A Year In Reading 2018

Its time to reflect on my year in books for 2018. This is my favorite annual blog post. It has become my annual tradition to spotlight my noteable reads for the past year. I think its a more realistic way to reflect on the best material I've had the honor of reading instead of making some inaccurate, ever changing and God forbid, controversial ranked list.

I like to present those books that really stood out to me in the past year. I managed to ready forty books this year and the following are the books that have left and impact for one reason or another. They are presented in chronological order as I read throughout the year. I hope you will be inspired to check out any on this list that you haven't and discover those you wouldn't have ever considered.

And now, my most notable reads of 2018:

• IN THE COMPANY OF OGRES by A. Lee Martinez (2007) Tor Books: The first book I awarded five stars in 2018. In The Company Of Ogres was my return to A. Lee Martinez, a writer whose work is near and dear to me. Style-wise, my own writing most closely resembles his work. It had been a few years since I read any of his books and I was not disappointed by this comic fantasy gem. 

• BUYING ILLEGAL BUGS WITH BITCOIN by George Billions (2017) George Billions: I picked up this book because I have a mild obsession with Bitcoin and cryptocurrency. I was happy to find a fiction book based around the subject matter. I was blown away by the story itself. George Billions is the writer I am most excited about in 2018. This book is brilliant, if you read no other book on this list, read BUYING ILLEGAL BUGS WITH BITCOIN. For those who want to keep score, this is my favorite read of all in 2018.

•  CRAWLSPACE by Dan Padavona (2016) Dan Padavona: Crawlspace was my early pick for best horror read of the year. Though, in the end, it didn't top my list, it's still a solid, creepy horror story with an 80's throwback feel. The titular crawlspace in the book was a creepy area I could relate all too well to as I once lived in an apartment building with a very similar artitecture. This was my first dive into Dan Padavona's work and I look forward to more creeps and chills when I dive back into his work again.

• CYCLOPS ROAD by Jeff Strand (2016) Jeff Strand:  There were three strong contenders for my favorite read of 2018. Cyclops Road was one of those three. This my my first experience with a full-on Jeff Strand novel and it was glorious. Its fantastic, funny and captivating. An honest-to-God page turner of a book that will not let you put it down until you find out if there is a cyclops at the end of the road. A must read book no matter what your taste in reading.

• DIE EMPTY by Kirk Jones (2017) Atlatl Press:  Die Empty was a book I knew I wanted to read as soon as I read the synopsis. This is the third of three books that were far and away my favorite reads of 2018. Die Empty shines in its ability to pull off the 2nd person point of view, only one other book that I've read has accomplished that feat and Kirk Jones may have just done a better job. If you've lived some life and can appreciate the ups and downs it throws at you, you need to experience Die Empty.

• OUT BEHIND THE BARN by John Boden & Chad Lutzke (2018) Boden/Lutzke:  One of the few books I read that was published in the current year. This little book packs a powerful wallop. It is my pick for favorite horror read in 2018. A genuine page turner that you will plow through to get to the shocking conclusion. It has one of those Sixth Sense type endings that will take your breath away. Gorgeous horror.

•  COME HOME, WE STILL LOVE YOU by Justin Grimbol (2017) Atlatl Press: Justin Grimbol makes back to back appearances on my year end list. Come Home, We Still Love You is poetry told in prose. It is signature Grimbol. There is charm, discomfort, humor and hefty doses of reality in these little vignettes from snippets of Justin's life and relationships. It's beautifully real even when it's (maybe) not. Justin Grimbol is a man who can wield words like a gentleman caller with a box of long-stem roses. You will melt.

•  PERSON by Sam Pink (2010) Eraserhead Press:  A sleeper hit, for me. This book had sat for a year and more unread. I was inspired by a facebook post to reexamine my desire to read it. Though the opening chapter made me want to close it and put it back on the shelf, I read forward and from chapter 2 through to the end, Person was glorious. It was everything I enjoy about bizarro fiction and is exemplary of the genre during is golden era. 

•  SKULLFACE BOY by Chad Lutzke (2017) Static Age Books:  Skullface Boy had all the buzz through 2018 in the horror circles. After falling in love with Lutzke's collaboration with Joh Boden, I knew I had to read Skullface Boy. It is equal parts horror, coming of age, bizarre and road trip. But what makes it truely work is just how real the inprobable character Skullface Boy is. Skullface Boy is an adventure full of trials and tribulations that we all wish we could face, it would give us as much character as he has. You must read this book in 2019 if you haven't in 2018.

There they are, the cream of the crop for 2018. A few honorable mentions that didn't make the list are: AUNT POSTER by John Wayne Comunale, THE MORBIDLY OBESE NINJA by Carlton Mellick III, Ray Bradbury's SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES (my first read of the classic) and TEXAS CHAINSAW MANTIS by Kevin Strange. 

My To Be Read pile for 2019 is already threatening to topple over. I'm sure I will get derailed along the way, as I always do, with an array of simply-must-read work that will debut in 2019.

You can check out the complete list of the forty books I read on Goodreads.
You can check out my notable books read from 2017 HERE.

Podcast Killed The YouTube Star

SCATTERBRAIN is out running wild in the book world. That means it's time for me to start my media blitz. As you may or may not already be aware, I host my own podcast, Bizzong! The Bizarre and Weird Fiction Podcast on the Project Entertainment Network. But to get the word out about the new book I have to cast a wider net.

As you may or may not have noticed, I've appeared on several different podcasts recently. So let this entry serve as your one-stop-shop as your own personal Mr. Frank Radio Network launch pad. I'll give you the skinny on all the shows I've made appearances on recently.

The NEW Panic Room Radio Show:  The Panic Room airs live Thursday nights via BlogTalkRadio. You can listen to hosts Xtine Marie and James Longmore as they chat with writers from all walks of life and you can also listen back as a podcast after the show airs. One of the few live shows that do it right.

The Sample Chapter Podcast:  A great new book related podcast that I've really been digging on. The Sample Chapter Podcast is hosted by Jason Meuschke who conducts a short interview and then allows the feature author to read a sample chapter from one of their published books. You can listen to hear a sample from SCATTERBRAIN here.

The Lunch Ladies Book Club Podcast: The Lunch Ladies Book Club, hosted by Shelly Rosamilia is an audio book club. Shelly (along with occasional special guests) does a deep dive into the books she has been reading. On this episode, I join Shelly to discuss John Wayne Comunale's DEATH PACTS AND LEFT HAND PATHS. Did we like the book? Listen to find out!

Bizzong! The Bizarre and Weird Fiction Podcast: No matter what you do make sure to check out my podcast, Bizzong! where I interview everyone who is anyone that writes, eats and breaths bizarre and weird fiction. Every Monday, exclusively on the Project Entertainment Network.








You can also hear become a patron of the Project Entertainment Network to listen in to the new episode of NOT Bizzong! A Patreon Exclusive Podcast of the Project Entertainment Network where I pull back the curtain on your favorite network podcasts to find out what makes them tick. Consider becoming a patron now for as little as $1 a month.

Thanks for listening and make sure you check out the new book, SCATTERBRAIN. Available for Kindle eBook and paperback. Also available to subscribers of Kindle Unlimited.

Scatterbrained

Well, it's been awhile since I posted in this joint. And there's a bunch of stuff to catch up on. So here's all the stuff that is up in Frank J. Edler Land as of late:

The biggest update is that my new book, SCATTERBRAIN, will premier on Kindle eBook and paperback on October 12th! All the previous posts earlier this year about eating avocado and eggs with Chuck Buda and Tim Meyer in Panera Bread around New Jersey led to this release! The fruit of that labor is a tale of B-movie Killer Brains from the monster's point of view. It is available NOW for pre-order on Kindle ahead of its release. 

It's hard being a Killer Brain. Just ask Scatter, a Killer Brain who just wants to be a Killer Brain. But he can't, his parents want him to get a job. Scatter would rather do what he does best, terrorize the city with his pack of Killer Brain friends. But Scatter is about to find out life isn't fair.
Crazed neurosurgeon, Dr. Justin Case is out to avenge the death of his parents at the hands of the Killer Brains. And now he has Scatter in his sights. Along with his cohort, Coda, Dr. Case will stop at nothing to exact his revenge and seek the closure he has sought since he watched his parents get devoured by Killer Brains as a child.
The odds are stacked against Scatter. He must navigate life while trying not to fall into the clutches of his would-be nemesis. Can Scatter get by without a little help from family and friends. He just wants to live life doing what he loves but sometimes responsibility has a way of rearranging your priorities. Join Scatter as he navigates through life, the job market and a city full of crazies all keeping him from doing what he loves, being a Killer Brain.

The promotion for SCATTERBRAIN has already begun. "The Gal In The Blue Mask" blog hosted an interview with Scatter, star of SCATTERBRAIN as part of her Halloween Extravaganza. Check it out to find out what Scatter Brain is all about as well as check out an expert from the book. And because I'm oh-so-special, blog host Meghan Hyde also interviewed me as part of the Halloween Extravaganza! It was a back-to-back Frank-O-Palooza!

In addition to all the SCATTERBRAIN hullabaloo, I've also landed my first Zine appearance. I love the idea of DIY zines but I've never had the drive to do my own and I've been underwhelmed by some of the others I've seen out there. That was until I discovered Ben Fitts' new Rock N' Roll Horror Zine. The Rock N' Roll Horror Zine is the perfect place for my writing style. And as it just-so-happened, I had started working on a series of short stories I was toying with the idea of putting into a collection. But the idea petered out once I started work on SCATTERBRAIN and other upcoming projects. When I saw the call for Rock N' Roll Horror inspired stories for the zine I figured the stuff I had worked on would be a great fit. Zine editor, Ben Fitts agreed and my story, That Time I Hung Out With Motley Crue now graces the pages of issue #3. You can order your own copy of The Rock N' Roll Horror Zine through Etsy or follow their home page here to get bundle deals as well!

And to round this whirlwind month out, I will be taking part in a Halloween Book Signing at Second Time Books in Mt. Laurel, New Jersey on October 27th from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. This appearance was rooted in our Beers N' Fears Brewery Tour this past spring. Before our stop at Spellbound Brewery in Mt. Holly, NJ we stopped at this quaint, little second hand bookstore in neighboring Mt. Laurel. It is a gem of a shop that carries books across a wide array of genres. Their horror and fantasy section were especially appealing. I, myself, bolstered my Ray Bradbury and Richard Matheson collection at a nice price. Anyway, we made nice with the shop owners and when we explained what we were up to with our Beers N' Fears appearance that day they invited us to do a signing at their shop anytime. Well, Tim Meyer, Chuck Buda and myself will be cashing in on their generous offer by doing a Halloween time book signing at this fantastic shop. If you are in the area I encourage you to come out, check out the shop and maybe you can be one of the first people to get your hands on a paperback copy of SCATTERBRAIN there as well!

That's all for now. Keep an eye and ear out for me in the weeks to come for appearances on your favorite podcasts and blogs as I criss cross the intra-webs spreading the gospel of SCATTERBRAIN for the world to hear! And don't forget to pre-order your copy of SCATTERBRAIN today so it's sitting there for you on your Kindle device the moment it is released!

Interview at Cedar Hollow Reviews

Check out The interview I did at Cedar Hollow Reviews, a great horror blog.

http://www.cedarhollowhorrorreviews.com/2018/03/interview-with-frank-j-elder.html?m=1

Avocado and Eggs (Part 2)

Another successful writing retreat is in the bag. As I mentioned in part one of Avocado and Eggs, we wound back up in a Panera for our writing retreat but we changed locations. But there were more avocados to come. This time around we set up shop in Edison, New Jersey. There was a method to the madness in choosing this location. Allow me to explain.

I can see a pattern arising here when we plan these writing retreats. We choose the location based upon the way we'd like to reward ourselves for hunkering down and writing together for the morning. The first time we were going to reward ourselves by going out for a few beers at a local brewery down the Jersey Shore area (but as you'll read in the first of this series, that plan didn't pan out.) This time around we figured we would reward ourselves with a trip to Vintage Vinyl. Vintage Vinyl is practically a legendary record store known for stocking classic and collectible vinyl records along with a menagerie of rare, indie, import and bootleg music on all types of mediums. If you're into music, particularly punk and metal, it is nearly impossible to browse the store and not walk out with some sort of gem.

Two hoodlums outside Vintage Vinyl

Chuck Buda had ulterior motives though. So, after shacking up in Panera for four hours writing our hearts out we headed down the street to Vintage Vinyl for our reward. Back when Chuck and I first hitched up to do with published writer thing, he got it in his head that he wanted to do a book signing at Vintage Vinyl. I understood where he was coming from, we write horror and horror and metal are connected at the hip. To be honest, it would be cool to do a book signing there but the place just isn't geared toward books. At least, that's how I saw it but Chuck had this dream for over a year now and he was determined to march into Vintage Vinyl today and demand they carry our books and set up a book signing in the process. Who was I to piss on his dream?

So Chuck and Tim Meyer and I entered Vintage Vinyl like three tiny phallises and perused the store. It had been many years since I last set foot inside the place. I was curious to see how they were still conducting business in the age of digital music. The truth is, inside Vintage Vinyl you'd never know digital music was a thing. There are rows and rows of CD's (new and used) the walls are adorned in a dazzling display of records that would bring any serious collector to their knees in homage to the spectacular offerings. And, to be honest, there was a book shelf. Fuck me running. The books though were all biographical type things from musicians like Chuck Berry, Tom Petty and Scott Ian among them. No fiction in sight. Still, I'm not going to shit on Chuck's dream. Hey, ya never know.

Inside the hallowed isles of Vintage Vinyl

So we all made some selections. I, by the way, picked up a CD from a band called Tokyo Motor Fist. The name of the band is what caught my eye. I picked up the CD and flipped it over to check out the back and saw a photo of the band. That's when I was sold. The band is made up of very Jersey-centric rock stars reassembled into a supergroup of sorts. On guitar is Steve Brown from Trixter and Ted Poley from Danger Danger is on Vocals along with Greg Smith who played with Ted Nugent and Chuck Burgi who is currently Billy Joel's drummer. All Jersey guys. Way cool. As for the CD, well it sounds like what you think it would sound like a Trixter/Danger Danger mashup. Cool if you're into that sort of sound. A great find if you ask me.

New Jersey Supergroup Tokyo Motor Fist

We paid for our purchases and Chuck caught the ear of one of the bad ass looking dudes manning the front counter. He started his pitch as I was paying for my purchase so I didn't hear how it started out but by the time I had wondered over I was able to hear the answer. Turns out they would be open to putting books on the shelves on a consignment basis. The rub, they'd only do my books, The Shocker Trilogy, because they had something to do with metal and/or music. As any consignment goes, it would be my responsibility to check in periodically if anything sold and to claim my part of the money or to see if the books had moved at all. He kept pointing out I could come in and pull them from consignment any time I'd like which I took at his subtle hint that he didn't think the books would move.

I pretty much agree with the guy. But he was also quick to point out some people like to put their stuff up for consignment and just let it ride out whatever time on the shelves as nothing more than exposure of having it out there. So, the option is there. I'll have to debate myself on the pros and cons. At least its not a once in a lifetime opportunity and I can head over there if I decide to go in on the opportunity. We shall see.

After Vintage Vinyl we still thought it would be a good idea to reward ourselves with lunch and perhaps a beer. So we drove a bit further up Route 1 and went to Jose Tejas, a Mexican cantina that is always crowded and with good reason, the food there is always on point. We waited and snickered at Chuck being impatient five minutes into our promised twenty minute wait for a table. We were seated in a very reasonable amount of time considering the enormous crowd waiting for a table. We had some Mexican yum-yums and perhaps a cerveza or two.

Swordfish Tacos, Grilled Avocado and Grazing Portion

All in all, another successful writing retreat. I am really enjoying doing these sporadically. There is no doubt it helps my output a great deal. When we are all sitting around and the other guys are tapping away when we might normally take an innocent five minute break, it makes us keep writing that story. I wrote nearly 2500 words in four hours. That's the kind of numbers I was getting when I was briefly unemployed.

So until the next retreat and reward, hope I've entertained and/or inspired you to get social with your friends and let yourselves be creative in the company of one another no matter what it is you are creating.

And let me know if you think I should get some copies of the Shocker Trilogy into consignment at Vintage Vinyl in the comments below. I'd love to know what you would do in my position!

Avocado And Eggs (Part 1)

Once again, Central New Jersey has become the cradle of horror fiction. I find myself back at a Central Jersey Panera writing the morning away. It's a different Panera this time. It's a different view and the company has changed a tad as well. At the behest of my writing guru, Chuck Buda we have assembled once again to write in the company of one another. This time the uber-pretty Tim Meyer was able to get out to join us.

I like my coffee like I like my fiction, in a cup.

I was able to jump right into the writing the morning. Im taking a moment to write up this blog post during one of my little breaks. The other two gents are busy tapping away at their work so I won't interrupt them for now. 

Chuck has the earbuds in and he's playing air guitar furiously and flashing the devil's horns at his computer screen where he's supposedly writing erotica scene's inspired by my libido. Nice!

Chuck is gettin' all sassy up in this Panera.

Tim has been in the zone, writing non-stop since he polished off his breakfast sandwich.

Speaking of breakfast sandwich, that's what this post is ultimately about. See, I got the same exact sandwich that Tim and and it's also the same exact sandwich that I got at the previous Panera writing retreat. An avocado, egg white and spinach sandwich on sprouted grain bread. Fuckin' fancy right? It tastes pretty damn good and I'm fairly certain that it has more nutritional value than Mr. Buda's enormous (and I'm positive, decadently delicious) cinnamon roll.

Tim is a little too excited about writing the evisceration scene.

I've heard like a bazillion writing blogs, podcasts and shit talkers say that a good piece of writing advice is to do things to make it a habit. Well, not this hyper nutritious, super duper yummy and highly snooty sounding avocado, egg white and spinach on sprouted grain bread has become my writing habit. 

All hail the writing fuel!

What do you fuel up on to write? I HAVE to know. Let me know in the comments!

T's Stuff: My Favorite Story Podcast Anthology

T's Stuff: My Favorite Story Podcast Anthology

Kickstart My Fart [Part 2]

How'd it go? Depends on who you ask I suppose.

In case you're not up to speed. This morning Chuck Buda and I sat down at a Panera Bread in Central Jersey to conduct a writers retreat of sorts. We were originally supposed to have author Tim Meyer join as as well, but as you'll find out if you haven't read Part 1, things changed just a tad.

The long and short of the plan is that we would spend the morning writing in a sociable setting utilizing good company and motivational chatting to kick our writing output into high gear. If all went well, we would treat ourselves to a pint or two at one of New Jersey's many local breweries. Sounds like a good way to spend a Sunday, don't you think?

The music ambiance is terrible here.

So, how'd it go? I enjoyed the hell out of the experience. It was the first time I wrote in a social situation. I was surprised to find it wasn't very distracting. Chuck and I chit chatted a bit while we ate some breakfast. Once I put away my breakfast sandwich, I popped open the laptop and got to work.

I started out by writing the blog post from this morning. I like to use the blog format to get my mind wound up into writing gear. It worked like a charm. After snapping a few shots for the blog and posting it up, Chuck and I engaged in some more writerly banter. Then it was time to get into the main project.

Normally I try to use a kitchen timer and write in 15 minute bursts but since we were trying this casual writing situation, I skipped on the timer and figured I would write in a burst that lasted as long as it would last.  I spit out a good chuck of words and I really have no clue how long the burst was.

Chuck struggled to find the words today.

I refreshed my cup of coffee and got into some more writerly conversation with Chuck. Between writing sessions we talked about what we were working on, our approaches to self-publishing and even some podcast chatter as well. It was nice, I felt productive even when I wasn't tapping away at the keys.

It went back and forth between writing and talking for about three hours. By noon I'd written better then 1500 words (never even kept accurate count from where I started to where I ended.) I could see Chuck was tapped out as well. I suggested either changing locations or grabbing lunch elsewhere or even getting to a brewery a bit early.

Chuck said he just wasn't feeling up to much else on the day. I was cool with that. We'd spent three hours together. We'd done what we set out to do even if there were some bumps in the plan. We both agreed it is something we should do again sometime soon.

Lots of writing: Happy. No beer: Sad.

So when our schedules clear and the Meyer household is back in good health, we'll once again assemble and write the next Great American Novel around a table at a cafe somewhere in New Jersey.

And I'll be sure to bore you with all the details as a selfish writing exercise. Until then keep reading and keep writing.

Kickstart My Fart [Part 1]

Okay, so it's not quite what we planned but we're still dedicated to the cause. I'm sitting in a Panera Bread looking across the booth at the half-sexy horror writer, Chuck Buda. We were supposed to be in Ocean, NJ in a similar setting but our writing compatriot, Tim Meyer but he had to bow out at the last minute as the plague of pandemic that has America in its grips may have struck they Meyer household. 

Order of sexiness from L to R: Chuck Buda, Frank J Edler, Tim Meyer

Chuck was already en route so he peeled off the asphalt monster known as The Garden State Parkway and rerouted to a location a little closer to where he was on his journey to south Jersey. As you already know, we're in Sayreville, the cradle of independent horror writing in New Jersey, at least for today.

It's all Chuck's idea. He wanted to get together with Tim and I and do a sort of writer's retreat. Chuck has been struggling to find his groove like Stella. To be honest, I'm in a similar boat. Life is just consuming far too much valuable writing time. When you get out of your writing rhythm it's easy to start procrastinating and putting it aside and tell yourself you'll get to it later. And later never comes. 

So the great Buda is thinking if we break the cycle and get together, roundtable style it will invigorate and inspire the writer within us to double down and get back into action. I like this. I've never written in the company of others before. Writing is typically a solitary effort. This makes it social. And if feels good, like acrylic nails tracing the contours of your back. 

I housed that hipster breakfast

Well, this blog is the first thing I'm doing now that I've put a hipster worthy avocado, egg white and artisan cheese sandwich on sprouted grain bread into my tummy. The coffee is hot but getting steadily colder as I ignore it and focus on the words. That's good. Cold coffee is a great indication that I'm in the zone.

So this little exercise is over. It's time to peck away at the more important words. Please excuse my selfish little indulgence on the blog this morning. I hope you get some measure of entertainment out of it and please, share your little tips, tricks or hacks for getting yourself into the zone of whatever it is that you keep holding yourself back from.

I'll check in a little later and let you know how it goes. If we do well we've promised ourselves a trip to the local brewery!

Chuck is in the zone!

P.S.: Miss ya Timmy!