FANTASY CORNER: THE SPIRIT THIEF!

FANTASY CORNER: THE SPIRIT THIEF!

RACHEL AARON

Eli Monpress is talented. He's charming. And he's a thief.
But not just any thief. He's the greatest thief of the age - and he's also a wizard. And with the help of his partners - a swordsman with the most powerful magic sword in the world but no magical ability of his own, and a demonseed who can step through shadows and punch through walls - he's going to put his plan into effect.

The first step is to increase the size of the bounty on his head, so he'll need to steal some big things. But he'll start small for now. He'll just steal something that no one will miss - at least for a while.

Like a king.

TO READ THE FIRST TWO CHAPTERS CLICK HERE

TO CHECK OUT THE AUTHOR’S BLOG CLICK HERE

FANTASY CORNER: BLAMELESS!

FANTASY CORNER: BLAMELESS!

GAIL CARRIGER

BOOK 3 IN THE PARASOL PROTECTORATE SERIES . . .

Quitting her husband's house and moving back in with her horrible family, Lady Maccon becomes the scandal of the London season.

Queen Victoria dismisses her from the Shadow Council, and the only person who can explain anything, Lord Akeldama, unexpectedly leaves town. To top it all off, Alexia is attacked by homicidal mechanical ladybugs, indicating, as only ladybugs can, the fact that all of London's vampires are now very much interested in seeing Alexia quite thoroughly dead.

While Lord Maccon elects to get progressively more inebriated and Professor Lyall desperately tries to hold the Woolsey werewolf pack together, Alexia flees England for Italy in search of the mysterious Templars. Only they know enough about the preternatural to explain her increasingly inconvenient condition, but they may be worse than the vampires – and they're armed with pesto.

TO VISIT THE AUTHOR'S WEBSITE CLICK HERE

ZOMBIE CENTRAL: MARRIE WITH ZOMBIES!

ZOMBIE CENTRAL: MARRIED WITH ZOMBIES!

JESSE PETERSON

THE FAMILY THAT SLAYS TOGETHER STAYS TOGETHER . . .

A heartwarming tale of terror in the middle of the zombie apocalypse.

Meet Sarah and David.

Once upon a time they met and fell in love. But now they're on the verge of divorce and going to couples' counseling. On a routine trip to their counselor, they notice a few odd things - the lack of cars on the highway, the missing security guard, and the fact that their counselor, Dr. Kelly, is ripping out her previous client's throat.

Meet the Zombies.

Now, Sarah and David are fighting for survival in the middle of the zombie apocalypse. But, just because there are zombies, doesn't mean your other problems go away. If the zombies don't eat their brains, they might just kill each other.

TO CHECK OUT THE AUTHORS COOL ZOMBIFIED WEBSITE CLICK HERE

FANTASY CORNER: FANTASY COVER ART!

FANTASY CORNER: FANTASY COVER ART!

ORBIT BOOKS TAKES A LOOK AT THE TRENTS IN FANTASY COVER ART 2008/2009 . . .

TO CHECK IT OUT CLICK HERE

THE CAT'S MEOW!

FANTASY CORNER: THE HEIR OF NIGHT!

FANTASY CORNER: THE HEIR OF NIGHT!

HELEN LOWE / SEPTEMBER 2010

If Night falls, all fall . . .

In the far north of the world of Haarth lies the bitter mountain range known as the Wall of Night. Garrisoned by the Nine Houses of the Derai, the Wall is the final bastion between the peoples of Haarth and the Swarm of Dark—which the Derai have been fighting across worlds and time.

Malian, Heir to the House of Night, knows the history of her people: the unending war with the Darkswarm; the legendary heroes, blazing with long-lost power; the internal strife that has fractured the Derai's former strength. But now the Darkswarm is rising again, and Malian's destiny as Heir of Night is bound inextricably to both ancient legend and any future the Derai—or Haarth—may have.

FANTASY CORNER: URBAN FANTASY NOVEL COVERS REVIEW!

FANTASY CORNER: URBAN FANTASY NOVEL COVERS REVIEW!

PER ORBIT BOOKS . . .

Every year we ask our summer intern to do a survey of cover art elements for the top US fantasy novels published in the previous year. This year we looked at covers from 2009, and compared them against 2008′s findings.

In our post yesterday, we mentioned that we will probably retire the “damsel in distress” category next year. That’s because while we counted fewer than 10 distressed damsels, we found more than 70 bad ass women – and that’s with a really strict definition of “bad ass” (must be either armed, in a fighting stance, or riding a motorcycle). Thanks to to the rise of urban fantasy (also known as paranormal fantasy) 2009′s covers were dominated by tough, well-armed women who are more likely to glower than cower.

FOR THE FULL RUNDOWN CLICK HERE

COCKTAIL NATION #138 ~ WILL THE THRILL!

COCKTAIL NATION #138 ~ WILL THE THRILL!

Thanks to Tiki Shark, it’s the Cocktail Nation with Koop Kooper.

On this week’s show, Koop talks to Will the Thrill about his brand new book, plus news about an incredible video store closing down this week, but there will be some bargains for you to grab. There’s also some more Bond film news.

Koop will let us know about a fantastic release you need to have in your collection, and in the Ask Koop, we find out how you should handle an accidental dog poisoning issue. As always, there’s the world of swank and a cool blog to follow in our blogosphere.

PLAYLIST:

Tiki Joe's Ocean ~ Moonlight Moods
Combustible Edison ~ Breakfast at Denny's
Actual Raiq ~ Lunar lounge lizard
Esquivel & His Orchestra ~ La Raspa
Martini Kings ~ Fly Me To The Moon
Kenny Sasaki ~ Slow Dancer
Jackie Gleason ~ Get Out Of Town
Mr Ho's Orchestrotica ~ Arab Dance
Frank Sinatra ~ All My Tomorrows
Bob Thompson ~ On The Rocks
Les Baxter ~ The Other Side of the Moon
Jimmy Vargas ~ Black Widow
Royal Crown Revue ~ Deadly Night Call

TO LISTEN OR DOWNLOAD CLICK HERE

AN EVENING AT BUDDIES LOUNGE #108!

AN EVENING AT BUDDIES LOUNGE #108!

Join the BIG W every Friday evening as he continues to explore, with drink in hand, the Space-Age Pop Hi-Fi musical sounds of the 1950’s and the 1960’s in LIVING STEREO!

PLAYLIST:

• Down For Double - Mel Tormé
• Theme From “Hud” - The Brass Ring
• Old Devil Moon - Barbara McNair
• Waiting For The Sunrise - Si Zentner
• No Moon At All - Ella Fitzgerald
• I’m Coming Home Cindy - Larry Elgart
• Lead This Life No More - Dean Martin
• An Occasional Man - Johnny Williams
• Heartbreak Hotel - Ann-Margret
• Tequila - John Evans
• Treats Your Daughter Mean - S. Vaughan
• Just One Of Those Things - Nelson Riddle
• Day In Day Out - Steve Lawrence
• William Tell On The Hoof - Mel Henke
• Ol’ Man River - Skylarks
• One Note Samba - Percy Faith
• I’ll See You In C-U-B-A - Buddy Greco
• Mission: Impossible - Living Guitars
• Destination Moon - B Sharp Big Band
• J.C. Cohen - Allan Sherman

TO LISTEN OR DOWNLOAD CLICK HERE

PULP NOW: TAMIL PULP FICTION ~ VOLUME 2!

PULP NOW: TAMIL PULP FICTION ~ VOLUME 2!

OCTOBER 2010

A bloodline of debauched maharajas falls prey to AN EVIL CURSE! A beautiful girl uses karate to retrieve A STOLEN IDOL! A monstrous creature holds the key to A SECRET TOMB! A patient in an insane asylum uses her supernatural powers...TO KILL! 7 THRILLING tales...from 7 Indian and Singaporean masters of ACTION, SUSPENSE, and HORROR!

FOR MORE INFO CLICK HERE

HAT TIP TO BILL RAETZ

LOUNGE CENTRAL: THE BLU ROOM!

LOUNGE CENTRAL: THE BLUE ROOM!

ALL LOUNGE LIZARDS IN EXILE NEED LOIN ME AND GET OVER TO JONNY BLU'S BLU ROOM AND GET SIGNED IN FOR ALL THE JAZZ AND JONNY BLU MUSIC YOU CAN HANDLE . . .

TO CHECK IT OUT CLICK HERE

PULP NOW: SOLOMON KANE!

PULP NOW: SOLOMON KANE!

THE OFFICIAL MOVIE NOVELIZATION!

COMING IN MAY 2011

When Solomon Kane, a sixteenth century adventurer, meets the Devil's Reaper, he postpones his fate by renouncing violence – a vow soon tested by the forces of evil.

As Kane once again straps on his weapons, he embarks on an epic journey of redemption.

MASS MARKET PAPERBACK: 304 PAGES
TITAN BOOKS
$7.99

NOTE: THIS IS ALREADY AVAILABLE IN THE U.K.

PULP NOW: THE AVENGER CHRONICLES VOLUME 2!

PULP NOW: THE AVENGER CHRONICLES VOLUME 2!

COMING SOON FROM MOONSTONE BOOKS!

The cover (by E. M. Gist) has been posted for Moonstone Book's upcoming collection of prose tales featuring The Avenger!

MOONSTONE BOOKS

PULP NOW: THE LONE RANGER MAGAZINE!

PULP NOW: THE LONE RANGER MAGAZINE!

JUNE 1937

COMING IN NOVEMBER FROM ADVENTURE HOUSE!

Another thrilling episode in the lives of the Lone Ranger, Masked Rider of Justice, his marvelous horse Silver, and Tonto, the Faithful Indian. Once more, these three inseparable companions ride the danger trails of yesteryear, tracking down the lawless and helping the weak.

SOFTCOVER ~ 128 PAGES ~ B&W ~ $14.95

THE CAT'S MEOW!

RHYMES WITH ORANGE!

FANTASY CORNER: THE REPUBLIC OF THIEVES!

FANTASY CORNER: THE REPUBLIC OF THIEVES!

SCOTT LYNCH

After their adventures on the high seas, Locke and Jean are brought back to earth with a thump. Jean is mourning the loss of his lover and Locke must live with the fallout of crossing the all-powerful magical assassins the Bonds Magi. It is a fall-out that will pit both men against Locke’s own long lost love.

Sabetha is Locke’s childhood sweetheart, the love of Locke’s life and now it is time for them to meet again. Employed on different sides of a vicious dispute between factions of the Bonds Sabetha has just one goal – to destroy Locke for ever. The Gentleman Bastard sequence has become a literary sensation in fantasy circles and now, with the third book, Scott Lynch is set to seal that success.

INEBRIATION!

INEBRIATION!

INCEPTION PARODY/SPOOF

I FOUND THIS TO BE VERY CLEVER . . .

FREE e-BOOK ~ SOLOMON & LORD

FREE e-BOOK ~ SOLOMON & LORD

DROP ANCHOR (SHORT STORY)

PAUL LEVINE

I’VE ENJOYED LEVINE’S SOLOMON & LORD NOVELS. IF YOU ARE UNFAMILIAR WITH THE DUO, OR EVEN IF YOU ARE, HERE’S A FREE e-SHORT STORY TO CATCH YOU UP . . .

Steve Solomon and Victoria Lord are back in a free short story. Steve says he's going fishing with Manuel Cruz, a guy who stole a bundle from Steve’s favorite client. Which is when Victoria learns her law partner has an unorthodox method of "negotiating" a settlement. The "Solomon and Lord" novels have been nominated for the Edgar, Macavity, James Thurber and International Thriller Awards.

TO DOWNLOAD IN MANY FORMATS CLICK HERE

RAT PACK CENTRAL: I’M A FOOL TO KILL YOU!

RAT PACK CENTRAL: I’M A FOOL TO KILL YOU!

NEWS FROM ROBERT RANDISI REGARDING THE LATEST ENTRY (I’M A FOOL TO KILL YOU) IN HIS UBER-COOL RAT PACK MYSTERIES SERIES . . .

After 4 books with St. Martins Press the [Rat Pack Mysteries] series has moved to Severn House. I'm very pleased with the move. Since Severn is a Britain-based house, the books will be published in both the U.K. and the U.S. For this reason there are two pub. dates.

In the UK it will be a September book. In the US, a Jan. 2011 book. However, it will be available for preorder, and will carry a 2010 copyright date.

The new book [I’M A FOOL TO KILL YOU] features the Rat Pack and Ava Gardner. And, or course, Eddie G. and Jerry. I am already at work on Book #6.

THE GREAT COVER IS FEATURED ABOVE

BOOKS CAN BE MURDER!

BOOKS CAN BE MURDER!

MORE FROM DARK ROASTED BLEND . . . A VERY COOL POST ON BIBLIOMYSTERIES . . .

BOOKS, BOOKSTORES AND LIBRARIES THAT ARE OUT TO GET YOU

Do you know that there is a certain sub-genre (sub-sub-genre?) of murder mysteries concerned with the world of authors, manuscripts, rare and deadly books - with the emphasis on deadly books?. Typically, they feature an indefatigable hero leaping around libraries in a race against time, unearthing cyphers, ancient manuscripts and clues hidden in old books.

Thrillers like this belong to a popular sub-genre called bibliomysteries, and as the name suggests, they all concern some sort of bookish skull-duggery. Book lovers love them but if you’re tempted to read one here are a few words of warning. Books can be fatal . . .

FOR THE FULL CAVALCADE OF COOL COVERS CLICK HERE

MAGNIFICENT MOTORCYCLES!

MAGNIFICENT MOTORCYCLES!

FROM DARK ROASTED BLEND . . .

THE WILD, THE WONDERFUL AND THE DOWNRIGHT WEIRD DESIGNS FOR MOTORCYCLES

Even for those who have never ridden a motorcycle, there’s just something about these magnificent machines that make us simply stop and admire them. In this article, we take a look at the cool, the fascinating, the unusual and the ‘what the heck were they thinking’ designs for motorcycles that have appeared for over a hundred years.

FOR THE FULL LINE-UP CLICK HERE

WORLD’S SMALLEST MICRO CARS!

WORLD’S SMALLEST MICRO CARS!

PER DARK ROASTED BLEND . . .

ALLARD CLIPPER, GREAT BRITAIN, 1954

This car looked simply fantastic. Two kids could ride in the trunk. It had hree Wheels. And it came complete with the pilot's goggles (just kidding). So you ready to hunt it down? Well, "it is believed that only about twenty such cars were made before the project came to an end, and only two examples are known to survive, one in a German museum and one in England."

FOR THE FULL LINE-UP OF MICRO CARS CLICK HERE

PULP NOW: FRENCH PULP!

PULP NOW: FRENCH PULP!

PULP INTERNATIONAL HAS A COOL POST TODAY FEATURING THE PULP-STYLE COVERS TO BOOKS FROM FRENCH AUTHOR JERRY LEWRAY, A PSEUDONYM INVENTED BY LOUIS DE LA HATTAIS TO BE USED BY HIM AND POSSIBLY OTHER AUTHORS WHO CHURNED OUT THRILLERS FOR SOCIÉTÉ D’EDITIONS GÉNÉRALES' INTERPOL AND ALLO POLICE SERIES DURING THE 1960S . . .

FOR THE FULL COVER CAVALCADE CLICK HERE

UNSUNG HEROES: VINTAGE GARBAGE AND SANITATION TRUCKS!

UNSUNG HEROES: VINTAGE GARBAGE AND SANITATION TRUCKS!

PER DARK ROASTED BLEND . . .

Soon after the invention of motorized transport and the appearance the earliest automobiles, the first garbage trucks arrived. There were initially plenty of open top dump trucks, but these weren’t ideal for hauling garbage since they usually attracted flies, insects, vermin and of course did nothing to contain the atrocious smell. In the 1920’s, closed body vehicles were brought in to handle trash collection in major towns and cities around the world. Here are some great examples of garbage trucks from years gone by.

FOR THE FULL LINE-UP CLICK HERE

HOW TO ACCESS THE INTERNET (A GUIDE FROM 2025)!

HOW TO ACCESS THE INTERNET (A GUIDE FROM 2025)!

PER BLOGOSCOPED . . .

Welcome to the Internet! By following the simple rules below, you make sure your internet experience is smooth and risk free.

REALIDENTITY

Before signing on, please ensure you have received your RealIdentity card from local authorities. Signing on to the internet without identifying yourself has been ruled illegal in the Stop Anonymity Act of 2012, and you need to be sure to associate your comments, emails, posts and more with your real name. Setting up your RealIdentity is easy, as your computer (MacOS 15 or ChromeOS7 and higher) will automatically connect to your near-by card, verifying it with your biometric data. Do not put on shades, veils, contact lenses, and please shave before the biometric scan starts; it is advised to not perform biometric authentication after a long night of drinking.

GEOLOCATION

The internet is split into roughly 120 country regions. This is to ensure that fitting entertaining content will be streamed to you, and that you will not find content that may be unsettling. Your Geolocation should be automatically derived from the position of your point of login – if it matches with the country provided in your RealIdentity card, you’re ready to go. Users from the US may enjoy great copyrighted US TV show reruns like Friends 2020, for instance, while users in other countries may have different tastes and preferences.

As a note for travellers: Before planning your trip to another country, make sure you apply for a Geolocation Visa in order to surf from internet cafes within that country. Alternatively, you can also jump into your cybersuit and just enjoy the other country through Google Street View 3D Plus Touch. Google Street View 3D Plus Touch will only show you those things from the other country which are legal in your location, so it’s a great, risk-free and streamlined experience to get to know other exciting cultures.

FOR MUCH MORE CLICK HERE

STEAMPUNK CORNER: STEAMPUNK HOUSE!

STEAMPUNK CORNER: STEAMPUNK HOUSE!

TO TAKE THE TOUR OF THIS UNUSUAL PROPERTY FOR SALE CLICK HERE

ABANDONED HOUSES OF SUPER VILLIANS!

ABANDONED HOUSES OF SUPER VILLIANS!

PER DARK ROASTED BLEND . . .

We admit, there is a certain beauty in decay, but the houses shown on this page hold not only historic and architectural value – they are also fascinating in a "Despicable Me" sort-of way: they all housed at one time the most notorious villains in Earth's history.

FOR MORE CLICK HERE

ESPIONAGE CENTRAL: SIN CITY SPY ~ TEASER!

FORGOTTEN BOOKS: TV TIE-IN VERZION ~ WITCHBLADE!

FORGOTTEN BOOKS: TV TIE-IN VERZION ~ WITCHBLADE!

Recently reading the International Association of Media Tie-In Writers excellent collection of essays, Tied In, on the art and skill of writing novelizations and tie-in novels, sent me back to my book shelves to delve into a sample.

I’ve been collecting TV tie-in novels of spy, cop, and mystery shows for as long as I’ve been collecting books – starting with The Man From U.N.C.L.E #1 The Thousand Coffins Affair by the redoubtable Michael Avallone (AKA: The Fastest Typewriter In The East). Since then, the titles gracing my shelves have ranged from both American TV shows (The Mod Squad, I Spy, Get Smart, Ironside, Harry O, The Outsider, Mannix, etc.) and British TV shows (The Avengers, Dempsey and Makepeace, The Bill, The Professionals, The View From Daniel Pike, Marker, Minder, etc.).

However, I’ve had two books tied-in to the Witchblade franchise sitting on my shelves for a more than a while and decided to give them a try.

Witchblade began life in 1995 and continues as a series comics and graphic novels from Top Cow. There have been a ton of spin-off titles and crossover comic/graphic novel titles, and from 2000 – 2001, a cable television series running to 24 episode over two seasons.

The show starred Yancy Butler as lead character Sara ‘Pez’ Pezzini, a tough-as-nails NYPD homicide detective who comes into possession of the Witchblade, a powerful gauntlet-like weapon with a will of its own. Existing since the dawn of time, it chooses each time the right person to be merged with, and Sara is the chosen one of this generation.

The Witchblade, being a mystical artifact, gives Pez enhanced strength and agility, the ability to deflect bullets with its armored glove, and the ability to gain full armor and a sword when needed. Various individuals such as mysterious millionaire Kenneth Irons try to gain the Witchblade from her, dropping hints and trying to manipulate her into serving them. Meanwhile, the Witchblade itself has a mind of its own and has its own plots and schemes.

Witchblade: The Complete Series – a seven-disc collectors set including the original made-for-TV movie, all 23 episodes of the series, and special features – was released in 2008.

There were two novels tie-in to the television series, both carrying photos from the series on the cover, and a third novel, which both from cover and content appeared to be more tied-in to the series of graphic novels than to the television series.

WITCHBLADE #1: TALONS

Her name is Sara Pezzini. A New York City homicide detective with a deadly secret: A few years ago, she came into the possession of the Witchblade, a mystic weapon of unknown origin that has existed for centuries. Grateful to have first used it when her life was in danger, Sara soon learned the lesson every owner of the device has been taught through the years: The Witchblade is not controlled by anyone – it does the controlling . . .

A series of brutal murders have been committed in New York, and the trail of bodies seems to lead back to Russian mob boss Lazlo Kontra. But are the killings really gang-related, or the work of a mysterious group called the Order of the Raven -- a group that seems to know all about Sara Pezzini's secret...?

At the moment, though, the Order and the Russian Mafia are the least of Sara's problems. Rumors have been spreading through the NYPD about cops on the take, and one of the accusatory fingers has been pointed directly at Sara. Now Internal Affairs is looking into her activities, and they've taken a particular interest in the more unusual aspects of her past cases -- situations in which Sara had been forced to use the Witchblade to bring murderers to justice.

Caught between special prosecutors, gangsters, and mystical killers, Sara must once again call upon the Witchblade in order to survive -- but will it answer that call when she needs its power the most . . .

WITCHBLADE #2: A TERRIBLE BEAUTY

In the wake of a rash of killings dubbed the Machete Murders by the press, the people of New York have been living in fear. Assigned to the high-profile case are Sara Pezzini and her partner, Jake McCarthy, who soon find themselves neck-deep in trouble, not just from NYPD brass, but from voodoo priests, evil spirits, a brother and sister pair of hired killers, and a Goth band called The Mountains of Madness!

Not exactly a normal homicide investigation, but then Sara is no ordinary cop – not when she’s secretly the possessor of the Witchblade, a mystical weapon that can help her overcome her enemies . . . if it doesn’t turn against her first. . . .

WITCHBLADE #3: DEMONS ~ MIKE BARON

When a big-shot antiquities dealer is found with his head severed, the case falls to NYPD Homicide detective Sara Pezzini and her partner. Sara enlists sword polisher David Kopkind, a student of Japanese history, who recognizes the killing blow of a katana. Could an ancient Japanese warrior be on the loose in New York – and if so, can even the Witchblade stop him before Sara loses her own head . . .

FAIR GAME!

FAIR GAME!

THIS MOVIE, DETAILING THE BRUTAL EXPOSING OF REAL LIFE CIA AGENT VALERIE PLAME, WASN'T ANYWHERE NEAR MY MUST SEE LIST UNTIL C.O.B.R.A.S. AGENT TANNER POSTED THE BELOW MOVIE TRAILER ON HIS DOUBLE O SECTION BLOG . . .

IF THE MOVIE'S AS GOOD AS THE TRAILER, IT SHOULD KNOCK YOUR SOCKS OFF . . .

STEVE TYRELL: THIS SATURDAY IN CAMARILLO ~ FREE CONCERT!

FANTSY CORNER: QUEEN OF THE IRON SANDS!

FANTASY CORNER: QUEEN OF THE IRON SANDS!

FREE SERIAL ADVENTURE IN WEEKLY WEB INSTALLMENTS FRON AWARD WINNING FANTASY WRITER SCOTT LYNCH . . .

TO CHECK IT OUT CLICK HERE

PULP NOW: WESTERN PULP NEWS!

PULP NOW: WESTERN PULP NEWS!

LAURIE POWERS, CHAMPION OF HER GRANDFATHER PAUL POWERS’ LONG LIST OF PULP STORIES, HAS SOME GREAT NEWS COMING IN THIS PRESS RELEASE FROM TOP PULP PUBLISHER ALTUS PRESS . . .

Altus Press announces an agreement to print new Paul Powers stories

August 19, 2010--Altus Press, one of the most prolific pulp reprint publishers, today announced it has come to an agreement to publish a trio of books by noted pulp author Paul S. Powers.

During the 1930s and 1940s, Paul Powers (1905-1971) was a prolific and successful pulp fiction writer, writing over 400 stories for such pulp fiction magazines as Wild West Weekly, Weird Tales, Thrilling Western, Texas Rangers, and more. Later Paul wrote an acclaimed full-length Western novel, Doc Dillahay. Paul is also the author of Pulp Writer: Twenty Years in the American Grub Street, his memoir of his career as a prolific and successful pulp fiction writer during the 1930s and 1940s. Thanks to the promotions of his granddaughter Laurie Powers, Paul Powers' work has achieved new-found appreciation in recent years.

Two of these new books will be collections of short stories discovered in 2009. These stories were written between 1945 and 1955 but were never published. Many are westerns, but there are also noir, thriller, animal, horror, and love stories. Together they show Powers' remarkable versatility: He was an expert at writing westerns, but he loved writing other genres as well. Current publishing plans call for this material to be split into two collections: there will be at least one collection of western stories and one for the stories of other genres.

In addition to these never-before published stories, there will also be a third collection containing Powers' westerns that appeared in such magazines as Thrilling Western, Range Riders Western, The Rio Kid Western, and other magazines from the 1940s and 1950s.

These stories will be published in traditional book form (both hard and softcover) as well as e-book form. Publication is expected to begin Winter 2009/10.

Altus Press is a premier pulp fiction publisher and has published authors such as Lester Dent, Johnston McCulley, Henry Kuttner, Norvell Page, Frederick C. Davis, Richard Sale, Tom Johnson, Will Murray and many more. In 2009, founder Matthew Moring won the Echoes Award for work benefiting the pulp community and has also won an American Graphic Design Award for book design.

FOR MORE INFO AT LAURIE’S WILD WEST WEBSITE CLICK HERE

ESPIONAGE CENTRAL: CHERUB ~ SHADOW WAVE!

ESPIONAGE CENTRAL: CHERUB ~ SHADOW WAVE!

ROBERT MUCHAMORE

THE FINAL ENTRY IN THIS EXCELLENT Y/A SPY SERIES . . .

After a tsunami causes massive devastation to a tropical island, its governor sends in the bulldozers to knock down villages, replacing them with luxury hotels.

Guarding the corrupt governor’s family isn’t James Adams’ idea of the perfect mission, especially as it’s going to be his last as a CHERUB agent. And then retired colleague Kyle Blueman comes up with an unofficial and highly dangerous plan of his own.

James must choose between loyalty to CHERUB, and loyalty to his oldest friend.

THE CHERUB NOVELS ARE MUST READING FOR ANY AGENTS WHO ENJOY YOUNG BOND’S OR ALEX RIDER’S ADVENTURES . . .

SIMON'S CAT ~ IN THE BOX!

YUKI 7 AND THE GADGET GIRLS NEWS!

YUKI 7 AND THE GADGET GIRLS NEWS!

KEVIN DART'S SUPER COOL SPY SENSATION YUKI 7 AND THE GADGET GIRLS NOW HAVE THEIR OWN WEBSITE WITH A NEWSLETTER AND A BUNCH OF OTHER NEAT STUFF . . .

TO CHECK IT OUT CLICK HERE

PULP NOW: MORE CAPTAIN MIDNIGHT!

PULP NOW: MORE CAPTAIN MIDNIGHT!

CHRIS MILLS FILLS US IN ON HIS LATEST CAPTAIN MIDNIGHT ESCAPADES . . .

Here’s a double page spread [ABOVE] from the new Captain Midnight story, “Arctic Deathray,” from the forthcoming Air Fighters #2 comics anthology from Moonstone Books. Layout by Rick Burchett with Finished Art by Richard Clark.

This 8-page, action-packed adventure pits the good Captain and his Secret Squadron against would-be global tyrant Ivan Shark’s latest super-weapon – a deadly “teleforce” ray projector designed by the legendary inventor Nikola Tesla! Should be quite a battle!

Arctic bases, double agents, death rays, dogfights… seriously, what more could you want?

FOR THE FULL POST CLICK HERE

FORGOTTEN TELEVISION: NOBODY’S PERFECT!

FORGOTTEN TELEVISION: NOBODY’S PERFECT!

Seeing as it only ran for eight episodes and was uniformly reviled by the critics, I’m obviously one of the few viewers who actually got a chuckle out of this 1980 half-hour sit-com, a mid-season replacement show for ABC.

In Nobody’s Perfect, British character actor Ron Moody had the lead role as Detective Inspector Roger Hart. Typically inept, typically pompous, and stereotypically British, Hart is loaned from Scotland Yard to a police precinct in San Francisco. It’s obvious, Scotland Yard couldn’t wait to get rid of Hart, and shuffling him off to the States is too good an opportunity to pass up.

The standard fish-out-of-water scenario was complete with Inspector Hart’s constant bumbling wreaking havoc upon his fellow officers – particularly his new partner Detective Jennifer Dempsey (Cassie Yates) and his superior Lieutenant Vince de Gennaro (Michael Durrell). Of course, Hart’s inept blundering proves to have a twinkle in its eye as he still manages to solve crimes and catch criminals.

The show was often slapstick, as in an episode where Hart accidently knocks his partner into the waters of San Francisco Bay not once, but twice. However, most of the humor was in the same road vein as Get Smart or Police Squad – it either made you laugh or made you cringe. For whatever reason, I laughed most of the time.

EPISODE LIST:

1 Hart in San Francisco
2 The Hart Is Good for Jogging
3 What's on Third?
4 The Return of the Ocelot
5 You Gotta Have Hart
6 Daddy's Day
7 It Was a Very Good Year
8 Hart in Jail

*KNOWN IN BRITAIN AS HART OF THE YARD

CROSSFIRE ~ DICK FRANCIS!

CROSSFIRE ~ DICK FRANCIS!

Captain Thomas Forsyth’s tour of Afghanistan is cut brutally short when he’s badly wounded by an IED – Improvised Explosive Device, a roadside bomb. Tom’s world is torn apart by the injury – the Army is his life. Six months of recuperation leave is a daunting prospect – but not as bleak as the probability of never rejoining his regiment. Tom returns to Lambourn, to his childhood home, where his mother is a racehorse trainer and the ‘First Lady’ of racing. Never having seen eye to eye with his parents, Tom doesn’t expect a hero’s welcome – but even he’s not prepared for the reception that awaits him. When his mother’s prize horse finishes a disappointing last place in a race he should have won, Tom discovers that the training business is on the edge, and facing a threat far more dangerous than a run of bad form. Tom finds himself on a very different, but just as deadly, battlefield where his military skills are tested… kill or be killed?

IN BOOKSTORES TODAY . . .

CHANDLER ~ QUOTE OF THE DAY!

CHANDLER ~ QUOTE OF THE DAY!

He stopped in front of mine and unlocked the door and gave me the hard stare they think they have to wear on their pans forever and forever and forever. I’m a cop, brother, I’m tough, watch your step, brother, or we’ll fix you up so you’ll crawl on your hands and knees, brother, snap out of it, brother, let’s get a load of truth, brother, let’s go, and let’s not forget we’re tough guys, we’re cops, and we do what we like with punks like you.

TANK GIRL!

COMICS CORNER: TANK GIRL!

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