3 Picks with Kenzie Jennings

Its time once again for 3 Picks! This week, 3 Picks features author Kenzie Jennings. Kenzie is the author of the stomach-churning novel, RECEPTION and the Splatterpunk Award nominated, RED STATION, both available from Death's Head Press.

Kenzie enjoys playing in the gore. Maybe enjoying it a little too much. Where there's blood dripping, Kenzie is sure to be found. Who better to get 3 Picks for the goriest reads she can come up with?  If there's one person who can point you in the splatteriest of directions, its Kenzie Jennings. So let's check out her 3 Picks for Goriest Reads:

Pick 1. Full Brutal by Kristopher Triana. I like to think of Full Brutal as the "better" version of American Psycho in that Triana doesn't overwrite a damned thing. In a nutshell, the protagonist, Kim White, is a suicidal, wholly apathetic cheerleader who entertains herself by psychologically manipulating and tormenting various people in her life. She later discovers that it's a real turn on when she hurts her victims. Really hurts her victims. I don't know what's more disturbing, Kim and everything she gets away with, or the fact I kept turning the page, wanting to see what was next on her list of nasty deeds and...well, just how big she'd go. I wasn't disappointed. 

Pick 2. DOA III ed. Marc Ciccarone I’ll readily admit to not having caught up in this particular series of anthologies from Blood Bound Books, but then again, I’ve only recently joined the extreme horror community, so obviously, I’ve some catching up to do. Anyway, DOA III has a bit of everything for those readers who aren’t satisfied with the little dab of blood here and there in Stephen King’s work. From painfully nasty fetishes to demented acts of vengeance, this anthology won’t let the gore hounds down whatsoever. It not only contains work from masters of horror such as Edward Lee, Jack Ketchum, John Skipp, and Bentley Little, DOA III will also introduce you to potential new favorites like Betty Rocksteady (her story, “These Beautiful Bones,” is probably my favorite out of them all), Shaun McKenzie, Kristopher Rufty, and Ryan Harding. Enjoy…but don’t eat anything while you’re reading. Trust me. 

Pick 3. Books of Blood (omnibus) by Clive Barker. Barker’s grotesque imagery alone is the stuff of surreal nightmares, and while I certainly could’ve gone with nearly any of his horror books, I think the entire collection of his short stories in Books of Blood would satisfy the most depraved of us quite well. My particular favorites include “Jacqueline Ess: Her Wiill and Testament,” “How Spoilers Bleed,” and “In the Hills, the Cities,” all of which contain some truly horrific body horror. A must for gorehounds and horrorphiles and everyone in-between. 

Honorable mentions for the total sicko in you: 

Suffer the Flesh by Monica J. O'Rourke. O'Rourke's novel cleverly takes a topical issue - in this case, weight loss mania and diet culture - and turns it into a batshit ordeal for her protagonist, Zoey Masterson, who finds herself roped into a weight loss "experience" the likes of which would have the Marquis de Sade running for the hills. Suffer the Flesh is unadulterated torture porn. There's no doubt about it. There are things in it you will never be able to "unsee." O'Rourke amps up the dramatic (and gory) tension halfway through the ride when she tosses in a twisty turn, and the novel instantly shifts into full-on survival horror.

 Dead Inside by Chandler Morrison. I just finished reading Morrison’s novella last night, and I think you’ll need to be in a certain, awful state of mind to get through it. It’s an… anti-love…love story about two hospital employees, a sociopathic security guard and an opiate-dependent obstetrician, who bond over their respective, twisted fetishes. Think of the sickest, most depraved things one can do in a hospital…dial it to eleven…and you’ll have Morrison’s premise in a nutshell. There’s absolutely nothing to redeem either of them, but you’re not there to witness these two monsters find redemption in their soulless lives. You’re there because you can’t believe what’s happening IS happening. It’s perfectly morbid in every way. 

See, Kenzie Jennings is so about the gore that she couldn't limit herself to 3 Picks. We'll let it slide. I don't wanna suffer the consequences of suggesting she broke the rules. After all, she also wrote gory stories worthy of being part of anyone's 3 Picks for Gory Reads. 

Follow Kenzie Jennings at kenziejennings.com  or Twitter: @kenzieblyjay and Instagram: kenziejennings2

Catcoin to the Moon: A Celebration of Bitcoin Reaching $50k

 

Catcoin Free Until 2/21/21

Bitcoin has reached the $50,000 mark and to celebrate, my cryptocurrency tech-adventure, CATCOIN will be free on Kindle eBook until Saturday 2/21/2021.

I've been somewhat of a cryptocurrency buff for several years now. So much so that I wrote Catcoin: The Fictional History of a Cryptocurrency. Catcoin is my homage to the story of Bitcoin... but with cats. I wrote Catcoin in an effort to help those less initiated but curious about cryptocurrencies and how they work. 

The result is the story of the first Catcoin, a cat named One, taken in from the streets by Catoshi Nakomoto, who invented Catcoin. Soon enough, Catoshi spends One to buy a pizza and One sets off on a globe-trotting journey as he's spent as currency in exchange for goods and services. 

If you haven't guessed, Catcoin is anything but serious. It's meant to be fun and funny. The story is as wild and wacky as a trip through a funhouse. You'll laugh as you learn about the history of Bitcoin through the eyes of a drunken cat. Yeah, there's a wrinkle with holding One as money. He needs wine, and lots of it.

See? Fun! So pour yourself a glass of wine and curl up with your free Kindle copy of CATCOIN. And invest you're savings on a few Catoshis of Catcoin today.

Catcoin: The Fictional History of a Cryptocurrency is free on Kindle eBook from 2/17 through 2/21. Grab your copy today!

3 Picks with Somer Canon

 

Its time for 3 Picks! This week with author and podcaster Somer Canon. Somer is the author of uniquely twisted books like Vicki Beautiful and The Hag Witch of Tripp Creek. Her most recent release from Silver Shamrock Press, Slaves to Gravity, co-written with Wesley Southard has been getting a lot of great buzz.

In addition to writing, Somer also enjoys podcasting. She is part of the round-table writing discussion podcast, The Ghost Writers Podcast (also featuring Mary SanGiovani, Matt Wildasen and Dave Thomas.) And Somer also hosts her own podcast called A Case for Classics in which she spotlights classic literature and tries to convince the listeners that the books aren't boring drivel to waste time in lit class but bona fide, accessible stories worth reading.

It is with that in mind that Somer shares her 3 Picks for must read Classic Fiction. They are all worth checking out. Somer should know, here's her case for the classics.

My picks for must-read Classics:  Since "classics" can be a very broad term including works published in the last decade, I'm going to make my list consist of "antique" classics, a.k.a. old books written by people who are now dead!

Pick 1: Dante's Inferno.  The Inferno is part one of a three part piece called The Divine Comedy and while I certainly wouldn't chase someone away from reading the entire work, The Inferno is my personal favorite part.  This story contains absolutely breathtaking imagery of Hell as well as a healthy dose of fourteenth century Italian pettiness.  Also be on the lookout for one of classical literature's best fart jokes.

Pick 2.   Beowulf--particularly the Seamus Heaney translation.  This is an important work in  Western Literature but it is important to know that it is a foundational work in modern Fantasy.  J.R.R. Tolkien was OBSESSED with Beowulf.  It has all the hallmarks of a great Adventure/Fantasy book including monsters and excessive bragging.  If you don't personally think Beowulf is great, don't worry.  His high opinion of himself surpasses any criticism from us low-lives.  

Pick 3. The Odyssey.  I had a Latin teacher in college who said that if she were stranded on a deserted island, as long as she had a copy of The Odyssey and a fresh water source, she'd be perfectly happy.  I might need a McDonald's on top of that, but I sort of agree.  This is a book that blesses its audience with new details and surprises on subsequent reads.  It has a relatable, but flawed hero as the main character and I've always loved the underlying plot of the Greek gods being passive aggressive with each other by both helping and sabotaging Odysseus on his journey home.  

Great picks from Somer Canon! I'm sure many of us were subjected to several, if not all, of these titles in our school years. They are all classics for a reason and that reason is they are great stories that appeal to humans of any age and any time. Check them out if you haven't already.

What 3 picks do you have for The Classics? Let us know in the comments!

You can check out all things Somer Canon by visiting https://www.somercanon.com/

3 Picks with Jay Wilburn

This week's 3 Picks features multi-talented, multi-kidneyed author, Jay Wilburn. Jay is the author of books for all ages including the Lake Scatter Wood Tales books for middle grades and younger readers, the middle grades book series Time Travel Academy, the Maidens of Zombie Kingdom trilogy for young adult readers, and many novels for adult readers including the Vampire Christ books. Jay Wilburn can be found @AmongTheZombies on Twitter, his YouTube channel is Captain Three Kidneys, and he livestreams his writing at Twitch.tv/JayWilburn on Twitch.

Jay is also the host of Matters of Faith podcast, part of the Project Entertainment Network. For four years, Jay has explored faith in relation to himself and faith as others experience it. It is a deep, non-denominational podcast and Jay expertly breaks down aspect of faith in an almost therapeutic manner. With that in mind, Jay has come to share his 3 Picks for faith based books.

These books that deal with topics of faith and Christianity are in order of descending reverence.


Pick 1. This Present Darkness by Frank Peretti
This is every Christian fiction reader's favorite book and author. It shows angels in spiritual warfare around the lives of struggling Christians. It follows a strict Christian worldview. Unlike most Christian fiction, it finds a way to make the story work and actually be good.


Pick 2. Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal by Christopher Moore
Jesus's childhood friend is resurrected in modern times to write a version of the Gospel while held in a hotel room by an angel. It deconstructs the early life of Jesus and the message of the Gospels according to those other four guys. It is funny, but does not stick with the Biblical narrative accepted by the Church ... any church. Many Christians will not like it.


Pick 3. Saint Sadist by Lucas Mangum
This novel is irreverent and extreme. A girl runs from an abusive father and ends up with a religious cult. The novel explores religion, sanity, and reality. Only pick this up if you can endure the graphic and the extreme, but then definitely pick it up. Many, many Christians will not like it. Even the ones that were cool youth ministers in the 90s and said things like, "I think Marilyn Manson has an important place in the discussion through his social commentary," even they aren't this cool. Choose your reading with care because ideas can be dangerous to your worldview and your comfort.


Those are 3 awesome picks! Those books take on faith from several different angles. All great books to check out for anyone of any faith... or no faith at all!


If you want to believe in Jay Wilburn you can check out everything he's got going on at: JayWilburn.com

3 Picks with Chuck Buda

 

This week's 3 Picks are presented by author Chuck Buda. Chuck is known for his extreme dark horror series The Debt Collector and Gushers. But Chuck Buda is probably better known for his dark horror westerns, The Haunted Gunslinger series.

Chuck Buda's Haunted Gunslinger books have put a good deal of attention on him lately with a resurgence of interest in the genre, particularly with crossover style westerns. Since this is a genre on the rise once again, many people might not know where to start, even if they have an interest in exploring the books that are out there.

With that in mind, Chuck Buda is here to share 3 reasons he loves Westerns and 3 Picks for entry reading into the Western genre. 

What genre packs action, adventure, romance, suspense, thrills, humor and just about everything else into it? That is right. Westerns!

I love reading western yarns for 3 major reasons:

1) See the opening statement above.

2) Most western tales are told through series which I find most entertaining (or serials as we old-timers like to characterize them – just like the serials we watched on television as we grew up)

3) Nostalgia for simpler times when life was real and not doctored by technology or social media.

While the choices are vast, a few of my recent favorite authors and books are listed below. I highly recommend starting here if you wish to dip your boots into the dusty trails of westerns!



Pick 1: Lane R. Warenski – Grizzly Killer: The Making of a Mountain Man

Grizzly Killer is an epic saga of one man’s journey against bad guys and the hostility of nature. Strong characterization and expansive settings are the hallmark of this tale. Not necessarily a shoot ‘em up style of western but it frames up the importance of survival during the same period. Unforgettable!


Pick 2: Peter Brandvold - .45 Caliber Series

.45 Caliber reads like a hot bullet screaming toward its victim. Blood. Grit. Action. Just the right amount of good versus bad with lots of twists and gobs of shooting. Every facet of the West going wild within these pages. Read with your inhaler. Great fun!


Pick 3: Ron Schwab – Deal with the Devil (The Law Wranglers Series)

Deal with the Devil is like Law & Order set in the Old West. Lawmen and lawyers duking it out on the frontier, shaping the boundaries of the wild expanses. And still, there is time for love and sex and plenty of drama between characters. The pages turn quickly as you hurry to find out who does what to whom. Suspenseful!

Of course, you cannot go wrong with the classics by Louis L’Amour or Zane Grey, either.


If you are looking for some new ideas for escapism, pick up a Western and tell the author Uncle Cholly sent you! You will not be disappointed.

You can find out more about Chuck Buda at his website: authorchuckbuda.com

3 Picks with Tim Meyer

 

This week, 3 Picks features the horror author Tim Meyer. Tim is known for his gripping horror books like The Switch House and Limbs. He recently release Wormwood with fellow author Chad Lutzke and new release from Grindhouse Press (releases Feb. 5th, 2021) Paradise Club.

I'm Frank J. Edler, author of various horror comedies and voracious reader. Who didn't grow up in the 90s and not read R.L. Stein's Goosebumps series of YA Horror. There's a good chance Tim Meyer may have grew up to become a world-class romance writer had it not been for classic Goosebumps books. No doubt, Tim is still influenced by those books so I asked Tim what his 3 Picks are for adult horror with Goosebumps appeal.

Here's his 3 Picks:

Pick 1: Dream Woods by Patrick Lacey - I think I called this "a Goosebumps book on blue meth" (or something like that) when it first came out. It's about a sinister amusement park. That's all I'll say except go read it. Paired with: One Day at HorrorLand or Horror at Camp Jellyjam

Pick 2: The Worm and His Kings by Hailey Piper - Read this a few months ago and was blown away. It has a much grittier feel than anything R.L. Stine ever wrote, but wow...what a story. More adjacent to vintage Barker, but this one will definitely satisfy fans of those creature-feature Goosebumps tales. Also for fans of taloned monsters. Paired with: The Beast from the East and Calling All Creeps! 

Pick 3: The Handyman by Bentley Little - I feel Bentley Little's entire bibliography is a natural progression for any old-school Goosebumps fan, but this is one of those stories that took me by surprise. For fans of the more Twilight Zone-type Goosebumps titles. Paired with: Let's Get Invisible! and Piano Lessons Can Be Murder

Those are some great Picks Tim! Lots of people are talking about the Lacey and Piper books and Bentley Little is, well, Bentley Little. I haven't read any of these titles and I will be adding them to my enormous TBR pile.

You can find out more about Tim Meyer at: https://timmeyerwrites.com    

What are your picks for adult Goosebumps style horror books? How about your favorite classic Goosebumps title? Let us know in the comments!

3 Picks with Armand Rosamilia

This week, 3 Picks features the author of many horror, contemporary and crime thrillers, Armand Rosamilia. Armand is a Jersey Boy now living in Jacksonville, Florida. He's best known for his Dying Days zombie series, Belford Stories contemporary fiction series and Dirty Deeds crime thriller and mystery series.

I'm Frank J. Edler, author of various horror comedies and voracious reader. I'm a big fan of Florida crime fiction writer, Tim Dorsey. Tim Dorsey is best known for his Serge Storm series of crime caper books. The series numbers more than twenty books and counting. There are many great books in the series and all of them are laugh-out-loud funny. You don't even need to read the series in order to enjoy the books. '

I can't get enough of them. And that's why I'm asking Armand for his 3 Picks for books as good as Tim Dorsey's Serge Storm books.

Here's his picks.

Pick 1: Michael Wiley's Daniel Turner Mysteries trilogy, set in Jacksonville FL. Very gritty and noir. Great storyteller, and Michael is also a great guy.


Pick 2: Dawn Lee McKenna's Forgotten Coast Florida Suspense Series. Currently 10 books. Also a Florida series, and her characters are amazing. I could read 200 pages of them interacting and be happy. An actual plotline is a bonus.


Pick 3: Wayne Stinnett's Caribbean Adventure Series. Currently 20 books and... starts off in Florida. You sense a theme? Another author who creates amazing characters I can never get enough of.

Thanks Armand. They all sound like great reads! Not just great crime picks, great Florida crime picks! Bonus! You can find out more about Armand Rosamilia's crime fiction and more at ArmandRosamilia.com 

What are your 3 Picks for Florida Crime Thrillers? Let me know in the comments.