heres to the 70s... 

pink floyd ~ meddle

MERCY ROW CLANN, the new book by Harry Hallman...

Mercy Row Clann: Book 2 in the Mercy Row Series

Genre: Historical Fiction, Crime

The Byrne family fights two wars. One for the freedom of the world and the other for the survival of their family. It's 1943 and America and its allies are at war with Germany and Japan. As World War 2 rages, the Byrne family must send their sons to war in Africa, Europe and the Pacific, while they fight a war at home instigated by old enemies, internal greed and new foes.

The Byrne children's ability to protect and grow the family, and the North Philadelphia K & A Gang, is tested with violence, sorrow and love.

My Review:

I was worried when I was asked to read Mercy Row Clann that I wasn’t going to be able to adequately follow the story line, as I hadn’t yet had a chance to read the book’s prequel Mercy Row. But as soon as I started to read I knew that this enthralling story was an absolute stand alone! The book centers around the multi-fronted perils of two Philadelphia crime families during World War II. The story line weaves through the deep cultural roots of the Italian-American & Irish-American’s legacies as they fight to stay together in a competitive and cutthroat joint illicit business. All of Mr. Hallman’s individual characters are impressively complex; even the periphery characters. There is one thrilling scene where Mr. Hallman is writing from the point of view of a German bomber pilot as he’s strafing an American ship! The plot ties itself up neatly and left me super stoked to go back and read Mercy Row and I anxiously await the next installment. This book kept me intrigued from start to end, and I highly recommend it as not only an exciting read, but also a cool peek into the lives and history of native Philadelphians from a native Philadelphian who actually is writing from his own experiences! 

Author's Biography - Harry Hallman

Hallman was born in 1944 and raised in the Kensington section of North Philadelphia. That was a year before World War II ended. He was influenced by the stories told by returning servicemen and the proliferation of war movies that were shown on the then new invention of the television. With the influence of movie heroes such as John Wayne, and real heroes like Audie Murphy, he gained a healthy respect for his mother and father's generation and their sacrifices. His uncles on his mother's side both served in WWII, one in the Army and one in the Navy.

Hallman's father was Harry Hallman, Sr., a champion billiards player who also owned a poolroom called Circle Billiards, located at Allegheny Avenue and Lee Street. The younger Hallman spent many hours after school at his father's poolroom and watching his father play in other poolrooms in Philadelphia and New Jersey. The people he met, some belonging to the real K&A Gang, influenced his writing of the Mercy Row series.

He served four years in the U.S. Air Force, including two tours in South Vietnam, as a photographer. He is married to Duoc Hallman, whom he met in Vietnam, and has two children, Bill and Nancy, and one grandchild, Ava.

Hallman is a serial entrepreneur who has created several marketing services and digital media companies and continues to work as a marketing consultant.

Look for the continuation of the Mercy Row and Mercy Row Clann story with book three in 2015.

Keep informed at www.mercyrow.com or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/mercyrownovel.

The Olympus Cloud (Adventures of a Dreamer) by Stephen Randel

The Olympus Cloud (Adventures of a Dreamer)

by Stephen Randel

Genre: Middle Grade, Young Adult, Adventure

Book Description

Do you ever wonder what your dog is dreaming about when its paws twitch? You might be surprised….

Some dogs can spend up to sixteen hours a day sleeping. For Max, a pugnacious French bulldog from Texas, this provides plenty of time for him to explore the world through his vivid imagination. His dreams are a doorway to excitement and adventure. Whether he’s solving mysteries, rescuing other animals, or just plain saving the day, Max’s heroic exploits carry him around the block, around the country, and even around the planet. From the plains of Africa to the battlefields of France and into outer space, Max matches wits with everything from a zombie accountant to rodent gangsters and a myriad of mythical creatures. And in the end, the fearless and faithful little dog always makes it home in time for dinner.

My Review

Maximilian, (Max, for short) makes his return in Stephen Randel’s new book THE OLYMPUS CLOUD-adventures of a dreamer. Max is a small but powerful French bulldog with complex and vivid dreams that include a tremendous array of awesome characters, situations, and heart-pounding tales of intrigue. All experienced from the floors and furnishings of a big white house that he shares with his human, Bennett. Generally outside of my picks for reading material, THE OLYMPUS CLOUD opened my eyes to a whole other world of writing and I just rolled right through this book and couldn’t put it down.  I loved that all of these exciting tales were taking place in the mind of a dog, and carried me to all these different time periods and even other worlds! All jam-packed with explosive colors, smells, and sights that made me completely forget that I was even reading! Instead, I was riding along with this invincible little bulldog, joyfully witnessing first-hand all his adventures! I absolutely am in awe of this book and can’t wait to get my hands on Mr. Randel’s other books, and hopefully will be starting another today… Very highly recommended!

Author Info

Stephen Randel was born in Houston, Texas.  He is a graduate of Texas Christian University.  Steve now lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota with his wife and their rescue dog.  He is the author of The Chupacabra: A Borderline Crazy Tale of Coyotes, Cash & Cartels and Trail of the Chupacabra: An Avery Bartholomew Pendleton Misadventure.

Purchase Link: AMAZON

Author Website: www.stephenrandel.com

hey all. just posted my review of this fine book to GOODREADS. why? cuz this book kills it, recovery-wise. I've returned to it again a number of times as a much needed addendum (replacement) to most of the nauseating recovery oriented slop available. It even has taken an esteemed place on top of the magic blue book on the nitestand! bucky straight up keeps it real, to use the modern parlance. If your strugglin' in (or out) of the rooms, do yourself a tremendous solid and buy these words! 

available for cheap for kindle, too! 

click here for the review on GOODREADS:

virtual book tour with Tiffany Pitts, Author of the book  DOUBLE BLIND

Double Blind

By Tiffany Pitts

Genre: Adult Fiction, Humor

Book Synopsis

Delilah Pelham’s brother, Paul, is missing. She should probably be worried about that but honestly, he’s been in trouble since the day he learned the words “trust me." In fact, if it weren’t for his roommate, Carl, she would gladly leave him to his fate.

Carl is a good guy, even if he’s a bit of a dork. Okay, a large slice of a dork. Possibly the entire cake.

But he wants to help, as do his gamer friends, which is how Deli finds herself in the middle of Hong Kong with the King of the Dorks, running from creepy guys with slicked-back hair and shiny black guns.

Back at home, Carl’s friends aren’t faring nearly as well. All they had to do was monitor the situation and feed Deli’s cat while she was gone. How could that possibly end in bloodshed?

There is an answer, of course, but no one ever thinks to ask the cat.

Author Bio

Tiffany grew up in the Seattle area in a time when the Super Sonics were huge and Starbucks was just a store at the end of the Market. Tragedy struck early in her life as her family moved to New Jersey mere months before Bon Jovi’s “Slippery When Wet” album hit record stores. It took nearly a decade to wean herself off the hairspray. But Seattle called her back, so she went; eventually earning a degree in Botany (pronounced “Bar tending”) at the University of Washington.

She made one more valiant attempt to leave the PNW after college by travelling around the country doing not much of value and making very stupid decisions. She is thankful every day that the internet was not a huge deal in those years. Then Seattle called again so she picked up and moved home where she spent many years being a scientist of middling talent in several labs that she absolutely did not blow up—except for that one time and everyone agreed not to talk about that any more.

Now she divides her time between writing fiction and raising two kids who are wonderful but, for some reason, won’t stop licking things. 

My Review of Double Blind by Tiffany Pitts

TOESY’S DIGESTIVE SYSTEM, SEATTLE

‘The cat was its Overlord. The bean would follow the commands of the Overlord with accuracy and aplomb because that was the bean’s job. It existed to do the Overlord’s bidding and the bean was nothing if not professional. It did not think about how much fun it was having with the Overlord because fun is not in a bean’s job description. However, were the bean ever to become self-aware, it is probable that the first autonomous word it uttered would be Wheee!

                                                                                                            ~from DOUBLE BLIND

This is the most incredible book I’ve read in a long time! Now I’m a sucker for crime noir. The darker, the better. Especially when its mixed with humor and sharp dialogue. This is that, and so much more! In the first page, I knew this book was a champ.

I then began to really absorb the flow of Double Blind. The book opens on our hero, Deli, (Delilah Pelham, to be exact) confronting a monster. After a symphony of structured mayhem, our protagonist easily prevails. Then the book ignites! Tiffany’s characters are complex, colorful, beautifully detailed (right down to the awesomely noir names) and she flows seamlessly from personality to personality until you feel personally involved in the story, and not just an observer. Then she drags you in even further! This amazing plot also centers around a bitchin’ 30 lb Maine Coon called Toesy, and a handful of magic robot beans. Tiffany even displays the unique writing prowess to speak from both of these characters individual viewpoints and voices (including the robobeans)! The dialogues in this book are absolutely genuine and ingenious, the twists & turns spellbinding, the tale a technological marvel, and the command of the language stunning. You’d be hard pressed to find a cooler and more imaginative plot, anywhere. I don’t even know what to say about this spectacular book! To tell any more would make me a spoiler and I want to highly encourage everyone that I encounter to read this thriller. Its that good!

TIFFANY PITTS is my new favorite author! Hands down. Can’t wait for her next one, and I see massive hugeness in her future…

FIVE STARS!


Social media links:


Twitter: @snickerpants

Website: www.snickerpants.com

Facebook page name is Tiffany Pitts, Author. 

Link is: https://www.facebook.com/tiffanypittsauthor

the kick ass human being award for the week 

goes to THE NEARSIGHTED OWL!

I hold her in high regard for refusing to be shamed or shot down by a whole contigent of douchey scumbags who's only goal is to attempt to build themselves up at the expense of others. 

to anyone who participates in these LAME shenanigans, 

I got a couple of words for you...

FUCK YOU! 

If you want to read more about this awesome woman, 

click here:

heres some good news: the hip priests have a hole bevy a new tunes in the can, & we will be hearin' it toot sweet. 

goddamn fantastikal!

click here to check out some more...

a really cool event comin' to olympia, as we move closer 

to a ZINE FEST of our own...

first aid kit ~ hard believer

So you ask for my opinion well what is there to say

To be honest and just foolish won't make you want to stay

You've got to go on and get moving and I can't do that for you

Got so many plans and so much you want to do

Love is tough, time is rough

On me

Well I see you've got your bible your delusion imagery

Well I don't need your eternity or your meaning to feel free

I just live because I love to and that's enough you see

So don't come preach about morality that's just human sense to me

Love is tough, time is rough

On me

And it's one life and it's this life and it's beautiful

Love is tough, time is rough

On me

these girls are brilliant! click here. buy their stuff!

Book Blitz for Calculated by Renee Novelle

 

Calculated: Synopsis

An investigative journalist gets an unlikely tip from a mysterious informant. Dismissing it as impossible, she disregards the information and drops the story. Until the informant turns up dead, as predicted.

Plunged into the murky waters of a seedy underground prostitution ring, this psychological thriller provides twist upon dark twist in a story that would ultimately pin the church and several government officials in the largest murder cover-up the city has ever witnessed.

But is it true, or has the journalist merely been used as a pawn in a greater scheme? And how many people is she willing to sacrifice trying to figure it out?

Excerpt:  

When she arrived at the little facility her building provided, a quick look around confirmed she was the only one there. Just as she’d hoped, and exactly how she liked it to be. Smiling in satisfaction, she flipped on the television that was perched on the wall, and turned up the music on her iPod as loud as she could handle it. The multiple distractions would help her get through the extra mile she was planning to conquer. With chilled water bottle in place, she cranked up the treadmill to a nice brisk pace.

As her breathing picked up speed and her muscles began to warm, Ana’s eye caught a red flash along the bottom of the screen. Breaking News filled the bar, and the too-chipper-for-their-own-good reporters were suddenly getting serious. Since the volume was still muted, Ana couldn’t understand exactly what was going on, only that they were showing the wide stretch of river that ran along the outskirts of the city. She wiped the first beads of sweat from her brow, and used the remote to turn the volume of the television higher while simultaneously adjusting her music.

As the reporters spoke, home-video footage of something floating in the water rolled before her eyes. The camera zoomed in, the frame ever so shaky, and it became clearly apparent that the “something” was a person - face down with long brown hair spread out like a Catholic halo. It appeared another victim had been pulled out of the water; the count was quickly tallying up. A young woman this time, and possibly one who had gone missing the night before.

Ana’s pulse skipped a few beats as they replayed the video over and over. There was something familiar about the long, lean body. Slowing the treadmill to a stop, she ripped the ear buds from her head to give the segment her entire attention.

...it appears at first glance that the victim suffered from a deep cut to the throat, and received multiple stab wounds to the chest...

The beads of accumulated sweat turned cold on Ana’s brow. She immediately reached for her phone and dialed Kylie’s number.

“What the hell, Ana?” Came her friend’s groggy voice.

“Turn your TV on. Channel four. Hurry.” Ana said, eyes transfixed to the screen in front of her. “Recognize that face?”

...It’s thought the victim may be one of the young girls recently reported missing. The screen flashed candids of three possible women. All brunettes. All tall and thin. All roughly the same age. Among them was a photo of Mara, just as Ana had expected there would be.

But the body was too bloated and disfigured to be absolutely certain, and an autopsy would be needed.

... The body will be taken in for processing where officials hope to shed more light on the case in the near future. In the mean time, they’re cautioning residents to avoid....

“Did you see that?” Ana’s voice escaped in more of a demand than a question. “Please tell me I’m seeing things.”

“Oh my god...” Kylie whispered into the receiver, confirming the dread that was building in Ana’s stomach. “Do you really think it’s her?”

“I know for a fact it is.” Ana declared, the pull in her gut getting stronger by the minute. “The autopsy will confirm it.”

“So, what does this mean exactly now?”

“That maybe I should have been listening a little closer when I was talking to Mara.” She said with regret as she swiped her forehead with the back of her hand. “And maybe I should have asked more questions. There’s a story here, I’m sure of it now.”

“What are you going to do?” Kylie’s voice was decidedly more alert now.

Ana shook her head. “I have no idea.”

Though if she were to be truthful with herself in that moment, she’d already made up her mind. Ana flipped off the television, and left the little gym to get started.

About Renee Novelle

Formerly a freelance journalist, Novelle has found placement of her pieces in both online and print publications since 2008. Additionally, she has written multiple screenplays, and contributed her writing to many non-profit and for profit organizations. She has launched several blogs over the years, which garnered international attention.

In 2013, Novelle returned to her first love – fiction. Writing under the names Renee Novelle and R.S. Novelle, she has a publication schedule that includes Psychological Thrillers, Suspense, Paranormal Fiction, Contemporary Women’s fiction, Chick Lit, and New Adult.

Though she received her Bachelor’s of Science in Communication, summa cum laude, she considers herself a constant student of the written word. She’s an avid reader, an enthusiastic quote poster, and rarely takes “no” as a final answer. She has an unhealthy obsession for theater, dance, music and art, and strongly believes that wine is simultaneously the beginning of, and resolution to, all of life’s problems. She believes in following dreams, and that in the end, you always end up where you’re meant to be.

for more info follow these links~

 Website:
Goodreads:
Facebook:
Twitter:

Sales Links~
Amazon:
Barnes & Noble: 
iTunes:
Smashwords:
   

good morning, fellow humans! Its early, and already the SCUMBAG SUIT OF THE DAY AWARD is going out to:

this jackass (with help from the rest of the republican POSs) blocked a national increase of the minimum wage from $7.25 to $10.10/hr.

you, sir, suck dry shit.

Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) click here to find out why:

night time's the right time for turbonegro...

                         happy beltane! 

Its beautiful and sunny here in west olympia today! maybe we can get out to soak up some of that old D that we are so deprived of here in the pacific NW...

review: INVOKING NONNA by Sage Adderley

“Are you sure we can’t get busted?” My brother nervously chewed on his fingernails. I rolled my eyes and threw my arms in the air to demonstrate how annoyed I was at the coward that was my older brother, John. “How many times do I have to tell you, dummy, we can only get busted if she knows who called. I know she doesn’t have caller ID.” John sat on his bed in old jeans and a baseball shirt. He was scratching his long mane while he partially listened as I talked about revenge and a harmless prank phone call. 
        
                          
Now I know that I run the risk here of being totally biased and pandering, But I’m gonna attempt to write an honest and balanced review of Sage Adderley’s first novel, INVOKING NONNA. Here goes…

This is not the first book I would pull off a shelf if I was in search of a new book to read, as its geared towards a younger audience and definitely ain’t gritty crime-noir or realism, my usual choices.  But being that I live with the person who penned this book (as the first in a three-part series) and that I put a lot of time into helping her to get it onto a shelf where it was available to be read, and that she’s an absolutely intriguing and imaginative soul who I care deeply about, there was NO WAY that I wasn’t gonna read it!

Right away, the storyline and depth of characters sucked me in. The antagonists are super easy to despise, the heroes are heroes, and there is an innocence and integrity that weaves its way through the entire book. Maybe its me, the embittered and jaded old punker, that thought that the actions and reactions of the women in this book on how they handle difficulties should be entirely different than the way the characters inevitably chose. And then the strangest thing happened!  This book started to teach me a number of invaluable lessons about how I perceive situations in my own life, and how I could make MUCH better choices.  Add to that the tapestry of multiple generations of the family’s long history in the art of witchcraft, how the author seamlessly winds through the parallel experiences that continue to recur in the woman’s lives, and the likeability of the key characters. This book is just cool. 

For more information on this book click here:

click. ANTiSEEN ~ eat more possum...

what the hell is that big orange ball in the sky?!?

weather forecast for spectacular olympia washington today: sunny and a high of 80 degrees. killer! a bad day to be stuck inside...

                                         jonny manak and the depressives! click! 

the morning haha...

Good mornin, all! heres a sparkler...

In case you hadn't heard or maybe forgot, a homeless man named 
KELLY THOMAS was beaten by six police officers in Fullerton California 
on July 5th of last year. He died as a result of massive head trauma five days later. 
This despicable incident was all caught on video tape. 

All six (two of which who went all the way to trial) of the supposed peace officers involved were acquitted of any charges, of course. Lame! 

Anyways, the people of SoCal havent given up on trying to find some justice for Kelly within the increasingly corrupt police and judicial system that we all find ourselves living in the land of the free. This is an ongoing call to the citizens of these united states to not forget. We are not powerless, and we do have a collective voice. 


BE HEARD!

JUSTICE 4 KELLY THOMAS

  a goody from ESTRANGED CAR CLUB~ ptld oregon (click here)...