Those Girls by Alison Tyler

It's become quite ad nauseum on this blog, my declarations of love lust love for Alison Tyler. I'm just one post away from dedicating this blog to fanfic about the writer. You laugh, but am I joking?

I started reading The Red Wolf Conspiracy by Robert V.S. Redick, but the fates were against me (or in favor of me reading something else) because upon turning the page to 188, I noticed a publisher error. A nice chuck of words near the left hand margin are partially or completely missing, making it difficult to read. No fear, Alison Tyler tweeted that she has copies available of her new "novelette" to pass out to readers willing to review it. I shot her an email. She shot one back. We did our little dance, and she forwarded my address to her publisher and this morning I receive a download link. That made my morning, after having to stand by for Barnes and Noble's response--they got to me shortly after, but it would still be days before I could pick up The Red Wolf Conspiracy again.

My first mistake was downloading the book at work. It'd been so long since my last Alison Tyler naughty read that I forgot how steamy her prose is. So I hunkered down at the puppet stage with Judy (a puppet), a chicken (also a puppet), and my coworker (not a puppet). Ms. Tyler's imagery blows out of the page (e-page?), filling her readers' heads with all sorts of decadent scenes that not only leave them yearning for more, but yearning for more sex. Not to mention the in depth description of the BDSM scene arouses a question--how much of this is fantasy and how much is first hand knowledge, and can I come with next time around (pun so not intended). This short book is a much more powerful read than Fifty Shades of Grey that it makes that terrible excuse for erotica look like a dorm room sex tape--shaky with a premature delivery.

If you haven't read anything by Alison Tyler, make this book the first one you read. Because they're all this good. The characters are well chiseled and the writing carries an air of expertise. You can purchase Those Girls for your Nook (to be linked later) or Kindle for only five bucks (really, $4.99 but let's not get technical). You won't regret it. Until next time, happy huntin'.

Tied Up & Twisted by Alison Tyler

Dear Alison Tyler: 

Several times I have riddled this blog with declarations of love, and the fear of being redundant is settling in. Your latest piece published under Harlequin Spice banner(?) has set my infatuation with you in stone.

As you stated in your blog, you poured a lot of your own fantasies into this work. That alone was all the motivation I needed to click purchase on Amazon.

There's no need to rehash the book – you wrote it; it's not as if I'm writing a review in the form of a letter to you. Oh wait. Never mind.

The book is swelling (is that a good word?) with emotion (you'll have to read it to see what sort of emotion I'm talking about here). Hadley is someone to fall in love with immediately. A former domme turned sub who still carries a few traits of her old life seeks out an older gentlemen (used loosely), while her former sub still pines after her. Everything is wrapped neatly, but I don't expect anything less from you.

Your writing is captivating. I have to set aside some time, otherwise there'll be trouble. I get lost in your words that I find it easy to ignore "bottom" which irked me in another erotic piece. Yet, I loved Frost's use of it. How can you make such an innocent, elementary word sound so enticing? Your writing always reminds me of the words of famous film critic, Roger Ebert – "No good movie is too long and no bad movie is short enough." Rest assured, Ms. Tyler (can I call you Ms. Tyler?), your writing always leaves me wanting more.

SINcerely,

E.P.

P.S. You (other reader, not Alison Tyler) can purchase Tied up & Twisted for your Kindle or Nook. Until next time, keep on huntin'.

The Breast by Philip Roth

I first met David Kepesh a few years back - way back when I was still in college. My creative writing professor, Rene Saldana, Jr. turned on to reading a John Gardner collection of essays on writers and writing. He discusses Philip Roth's novel, in which David Kepesh wakes up one day to learn he has become a giant breast. I jumped onto the internet and bought the first copy I found that was inexpensive. Hardback. Good price. Moving on.

I read it then continued on to reading The Professor of Desire and The Dying Animal. Both equally wonderful reads.Nothing, however, compares my first experience reading The Breast.

Last week, I reread the novella for the second time. And like Kepesh states, when you read a favorite novel later in life, you find things you didn't see before. I never questioned Kepesh's transformation. I read the novel rather literal. Here was a man who followed his lustful instincts in life who gets transformed into a breast. No big deal. 

The question I find myself asking, was Kepesh just crazy?

I won't go into too much detail because it's such a short book, but it's a must read for fans of The Metamorphosis.

The Breast is available on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

The Ballad of Ballard and Sandrine by Peter Straub

Every so often, I'll come across a book and wonder what I just read. When this happens, I either put the book down and go for a walk, or I turn to the first page and try again. I went for a walk today.

The Ballad of Ballard and Sandrine tells the story of two lovers - an older man and the daughter of his client - throughout the decades. Think Memento, if Memento ended with the beginning, as well. 

Normally, I'll rehash some of the events for summary purposes, but I don't know what I read, so I can't. I know that they're on a boat. That Sandrine is a bit independent. That they both fell in love with each other the moment they met each other. That Ballard might have something to do with the mob. That, on the yacht, an invisible bird-speaking servants run the show. And thrown in there is a giant bug in a cage, which they might be eating, or they might be eating toucan.

In short, it's a little like Naked Lunch without any real interest from me. 

The Ballad of Ballard and Sandrine is available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble (I'll link this later, if I remember as the service is currently disabled).

Oh well, until next time - keep on huntin'.

Mile 81 by Stephen King

Like I said, I'm on the fence about Stephen King. While UR was a great read, Mile 81 - a Kindle Single - felt more like a chore.

Taking place in the shut down Mile 81 rest area, one would think it was about some grizzly murder that happened which still haunts the area. Instead, we get a muddied station wagon that eats people. One part Christine, one part Little Shop of Horrors. Three parts bad. Story revolves around several characters - most of which become a grizzly meal for the alien vehicle. There's next to none character growth. It lacks substance underneath the surface. It's almost as if Mile 81 was a write-for-hire piece, something King had to do because of some agreement he made with Amazon. 

It's hard to say if Mile 81 is a lengthy short story or a novella, but it sure has hell felt like a longer read than UR. Oh well, until next time, keep on huntin'.

UR by Stephen King

After last night's post about the new members of the Kindle family, I figured what better way to follow up than a story that would scare the bejesus out of me? Of course Stephen King stories rarely scare me - nor do the movies, for that matter. Most times, I'm not even sure if I like his writing.

In UR, Wesley Smith decides to buy a Kindle after breaking up with his girlfriend - or rather, her walking out of his life. He purchases a couple of titles before exploring the Experimental option on the Main Menu. The usual stuff appears, but it's the UR Functions that catch his attention. Soon after, Wesley discovers several novels from writers like Hemingway that were never published and some that came to being after his death. Soon, realization sets in - this e-reader taps into alternate realities, providing its owner with archive newspapers from other URs and ultimately, future newspaper editions of the Wesley's UR.

The story's a great read, using a popular science fiction device with a hint of stories like The Queer Story of Brownlow's Newspaper and stories like it - which is the one about the reader gets future obituaries only to die of a heart attack when he receives his? It's clear, though, that Stephen King has a some beef against technology. Which is cool, considering a man who keeps writing about all the messed up ways things can kill us. For another Stephen King hates technology read, pick up Cell, which deals with cell phones turning their users into - you guess it - zombies. Cell is also available for Kindle, go figure. Or check out the Kindle Single, Mile 81. Until next time, keep on huntin'.

Stephen King on Kindle