Showcase Saturday

Showcase Saturday

*Book source ~ A review copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.

Title ~ Special Features

Series ~ Deacon Chalk, Short Story Collection

Author ~ James R. Tuck

Publisher ~ Blammo!

Published ~ 30 January 2014

Genre ~ Anthology/Paranormal

Pages ~ 134

My Rating ~ 4 bites out of 5

This is a collection of stories and things from the Deacon Chalk universe. Not all are typical short stories. Some are things that can be found on various blogs and some are just odds and ends pertaining to a series.

Dolly ~ This I love. A look at Deacon a year before Blood and Bullets and how he came to acquire Polecats. Also, why haven’t we seen more of Bicuspid? I’d love to see more of him.

Blood and Bullets trailer script ~ This isn’t something I enjoy reading. Scripts kinda bore me and while I don’t watch book trailers other people do, so this would probably be a good book trailer.

Father Mulcahy and Kat interview ~ Some blogs like to interview book characters and this is one of those types of interviews. I don’t do these and I don’t read them either though I know plenty of people who love this kind of interview.

Meta ~ The author and his character having coffee and chit chatting. It’s hard to wrap my brain around it, but it’s not bad.

Recipe for an Occult Bounty Hunter ~ Another odd creative thing that some blogs do and this wasn’t too bad.

Interview with Charlotte Vale ~ This is another blog special interview with a character.

Tiff’s First Day ~ This is a short story told from Tiff’s POV.

The Man for the Job ~ A blog question that James Tuck answers.

O.C.I.D. Interview with Charlotte Vale ~ A blog interview that has one character questioning another. Btw, I like Special Agent Heck. I hope he sticks around.

The Ravenous ~ This is a short story, kinda. It introduces a new character to the Deacon series, but it doesn’t really have a satisfactory beginning. I am looking forward to seeing more of Phoebe Fluffenstuff, Were-Pomeranian though I hope we get more of a beginning for her. I want to know how she got where she is now and how Fenrir fits into it all.

Twas the Fright Before Christmas ~ A short Christmas story that shows Deacon is always on the job, holiday or not.

Shop Til You Drop ~ Another holiday short only this one deals with Deacon. At a mall. On Black Friday. Ha!

Nature Trail to Hell ~ A decent short that puts Deacon out in the woods trying to find some missing Royal Rangers (think Boy Scouts) and their leader and figuring out what of kind of monster he’s hunting.

Blood and Magick Alternate ~ No. I prefer what ended up in the book.

Second Chapter Fresh Ink ~ Another story with the author and Deacon interacting. Not bad if weird.

First Look at Silk and Scale ~ A peek at the next book. Can’t.Wait!

*Book source ~ A review copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.

Title ~ That Way Lies Madness

Author ~ James R. Tuck

Publisher ~ James R. Tuck

Published ~ 26 August 2013

Genre ~ Horror/Sci-Fi

Pages ~ 100

My Rating ~ 3 bites and a nibble out of 5

There are two stories in this book. The first is a sci-fi space horror story and the second is a zombie short.

That Way Lies Madness

Deep space.  What is out there could be wonderful and it could be scary as hell. Me, I’m not going where there’s no ready supply of oxygen and I don’t have to rely on mechanicals to provide it. See me walking around on Earth? Breathing freely? Yeah. And look. No strange extraterrestrials either. ETs that I have no idea what their agenda is. Enough said.

He Stopped Loving Her Today

This zombie story made me sad and it also made me want to kick the guy’s ass. Why torture yourself? And why do what he finally did? I guess I don’t know enough of what his world is like after the zombie apocalypse to understand his decision. 

*Book source ~ A review copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.

Title ~ Hired Gun

Series ~ Culvert City Crime Files, #1

Author ~ James R. Tuck

Publisher ~ James R. Tuck

Published ~ 26 August 2013

Genre ~ Anthology/Crime

Pages ~ 72

My Rating ~ 4 bites out of 5

An anthology with eight stories revolving around crime in Culvert City.

Big Tony Likes a Show ~ I love the nameless hitman, hate the writing format. It seems lazy. So, there’s my two cents on that.

Respect ~ Short. Just a quick glimpse of a moment in time.

Cancerstick ~ Another nameless hitman short and what do ya know? He has a sense of humor. lol

Caught ~ Ah, how many of us have thought about this at some point in our life?

Security Check ~ Is it bad that I love the nameless hitman? Well, I don’t mean love love, but you know what I mean. I love his ingenuity and unshakeability. Good qualities for a man in his profession.

Teachable Moment ~ Extremely short and to the point. Hehe You’ll get it when you read it.

Boots On ~ Oooh…this is one that will make you all mushy. Not gross mushy considering this is an anthology about crime, but good mushy.

Treatment ~ The nameless hitman strikes again. Still loving him. I could read short stories about him all day long.