Shimy Shimy Shimy

THE SHIMMER by David Morrell (to be released July, 2009 by Vanguard Press, 352 pp. / hc)

After discovering her suitcases missing and a note that turns out to be a lie, Dan Page learns his wife Tori has left for a small town in Texas--a town with an unusual history.

After some quick detective work (easy, being Page is a cop), Page lands his small plane on the outskirts of Rostov and is taken to his wife by the local sherriff. Before long Page discovers Tori hasn't actually left him, but felt "called" to come to Rostov after a recent medical diagnosis as well as memories of a strange childhood experience.

Tori is one of the few people who are able to see the mysterious Lights of Rostov, legendary spectres that have been seen and studied for years by believers, tourists . . . and the U.S. military.

Page sits with Tori at an official observation area one night, hoping to see what has drawn her, when a man goes berserk, claiming the lights are evil, and starts firing his rifle into the crowd of onlookers. Page and Tori become minor celebrities when they manage to stop him (after he claims 20 lives), and soon begin to search for the meaning and origin of the Lights.

What follows is an addictive mystery, full of suspense and some interesting back-story that'll appeal to fans of shows such as Unexplained Mysteries and the X-Files.

While I found the ending to be a bit of a let down (not much is explained and I was expecting more after such a fast-paced ride), I can still recommend this to thriller fans looking for a quick, fun summer read.

Zombies & Tequila

UNHAPPY ENDINGS by Brian Keene (2009 Delirium Books / 324 pp. / tp)

Keene's 4th short story collection features 19 stories and 3 poems. I was a bit pissed that I had already read so much of the material here (MOST of the stories from Keene's A LITTLE SILVER BOOK OF STREET WISE STORIES appear here), but it does contain some rare (and GOOD) selections you'll want to check out.

JACK'S MAGIC BEANS (a planned novella from another press that never panned out) makes its debut here and I found it to be the highlight of the collection; Keene shines when working in apocalyptic settings, and this one features a couple of neat twists.

The limited edition novella TEQUILA SUNRISE is included here, and being I missed the Bloodletting Press edition it was nice to finally read it. If you've ever wondered why there's a worm at the bottom of some Tequila bottles, you'll dig the author's fabled reason.

The 3 poems are okay, although I identitfied nicely with FOUR YOUNG BLONDES IN A RED MAZDA (funny stuff---especially if you're middled aged).

I'm guessing hardcore Keene fans might feel a little duped with this one (a few stories were originally available only as extras in limited editions of his novels), but I'm happy to have been let in on the fun (especially the couple of tales that take place within THE RISING universe).

If you're not familar with Keene, this is a fine place to get aquainted with his work; his self-introduction is informative (and fun), too.

Cover art for ZOMBIE BASTARD

Along with Gina Ranalli's SWARM OF FLYING EYEBALLS (5/09) and my press' first anthology, DARK JESTERS (9 or 10/09), we're also releasing a HYSTERICALLY CREEPY novella by Jerrod Balzer titled ZOMBIE BASTARD. Here's the cover art by Caroline O'Neal:

Well have a synopsis and more news to follow over on www.novellopublishers.com as well as our MS and FB pages.

My First Blurb...

I am thrilled to have received the first review for my forthcoming debut novel, DON OF THE DEAD:

"Zombies meet the Mob -- what's not to like? Nick Cato's Don of the Dead takes an oh-so-cool central idea and turns it into a tale that is at times funny, often gory, and 100% a hell of a good time! I freakin' loved it . . . capisce?"

-- James Newman (Animosity, People Are Strange, Midnight Rain)

The novel will be out later this year from Coscom Entertainment, who have been releasing some killer zombie, monster, and superhero novels and novellas. (Hopefully) more to follow!...

Death, Rabbinical Style

THE GOLEM by Edward Lee (2009 Leisure Books / 323 pp. / mmp)

When I was a kid, my aunt bought me a huge book about horror films, and although I've been trying to remember the title for YEARS, I still can't place it. One of the older films discussed was THE GOLEM, a silent film I finally managed to see during my high school years at a theatre in Manhattan. The verdict? It bored me senseless (my apologies to silent horror film purists out there).

Well, guess what folks? Ed Lee's THE GOLEM, while retaining the cultural mythos of the story, is NOTHING like the film (but then again you probably knew that as soon as you heard about this one!).

While THE GOLEM is standard genre stuff (couple moves to isolated house with dark secret then has to confront ancient evil), Lee adds his own voice with plenty of intense violence, some brutal (and one unforgettable) sex scenes, and plenty of humor courtesy of 2 bumbling redneck crack dealers (truest me, it doesn't take away from the seriousness of the novel). I also enjoyed Lee's handling of religion here, the differences between authentic and heretical Jewish faith nicely displayed.

Reading most of Lee's novels are like watching gore-filled splatter films of yesteryear, and THE GOLEM is no exception. This has been done many times before, but seldom as fun. 'Tis a fun fun fun genre read. Oy vey!