Books that went to press this week:
Chasing Nightmares, deliberately embracing terrors, isn’t what you and I are likely to do. But you and I are not the four central characters in this novel, pretty typical college kids who sense that their lives are so predictable they hardly seem present in them. They are determined not to succumb to the commonplace scripts set out for them, pathways that are so comfortable they might as well be padded, MUSAK softly playing.
So, they set out from Los Angeles, trying hard to find the perilous. They try hard to make themselves unprepared, open, desperate to vivify their minds and senses. They make it only as far as Lake Tahoe and the nearby Donner Pass, where they do succeed in attracting horrors, certainly not the ones they had, despite themselves, anticipated.
But the nightmares they wrap round themselves also contain a good deal more than shivers, and the calls on their resolve demand more than simple courage (or foolhardy consistency). Without knowing how it happened, they are drawn into a different strangeness, asking for and yet reluctant to receive something very much like love.
Chasing Nightmares, deliberately embracing terrors, isn’t what you and I are likely to do. But you and I are not the four central characters in this novel, pretty typical college kids who sense that their lives are so predictable they hardly seem present in them. They are determined not to succumb to the commonplace scripts set out for them, pathways that are so comfortable they might as well be padded, MUSAK softly playing.
So, they set out from Los Angeles, trying hard to find the perilous. They try hard to make themselves unprepared, open, desperate to vivify their minds and senses. They make it only as far as Lake Tahoe and the nearby Donner Pass, where they do succeed in attracting horrors, certainly not the ones they had, despite themselves, anticipated.
But the nightmares they wrap round themselves also contain a good deal more than shivers, and the calls on their resolve demand more than simple courage (or foolhardy consistency). Without knowing how it happened, they are drawn into a different strangeness, asking for and yet reluctant to receive something very much like love.
EASTERN SHORE NOIR, by Members of the Writer's Bloc.
These stories are told in many styles. Some writers have been drawn back to memories from long forgotten times; the life they once lived, or observations of families
and friends. Explore the emotional connections, at the very core, with keen insights that are not all black and white.
Understand, that the writers are the rays of light, passing
through the darkness, resonating long after the final page
is turned.
M. Rita Tiso
and friends. Explore the emotional connections, at the very core, with keen insights that are not all black and white.
Understand, that the writers are the rays of light, passing
through the darkness, resonating long after the final page
is turned.
M. Rita Tiso
CAN A RED-HAIRED WOMAN FROM CHICAGO SINGLE-HANDEDLY
FORCE JOSEPH STALIN TO BACK DOWN?
China, 1927. Thirty-three-year-old Rayna Prohme, accompanying her left-wing journalist husband, becomes the political confidant and lover of Mikhail Borodin, the Russian commander sent to prop up a failing Chinese revolution. In a bid to continue their love affair, Rayna hatches a plan to accompany Mme. Sun, the widow of the Chinese revolution’s founder, to Moscow. But Moscow doesn’t welcome the women.
RED YEAR by Jan Shapin
CAN A RED-HAIRED WOMAN FROM CHICAGO SINGLE-HANDEDLY
FORCE JOSEPH STALIN TO BACK DOWN?
China, 1927. Thirty-three-year-old Rayna Prohme, accompanying her left-wing journalist husband, becomes the political confidant and lover of Mikhail Borodin, the Russian commander sent to prop up a failing Chinese revolution. In a bid to continue their love affair, Rayna hatches a plan to accompany Mme. Sun, the widow of the Chinese revolution’s founder, to Moscow. But Moscow doesn’t welcome the women.
ARMY OF THE DEAD by Ray Morand
"Twists and turns, chivalry and treachery, sword fights and, goblins and fire-breathing dragons---this book has all the familiar trappings of fantasy, but it also has a very human and engaging woman at its heart. Its cliffhanger ending definitely left me wanting more." ---Nina M. Osier, Eppie winning author of the Regs, The Mad Fisherman's Daughter, Interphase, and the Farthinghome Series.
Cover Not Set
BACKWOOD MEMORIES by Shelley Abbott
A collection of memoir essays by a famed singer and songwriter, the Eastern Shore's own, Shelley Abbott.
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| Cover Not Set |
Jack's News!
by your Official Bookstore Cat,
and Gossip Columnist.
Hi Folks,
Haven't heard from anyone with news of personal appearances, book sales or other events. So it's been a slow week no news or gossip to pass along, and lots of time for thinking.
Still missing Dave's special belly rubs around here.
Me and Spunky, my baby sister, almost had a night out. I was napping in the back of the closet and they looked there, but didn't see me. Arline started calling out the back door, thinking (Quite unjustly!) that I might have snuck outside. Spunky, noticing the door open, ran outside! I'd like to think she was looking for me, but really, she just runs outside any time she sees the door open, even when it's dark.
Hearing them call (and even though it wasn't supper time or treat time) I came to see what was going on and hurried outide to rescue the baby. SHE hid under the pickup. I chased after her to tell her to get back inside. Then I saw a frog and went to chase it. It wanted to play.
Then Spunky ran back inside, but saw I was gone, and she jumped back out again, before the door could close, and ran off into the little copse of trees in the back corner, where the deer sometimes hide and the groundhog lives. I could hear Arline calling and Roger shouting inside the house, but then more frogs came to play...
Then an awful thing happened. Arline yelled, "To hell with it!" She slammed the door and turned off the porch light. She left us both outside, in the dark, all by ourselves!
I couldn't believe it. When the light went out, Spunky ran back from the groundhog nest. They have babies and were mean to her so she was very scared. I told her to get up on top of the pickup tire and stay there. There's worse things than groundhogs in that copse. There's a nest of copperheads in there, five or six little ones, all with bright yellow tails. They are NOT cute. OR fun to play with.
I stayed right at the bottom of the tire to make sure Spunky was safe. Sure, I played with the frogs some more, but you can believe I kept my eyes open. It was cloudy. No stars. It was cold. No fireflies. The security light was a long, long way away. Good thing we cats can see in the dark.
Then it started to rain but, safe under the fender, Spunky stayed asleep. I got far enough under to stay out of the rain and kept watch. The birds in the birdhouse fluttered and cooed. A raccoon crept along the edge of the field and caught a mouse. He ate it! Ugh! The whole thing! No wonder they try to get inside where it's safe.
Roger builds what he calls "hamster traps" and catches them and takes them back outside.
After a long, long time, the porch light came back on. I woke Spunky up and we both ran for the back door. By the time Arline opened it to call us, we were both waiting right there and shot inside fast.
Spunky jumped right up in the rocking chair. Arline saw that I was wet, and rubbed me down with a nice, warm, fluffy towel. Roger came out of the bedroom. "They both back?"
"Got 'em. Told ya if we turned off the lights and waited fifteen minutes..."
"Night, Hon..." He yawned and went back to bed. I sneezed and tried to con her out of an extra snack, but it didn't work.
"You're all dry now," she told me, and kissed my nose, and put me down in Roger's chair in the living room. She know's I'm the boss whenever he's not there...
In Memorium:
R. David Chase
1958 -2015
1958 -2015
Me and Spunky, my baby sister, almost had a night out. I was napping in the back of the closet and they looked there, but didn't see me. Arline started calling out the back door, thinking (Quite unjustly!) that I might have snuck outside. Spunky, noticing the door open, ran outside! I'd like to think she was looking for me, but really, she just runs outside any time she sees the door open, even when it's dark.
Hearing them call (and even though it wasn't supper time or treat time) I came to see what was going on and hurried outide to rescue the baby. SHE hid under the pickup. I chased after her to tell her to get back inside. Then I saw a frog and went to chase it. It wanted to play.
Then Spunky ran back inside, but saw I was gone, and she jumped back out again, before the door could close, and ran off into the little copse of trees in the back corner, where the deer sometimes hide and the groundhog lives. I could hear Arline calling and Roger shouting inside the house, but then more frogs came to play...
Then an awful thing happened. Arline yelled, "To hell with it!" She slammed the door and turned off the porch light. She left us both outside, in the dark, all by ourselves!
I couldn't believe it. When the light went out, Spunky ran back from the groundhog nest. They have babies and were mean to her so she was very scared. I told her to get up on top of the pickup tire and stay there. There's worse things than groundhogs in that copse. There's a nest of copperheads in there, five or six little ones, all with bright yellow tails. They are NOT cute. OR fun to play with.
I stayed right at the bottom of the tire to make sure Spunky was safe. Sure, I played with the frogs some more, but you can believe I kept my eyes open. It was cloudy. No stars. It was cold. No fireflies. The security light was a long, long way away. Good thing we cats can see in the dark.
Then it started to rain but, safe under the fender, Spunky stayed asleep. I got far enough under to stay out of the rain and kept watch. The birds in the birdhouse fluttered and cooed. A raccoon crept along the edge of the field and caught a mouse. He ate it! Ugh! The whole thing! No wonder they try to get inside where it's safe.
Roger builds what he calls "hamster traps" and catches them and takes them back outside.
After a long, long time, the porch light came back on. I woke Spunky up and we both ran for the back door. By the time Arline opened it to call us, we were both waiting right there and shot inside fast.
Spunky jumped right up in the rocking chair. Arline saw that I was wet, and rubbed me down with a nice, warm, fluffy towel. Roger came out of the bedroom. "They both back?"
"Got 'em. Told ya if we turned off the lights and waited fifteen minutes..."
"Night, Hon..." He yawned and went back to bed. I sneezed and tried to con her out of an extra snack, but it didn't work.
"You're all dry now," she told me, and kissed my nose, and put me down in Roger's chair in the living room. She know's I'm the boss whenever he's not there...
Please remember to let us know if you have readings or events coming up, so we can pass on the news right here, for all the world to see.
Just send arline@mail.com an e-mail, with
"News for Jack"
in the subject line, and
I'll make sure it shows up here for all the world to see!
