Teel McClanahan –

At age 7, Sophia was struck down with a life-threatening disease. Faced with a choice between an unending life in the body of a child and her otherwise certain death, Sophia’s parents had her turned into a vampire.

Now, after 10 years of Christian home-schooling and near-total isolation, Sophia secretly plans on moving out the very night she turns 18. All her research, her online classes, and her natural curiosity have prepared Sophia mentally for the world she’s about to dive head-first into, but no amount of research could prepare her heart for falling in love with Joshua, the first young man she sees after donating her corneas the next day.

Her faith in God and her desire to heal the sick gives Sophia the strength to persevere through the pain of donation after donation, and her vampirism gives her the ability to grow her organs back again and again, but Sophia finds herself unequipped to face her suddenly-awakened lusts of the flesh and the ache in her heart for a deep, reciprocated love. After a shocking and painful first date with Joshua, it doesn’t take Sophia long to learn just how difficult the search for love can be, especially for a teenage vampire with a child’s body and a strong desire to avoid falling into sin.

Sophia is one of two books in the duology Never Let the Right One Go, which shows two apparently conflicting views of the same supernatural world by looking through the eyes of two very different teenage girls in their pursuit of love. Don’t miss Emily, the other half of the picture, and a completely contrary take on everything you think you know.

The other book in this duology, Emily, is also quite good, but this one is creepier.

Interlopers (Garaaga’s Children) by Paul Elard Cooley –

They fought in his wars. They were the best of his army. But now, Alexander the Great has exiled the last of his scouts to wander the Indus Valley and find their fate. Fighting disease, strange animals, and a hostile climate, the four remaining scouts encounter something as deadly as it is beautiful.

The intersection of historical fiction and creature horror makes this a complex piece. I love what Paul is doing with this series. You’ll see his name here a lot, but that’s got more to do with the strength and complexity of his writing than anything else. Paul GETS what makes good horror.

Dead Mech by Jake Bible

Massive robotic battle machines. But what happens when a mech pilot dies in his mech and becomes a zombie? Hell on earth is unleashed… Prepare for a high action, fast paced, hell ride through a futuristic wasteland as Mech Base Commander James Capreze and his crew of mech pilots battle zombies, cannibals, religious cults and worst of all, the Dead Mechs, all to try and save the human race one last time. Jake Bible’s Dead Mech: The future may not be completely dead, but it’s on its way…

This is the first in the Apex Trilogy. Jake meshes horror and sci-fi in some unique and interesting ways. I’ve read this and the third book in the trilogy (yeah I know I read crap out of order all the time. Weird, huh?) and highly recommend it.

Closet Treats by Paul Elard Cooley –

Reality is a slippery slope for Trey Leger, but he’s managed to carve out a somewhat normal existence in spite of his mental illness. But when an ice cream truck starts making the rounds of his neighborhood, Trey can no longer tell reality from his delusions.

Included is the essay, “The Death Of Childhood”, that inspired the novel and launched Shadowpublications.com.

I love a good unreliable narrator. Books that make me ask “Is this guy crazy? Is this stuff ‘real’? Or is it both?” go in a special place on my shelf.

 

Summer Rental by Phil Rossi –

Mike and his daughter make their annual trip to the Outer Banks. It’s just not the same without Susanna’s mother. This year, there is someone new in town.

This one’s pretty short, but I’m from the area that this is set in and Phil NAILS it. It’s super-duper creepy.

 

Goodnight, My Love by Dave Sobkowiak

Bedtime is often a struggle for parents of small children. Little Daphne is no different in that regard. What makes Daphne’s case so noteworthy? She’s going to bed while the sun is just peeking out over the horizon.

Daphne’s family belongs to a special group. They keep different hours but they still try to make the world a better place for their children. In that way they’re just like you and me. In other ways, they’re like no one you’ve ever seen.

I love the Twilight Zone feel of this one and that’s all I’ll say about that!

My Teacher is a Zombie by J.R. Murdock –

Stanley’s teacher is getting up there in years, but her demeanor is just a little more than off and her smell is even worse. When she attacks the students in his 8th grade class, Stanley and his friends take action.

This is the only one on the list suitable for kids. It was a lot of fun for this adult too!

Well what are you waiting for? Go get these and any other books by these guys.

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Stark – An Illustrated Novella

We interrupt this free book fest to ask you, my beloved audience, to get up, go out, and buy Stark by Jake Bible (no actual going out required, just click the link). Jake is a fellow North Carolinian (though we’re both transplants), a talented author, and a complete jerk face for coming up with this idea!

Okay, perhaps it’s nothing brand new, but an e-book with illustrations isn’t something I see every day. He got a talented illustrator in Scott E. Pond and they’ve put out a product that looks like it’ll be bloody brilliant. I put the emphasis there for a reason. I haven’t read it yet, but the first few illustrations are black and white and red all over. Not surprising considering Jake’s previous works are soaked in gore.

If that turns you off, buy the book and gift it to someone who’s supercharged by it (and then back away slowly). Heck, buy it just to support such a brilliantly done work of fiction (again, I haven’t read it, but if it’s not brilliant I’ll rid the world of this hack once and for all). I plunked down fifteen bones myself sight unseen, and I’m a cheapskate.

So, your mission today is to support an indie author and an indie artist with your hard earned beer voucher. Lift one less pint this week and buy this book, your waistline will thank you!

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Scavenger Hunt!

Reviews for my stories keep coming in. A new one for “Fetch” went up last night and I’m pleased with it. Still, I want to continue to find new ways to get the word out about them. So I came up with an idea and I’ve approached some of my favorite podcasters with it…

I send them a coupon code for one of my stories and they drop it in their podcast. Their listeners get a free story and I send you lovely people (who might not be listening, and why aren’t you?) over there to listen, get hooked and ALSO get a free story. It’s WIN/WIN/WIN/WIN.

The first one has gone up. Jake Bible has dropped a coupon code into his latest Ramblin’ Jake Infocast. So go listen. He’s got some great news about his projects (at least one of which you might be interested in) and he also drops the coupon code somewhere in there. You’ll find a link to the story itself on his site.

If you’re a podcaster and you want to get in on this action, drop me a comment. If you want more free stories and news go to my author page on Facebook. You might find something over there to like other than me!