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REVIEW: Fried Green Zombies by John A. Allen

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel Mitchell) — Tue, 01 May 2012 08:58:03 PDT

I came across this podcast novel at Podiobooks.com a year or two ago and decided that I should listen again and review it. Fried Green Zombies is far from your run of the mill zombie story, in fact it is about more than just zombies. Within the novel we find rednecks, geeks, crooked police, snakes having a bad day, super-sexy space ladies, ghostly monster trucks from beyond the grave, car chases, massive shoot-outs, stupid aliens, a computer with PMS, squirming hotdog sausages and of course, zombies too.

This book is funny, laugh out loud funny. It does not have the scientific fore-thought of a Sigler novel, or the graphic violence of Jake Bible’s best work, there is nothing to churn your stomach or provoke thought on metaphors of modern society, the kind of which you get from Parrish nor the alternative zombie story that you get from the likes of J.P. Moore. What this book has going for it though, the likes of which you will find in none of the above, is outrageous comedy.

What I Liked

Fried Green Zombies is satire, pure and simple. There is hardly a serious sentence in this story. From the opening the author lets the reader know that this book is about having fun and that is how it goes from start to finish.

John A. Allen has a great command of his characters'’ voices, doing them all himself. There is never any confusion as to which character is talking at any given time. This is important as confusion of which character is saying what can break enjoyment of a novel.

I love the ludicrous situations Mr Allen put his characters in, such as chasing the cooked, headless chicken around a scrap yard, or squirming hotdog sausages that are simply “stubborn”; this story is, if not read by everyone, going to waste.

What I Disliked

While every single character in this story is as individual as the story itself there is one thing that gets on my nerves, not just in Fried Green Zombies, but in podcast novels in general and that is TOO MANY characters.

Sometimes a story can be too heavily populated with a large variety of characters and it can water down the story somewhat. Fried Green Zombies has a lot of characters, some important and so not so much. The novel could have done with a few less, but I wouldn’t like to try to identify which ones as they were all so funny.

Conclusion

John A. Allen’s Fried Green Zombies is as ludicrous to read as the title implies, to that end it does exactly what it sets out to do which is to entertain and get a laugh or two and it succeeds fantastically on this level.

It is not a deep story full of metaphors, it won’t have you scratching your head, laying awake at night debating the meaning of life or how you should change yours. If that is what you are looking for then look elsewhere.

I loved this book and highly recommend it and while it is not classed as young adult (YA) I would say that if you can disregard the occasional descriptions of large-breasted female nudity and a single implied description of a male erection then it is suitable for a mature teenager.

Links

Authors Website: www.FiredGreenZombies.com
Authors Twitter: @jonaallen
Podiobooks.com: Link
iTunes: Link

Interview with S. Lawrence Parrish author of SHAT & Shape Shifters

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel Mitchell) — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 07:05:40 PDT

S. Lawrence Parrish is the author of SHAT, Shape Shifters and Chicken Pi (a collection of short stories). In this exclusive interview with MyEarBooks.net Mr Parrish discusses his background, current novels and future projects.

Q: Can you please tell the readers of MyEarBooks.net a little bit about you and your background as a writer?
A: I started writing in 1993 after reading a manuscript (U.V. Blues) written by Rand Harker (check out his novel Adrift), a man who was to become my mentor and good friend. In the 90s, you could get your short stories published in hard copy, 'zines and digests. It was such a rush to get your contributor copies in the mail (that's how you were paid—contributor copies) and to see your work in print that I cranked out many short stories just to get the I-got-published rush (one taste and you're addicted!), putting on hiatus my real love: novel writing. Once I conquered the getting-published addiction, I continued writing novels, two of which I have recorded as audiobooks (more to come).

Q: Your novel, SHAT, was recently reviewed here at MyEarbooks.net. What was your inspiration to write this story?
A: See my guest article posted on this site ("Why SHAT?").

Q: SHAT caused me some stomach-churning moments, specifically with regards to human beings eating cat feces as a means of survival. It seems obvious to me that you intended your readers to feel this way while reading. Why?
A: As stated in the article "Why SHAT?", the poop-eating is never described. The poop-eating is a metaphor for all the lying that goes on in our culture, our willingness to believe the lies, and our willingness to lie to ourselves. That, to me, is stomach-churning.

Q: If you were to re-write SHAT what might you change? Or are you happy with the novel the way it is?
A: If I was to rewrite it, I would make no significant changes. I would probably just trim it down a bit, which is usually what happens any time I make the mistake of rereading a manuscript.

Q: Having previously read and enjoyed SHAT, I am now currently reading Shape Shifters, which I am thoroughly enjoying. Is Shape Shifters based on anything in your personal life? If so, what?
A: I live in Calgary, Alberta. Shape Shifters is set in and around the town of Black Diamond, which is a foothills town to the immediate southwest of Calgary. The Josh Martins character is basically me, while the Julianna character embodies much of my wife. I like wolves, always have. Development of the Kananaskis Parklands (west of Black Diamond) was a contentious issue in the early nineties. Environmentalists were saying wolf populations would be decimated (which never, in fact, happened). It seemed to me that the real monsters in the affair were not the wolves (historically, a much-feared and reviled creature) but the people who had little regard for them. The fear and lack of regard are based on ignorance and prejudice, which are humanity's demons (not wolves'). The dual nature of the werewolf intrigues me. I always wonder: when a werewolf tears people to bits, is it demonstrating wolfish tendencies or human tendencies? I'm almost certain it's the latter

Q: Why did you choose to release your stories as free podcast novels and have you enjoyed the process?
A: I've been writing for decades. My manuscripts have languished unread for many years. Podcasts have allowed me to reach an audience and to get their feedback. Also, it's a blast to do. I write to amuse myself; I podcast for the same selfish reason.

Q: Nearly all podcast novel authors I have been in contact with identify Scott Sigler as a major motivator and/or influencer to produce free podcasts of their novels. In what way, if any, has Mr Sigler inspired or helped you?
A: Scott Sigler was a direct influence. I have a long commute to work, so I listen to novels on CD. At the end of Sigler's Infected CD, he mentioned Podiobooks.com. I went to Podiobooks, had a listen to what people were producing and decided I could do it, too. And then I discovered that it was just way too much fun, so I kept doing it.

Q: Do you see your writing as a means to live (financially) or is it just a hobby? Do you see this changing in the future?
A: As a means to live! (Chuckle. . . .) I've made a grand total of forty dollars from my writing. As previously stated, I write to have fun, and that's pretty much the sole motivator. Will it change in the future? Not the "fun" part.

Q: Who designed the covers for your books?
A: I design my own covers (to limited results).

Q: Chicken Pi is an on-going podcast featuring a collection of your short stories that I have not yet had the opportunity to listen to; however, I am highly intrigued. How long do you plan to continue producing stories for this podcast?
A: I'll keep going until I run out of manuscripts, which should take a while. I'm planning on producing a novella next (a school-shooting/teacher tale called Educide), so more slices of Chicken Pi might have to wait.

Q: Do you produce your own podcasts at home, or does somebody else produce for you?
A: I produce at home in a little room (I call it my "office") in my garage, built for me by my father- and brother-in-law (many thanks, guys!). I use a laptop I got off Kijiji for two hundred bucks, and a relatively decent USB microphone. A good microphone is the most important tool

Q: What are you currently working on?
A: Short stories for Chicken Pi and, as mentioned before, a novella titled Educide. Unfortunately, Educide is semi-autobiographical. I usually write horror/sci-fi—the only monsters in Educide are system officials and bureaucrats (but mostly the system itself). When politics enters the classroom, children suffer

Q: What are you currently reading and who are your favourite authors?
A: Favorite author hands-down: Stephen King. Love The Dark Tower series. Amazing

Q: Thank you Mr Parrish for your time. Before we wrap this up, do you have any tips or advice for any would-be podcast novel writers/producers out there who may be reading?
A: If you write, rewrite, again and again and again. And then one more time. Do the same with your Podcasts. The editing part of the recording process is the most time-consuming and demands patience (as well as a modicum of technical savvy, which can be learned). You must be aware of ambient noise when recording and do your best to eliminate it (I have to shut off my furnace because of the hum—I live in Canada, and the furnace is almost always on). Beyond that, make sure you enjoy the creation process. If you don't, find another hobby.

Thank you Steve

Visit about.me/SLawrenceParrish to connect with S Lawrence Parrish and to find out more about his books SHAT, Shape Shifters, Chicken Pi and more.
You can also follow him on Twitter @TwistedAuthor.

Why SHAT? Author S Lawrence Parrish answers back.

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel Mitchell) — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 06:54:48 PST

This is a guest post by the author of previously reviewed SHAT, S Lawrence Parrish.

When potential readers discover the premise for SHAT is predicated on people eating cat feces in order to survive a plague, they sometimes dismiss the story out of hand. (I've had several publishers inform me that the premise is just too "off-putting".) However, most readers who are willing to give the tale a try discover that it is, in fact, palatable ("it" being the story).

At no point in SHAT is there any description of people eating poop. By the time readers join the tale, the curative elements of the cat feces have been processed into a powder that is a double-blind addition to one communal meal a week. No one knows when this powder (called "Dose") has been added—they keep telling themselves it's not today, so it never is. The intent of the tale was never to gross people out.

SHAT is actually predicated on people's willingness to lie to others, people's willingness to accept the lies they have been told, and people's willingness to lie to themselves. That's the "poop" everyone serves up and eats—strictly a metaphor for what many (if not most) of us will do to survive in the sometimes-chaos and uncertainty of our modern consumer culture.

The idea for SHAT came to me one day while I was changing my cat's litter. At the time, I believed myself to be superior to my two pet cats (Snuffy and Pumpkins). On the litter-changing day in question, I was eager to see the results of my two recent purchases: clumping cat litter and a litter box with a built-in sifter. I hadn't read the fine print as regarded the new litter box (i.e., "Do not use clumping litter"; if I had not used clumping litter in my new litter box, SHAT might never have come to be).

On the litter-changing day in question, I had been out-smarting Snuffy and Pumpkins by having them chase a laser pointer up and down the wall (Stupid cats, I told my wife and laughed). Later, Snuffy and Pumpkins sat in the doorway of the basement laundry room watching with interest while I prepared to change their litter. That in itself should have been enough to clue me into who was the boss in this relationship, but I can be pretty slow-witted (as I'm about to prove beyond a doubt).

As mentioned before, the new litter box had a built-in litter-sifter that lined the inside dimensions of a dual collecting-reservoir. What you're supposed to do is lift the sifter-liner, give it a shake, and allow the unsoiled litter to filter through into a clean reservoir while all the urinary and particulate matter remains in the sifter to be easily disposed of. Unless you use clumping litter—as I discovered when I lifted the sifter.

A week's worth of cat waste had clumped in the sifter as a pseudo-solid mass weighing at least five pounds (remember, I had two cats). With Snuffy and Pumpkins watching, I shook the clump-clotted sifter. Nothing happened. I shook harder. My cats blinked at a waste-mass that hung on tight. With an exasperated grunt, I exploded in a paroxysm of shaking. This time, the clump let go, free-falling into the litter pan and erupting as a damp and grainy geyser straight up and into my open-mouthed face and all down my chest, much of it slipping past the collar of my tucked-in shirt and sliding down to belt-level.

Snuffy and Pumpkins laughed at me. They really did. Swishing their tails and still shaking with laughter, they turned and strutted away.

While I stood litter-sifter in hand, spitting and spluttering at this sudden horror, I came to accept an obvious truth I had chosen to keep from myself, an epiphany-moment that was truly disgusting. Much more off-putting than the good that came of it: SHAT—a post-apocalypse tale with a feline twist, a story that was loads of fun to write and equally amusing to read (or so I'm told).

Advertising

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel Mitchell) — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 08:12:27 PST

MyEarBooks.net is maintained by one man who has a day job and a family to support.
No profit is made from advertising on the site (Google Ad’s/Audible.co.uk) however the ads to help to counter the costs (and time) of running the site.

I wish to remove Google Ad’s completely as I really do not like them, however without them the site would not be sustainable. To this end I have decided to create four 125x125 ad-spots in the right hand sidebar which can be leased.

If you wish to lease an ad-spot please get in contact. Pricing and terms are flexible and each and every request will be considered.

There are four ad-spots available, each are 125x125 pixels and each add will run for a minimum term of at least 1 month. If no other advertisers have leased an ad-spot by the end of your term your ad will continue to run until it’s ad-spot has been leased.

Higher priority will be given to self-publishing authors of free audio fiction who will also be offered discounts for longer term ad-spot leasing.

From time to time MyEarBooks.net may even offer free ad-spot leasing, please watch out for announcements.

Payment for ad-spot leasing should be made via PayPal, details will be made available after ad-spot leasing has been agreed upon by the would-be advertiser and by MyEarBooks.net staff.

If you would like to lease an ad-spot on MyEarBooks.net please send and email or contact @danielrmitchell on Twitter.

REVIEW: Cheating, Death by Teel McClanahan III

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel Mitchell) — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 07:03:45 PST

Teel McClanahan III’s Cheating, Death is in part a classic, heavily clichéd zombie novel, but more than this it is a story of karma.

Spoiler Alert!
This review may contain spoilers – they will be highlighted at the beginning of a paragraph with (!) – you have been warned

What I Liked

Cheating, Death delves into a zombie infestation in Denver, concentrating on the journey through this new hell through the eyes of Melvin Spall and few few other non-key characters.

Melvin, a white-collar worker, father of 2 and husband to his wife Francis has been having an affair for the last year. (!) While taking his fancy woman on a final date, having decided to end the affair, Melvin and Stacy get caught up in a traffic jam after an army truck containing zombies is overturned and spilled its load onto the highway.(!)
This in itself sets the scene for the rest of the story.

Previous to the zombie outbreak Melvin has been an incredibly indecisive man, never able to make a clear decision and commit to it, however once the outbreak is upon him he starts to take control and makes every effort to get his family to safety. However Melvin doesn’t always make the best decision and this results in his family coming to harm.

Personally I can identify with Melvin, his character is not necessarily like me but there are many facets of people in my life that would add up to make the whole that is Melvin. To this end the author has created a character that is, in most cases, believable.

The zombies throughout are classic Romero; slow, shambling, single-minded flesh eating undead creatures, however the author never goes into much depth with his description of the undead. Romero zombies are the best and I am glad that McClanahan used these in this story rather that invent a whole new breed since this novel is never truly about the zombies and instead focuses on the emotional angles of his lead character.

This podcast novel is split into 13 episodes, with a 14th “Thank you for listening” episode at the end. Each episode is roughly 15-20 minutes in length making for a short story that is to the point.

What I Disliked

There is so much more that could have been done with Cheating, Death that would have made it feel more complete, such as: (!) Melvin never seems to have an emotional response to his sons death, despite how gruesome it was (!) and more effort should have been made to explore other characters and there individual situations instead of throwing them in as filler.

Teel McClanahan should have made more of an effort with regard to his tone while reading the novel, his monotone leaves every scene feeling like the last. To this end I am glad each episode was short, otherwise I may have had more difficulty in finding my place when I had to skip back a few minutes because of a distraction. More emphasis was required at times to build tension or during scenes of great action.

Throughout I never really knew where the story was going. I like surprises but I also like wanting the surprises to come. I was hoping for a twist but it never really came. I may have been more surprised by the ending had, again, Teel put more emphasis into his reading to create an air of drama, alas he did not. Instead the end just felt like karma biting Melvin on the ass, but I did not care enough about Melvin himself to care what happened to him.

Conclusion

The author here has created a good start to a good story, however I am left wanting. Not wanting for a sequel, but wanting for the story that Cheating, Death could have been.

If Teel McClanahan were to re-write Cheating, Death then my advice would be first to get someone else to read the audio version and second to flesh out all the characters more. Teel has not created a world in which I, the reader, can escape in to, instead Cheating, Death was more like looking through a very tiny window into a world that might or might not be worth visiting.

To enjoy the ending of Cheating, Death I needed to have had more investment in the leading characters; Melvin, Francis, the children and Stacy but at no point do I recall caring about any of them at all.

I am sorry to say that Cheating, Death is not the best example of a podiobook that I would suggest to first-time listeners as an introduction to the medium. Instead I would point them towards another zombie classic such as J.P. Moore’s Toothless or Jake Bible’s Dead Mech.

Lastly I have to say that I really wanted to like Cheating, Death. Teel McClannahan is a respected author and other novels of his are much better. Please do check out his website (link below) for other example’s of his work, and don’t let this review put you off anything else he has done.

Links

Authors Website: www.teelmcclanahan.com
Authors Twitter: @modernevil
Podiobooks.com: Link
iTunes: Link

REVIEW: Toothless (Book 3) by J.P. Moore

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel Mitchell) — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 07:25:51 PST

J.P. Moore gave us the origins of our hero Toothless, revealed the big bad Yew and a bunch more bad guys as well as a tonne of action in Book 1. In Book 2 the author gave us Lil, the development of a more humanised Toothless, and even a little romance.

With Book 3 Moore gives us war in the conclusion of this epic story.

Also Read REVIEW: Toothless (Book 1) by J.P. Moore and
REVIEW: Toothless (Book 2) by J.P. Moore

What I liked

This time around we are introduced to many more characters including the Templar Knights army. At first the Templar Knights seems a but wimpy, however as the story develops their acts of greatness are given more substance.

The internal battle Toothless has been fighting in fits throughout the series culminates into a real struggle for power between his human side and his darker, soldier of the Yew side. Occasionally I was led to believe the battle would tilt in one direction, only to find it thrust in the other. This kept me on the edge of my seat each time it occurred.

During the first half of Book 3 Lil plays a little, but nonetheless important roll, however the author knew when it was time to set her aside and let the rest of the story play out. Although I really like Lil’s character, I am glad to know that Mr Moore did not feel the need to include her throughout the last book of the series.

The re-introduction of a few characters from Book 1, who were largely absent during Book 2, was a welcomed surprise. I thought that Breakneck and Curdle were gone for good, but alas i was wrong. More importantly, they play a huge part in the conclusion of our hero’s story.

What I Disliked

Nothing. Honestly! Book 3 gave me the conclusion I was looking for, war, gore and the perfect end to everything Toothless had become. I have nothing bad to say about Book 3, no matter how I try to find fault. Sorry.

Conclusion

This series has been an enjoyable journey through a mind that we never knew existed, since Zombies are usually portrayed as mindless. However I think J.P. Moore must have gotten tired of this and using his unique flair for recreating what we all already know, flipping it over, turning it inside out, he has presented readers with something new, interesting and even thought provoking at times.

I am so glad to have read Toothless, a book that, at first, I was no overly interested in reading. Toothless is now one of my top 10 free podcast novels of all time.

Toothless has made me even more interested in reading more of J.P. Moore’s other works, something I will look to do over the course of the next year. I hope that Toothless was not merely a fluke and that its greatness is followed through in other books too.

Links

Authors Website: www.jpmooreonline.com
Authors Twitter: @jpmoo
Podiobooks: Link
iTunes: Link

REVIEW: Toothless (Book 2) by J.P. Moore

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel Mitchell) — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 07:27:22 PST

Book 2 of J.P. Moore’s tale of Toothless, the Templar Knight turned Zombie with a conscience, continues our hero’s story, introduces new characters and shows another facet of what makes Toothless himself different to others of his kind.
Also Read REVIEW: Toothless (Book 1) by J.P. Moore and
REVIEW: Toothless (Book 3) by J.P. Moore

What I liked

Image credit: Scott Purdy

The opening of Book 2 introduces readers to Lil, a new key character in the development of Toothless’ story. She is a young girl of 15 years with a horrible disfigurement, thought of as a witch by her peers due to her ability to see the future.
Toothless, now running from the armies of the Yew rescues Lil as she is about to be struck down by The Champion, a barbarian of sorts. Toothless rescues her and whisks her away. Lil is at first disturbed by this, and throughout she is gripped in an internal debate as to whether or not she should attempt to escape or kill out hero, but a memory pervades and she decides instead to help Toothless.
What develops is a an almost symbiotic relationship between Toothless and Lil, each requiring the other to achieve the individual and mutual ends. This could be likened to a love story of sorts but not to the classic extent.

What I Disliked

Whereas Book 1 was a rollercoaster ride of action, Book 2 slows the pace and concentrates more on character development. There is still plenty going on and at no point did I feel that I was forcing myself to continue however in my mind Book 1 set the pace and I was looking forward to more.

Conclusion

Book 2 slows things down for the reader but the Toothless is revealed to be much more human than he was allowed to be in Book 1. The introduction of Lil brings with it innocence in a world wrought with death and destruction.
Book 2 is definitely a follow-on from Book 1, you could not forego Book 1 and hope to understand anything that is happening.
A full conclusion will be given with my review of Book 3 coming soon.

Links

Authors Website: www.jpmooreonline.com
Authors Twitter: @jpmoo
Podiobooks: Link
iTunes: Link

7 Great Horror Podcast Novels

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel Mitchell) — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 14:02:56 PST

In this list you will find zombies, aliens, ghosts and serial killers?
Read on for 7 of the very best free horror podcast novels that everyone should listen to.

Infected by Scott Sigler

Across America a mysterious disease is turning ordinary people into raving, paranoid murderers who inflict brutal horrors on strangers, themselves, and even their own families.

Working under the government's shroud of secrecy, CIA operative Dew Phillips criss-cross’s the country trying in vain to capture a live victim. With only decomposing corpses for clues, CDC epidemiologist Margaret Montoya races to analyse the science behind this deadly contagion. She discovers that these killers all have one thing in common - they've been contaminated by a bioengineered parasite, shaped by a complexity far beyond the limits of known science.

Meanwhile Perry Dawsey - a hulking former football star now resigned to life as a cubicle-bound desk jockey - awakens one morning to find several mysterious welts growing on his body. Soon Perry finds himself acting and thinking strangely, hearing voices . . . he is infected.

The fate of the human race may well depend on the bloody war Perry must wage with his own body, because the parasites want something from him, something that goes beyond mere murder.

Read The MyEarBooks review of Infected here
Download Infected at: Podiobooks.com | iTunes
Dead Mech by Jake Bible

After the zombie apocalypse decimates the world, human civilization tries to put itself back together again.

Their secret weapon: the Mechs. But what happens when a mech pilot dies in his mech and becomes a zombie? Hell on earth is unleashed...

Read the MyEarBooks review of Dead Mech here

Download Dead Mech at: Podiobooks.com | iTunes
Fried Green Zombies by John A. Allen

Chett and Harry are two recently unemployed construction workers on their way to a weekend of beer, Southern Comfort, and frog gigging at their musty-rusted 1970's RV parked at their favourite hunting camp when they stumble on Bob, the mysterious, busty, burqa-clad, non-English speaking beauty just standing in the middle of nowhere on the side of dusty Nine Mile Cutoff in rural Bovina, Mississippi.

Then all hell breaks loose. Their favourite pond is missing. They're being chased by truck driving zombies, dirty cops, UFOs and other ne'er-do-wells. Someone stole Chett's jacked up Scottsdale four-by-four. Zombies are traipsing around their trailer, and crazy Uncle Crank is trying to feed them zombie chicken for dinner.

Aided by a classic computer nerd, a crazy man wielding a frying pan, and a space babe who gets nekkid any time someone turns out the lights, follow Chett and Harry as they battle their way across the rural countryside and ultimately save the world.

Why is their pond missing, and why did the Dodge of Death spring from the muddy crater left in its centre? Who is Bob and why is she so good with shotguns? Why are they being chased by two really skinny, pale, bald, goatee-clad wierdos? What is the dirty county sheriff hiding? And will Chett and Harry ever make it out alive?

Download Fried Green Zombies at: Podiobooks.com | iTunes
Crescent by Phil Rossi

Darkness has inspired fear since mankind first watched the sun go down. Bad things hide in the dark feral beasts with mouths full of razors waiting for a taste of flesh. But now, the darkness is stirring with a life of its own.

Crescent Station is the last bastion of civilization, floating in the cold, outer systems where colonized space gives way to the sparser settlements of the Frontier. Like the boom towns of distant Earth’s Old American West, Crescent Station is a gateway to power, wealth, and opportunity for anyone who isn’t afraid to get his or her hands dirty.

But deep within the station’s bowels, in Crescent’s darkest and most secret places, an ancient evil is awakening and hungry, and it threatens the very fabric of space and time. Will the residents of Crescent Station find a way to stop it before the terror drives them insane? Or is it already too late?

Download Crescent at: Podiobooks.com | iTunes
Unkillable by Patrick E. McLean

Unkillable is the story of a young man who is cruelly murdered then brought back from the dead to revenge himself. The kicker is: He’s not really alive. He can be hurt, he just can’t be killed.

It’s dark and funny and sad and beautiful and violent and magical -- if it could be summed up with just a few words, there would have been no point in writing a novel.

Unkillable. Life sucks. Death blows. In between is worse.

Download Unkillable at: Podiobooks.com | iTunes
Tattoo by Paul Elard Cooley

Scars. They remind us who we are, what we are and where we have been.

But when a scar takes away your identity, what would you do to get it back?

Jackson, a journalist in Houston, discovers links between several murders that have taken place in his city. His investigation draws him into the world of body art where he discovers an obsession worth killing for.

Download Tattoo at: Podiobooks.com | iTunes
The Zombie Chronicles: Escape by James Melzer

When an asteroid passes by our planet and leaves a trail of death in its wake, a quarter of the population have become the living dead.
Twenty-five years later the zombies are under the control of the government. Citizens are chosen to participate in Project Mirror, a cloning project in which their "mirrors" are used as food for the undead. When one man discovers that something in his blood is being used to create an army of super-zombies, he decides to help his mirror escape. In doing so he uncovers a secret so guarded that the powers that be will stop at nothing to eliminate him and all those that he loves.

Download Tattoo at: Podiobooks.com | iTunes

So, what do you think of the list? Please leave you thoughts in the comments and don’t forget to share this article on your favourite social networks too!

Chicken Pi & Shape Shifters by S. Lawrence Parrish

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel Mitchell) — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 06:45:34 PDT

Steve Lawrence Parrish is the author of the previously reviewed SHAT, a post-apocalypse survivor story with a feline twist.
His most recent works also include Chicken Pi and Shape Shifters, both of which are available on Podiobooks.com and through the iTunes store.
To whet your appetite for these releases I asked Steve to send over a couple of audio promo’s which you can listen to below.

Chicken Pi

Chicken Pi: Twisted tales intended for a mature audience. Horror, sci-fi, sci-fi/horror, and WTF.

Download Chicken Pi at Podiobooks.com | iTunes

Shape Shifters

The people in the foothills town of Black Diamond are thrilled to hear of government plans for commercial development of the Kananaskis Parklands. With three world-class ski resorts within an hour’s drive, everyone is going to get rich! But The Fellowship, a colony of “nature nuts” who live to the immediate west of Black Diamond, are effectively stalling the government’s plans. Hostilities escalate when a hitch-hiker is brutally slaughtered just outside of town...
Shape Shifters--a werewolf tale with NO vampires.

Download Shape Shifters at Podiobooks.com | iTunes

You can find out more about S. Lawrence Parrish on his About.Me page and you follow him on Twitter too. To see other article about S. Lawrence Parrish on MyEarBooks click here.

REVIEW: Toothless (Book 1) by J.P. Moore

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel Mitchell) — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 07:28:49 PST

J.P. Moore has crafted a new, original style of novel within the genre of Zombie with Toothless, the story of a Templar who became a zombie during a supernatural battle with demons and their hordes of shuffling undead. However he became a zombie with a difference, the kind never referenced in previous zombie-fiction. Toothless tells the tale of a zombie with sentience and a conscience who is on the trail of his memories while attempting to find a way to turn the tide of the war between the living and the dead in favour of the living.
The tale of Toothless is told over the course of the books and in this review I will be looking at Book 1 where we meet our hero for the first time and see his development.
Also Read REVIEW: Toothless (Book 2) by J.P. Moore and
REVIEW: Toothless (Book 3) by J.P. Moore

What I liked

Moore’s hero carries the name Toothless because during his last fight as a member of the living his lower jaw and several top-row teeth are removed from his head by a well placed blade. With the removal of his lower jaw (and tongue) comes the most compelling aspect of the character, the lack of a voice.
Where other characters can talk, Toothless can not, he can gesture and use facial expressions, but he may not converse in any way at all. On it’s own this is all well and good, readers are not used to zombies talking anyway, however they did in Moore’s world, but not Toothless.
It would have made J.P. Moore’s work much simpler had he given his character some supernatural means to talk, some psychic power or other, but the author chose to keep Toothless silent and this leads to a much more descriptive element and it is executed perfectly throughout the first book.
The armies of the Yew (a supernatural, demonic tree –more on this below) are demons and undead. As the living are killed they are brought to the Yew for selection, if the dead are worthy then they are resurrected to join the undead armies, if not they are cast upon the fire to burn. However some of the dead are more special than others and upon their resurrection they harbour a level of sentience that enables them to make some decision, to talk and to have partial memories of their lives. Some a leaders in the army.
Their are also demons. The demon Moore introduces us to in Book 1 is Ruin. A giant demon with the mind of a disruptive child who loves to destroy anything in his way, buildings, people – it does not matter. Ruin is a wrecking ball who adds comedic value to the story.

What I Disliked

The Yew, the leader of the undead, demonic forces is a tree. Yes, a tree. It is my hope that later on in the story (in Book 2 or 3) that Moore reveals why, but during the course of Book 1 it is not. This is supposed to be the leader of an undead army, the forces of hell, yet it is just a tree pulled along on a cart!

Conclusion

I want to reserve writing much of a conclusion for when I have finished reading all three books, however for now I can say that Book 1 shows great promise for the rest of the story and paints an elaborate landscape, a setting in which we can expect a great deal more. I have high expectations from Book 1 and I am sure the the author will live up to them in Books 2 and 3.

Toothless Video Promo on Youtube.com

Links

Authors Website: www.jpmooreonline.com
Authors Twitter: @jpmoo
Podiobooks: Link
iTunes: Link

NOW READING: Toothless by J.P. Moore

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel Mitchell) — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 07:11:49 PST

Stories about zombies are ten-a-penny and I love them. However zombie stories that make you think and feel are something different entirely. J.P. Moore has crafted a new kind of zombie story in Toothless.

Toothless tells the story of a Templar killed during a battle with a supernatural army who is then resurrected to become an important member of this enemy army, as a zombie. However, the Templar who is now a zombie has different ideas since he has maintained a level of sentience and memories from his life.

Toothless is a story told in three books, available from Podiobooks.com as a single podcast download.

Currently I am roughly halfway through and am looking forward to posting my review soon.

MyEarbooks’ New Web Address!

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel Mitchell) — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 05:15:48 PST

Hi readers!

I wanted to write up a short post to let you know that MyEarBooks has a new web address.

MyEarBooks.net is shorter, easier to remember and quicker to type. It also looks a lot nicer than the previous blogspot address.

I hope that the new URL does not cause any confusion however if it does, please don’t worry because the old blogspot address will continue to work as it always has.

REVIEW: SHAT by S. Lawrence Parrish

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel Mitchell) — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 09:52:17 PST

When author S. Lawrence Parrish approached me to read and review one of his stories I chose this, SHAT because the title intrigued me and because its description made it seem that it was right up my alley.

“A post-apocalypse tale with a feline twist”

However, I cannot say that I got what I expected… i got more!

SHAT is a science-fiction story of a post-apocalyptic America, a group of survivors (living in The Park), cats and military paranoia. Not only that, but it is also a love-conquers-all story too. However, what makes SHAT different to the rest? Lets face it, post-apocalypse has been done to death already; SHAT though, has not be done before. SHAT’s story is told from two very different perspectives, both from that of the human survivors and from the feline survivors too!

What I Liked

S. Lawrence Parrish has created a world in which survival depends upon an mutual reliance between humans and cats. Without the cats the human survivors would not have ‘dose’, a cure of sorts for the plague that has ravaged the world and killed all but a very small handful of survivors in the human, animal and plant kingdoms.
Likewise, without the humans the cats would have to fend for themselves in the wild, against other hungry animals (including cannibalistic cats) and would likely starve to death.
This dependency on one another shows camaraderie between two separate species who are both looking to do the same thing, live.

The main characters of SHAT are vastly different to one another and each has strengths. My favourite character, the one that really sticks in my mind the most (and they are all pretty compelling) was Waylon, previously a farmer, now a survivor like everyone else.
Waylon embodies everything that is good and right about humanity, he is a simple man but his heart is strong. Waylon makes the story what it is, a story of hope.

Seeing the unfolding world through the eyes (and mind) of cats is something I have not seen done before. It makes SHAT something new and the author does it well.
The feline characters in the novel are just as important and compelling as the human characters and at times even more so.

The author has read this book himself and the audio quality is excellent.
Also, Mr Parish has limited the intro and outro of each recording to just a few words, unlike many authors who yap, yap and yap some more nd the beginning and end of each. This lets the reader get straight back into the story and makes the listening experience much more pleasant.

What I Disliked

SHAT, the title is very in your face but says so much about the story, however I do not like it’s reason for being.

SHAT is a super-strength version of Dose, a kind of vaccine for the plague. Both SHAT and Dose are derived from the excrement (poop) of cats. Often characters are referred to as “shit-eaters” because during the early days of the plague people were encouraged to eat cat faeces as a means by which to combat the plague.

It is something that turns my stomach, as I imagine it would most people. To the story this is necessary and demonstrates the hardness of life as a survivor of the plague.

At no point would I say that S. Lawrence Parrish should change this element of the story, to do so would require a complete re-write of the entire novel and what would come of it would not be this novel, it would be something entirely different. There would be no need for the cats for a start!

Another aspect of the story that I was not entirely thrilled about was the homosexuality contained with. It all seemed too much. There were too many references to gay relationships and at no point did I ever think that this story needed it.
Homosexuality does play a kind of roll in SHAT that is important to one character throughout and at the end one other however the gay references seemed more to be homophobic jibes than anything else and that is what I take exception to.

Back to the audio, while excellent there is one issue I have, which is Mr Parrish needs to slow down a bit. He talks a little too fast, which break the flow of the story telling. At several points early in the novel I found myself having to skip back 30 seconds every now and then. In all fairness though, my ears (and brain) did adjust eventually.

Conclusion

SHAT is an original take on an ages-old story. The ‘through the eyes of cats’ aspect makes for some original story telling in a genre that has been done before.

While the authors narration can be a bit too fast at times, I can happily recommend S. Lawrence Parrish’s SHAT, it is a fun, enjoyable, sad, action packed love story that I am glad to have been introduced to despite the unconventional title and occasionally controversial subject matter.

Links

Authors Website: about.me/slawrenceparrish
Authors Twitter: @TwistedAuthor
Podiobooks: Link
iTunes: Link

REVIEW: The Americans by Jake Bible

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel Mitchell) — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 04:58:39 PST

Jake Bible’s previous novel, Dead Mech is one of my favourite pieces of podcast fiction. It sits up there with Scott Sigler’s Contagious and Mur Lafferty’s Playing For Keeps.

The Americans, a sci-fi/horror/action-adventure novel, is not a sequel to Dead Mech, not is it a prequel… it is a side-quel, meaning that the events that unfold during the course of the story are happening at the same time as events occur in Dead Mech.

I have been looking forward to The Americans for sometime and am glad to have finally read it.

What I Liked

While The Americans is set within the same time period as Dead Mech, it is a very different story. Gone are the mechs and the fight for survival in a post-apocalyptic wasteland. Gone are the cannibals and mad zombie-worshipping religious cults.

The Americans introduces us to the rest of the world and how it has moved on since the zombie apocalypse of hundreds of years previous. In this brave new world refuges of America’s zombie outbreak are operating as the new-world order’s military arm.

Additionally, The Americans have developed super-secret agents known as Ghosts who have the ability to alter the state of certain metal, change it to whatever form they desire, from knives, bullets, guns, and swords to entire vehicles including boats! This all adds up to some very inventive situations which the author has pulled off well whereas it could have been terribly monotonous to hear about it again and again. Well done Jake.

What I Disliked

Whereas the story is good the characters are terrible. I hate to say it but I have to. There was not one character in the entire story whose name I can still remember, or to whom I could relate in any way.

Furthermore, I like zombies! I was looking forward to The Americans because of Dead Mech, which as I have mentioned before, is one of my all time favourite Zombie stories ever, however The Americans is not about Zombies, not really. Sure there are zombies in the story, some are feeble and pathetic, some are mutated into something quite new but this is not a Zombie story and more than Stephen King’s Pet Cemetery is about pigeon keeping.

Maybe I am looking at The Americans the wrong way but I was hoping for some brain-eating.

Conclusion

The Americans is a good stand-alone novel. Do not compare it to Dead Mech, even better do not read Dead Mech until after you have read The Americans and you will enjoy it.
Unfortunately I went in to the novel with expectations and they were destroyed.

I enjoyed the story, but not the characters. I enjoyed the metal-bending special agents, but not the lack of zombies. I wish I had read The Americans before I read Dead Mech.

I can see how the two worlds Jake Bible has created with his two novels will come together in his next work, Metal and Ash. It will be epic!

Links

Authors Website: www.jakebible.com
Authors Twitter: @jakebible
~~Podiobooks Link (not yet available)~~
iTunes: Link

Jeff Lane’s One Way is now available at Podiobooks.com

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel Mitchell) — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 05:04:56 PST

Jeff Lane’s One Way (reviewed here) is now available at Podiobooks.com for downloading, get it now!

REVIEW: One Way by Jeff Lane

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel Mitchell) — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 04:56:50 PST

I was approached by Jeff Lane (@WriterJeffLane on Twitter) some time ago, requesting a MyEarBooks review of his latest podcast novel, One Way.

When Jeff gave me the background on One Way I was intrigued. It did not seem like kind of story I would volunteer to read Jeff’s description grabbed me by the proverbial’s! I had to read it I and I can honestly say that I am glad I did.

This is an interesting twist on classic time travel, telling the story of a woman (Jenny Griffith) who somehow travel back in time to attempt to save the life of her husband (Barry), a man who died years previous at the hands of a sadistic pair of serial killers who have been cruising the highways in stolen muscle cars looking for their next victims.

The question that is pertinent throughout the entire novel is can she change history?

What I Liked

Jeff Lane has crafted a story that has been told dozens of times before, but in a new way. Out are the time machines, mad doctors (well, there are some in One Way), and Marty McFly. In are some serious thought provoking theories on the possibilities of time travel and the consequences it may have for the lives of those effected.

Barry is a very interesting, although not deep, character. He handles seeing his ‘future-wife’ in much the way you might think, not in an overly dramatic way. I could relate to Barry in many ways, mostly because he is just a guy, pure and simple. He possesses no superhuman qualities that set him aside from anybody else. He is not a tough guy, he is not in anyway anything but average. In my mind he is the perfect hero.

There are two bad guys in this story, but Jedidiah is the one that stands out, partly because he is a more compelling bad guy and partly because he is the ‘lead’ bad guy.
Jedidiah (whose name I do not enjoy typing) is evil however that does not mean that one cannot sympathize with him.

Jedidiah does not know why he is bad, he does not question that what he does causes pain and suffering, in fact he enjoys it, yet in his screwed up mind he does it all for the greater good, to maintain a balance and to this end you can question as to what extent Jedidiah really is bad. To be truly bad, surely you must know not only that you are doing that which hurts others but must do it because it hurts others?

What I disliked

Jenny. At no point during the entire story did I like the character of Jenny. I did not feel that she was an honest character. By that I mean that I had trouble believing that should would go to such great lengths (time travel) to save her husband from being killed. Jeff did not paint a picture of a loving wife, instead she was cold, selfish and mean (much like my ex). If Jeff was attempting to convince readers that Jenny and Barry were on the verge of divorce then he would have executed that perfectly but that was not his intent.

In my opinion this is One Way’s epic fail. While the rest of the story was a good, fun read, the interactions between Jenny and Barry were completely wrong.

Conclusion

Jeff Lane has produced a different take on time travel and to this end One Way is rather unique. While I want to say that One Way is a fantastic read I can not.

It has one major issue in making me believe in the characters and that is, as mentioned above, Jenny. Her character is out of place and that damages the rest of the story.

When I could forget about Jenny altogether the story was great but as soon as Jenny came back into the story it causes damage.

I would suggest that if Jeff were to issue a re-write of the One that he should sit and consider at length how important Jenny is (in her current form) to the story and then write her in as a proper loving wife, one that we could believe was truly in love with her husband.

Links

Authors Website: www.jefflaneaudiobooks.com
Authors Twitter: WriterJeffLane
Podiobooks: Link
iTunes: Link

One Way: Guest Post by Jeff Lane

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel Mitchell) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 13:32:18 PST

This is a guest post by author Jeff Lane.

Hello, MyEarBooks readers. I'm Jeff Lane, author of One Way and This Paper World. Daniel asked me to write a quick post to introduce myself and my newest novel (and free podcast audiobook) One Way. Since you probably won't find the details of a husband and father of two living in New Hampshire (USA) managing call center operations for an insurance administration company for his day job too exciting, I'll skip to the bit about my book (but will get back to a little bit more about me later).

Since an early age I have been enthralled with the concept of time travel. Whether it was watching Michael J. Fox travel back to the '50s in a time machine built out of (wait for it... wait for it) a Delorian?!?, or that weird guy with the robot dog and blue box that was bigger on the inside, I have always been drawn to the idea of time as just another set of coordinates.

Now that I am older I love fiction that explores the idea of cause and effect getting flipped on its head, pasts being re-written and futures (or the present depending on your point of view) getting changed as a result. Those ideas and concepts worming through my brain led me to write One Way.

One Way is the story of Barry and Jenny Griffith, a young married couple. Barry works second shift and has an hour long commute home through rural Maine, late at night. It is on such a commute home that he stops for gas. After paying, he walks back to his vehicle only to be surprised to see his wife standing in the parking lot. Even though it is winter, she isn’t wearing a coat. Upon closer inspection Barry notices that she looks much more frail and haggard than when he saw her earlier that morning… and are those streaks of gray he could see in her hair?

After a tearful and passionate kiss, Jenny tells Barry that she hasn’t seen him in over four years. She further explains that tonight is this night that he is brutally tortured and murdered… and she is here to stop it.

One Way is a heart stopping adventure trying to escape more than just killers but fate itself. Barry and Jenny have to stay alive long enough to find out if they can change the course of time, or does destiny only follow one path… only go One Way?
Interested? I hope so. Now, let me tell you a little about why I podcast my novels as free audiobooks. I like to tell stories, that much is a given. I think most, if not all writers have that compulsion… that urge to invent people, places and events in the mind and furthermore the desire to share these fantasies with people. I’m hardly unique in that.

So why the podcasts?

Interaction. Community. Feedback. Motivation. Momentum. These are all bi-products and rewards of using modern social media technology and practices to share your artwork. I recently heard another podcast novelist, Scott Roche say, “If you want to pay a podcast author, send them an email.” Nothing could be truer. Whether it is a comment on my website, a tweet, a Facebook post, a voicemail on my “Lane Line” or an old fashioned email (yes, they are a bit old school now, aren’t they?), I treasure every single syllable I get from a reader / listener.

I have gotten communication from Australia to Zimbabwe (not making that up to be clever either) from people who have experienced my characters and stories and wanted to reach out to connect with me. I always reach back out too. This has allowed me to make acquaintances around the globe and I am even now getting the opportunity to collaborate with other talented artists, graphic designers, filmmakers and the like… and it is all because of the podcast. What a world!

Now, I would like that opportunity to share and hopefully interact with you too. Please check out my “ear books” and make them yours.

Below are a couple trailers for One Way. You can also go to http://jefflaneaudiobooks.com for all my novels, short stories and more. I look forward to hearing from you!

http://jefflaneaudiobooks.com/2011/09/one-way-trailer-1-92711/
http://jefflaneaudiobooks.com/2011/09/one-way-trailer-2-92711/

Twitter: WriterJeffLane

REVIEW: Dead Mech by Jake Bible

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel Mitchell) — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 02:46:57 PST

This book has it all - Zombies. 50 Tonne armoured war machines. Cannibalism. Sex. Blood. Huge guns. Massive explosions. Rape. Undead worshipping religious nut-jobs. Incest. Nano-technology. Artificial intelligence…

More than this though, it has a fantastic story, read by the author Jake Bible, which unravels 100 words at a time. you see, Dead Mech is the world's first Drabble novel. A Drabble is a short story told in exactly 100 words, no more and no less. Dead Mech though, being a Drabble novel is told in chapters of 100 words. This makes for a fast paced, relentless story-telling style that never lets up.

I have featured Dead Mech in "7 Great books you really should listen to!" and after doing so I felt an overwhelming need to read it again, so I did! Dead Mech is the kind of story that you have to read time and time again.

What I Liked

Dead Mech is a different kind of zombie story. Being set in the future it opens up a world of new possibilities that the classic Zombie Apocalypse stories can never begin to touch. This is immediately obvious with the introduction of the Mech's. Giant 50 tonne war machines navigated by human pilots whose job it is to protect the last of the human race (who have been segregated into "city-state's".

Jake Bible presents this dark, hostile world perfectly, it is not difficult to believe, yet he manages all the way through to keep comedy high without it being ridiculous, Dead Mech is, after all, a sci-fi horror story after all!

I loved the Drabble style, it keeps the story rolling at a frantic, adrenaline-fuelled pace that keeps the reader biting at the bit.

The author's characters, unique in every way, mesh together perfectly. At no point am I left thinking "there is no way they would talk or react in that way!". Although I have to admit I do have one character-based problem, see below.

Jake Bible reads this book himself and he does a really good job. At only two points do I remember a slight mistake in his reading. Overall he has performed the story fantastically and considering the volume of different characters with speaking parts, I am surprised that he did so well. At no point do I recall the voices for any given character changing to the voice of another.

What I Disliked

There is not much, in my opinion, to criticise here.

However there is one problem I have with the story as I mentioned above. That is the character names. Jay and Jethro, who work together as Mechanic and Tech and have many conversations; I found it confusing at times to remember who is who. The same applies to two of the Mech Pilots, Mitch (motherfuckin') Masters and Matthew, although with these two the confusion soon disappears as they become other characters (kind of).

If Jake Bible were to re-write Dead Mech then my suggestion to him would be to have a good think about the character names.

Conclusion

I love this book, I will cherish it forever.

Jake Bible has weaved a universe within Dead Mech (one that is carried further with The Americans) that is as intricate as Scott Sigler's Infected and characters that have become as dear to me as any created by James Herbert.

I have never read a zombie story as unique and compelling as Dead Mech and being the first of it's kind it has made me enthusiastic to listen to other Drabble-works (Jake's and those of others).

I have high-hopes for Dead Mech; I could see this being a really successful feature-length animated movie and/or comic book series. Of course, what I would really like to see is Dead Mech as a movie on the silver-screen, but if that were to happen I believe it would have too much of the original story cut out and that would, in my opinion, ruin Dead Mech.

Dead Mech by Jake Bible trailer from YouTube

Links

Authors Website: www.jakebible.com
Authors Twitter: @jakebible
Podiobooks.com: Link
iTunes: Link

Would you like to share your opinion on this review or on Dead Mech itself? Please leave your comments below and don’t forget to share on Facebook, Twitter or anywhere else!

7 Good Reasons to Listen to Audiobooks & Podiobooks

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel Mitchell) — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 00:42:27 PST

There are many great reason’s people read books in audio form rather than print, here is a list of my top 7 reasons.

Portability
For those with physical impairments spoken word fiction is a massive and somewhat obvious benefit.
Exercise
Being able to 'read' while enjoying your exercise routine is an ideal fusion of two great activities that, when combined will exercise both body and mind.
Driving
During long car journeys or even the daily commute one can immerse themselves in a novel or learn something new from an instructional or educational audiobook without having to take eyes off the road.
Busy
If, like me, you are simply too busy to sit and dedicate time to read a print novel an audiobook may allow you to read at times you normally would not. For example, I read when doing shopping!
Insomnia
This is how I originally got in to podiobooks and audiobooks many years ago. Insomnia doesn't mean you stay awake 'doing things', it means you are exhausted but unable to sleep. A spoken word novel helps to relax and enter into sleep.
Poor eyesight
Obviously the blind and visually impaired will receive the greatest benefit of an audio novel and as I believe it, are the reason the medium came to be in the first place. Personally my eyes are simply tired at the end of a day filled with staring at computer screens.
How the author intended
This is generally particular to podiobooks as they tend to often be read by the author. When the author reads the story you generally feel that you are reading it the way the author intended - the emphasis is in the right places, the pace is perfect and it is generally easier to follow

BONUS REASON – Free!
Podiobooks (in particular) are generally free of charge, as are many audiobooks that have become part of the public domain. These are a great way to get dip your toe in the waters of spoken word audio for the first time.

Do you have any other reasons to listen to audiobooks and podiobooks to share? Leave them in the comments below and if you enjoyed the article don’t forget to share it with your friends on Twitter, Facebook or anywhere else!

MyEarBooks Followers

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel Mitchell) — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 08:12:19 PST

MyEarBooks has become more successful (in terms of page visits) than I had expected.

Since launching on the 1st November MyEarBooks has received 1200 visitors from all over the world. On average visitors click through three pages and spend around 7 minutes on the site. I see that as better than average for a site that is only just over a month old.

Until now I have avoided the use of the Followers widget on the site. I felt that if the site were not successful that having just a single follower pictured in the big white box would look dreadful, especially since that single follower’s picture would be mine!

So, I am asking that if you are a fan of MyEarBooks please show your support for the site by clicking the Followers box (in the right sidebar, scroll down a bit!). Don’t forget to invite your friends on Twitter and Facebook too.

I promise not to hound you with updates or spam you in any way!

Thank you one and all for your continued support of MyEarBooks.

NOW READING: Dead Mech by Jake Bible

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel Mitchell) — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 02:56:39 PST

I recently read and reviewed both Contagious by Scott Sigler and Hellwatch: Pilot by Larime Taylor. I was also lucky enough to have had the chance to interview Larime too.

Since then I have been incredibly busy with other things and have not had much time to put out a post on what I am Now Reading, until now.
Author Jake Bible has, over the course of the last few weeks, been putting out the podcast for The Americans, a sidequel to his previous work, Dead Mech (see “7 Great books you really should listen to!”) which was the world’s first Drabble Novel. While I am planning to read and review The Americans in the near future I thought it might be a good time to re-read Dead Mech to refresh my memory of the world in which it is set.

Dead Mech is, as I mentioned above, the worlds first Drabble novel. A drabble is story told in 100 words exactly – not 99, nor 101 but exactly 100. Conversely, novel written in the drabble style consists of 100 word chapters. This makes Dead Mech hectic, rollercoaster of a story and a really refreshing change of pace.

Telling the story of a group of soldier-types (pilots) whose job it is to destroy the undead menace populating the post-apocalyptic wastelands and protect the lives of those still living, Dead Mech mixes it all up with giant, 50-tonne war machines, cannibalism, incest, rape, Zombie-loving cults and a New World-style government conspiracy that will change the world (again). Add to this the sentience-gaining undead-pilot driven war machines and you have something never done before, in a style you have never read before.

Currently I am about half-way through reading Dead Mech ~~and am looking forward to posting a review in the very near future~~ then following it up with a review of The Americans soon after

UPDATE: The MyEarBooks review of Dead Mech is here!

INTERVIEW: Larime Taylor

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel Mitchell) — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 07:45:46 PST

I recently reviewed Laramie Taylor’s Hellwatch: Pilot, a story of the supernatural with a twist and am delighted to have had the opportunity also to interview Larime by email.

Q: Where are you from?
A: I was born in Lake Havasu City, Arizona. I spent half of my childhood in Phoenix, and half in Havasu, where I graduated high school. I consider Tempe, Arizona, to be my home however, even though I don't live there right now.

Q: Tell us your latest news?
A: I'm just working on promoting the Pilot Episode, and writing the future episodes. Episode Two will come out in late January, with every episode after following on a monthly basis.

Q: When and why did you begin writing?
A: I've been writing off and on since I was a kid. The first book I ever made was in second grade - we even made covers for them and bound them in class. Art is my other talent, and arguably my better one, and I've spent most of my time on it over the years. I always come back to writing, though. I tried writing my first novel when I was in seventh grade, would get about 20 pages in, and abandon it. Lather, rinse and repeat for the next six years until I graduated high school and went to college where I focused on art. Art led me to radio, and radio led me to theater, and theater got me back into writing as a playwright. I've written and directed a critically acclaimed work for theater and won some awards. Getting back into writing, I decided I wanted to do something more serial than theater and got into comic books, which combines my art and my writing. The problem with that is that it takes way too long to write and draw page for the amount of story you get from it, which led me back to writing prose. I still wanted to go with the serial idea, though, hence Hellwatch being a novella serial rather than a single novel.

Q: When did you first consider yourself a writer?
A: I think the first time I really realized I had something like actual talent for writing was with my play Call of the Dragon, which won numerous awards and got great reviews. That was probably the first time that it wasn't something that was just fun for me, but something I could actually see myself doing and succeeding at.

Q: What inspired you to write your first book?
A: I guess if you mean my first book ever, it would be my second grade teacher. I can't remember her name for the life of me. It was a class project, and we all did it. If you mean my first actual book as an adult that I've put up for sale, it would be the fact the comic books just take too long to do and aren't as satisfying with the amount of story you get out of them. I can tell a lot more story in a lot less time when writing prose.

Q: Do you have a specific writing style?
A: I don't know if I have an actual style as of yet, since I haven't been doing this seriously for very long. If I had to describe it, I'd say it's slightly dark and with a bit of a sarcastic edge to it.

Q: How did you come up with the title?
A: I really struggled with a title for this series, which is strange for me because I'm usually pretty good with titles. I don't remember exactly how I settled on it, and can't say that I'm entirely happy with it, but it serves its purpose I guess.

Q: Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?
A: Not really. I'm not a huge message writer or lecturer. I'm just trying to write stories that I would be interested in reading, but with characters that I can identify with more. I guess if I want people to get anything out of it other than entertainment, it would be that disabled people aren't all that different. You hardly ever see them in popular fiction or culture, and I'm hoping to do something about that.

Q: How much of the book is realistic?
A: The locations are real, everything is set in places that I know about or have lived in. Some of the characters are based loosely on myself or people I know or knew. All of the magic and demons and monsters are rooted in various sources. The magic comes from things like pagan ritual magic, hermetic ceremonial magic and kabbalah. That's not to say that it's real, but it's at least grounded in reality. The demons and demonology aspects come from several different places as well, like Milton's Paradise Lost, The Goetia from The Lesser Key Of Solomon, and the Book of Enoch. I make up a lot of stuff along the way, but pretty much everything in the books has its roots in something from real life.

Q: Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?
A: Not specifically, no. There are aspects of things that come from real experiences, like when the deputies are asking Sammy all of the questions and stead of Ester. A lot of people tend to assume that if you're in a wheelchair, you must have something mentally wrong with you as well. So things like that I put in, because it's the perspective that I live with and the character would live with on a daily basis.

Q: What books have most influenced your life most?
A: I think Steven Brust's Vlad Taltos book series taught me a lot about writing dialogue, and formed some of my earliest ideas about storytelling. Neil Gaiman has also had a big impact on me, from his comic book work on Sandman to his novels like American Gods. Scott Sigler is most responsible for getting me into writing again in recent times and inspiring me to finally do it.

Q: If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?
A: [Scott] Sigler has been a major influence. I chat with him in e-mail from time to time, though I couldn't say that he's actually my mentor. I'm just another fan of his that he talks with. I've learned more from watching him do things, like putting out podcasts of his books, than I have from direct interaction. Seeing him build up his career and his fan base like he has pretty much all on his own is what has really inspired me to do what I'm doing.

Q: What book are you reading now?
A: I'm not reading anything at the moment, but I have a few things I'm about to start reading. Recently I've finished Stephen King's On Writing, Scott Nicholson's The Red Church, Keith Knapp's Moonlight and Ania Ahlborn's Seed.

Q: Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest?
A: I really like Ania Ahlborn, and Keith Knapp is pretty good.

Q: What are your current projects?
A: I'm mostly just working on the Hellwatch series right now. Putting out a novella a month is going to take pretty much all of my time for the foreseeable future.

Q: Do you see writing as a career?
A: I hope so! I have a long way to go, but I think I can pull it off. I work hard and I learn fast.

Q: If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?
A: I don't think so. I'm glad that I got an editor to help me tighten things up, which has really helped. The final version of the book (the podcasts were recorded before I got an editor, unfortunately) is something that I'm pretty happy with. I guess if I changed anything, it would be to record the podcasts later so that they would be as tight and streamlined as the finished book. The podcasts are more of a rough draft.

Q: Can you share a little of your current work with us?
A: I can actually share with you the entire first book! The first episode is free at my website, LarimeTaylor.com in eBook format. Just remember that it's a novella, and not a full size novel, and that it's part one of a nine part series.

Q: Who is your favourite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work?
A: Neil Gaiman is probably my favorite author at the moment. I love the way he uses words and the characters that he creates. I've probably read American Gods a dozen times by now.

Q: Who designed the covers?
A: I do!

Q: Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it?
A: I learned most after getting an editor, my friend Amanda Hayes. Her first time through my book taught me so much about writing in general. I'm very glad that I went out and got her.

Q: Do you have any advice for other writers?
A: Find someone to edit your writing, even if you don't have an agent and you haven't submitted to publishers yet. Even if you plan to self publish. Having an editor makes all the difference in the world and teaches you so much because you get an outside perspective on what you're doing and how to do it better. Friends and family will usually tell you what you want to hear. Editors tell you the truth.

Thank you Larime, I appreciate the time you have given for this interview.
Visit www.larimetaylor.com to learn more about Larime and his variety of works including fantastic caricatures which you can commission for yourself.

REVIEW: Hellwatch: Pilot by Larime Taylor

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel Mitchell) — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 07:47:08 PST

Larime Taylor is a new author on the Podiobooks circuit and as always with new authors, or rather those that I have not previously read, I felt a great deal of trepidation for reading Hellwatch: Pilot. However the description over at Podiobooks.com’s blog post and the information from Larime’s website intrigued me and I love books about supernatural beings such as demons and ghosts, so i gave it a shot regardless.

In Hellwatch: Pilot author Larime Taylor tells tale of a wheelchair bound demon hunter and her trusty giant, gay sidekick who hunt demon’s together, working hand in hand and each benefitting from the other.

What I Liked

The novel starts with Sammy (the sidekick) carrying Esther up several flights of stairs, where they perform an exorcism on a young boy, removing a class 3 demon in the process and imprisoning it inside a class jar.
I loved this, the use of a jar to contain the demon is new to me, and quite fun. In most tales of exorcism you never really find out about where the exorcized demon/spirit end up, in the case of Hellwatch, it’s a glass jar.

The exorcism demonstrates the dynamics of Esther and Sammy’s almost symbiotic relationship and does it well and is further demonstrated throughout the rest of the story.

Esther’s character is hacker-gone-good and technology plays an important role within Esther’s story in the form of camera feeds, motion sensors, iPad’s and so forth. Being a technology junkie as I am I became a little excited when Larime read of all this. It appealed to my geek-side.

The bad-guys in Larime Taylors novel, while not immediately memorable, do offer promise of development in later episodes in the series. The young boy who is revealed toward the end to be a key character (whose name I cannot pronounce let alone spell) shows great promise for future novels in the series.

Author Larime Taylor does an excellent job of narrating the story, his voice is clear and concise if a little fast and only two or three mistakes were made during the entire reading.

What I Disliked

Larime Taylor has produced an excellent first novel, however it falls down in some areas. His characters don’t offer enough to differentiate themselves from similar characters in other similar works, except that of Esther. Not yet.

I could not help but get a little lost in the question of “why?” at one point in the novel, a scene that demonstrates wheelchair-bound Esther’s personal struggle to have a shower. Larime, being wheelchair-bound himself seems to have gone that extra mile too far in demonstrating the difficulties faced by the physically disabled. The scene could have been cut in half and still had the same message demonstrated well enough, for me at least.

My only other criticism is that the story is too short at just (roughly) 3 hours and 20 minutes long, split over 5 episodes. Sure, I understand that Hellwatch: Pilot is, as the title imposes a pilot and generally pilot’s are short, tasters but they should also be long enough to envelope the reader within the story, leaving him gasping for more, especially if you intend to put out subsequent episodes at a price as opposed to free. In summary, it is not enough to bait me into buying.

Conclusion

All in all I have thoroughly enjoyed Larime Taylor’s Hellwatch: Pilot and should he release further episodes in the series as free podiobooks then I shall happily listen, but on the strength of this episode alone I will not look to buy other episodes in the future.

Links

Authors Website: www.LarimeTaylor.com
Podiobooks.com: Link
iTunes: Link
EBook: Link (various formats available)

REVIEW: Contagious by Scott Sigler

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel Mitchell) — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 02:54:01 PST

With Infected Scott Sigler weaved such a hard-hitting hard-science sci-fi horror tale that it was going to be difficult to follow up on. The story of Perry Dawsey and his living nightmare of playing host to several alien parasitic infections and his battle to destroy them ended in Infected with one of the most disturbing scenes a man could ever be forced to envisage, the cutting off of ones own testicles!

However, despite the hurdles that were put in place by the previous novel in the series, Contagious picks up a couple of weeks after the events that unfolded in Infected and continues the struggle face by the same key characters as before (with the introduction of a few more) as the orbital in space mutates the next batch of parasites to become the protectors.

In this second novel of the Infected Trilogy, Perry Dawsey is a tad unhinged, finding and killing Triangle hosts, Dew Phillips has the task of making the highly uncooperative Perry play ball with the team and to stop killing the infected hosts, Dr Margaret Montoya battles not only to find a cure for the triangle strain but also the new crawler strain too.
A few characters say goodbye, while a few new characters say hello.

What I liked

Perry Dawsey was the central character of Infect and in a manner he still is in Contagious too, but with Contagious comes several new characters such as the Jewel family. However Contagious also turns the Orbital into a character, giving it a voice and even a small set of emotional responses. The Orbital is cold & calculating in a disconnected, task oriented manner only. The Orbital is certainly my favourite character in Contagious.

Chelsea Jewel is another new introduction in Contagious and the most pivotal one too. A sweet little girl with typical “I want/I need” temperament who manages to change the everything.

Scott' Sigler’s usual delivery of the words to your ears is here, reading Contagious himself in his unique punchy manner; I did not catch a single mistake or stammer in his speech whatsoever throughout the entire novel.

What I Disliked (possible spoiler)

When I know that Scott Sigler is intending to release the third book of the Infected Trilogy I find it irritating that so many key characters were lost by the end of Contagious.

If the series were to end here things would make sense but knowing that the story continues (somehow) without important lead characters leaves far too many questions.

Sure, Contagious ends with a few unanswered questions and somewhat of a cliff-hanger regarding The Orbital but does not leave me with enough to see a follow-up.

I won’t know until I have read Pandemic upon it’s release but maybe Scott should have just tied up the loose ends with Contagious? However, Scott will no doubt surprise me!

Conclusion

In conclusion Scott Sigler has crafted an immense world with Contagious (combined with Infected). The characters are once again strong and the story that develops around them has many lumps and bumps and chicken-scissor style surprises.

Contagious is a strong novel and a must read for fans of Sci-Fi, Horror and Thriller novels.

Links

Author Website: ScottSigler.com
Author on Twitter: @ScottSigler
Podiobooks.com: link
iTunes: link
Audible: Buy from £7.99

Do you have something you would like to add? Please do so in the comments below.
If you would like to write a review for MyEarBooks then please click here.

NEWS:The Americans by Jake Bible

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel Mitchell) — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 02:51:27 PST

Jake’s Bible’s The Americans is the second book in the Apex Trilogy, however it is neither a sequel nor prequel to Dead Mech (the worlds first drabble novel), it is instead a sidequel - a story which is set at the same time as that in which the events unfolded in Dead Mech.

I must admit, when I first read of this sidequel business, I was a little disappointed. I want to know what happens after Dead Mech, especially with regard to the character Shiner; where does he go, what does he do, what happens to him? Alas it seems that Jake wants to hold out on me with those answers and instead tell a different part of the story and I am sure (hopeful) that Mr Bible will be forthcoming in the third book of the trilogy, Metal & Ash towards the end of next year (2012). We’ll see.

The American’s is not yet available on Podiobooks.com, however after a quick tweetversation with @JakeBible yesterday I can at least inform you that it will be made available on Podiobooks once complete. In the meantime it is currently available via Jake’s website at www.jakebible.com and on iTunes in the Jake Bible Audio Fiction podcast (link below). A review of The Americans is coming.

Website
~~Podiobooks Link (not yet available)~~
iTunes Link – Jake Bible Audio Fiction

Are you excited for The Americans? Did you enjoy Dead Mech? Leave your thoughts below…

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