Sunday Shout-Out 12/1/13

A new Meme that I am all about. I read so many books but getting reviews done for all of them is a challenge. You can participate too, just check out the Meme rules below, and check my Shout Out!
 

 

Is there ever such a thing as too many books? I don’t think there are too many books to read, but there can definitely be too many to review. If you are sent more books than you can review or read or the TBR pile is a mountain then Sunday Shout-Out allows us to acknowledge books and the publishers.

 

Sunday Shout-Out is a bookish meme hosted by Monique of Write Note Reviews. If you’re a book blogger and you want to join in, just:

• Share the title, author, blurb and image from a book (or more than one) you want to acknowledge.
• Share the genre, price and link to the publisher so readers can follow up if they like the sound of the book.
• Ping back to Write Note Reviews in your post. And if you can pingback to me, thank you.

This week I want to give a shout out to a book stacked in my TBR. I have scanned this book, want to read and but haven't as yet. There are certain non-fiction books I am a fan of, one category is language. Years ago I read The Mother Tongue - English And How It Got That Way and thoroughly enjoyed. But many linguists believe Bryson, while an excellent travel author and storyteller, has it wrong. There are not 24 or whatever number of words for snow in the 'Eskimo' language as Bryson asserts. If you enjoy learning about word origins, as I do check out this book.

The Great Eskimo Vocabulary Hoax and Other Irreverent Essays on the Study of Language by Geoffrey K. Pullum.

How reliable are all those stories about the number of Eskimo words for snow? How can lamps, flags, and parrots be libelous? How might Star Trek's Commander Spock react to Noam Chomsky's theories of language? These and many other odd questions are typical topics in this collection of essays that present an occasionally zany, often wry, but always fascinating look at language and the people who study it.

Geoffrey K. Pullum's writings began as columns in Natural Language and Linguistic Theory in 1983. For six years, in almost every issue, under the banner "TOPIC. . .COMMENT," he published a captivating mélange of commentary, criticism, satire, whimsy, and fiction. Those columns are reproduced here—almost exactly as his friends and colleagues originally warned him not to publish them—along with new material including a foreword by James D. McCawley, a prologue, and a new introduction to each of these clever pieces. Whether making a sneak attack on some sacred cow, delivering a tongue-in-cheek protest against current standards, or supplying a caustic review of some recent development, Pullum remains in touch with serious concerns about language and society. At the same time, he reminds the reader not to take linguistics too seriously all of the time.

Pullum will take you on an excursion into the wild and untamed fringes of linguistics. Among the unusual encounters in store are a conversation between Star Trek's Commander Spock and three real earth linguists, the strange tale of the author's imprisonment for embezzling funds from the Campaign for Typographical Freedom, a harrowing account of a day in the research life of four unhappy grammarians, and the true story of how a monograph on syntax was suppressed because the examples were judged to be libelous. You will also find a volley of humorous broadsides aimed at dishonest attributional practices, meddlesome copy editors, mathematical incompetence, and "cracker-barrel philosophy of science." These learned and witty pieces will delight anyone who is fascinated by the quirks of language and linguists.

Give the Gift of Amazon Prime to the reader and shopper in your life.

I recommend Amazon Prime free 30 Day Trial.

 

Happy Holidays!

Happy Thanksgiving and Saturday Steals

This Thanksgiving I am grateful for the friends I have made and the wonderful people who stop by my blog. I hope you have a warm and loving holiday with loved ones.

If You are a Crafter, stop by my blog So Many Crafts - I have crafting deals and some holiday crafting ideas!

Thanksgiving is bringing many wonderful STEALS this week. I am posting early because some of these steals end Sunday.

Dover Publications is a wonderful site. If you have never visited take a look. And take advantage of this STEAL valid until 12/1/13.  $20 off an order of $40 or more! Use code THNKS.  Dover has educational books, how to draw, postcards, engineering, math, crafts, classic literature and more.  I am a big fan of the coloring books.

       

 



The Wild Rose Press is offering 50% off all digital books www.thewildrosepress.com and download the 2013 Holiday Garden Gourmet for free. I see no listing on how long this sale lasts but I know it is valid today and Black Friday. Free shipping on paperbacks with a minimum order of $50 or more, use code FSPB10. STEAL!

Ordinary Grace: A Novel By William Kent Krueger. Amazon Kindles Daily Deal is a STEAL at $2.99 and a joy. Recommended.

“That was it. That was all of it. A grace so ordinary there was no reason at all to remember it. Yet I have never across the forty years since it was spoken forgotten a single word.”

New Bremen, Minnesota, 1961. The Twins were playing their debut season, ice-cold root beers were selling out at the soda counter of Halderson’s Drugstore, and Hot Stuff comic books were a mainstay on every barbershop magazine rack. It was a time of innocence and hope for a country with a new, young president.

But for thirteen-year-old Frank Drum it was a grim summer in which death visited frequently and assumed many forms. Accident. Nature. Suicide. Murder. Frank begins the season preoccupied with the concerns of any teenage boy, but when tragedy unexpectedly strikes his family— which includes his Methodist minister father; his passionate, artistic mother; Juilliard-bound older sister; and wise-beyond-his-years kid brother— he finds himself thrust into an adult world full of secrets, lies, adultery, and betrayal, suddenly called upon to demonstrate a maturity and gumption beyond his years.

Told from Frank’s perspective forty years after that fateful summer, Ordinary Grace is a brilliantly moving account of a boy standing at the door of his young manhood, trying to understand a world that seems to be falling apart around him. It is an unforgettable novel about discovering the terrible price of wisdom and the enduring grace of God.


Tucker's Way by David Johnson. FREE!

Tucker's childhood was steeped in abuse and poverty, therefore she trusts no one and lives as isolated a life as she can. But Tucker needs help or she risks losing her grandchildren she is raising.

Into Tucker's private life steps Ella, whose childhood was a life of privilege but her marriage was a private life of abuse. As Tucker's new neighbor, Ella's openness about her life crashes headlong into Tucker's closed-door attitude and Tucker is forced to rethink her view of the world.

It is Tucker's four-year-old, mute granddaughter, April, that becomes the fulcrum that pries open the vault door on Tucker's heart and allows Ella to step inside. Tucker's Way, a tale set in the rural south, is an inspirational story about overcoming incredible odds.

 

 

Happy Thanksgiving!

Coming Soon Pre-Order. Weeks of 11/25 and 12/2

Some marvelous books are on the radar for release in the next two weeks. Enjoy the start of the holiday season with some good books.


The Supreme Macaroni Company: A Novel by Adriana Trigiani. Available November 26, 2013.

In The Shoemaker's Wife Adriana Trigiani swept her readers across generations of an Italian family, from the Italian Alps at the turn of the twentieth century to the cobblestone streets of Little Italy. In The Supreme Macaroni Company, she weaves a heartbreaking story that begins on the eve of a wedding in New York's Greenwich Village, travels to New Orleans, and culminates in Tuscany. Family, work, romance, and the unexpected twists of life and fate all come together in an unforgettable narrative that Adriana Trigiani's many fans will adore.

Command Authority (A Jack Ryan Novel)by Tom Clancy. Available December 3, 2013. There’s a new strong man in Russia but his rise to power is based on a dark secret hidden decades in the past. The solution to that mystery lies with a most unexpected source, President Jack Ryan.






Robert Ludlum's (TM) The Bourne Retribution (Jason Bourne) by Eric Von Lustbader. Available December 3, 2013. Jason Bourne is one of the most popular and compelling characters in modern fiction. Originally created by bestselling author Robert Ludlum, now New York Times bestselling writer Eric Van Lustbader carries on Ludlum's legacy with a new novel about the rogue secret agent who has lost his memory.




Home For the Haunting: A Haunted Home Renovation Mysteryby Juliet Blackwell. Available December 3, 2013.

No good deed goes unpunished. San Francisco contractor Mel Turner is leading a volunteer home renovation project, and while she expects lots of questions from her inexperienced crew, she can’t help asking a few of her own—especially about the haunted house next door…the place local kids call the Murder House.

But when volunteers discover a body while cleaning out a shed, questions pile up faster than discarded lumber. Mel notices signs of ghostly activity next door and she wonders: Are the Murder House ghosts reaching out to her for help, or has the house claimed another victim?

Now, surprised to find herself as the SFPD’s unofficial “ghost consultant,” Mel must investigate murders both past and present before a spooky killer finishes another job.

Other books in the series include: If Walls Could Talk: A Haunted Home Renovation Mystery (Haunted Home Repair Mystery), Dead Bolt: A Haunted Home Renovation Mystery (Haunted Home Repair Mystery) and Murder on the House: A Haunted Home Renovation Mystery (Haunted Home Repair Mystery).

Dangerous Women Edited by George R.R. Martin and Gardner Dozois. Available December 3, 2013. Original work from Jim Butcher, Diana Gabaldon, Sherrilyn Kenyon and more.

All new and original to this volume, the 21 stories in Dangerous Women include work by twelve New York Times bestsellers, and seven stories set in the authors’ bestselling continuities—including a new “Outlander” story by Diana Gabaldon, a tale of Harry Dresden’s world by Jim Butcher, a story from Lev Grossman set in the world of The Magicians, and a 35,000-word novella by George R. R. Martin about the Dance of the Dragons, the vast civil war that tore Westeros apart nearly two centuries before the events of A Game of Thrones.

Also included are original stories of dangerous women--heroines and villains alike--by Brandon Sanderson, Joe Abercrombie, Sherilynn Kenyon, Lawrence Block, Carrie Vaughn, S. M. Stirling, Sharon Kay Penman, and many others.

Writes Gardner Dozois in his Introduction, “Here you’ll find no hapless victims who stand by whimpering in dread while the male hero fights the monster or clashes swords with the villain, and if you want to tie these women to the railroad tracks, you’ll find you have a real fight on your hands. Instead, you will find sword-wielding women warriors, intrepid women fighter pilots and far-ranging spacewomen, deadly female serial killers, formidable female superheroes, sly and seductive femmes fatale, female wizards, hard-living Bad Girls, female bandits and rebels, embattled survivors in Post-Apocalyptic futures, female Private Investigators, stern female hanging judges, haughty queens who rule nations and whose jealousies and ambitions send thousands to grisly deaths, daring dragonriders, and many more.”

Beneath This Man (This Man Trilogy) by Jodi Ellen Malpas. Available in paperback November 26, 2013. Currently available as an ebook.

Jesse Ward drowned her with his intensity and blindsided her with his passion, but he kept her away from his dark secrets and broken soul. Leaving him was the only way Ava O'Shea could survive. She should have known that Jesse Ward is impossible to escape--and now he's back in her life, determined to remind her of the sensual pleasures they had shared. Ava is equally determined to get at the truth beneath this man's steely exterior. That means letting herself get close to the Lord of the Manor once more. And it's exactly where Jesse wants her--within touching distance. 

Also available This Man . and This Man Confessed (This Man Trilogy) The third book will be released as a paperback 1/21/2014 but is available as an ebook now.

 

 

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A Liebster Nomination - Yippee for Recognition

What a wonderful pleasure to have been nominated by Anna author of The Perfect Herald blog  and by Angela Lockwood from Language in the Blood for the Liebster Blog award.
  The Perfect Herald is a blog about "Books." Language in the Blood blog is about " The author of Language in the Blood blogs about her influences and struggles as she writes the follow up."
The Liebster award helps fellow bloggers with less than 200 followers to get their well deserved recognition and more followers.  So sincere thanks to Anna and Angela.

Here are the rules:

·         Link back to the blogger that tagged you.

·         Nominate 10 other and answer the questions of the one who tagged you.

·         Ask 10 questions for the bloggers you nominate.

·         Let your nominees know of their award.

  My Questions to Answer from Anna and answers: (Next will be my questions from Angela)

Who is your favorite author, how has he/she been an inspiration to you?

I can’t choose just one author.  I have many favorites but no ‘one’ favorite. Authors inspire me to read, to write, to live in other worlds, think more and live more fully.

What is your go-to-quote when you begin writing?

A.A. Milne. Christopher Robin to Winnie the Pooh. “If ever there is tomorrow when we're not together... there is something you must always remember. You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. But the most important thing is, even if we're apart... I'll always be with you.”

What is on you playlist when you write or read?

I rarely listen to music when I read or write. When I read I am focused on the world on the pages, it wouldn’t matter what was on TV or Stereo. If I notice than I am not participating in the book.

Music may set a mood for when I write but I don’t play while I write, it distracts me from my purpose.

Why did you start your book blog?

It was just the right time for me to blog.

Tell us a secret you swore you'd never tell. I dare you.

Dare all you want ;) If I swore I wouldn’t tell, I will not tell.

What is the book you just have to read during the Christmas season?

Good question!  I don’t have a must have Christmas book though I like to set out and review all my “Christmas Books” such as How the Grinch Stole Christmas.  I need to select a book and start a tradition.

I must watch It’s A Wonderful Life and How the Grinch Stole Christmas.

Speaking of Christmas, what books are on your wish-list?

The Other Typist, Suzanne Rindell, all of the Kazuo Ishiguro books I haven’t read, The Golem and the Jinni, Helene Wecker, Life After Life, Kate Atkinson, Red Moon by Benjamin Percy, The Other Typist, Suzanne Rindell, If You Could See What I See by Cathy Lamb, I could go on for pages!

 State you love-interest team for the following sagas/books: Hunger Games, Vampire Academy, Immortal Instruments, Beautiful Creatures, Vampire Dairies, and Under The Never Sky.

I can only answer to one of the sagas.  Katniss & Peeta. The triology ended as it should and with reality. Peeta always loved Katniss and stayed true to her love no matter that she took the final action she took or not. (I won’t say so I don’t  spoil for others.) 

And sad to say I read Under The Never Sky and can’t remember the characters. L

What is your favorite Classic novel?

Okay, that depends on ones definition of Classic and requires a selection of 1 book. I never have 1 favorite, not even in colors (I love Orange, yellow, red, spring green, purple…).

I have a list of some of my favorite reads on my blog.

What is the best book you never wanted to read but had to read for a class assignment.

Okay, I can’t remember my class assignments. That is how long I have been out of HS and college. But some of the reads I recall appreciating, The Red and The Black – I had to read that in French but still enjoyed, Johnny Tremain, Of Mice and Men and The Old Man and The Sea.

  My Questions to answer from Angela:

Plane, train or automobile?

I would love to try a train. I usually drive but depending on my job I have flown a great deal.

What would make you give up your computer for a month?

A lot of money. Enough money to pay off my bills and mortgage.

What is in your opinion the best film adaptation of a book?

Best, hmm. Well one of the best is A Midnight Clear from 1992.

to continue, what was the worst film adaptation of a book?

If it is bad it is just bad. I can’t think of a worst. Some bad ones are when the ending is changed, like The Firm.

Fiction character you would most like to kiss?

Sinclair in the Queen Betsy books.

Fictional character you would really like to kick up the backside?

Stephanie Plum is the first character that comes to mind. She isn’t growing as a character as the series continue. I am sure there are many more.

Favorite food?

Chocolate and Veggie or Cheese Pizza.  I am a vegetarian for moral and ethical reasons.

If you weren't a blogger or a writer what would your dream job be?

I’d love to be an Heiress.  I haven’t been able to find any job postings to apply to though.

If you had a superpower, what would you like it to be?

Well I have an occasional super power, as Anxiety Girl I am able to jump to the worst conclusion and have an attack in seconds ;) – joke.  I would love to be able to save all the creatures in need and give them the love they deserve.

A new planet has been discovered and you have the honour of naming it, what will it be?

I like how this makes me think. I’d love to give Pluto back its status as a planet but choosing the name Pluto for another planet wouldn’t be fair. I would name the planet DOG.

The 10 questions for Nominees:

What is your favorite font?

What is the first book you remember reading?

What is the first book you fell in love with and never wanted to end?

How much time do you spend on the computer a day for work?

How much time do you spend on the computer a day for other reasons?

Do you have an animal companion? What type of animal and name?

What is the motto of your life?

What do you want for Christmas?

Do you like cheese? (Really, I just wanted to ask something silly).

Name one person you admire.

 

My Nominees:

 

 

1.    23 Blog Street http://23reviewstreet.blogspot.com/

2.    The Escapist http://michelletheescapist.blogspot.com/   (She probably has more than 200 but since they are listed separately by type of follow, none of those show over 200. This way Michelle gets more exposure.)

3.    Crystals Meandering Book Rivers  http://crystalsmeanderingbookrivers.blogspot.sg/

4.    Gulp Fiction  http://gulp-fiction.blogspot.com/

5.    Everything is Possimpile http://rwh92.wordpress.com/

6.    Blogging for Bloggers http://www.ab4b.blogspot.com/

7.    Sandee’s Sweet and Sexy Book Reviews http://sweetandsexybookreviews.blogspot.com/

8.    Diaries of 2 Thick Chicks http://www.diariesof2thickchicks.blogspot.com/

9.    Priscilla and Her Books http://pressedupinabook.com/

10.  Stalked Reviews by Melissa http://melspeaks.com/

 

 

 

 

 

Sunday Shout-Out 11/24/13

A new Meme that I am all about. I read so many books but getting reviews done for all of them is a challenge. You can participate too, just check out the Meme rules below, and check my Shout Out!
 

Is there ever such a thing as too many books? I don’t think there are too many books to read, but there can definitely be too many to review. Often I’m sent books and, with an already sagging review shelf, these unsolicited books often end being overlooked – I just can’t fit them in to my schedule. Sunday Shout-Out aims to acknowledge these books and the publishers who have sent them to me. Sunday Shout-Out is a bookish meme hosted by Monique of Write Note Reviews. If you’re a book blogger and you want to join in, just:

• Share the title, author, blurb and image from a book (or more than one) you want to acknowledge
• Share the genre, price and link to the publisher so readers can follow up if they like the sound of the book
• Ping back to Write Note Reviews in your post.

A Midnight Clear: A Novel by William Wharton. Literature, Fiction. Kindle $9.78 and paperback $11.12. Originally published in 1983. Set in the Ardennes Forest on Christmas Eve 1944, Sergeant Will Knott and five other GIs are ordered close to the German lines to establish an observation post in an abandoned chateau. Here they play at being soldiers in what seems to be complete isolation. That is, until the Germans begin revealing their whereabouts and leaving signs of their presence: a scarecrow, equipment the squad had dropped on a retreat from a reconnaissance mission and, strangest of all, a small fir tree hung with fruit, candles, and cardboard stars. Suddenly, Knott and the others must unravel these mysteries, learning as they do about themselves, about one another, and about the "enemy," until A Midnight Clear reaches its unexpected climax, one of the most shattering in the literature of war. I read this stellar book years ago then watched the movie that was also good. Well written and thought provoking. A recommended read!

I read this stellar book years ago then watched the movie that was also good. Well written and thought-provoking. A recommended read!

Also available and recommended the movie from 1992. NTSC/Region 0. Director Keith Gordon based his excellent script for "A Midnight Clear" on the book by William Wharton, who had been seriously wounded in the Battle of the Bulge towards the end of WWII. He wrote of an American Intelligence team which came upon a team of young German soldiers, desperate to surrender to the Americans, in order to survive Germany's last offensive. He wrote of fear and suspicion, pain and loss, friendship and hope and a snow-ball fight. And of the agreement to save the lives of the Germans, which went horribly wrong. A haunting, disturbing war movie without much war, looking tenderly at those who go to kill and be killed, and gently painting a truth: There are no real victors; all are wounded by war's inherent, random cruelty. DVD info.: A special slip-case presentation imported from S. Korea, with Dolby 5.1 sound doing justice to Mark Isham's beautiful score, the movie is in the original English, with optional English and Korean subtitles, with the original 107 minutes .

Interview with Terry Maggert, Author of The Forest Bull

Interview with Terry Maggert.

Can you give me a Synopsis of Your Book?  See Book Review.

....That’s the official blurb, but the short version is that three hunters who kill immortals are asked to find stolen jewelry, and the thief might be Satan. What does Satan look like? How do three lovers get along? And what happens when you find out that you might be more than human, and less than immortal?
 

What is the primary theme of your book?

Sometimes, evil can be outwardly beautiful, but in truth, some cultures have created a myth that there is an expectation of cruelty from beautiful women. I started to think about how we assume that looks determine the character of a person, but good-looking people may get away with more because of how we’ve been trained as a society. The whole notion that women could be evil, but the head honcho of Hell was a man, seemed curious. Then, I began to write a character that blew up the assumptions about the “devil”, especially given that many people associate Satan with being a male, and apparently, someone who dresses like every day is Halloween.

What drove you to write this book?

I’m not a true Southerner, but I found that I love the culture. I mean, sweet tea? Biscuits? Pinto beans? Please and thank you! There was one thing that was completely new to me-- roadside crosses at places where people died in car accidents. I started wondering, “What if someone, or something used a roadside cross for a very dark reason?” I wrote a story about a ghoul and her human helper, who roam the American Midwest using a roadside cross to lure teenagers to their death. From that, I created characters that would hunt that ghoul, and show no fear, and one year later, here we are!

What is your writing process?

I see an entire novel; start to finish, with all of the characters and high points. Then, I chew it over while doing mindless tasks, and chunks of dialogue come to me, but on occasion, I’ll blurt a phrase or concept to myself that I just have to write down. There are little notes scattered across the spaces I inhabit, sometimes I use them, and sometimes, they get lost. It seems to be the most natural way for me to write, so I’ll go with it until I develop telekinesis, or train my basset hound to write, although, with his fat paws, that doesn’t seem likely.

You used Create Space Publishing. Why did you choose this publication path? Can you share the pros and cons of self-publication?

Let’s start with the “why”. I write urban fantasy that features a male narrator who has a stable, albeit unusual relationship with two women. That isn’t the most common theme in the genre, and I was a first time author. Publishing me would be a risk, so, after two months of queries, I came to the conclusion that I would let the readers (if I could find any) decide on whether or not my fictional world had any merit. I’m pleased to say, it was a good decision, and I think that we can now admit the publishing world is changing—regardless of what established elements in that field might think.

There are some drawbacks to self-publishing, starting with the stigma surrounding independent authors. For every indie you read and love, there are some authors who choose, in their haste to publish, not to edit thoroughly, or didn’t have access to a quality editor. My wife is an English professor, with additional degrees in technical writing and editing. I’m lucky, her rates are reasonable. I urge anyone who writes and is thinking of publishing on their own to edit, re-edit, and then edit again. The more eyes that scan your manuscript, the cleaner it will be, and that’s the best solution for shining in a field of many, many authors.

If you were to re-write your book or edit anything in the published version what would you change?

Delphine really took me by surprise. I was actually laughing out loud at some of the things she said, so she figures heavily in the second volume in the series. I would have included more Delphine, more of her humor, and perhaps a touch more of her personal history. I reveal all of her past in the second book, simply because she’s taken on a life of her own, and her beginnings are both sad and compelling.

Do you have more books in the works?

The second and third books that follow “the Forest Bull” are well on their way. The next volume, “Mask of the Swan”, will be in print March, 2014. I’m also working on an adventure thriller featuring a character seeking revenge for the murder of his wife, but he chases the killers under the earth in an enormous, unknown cave system. I’m a bit of a nerd about geology and the New Madrid Seismic zone, so it’s a chance for me to release my geeky side and mix some excellent revenge and action, all at once. I foresee him as a recurring character, not unlike Dirk Pitt, one of my favorite literary figures.

Why did you really buy a pub?

I make a mean grilled cheese, so. . . But really, my family had restaurants that opened in the 1950s, called “Ted N’ Peg’s Pie Stand”. They were located in three towns, two in upstate New York, and one in my hometown of Hollywood, Florida. Cooking and baking were second nature to me, and I needed a job. The pub came available and I thought it would be an excellent chance to have fun while doing something I loved. To this day, if there isn’t a pie in my kitchen, I’m not happy. It was a good move, and now, as a college history professor, I can look back fondly at the whole experience. I can also think about how hot the kitchen could get, kick back in the air conditioning of my classroom, and smile.

Is there any one thing you would like to share with readers?

Tell me what you think! Above all else, I’d like to know if my story resonates, because even though I love writing, I’m constantly surprised by how readers interpret my own words. It’s like rediscovering my own thoughts, and I love the feeling. Thanks for having me, and thanks for the excellent blog!

 

Review: The Forest Bull

The Forest Bull by Terry Maggert. See interview with author in next post.

The author’s synopsis from my interview request:

“Three lovers who stalk and kill the immortals that drift through South Florida (tourists are a moveable feast, after all) are living a simple life of leisure- until one of them is nearly killed by woman who is a new kind of lethal.

 When Ring Hardigan isn’t making sandwiches for, and with, his two partners, Waleska and Risa (they’re cool like that), he’s got a busy schedule doing the dirty work of sending immortals to the ever after. Wally and Risa provide linguistics, logistics, and finding the right place for him and his knife- together, they’re a well-oiled machine, and they’ve settled into a rhythm that bodes ill for the Undying. Warlocks, vampires, succubae and the odd ghoul have all fallen to their teamwork. Life is tough, but they soldier on killing the undead, liberating their worldly goods for charity, and generally achieving very little.

Until Ring wakes up after nearly dying at the hands of a woman who may or may not be the daughter of Satan. Ring’s a tough character, for a boat bum (killing immortals sort of rubs off on you that way), but twelve days of comatose healing are enough to bring out the ugly side of his temper. When a letter arrives asking for their help finding a large collection of stolen heirloom jewelry, they form an uneasy friendship with the last Baron of a family hiding in a primal European forest.

Cazimir, the Baron, has two skills: Jeweler and preserver of the last herd of forest bulls. It’s an odd occupation, but then, Ring, Risa and Wally aren’t your everyday career folks, and Cazimir’s lodge might be sitting on something that looks a lot like hell, which, according to a 2400 year old succubus hooker named Delphine, is currently on the market to the strongest immortal. The Baron’s impassioned plea to find the jewelry comes with some conditions- he doesn’t want the collection back as much as he does the thief, Elizabeth, who happens to be his daughter- and the woman who nearly sent Ring to his grave.

In a tapestry of lies, it’s up to Ring, Wally and Risa to find out what is evil, who is human, and exactly who really wants to reign over hell.”

I don’t need to provide a synopsis as the author has given a thorough synopsis, so onto my thoughts and feedback. The first chapter begins with a bang dragging the reader into the world of Ring.  A fantastic beginning! Also the author weaves his words well and reminiscent of poetry.
Reading the book you learn a great deal about the author. Mr. Maggert is a history teacher and this is revealed throughout the book. My degree was in history so the descriptions of European politics from the author’s point of view didn’t bother me as a historian, but as a reader the digression did not add to the story. The novel is heavy with description, for this reason the book falls more into literary fiction than genre fiction. However the topic of the novel is a combination of genres, horror and fantasy.  A dark and nasty fantasy where immortals are primarily unrepentant predators. The Forest Bull, Cazimir is confusing.  Is he Satan? Is his daughter Elizabeth Satan? Is the lodge hell. The lack of clarity can be maddening or intriguing depending on what type of reader is partaking of the novel.  

The characters all have a questionable morality. Ring, Wally and Risa live a lazy and somewhat decadent lifestyle.  As they begin to question what they believe and know I was disappointed they did not come to the conclusion that they may be as evil as the villains. A comparison to Laurell K. Hamilton’s Anita Blake can be drawn here. Blake saw all vampires as evil at the beginning of the series but changes as it continues.

The immortals are bad and have a wealthy Euro-trash lifestyle. They are vicious sociopaths. They are not teenage angst vampires nor well- dressed business clients with a taste for blood as in Hamilton’s Anita Blake or Sookie Stackhouse’s lovers as written by Charlaine Harris’s. All the characters, including Ring and roommates, lifestyles create an entirely disturbing atmosphere.

The introduction of Delphine adds a different spin to immortals. She is a succubus and as she reveals her history to Ring I could not put down the book. The writing and revelation made the book more intriguing. An introduction to a lone immortal hunter from the Midwest adds further texture to the story.

The Forest Bull is a fresh spin on horror and fantasy.  Other than the heavy description of places and history which detracts from the story, the reader will be compelled to find out what happens next.