REVIEW: Hunter Shea - I Kill In Peace

Genre: Horror

Publisher: Samhain Publishing Horror

Publication Date: 12^th April 2016

Pages: 115

REVIEWED BY CHAD

A copy of I Kill In Peace was sent to Confessions of a Reviewer by the author, Hunter Shea, via Hook of a Book Media and Publicity, in exchange for an honest review. This is said review.

I Kill In Peace, by Hunter Shea is a powerful book, one of the more effective explorations I have seen of the twisted and deteriorating sanity and perspective of a chilling character. I don’t say this very often but this really was a book that I had a hard time putting down so I’m glad I was able to read it fairly quickly. The narrative was that compelling, feeding my need with each page to find out what was happening.

The premise of the book is that of a character being driven to commit murder. After being let go from his job, Peter starts to receive text messages from an anonymous source, instructing him on who he is to kill, providing the weapon and the opportunity to do it. This starts simply enough as revenge against the opportunistic boss who fires him and from there it just gets more extreme.

One of the more effective parts of this book was how Shea demonstrated exactly how Peter is driven to committing acts that most of us would consider unconscionable. I’m not normally the biggest fan of the first person but in this case I think that it is essential to trace his state of mind and why he is doing the things he is doing. Ironically enough, even in the midst of committing unforgivable crimes, you can’t help but feel just a little bit sorry for him, like he was caught up in circumstances more than anything else.

Peter himself is a solid character and the story built around him is effectively done. Shea does a good job putting him in a position that earns the sympathy of the reader. You really feel his stress at the prospects of having to support his family, now that he is without a means of earning an income. Besides obvious external pressures to commit these crimes, you also see the internal stresses created by the situation he finds himself in.

As intriguing and mysterious as the story is, right out of the gate, it only proves to get even more disturbing as we witness not just Peter’s apparent transformation, but that of the world around him as well. As the story progressed, I was totally absorbed with the events of this town and what could possibly be causing all of it. I’ll be completely honest, there was a part of me that was worried about whether or not he was going to be able to bring everything in for a conclusion that was going to make any sense. Too often with books like this, the author does an amazing job building up the universe of the story but isn’t able to figure out how to find a good exit point. Happily, though, the book does find its way to a resolution that felt complete and satisfying, without going too far and over explaining.

One aspect of this book I really liked was how at times I was reminded of Bret Easton Ellis’ book, American Psycho, in the moments where you find yourself questioning the reliability and honesty of the narrator, whether what you see through Peter’s eyes is really happening, or if he is manufacturing them in his mind. Is the person leading Peter along actually there at the other end of the digital messages he receives? Or is it some kind of supernatural force using Peter like a pawn? I thought that Shea’s use of technology in the story worked really well and added new elements as Peter tries here and there to extricate himself from this anonymous character.

This book is not going to be for everyone. There are some graphic moments and the story takes a very dark turn, but while the book is undoubtedly disturbing in its content, there was no point where I felt like he was being gratuitous. The content that is there serves an essential purpose in detailing the progression of his state of mind throughout the book. In my opinion, I don’t think I could imagine it working as well as it does without it.

The book ends on a really strong note, going in a direction I can honestly say I would have never predicted. Shea sends us off powerfully, with an intensely emotional scene followed by an incredibly vivid visual as the book draws to a close. Overall, the book was extremely effective in its pacing and execution. If you’re up for some gritty, dark fiction give this one a look. It is what I think is the perfect length for horror fiction and it does more in a hundred or so pages than some books manage to do in over a thousand.

Chad's rating: ★★★★★

Reviewed by Chad Clark.

If you would like to help support Confessions of a Reviewer, then please consider using the links below to buy I Kill In Peace or any other books from Hunter. This not only supports me but also lets me know how many people actually like to buy books after reading my reviews.

Thanks.

Amazon US

Amazon UK

Book Synopsis:

Peter Blades is, in every sense of the word, an ordinary man. Hard worker, father, husband, a man content with small-town life. Except for one small fact—he’s slowly being turned into a ruthless killer.

Compelled by mysterious texts to murder, he’s provided a fiery red Mustang and an ancient sword to carry out an ever-growing hit list. His jerkoff boss is victim number one. You always remember your first.

By the time his sword sings through the air to dispatch a would-be school shooter, taking lives is as easy as breathing. And if the world is going to hell around him, all the better. No one wants to burn alone.

Hunter Shea is the product of a childhood weened on The Night Stalker, The Twilight Zone and In Search Of. He doesn't just write about the paranormal - he actively seeks out the things that scare the hell out of people and experiences them for himself.

Publishers Weekly named THE MONTAUK MONSTER one of the best reads of the summer in 2014, and his follow up novel, HELL HOLE, was named best horror novel of the year on several prestigious horror sites. Cemetery Dance had this to say about his apocalyptic thriller, TORTURES OF THE DAMNED - "A terrifying read that left me wanting more. I absolutely devoured this book!"

Hunter is an amateur cryptozoologist, having written wild, fictional tales about Bigfoot, The Montauk Monster, The Dover Demon and many new creatures to come. Copies of his books, The Montauk Monster and The Dover Demon, are currently on display in the International Cryptozoology Museum in Portland, ME.

He wrote his first novel with the express desire to work only with editor Don D'Auria at Dorchester (Leisure Horror). He submitted his novel to Don and only Don, unagented, placed on the slush pile. He is proof that dedicated writers can be rescued from no man's land. He now works with Don, along with several other agents and publishers, having published over ten books in just four years.

Hunter is proud to be one half of the Monster Men video podcast, along with his partner in crime, Jack Campisi. It is one of the most watched horror video podcasts in the world. Monster Men is a light-hearted approach to dark subjects. Hunter and Jack explore real life hauntings, monsters, movies, books and everything under the horror sun. They often interview authors, crytid and ghost hunters, directors and anyone else living in the horror lane.

Living with his wonderful family and two cats, he's happy to be close enough to New York City to get Gray's Papaya hot dogs when the craving hits. His daughters have also gotten the horror bug, assisting him with research, story ideas and illustrations that can be seen in magazines such as Dark Dossier.

And for more about Hunter, visit his site or find him on social media:

Website – Facebook – Twitter – Goodreads – Amazon Page

GUEST POST: Confessions of my Past, Present and Future #39 - Wayne Lemmons

Confessions of my Past, Present and Future

by

Wayne Lemmons

The Past

I was nineteen or twenty, living in a leased home in Northern Kentucky, and scraping by as a waiter at the local Steak ‘n’ Shake. Bothering people while they’re eating wasn’t the most lucrative of work for a young man such as I, but there were a few bucks in my pocket on any given day and I was comfortable with the situation.

The one luxury I allowed myself was reading. I wasn’t really a drinker and didn’t care for the other avenues for altering the mind, but books were always my version of fixing. From the moment I could sound out the words of your average Dick and JaneI was looking for the story behind everything. Writing was part of my passion, but that hadn’t become my addiction just yet.

The jones for a new set of paragraphs and chapters was wild in me that night as I walked through a supermarket with my roommate. I scrambled up and down aisles in search of that magic section that would allow my urge to be sated. Disappointment was in my future.

The shelves were full of Romance and Crime, scattered with magazines and old King novels that I’d already paged through dozens of times. The shakes were upon me, making the word-junky itch, as I scanned that rack of nothing. Finally, I settled on something with an oddly gruesome cover and title from an author I’d never heard of. As we left Kroger, I was holding a bag full of Blood Crazy by Simon Clark.

Hours later, sometime well past midnight, I was still tearing through the pages, absorbing the crazy vibe of that story. I remember looking at a clock near the end of the book, realizing that it was four in the morning, and looking back to the book. To hell with the time and the obligations of a guy who made two bucks an hour plus tips! I was close to finishing and couldn’t wait until sleep had come and gone. I needed that fix!

When I turned the last page, hoping that I’d missed a few more behind it, a feeling of amazement crept up on me. This book wasn’t like the usual behemoths I’d been digesting from Koontz, King, and sometimes Grisham. It was shorter, but so much stronger than anything I’d ever read.

I wouldn’t find another Simon Clark novel for years, due to that whole pre-internet world, but I would keep searching until I did. I’ve found and devoured the others he’s written long since, but none will ever top the first one. None.

The Present

I’ve left that young man behind in order to make more money and have a lot more fun, but the junky remains. My addiction to books has flourished with the new world of independent authors and the many gateways to their talents. I’ve expanded my preferences and even thrown my own name into the Kindle hat, but few have done it half as well as Christopher Moore.

I’m re-reading Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal, and still laughing at the absurdity while nodding at Mr. Moore’s interpretation of the events that have shaped billions of lives at this point. His ability to work with subtle details while crashing through anything that might be considered offensive by the masses never ceases to amaze me.

Have I read everything he’s written? Of course! What addict wouldn’t try his dealer’s new stuff? I’ve poured through Fool and The Stupidest Angel with the same hunger displayed while reading A Dirty Job. There is a list out there of all the Moore books and I feel that everyone needs to start checking them off.

There are so many more that I can touch on. Blake Crouch is an incredible artist, pulling you into whatever scene he’s in the midst of describing. J.A. Konrath can give you the giggles or make you sick to your stomach within the bounds of a single paragraph. Kimberly Bettes knows how to give you that chill that every fan of unsettling horror actually searches for.

There are just so many great authors now, so many that I couldn’t begin to list all of them, and the older guys who actually had to sell a book to someone in order to have it read are still here with us. King and Koontz are still writing. Ketchum can still churn a good one out for the masses. Grisham wrote about Italians playing American football and made it insanely interesting!

How lucky are we to have all of this talent surrounding us, providing for us, writing for us?

Wait. I went on a rant, didn’t I? Let’s push on to the future so that I can stop.

The Future

2045. Such a year does exist, I’m sure, and I can only hope that I’ll get a chance to see it. You never know what tomorrow brings and there are a lot of tomorrows in a span of thirty-years.

Hopefully, and I mean that in the loosest way possible, I will find myself at a new kind of writing machine that doesn’t require my gnarled hands to type sixty to eighty words in a minute as I continue to siphon stories from the well hidden in my mind. We’ve all got one and I’m thinking that mine might not dry up by then as long as I don’t cover it with mental plywood.

Will there be humor in my writing? Sure. Without a few chuckles, a story can get downright disconcerting. In the worst of situations, a grin can be had along with a giggle or two if I’m still funny by the time I’m faking senility.

Will there be strength in the words? Wow, I hope so. My writing has matured in the years since I was slinging shakes for tips, but I still feel that I have a long way to go before finding my true voice. It’s in there somewhere, though finding it takes time and the people who read my books might just get to grow a little with me. I feel like that’s as true a statement as I can make.

Finally, what genre will I focus on? Nope! No main focus for this guy! I have many tales to tell, some frightening while others are uplifting. Finding a voice doesn’t mean that I need to use the same accent every time I spit out a few words. The page tells me what’s happening, not the other way around, so as long as the voices in my head stay fresh and confused, so will the work.

I feel like I could go on for pages, but blog length doesn’t allow for a novella and I’m sure you’re almost tired of reading my opinions. I promise that the books are better, though I likely rant there too.

Nev, thanks so much for allowing me to participate in this forum. I’ve enjoyed it more than the readers, I’m sure, because I got to write about the thing that makes the hair on the back of my neck stand. The words, man. I think I need another fix.

You can buy The Story’s Writer here:

Amazon US

Amazon UK

You can buy any of Wayne’s other books here.

Amazon US

Amazon UK

Wayne has a launch party going on this week on Facebook for his newest book, Not This Thursday, coming out on (surprisingly this Thursday) 21^st July. Please pop along and help Wayne celebrate this launch here:

Not This Thursday

If you would like to help support Confessions of a Reviewer, then please consider using the links below to buy any of the books mentioned in this feature. This not only supports me but also lets me know how many people actually like to buy books after reading my reviews. 

Thanks.

Amazon US

Amazon UK

Remember when you were a kid and told everyone that you wanted to be an astronaut-cowboy-billionaire? I didn't really do any of that, but the principle still remains the same. I'm a wrench-monkey by day, a writer/editor/proof-reader/drunkard by night, and a scuba diver on the weekends. I was born in Kentucky and somehow found myself on Clearwater Beach living in a houseboat with a group of eclectic neighbors that are sure to grace the pages of one of my books in the near future. What a terribly boring life I lead, right?

I've been writing since I pumped out my first short story at the glorious age of nine. For some reason the story was absolutely violent beyond belief and I'm thankful that I've been able to tone down the language since then. I was a vulgar little kid.

I'm continuing the dream of that nine-year-old by writing full-length novels that will take you to emotional places that you may or may not want to go, but the journey will leave you fulfilled and unsettled. Two feelings that I love to invoke.

So read my books! You'll love them, I promise!

And for more about Wayne, visit his site or find him on Social Media:

Website – Facebook – Twitter – Goodreads – Amazon Page

Book Review: More Proficient Motorcycling: Mastering the Ride 2nd Edition

If I’d have made it this far, this would have been a doubly fun book to review in life. I met David at the 2013 VBR3 in Duluth and got to speak with him, extensively, about motorcycling, motorcycle training, and other radical ideas. It spawned a whole lot of thought and writing that probably ended when I died. This is an excellent book and a thoughtful analysis of motorcycling. I’m publishing this review on what would have been my 68th birthday. Happy Birthday me!

More Proficient Motorcycling: Mastering the Ride 2nd Edition

by David L. Hough, 2012

All Rights Reserved © 2013 Thomas W. Day

    David Hough and, through his writing for Motorcycle Consumer News, Sound RIDER!, and BMW Owners News has been a strong advocate for motorcycle training and safety for most of his 75 years. Hough was inducted into the AMA's Motorcycle Museum Hall of Fame in 2009. As a motorcycle safety advocate, Hough has won the Motorcycle Safety Foundation's Excellence in Motorcycle Journalism award twice, but he isn't one of the MSF's fans. In fact, in this 220 page book, the MSF is mentioned exactly three times and mostly in an unfavorable light. In 2004, through a short series of MCN articles ("Trouble in Rider Training 1 & 2") Hough championed the argument that the MSF is more committed to selling motorcycles than promoting motorcycle safety and crash and fatality reduction. In 2012, he obviously holds the same positions to be true.  There are numerous references to rider training programs that Hough considers to be worthwhile, but the MSF is not among them. With that as a background, the newest edition of Mastering the Ride takes on many of the issues Hough believes are driving motorcycle fatality statistics into public discussion.
    Hough has some excellent arguments regarding how we ride and how that relates to the frequency that we end up in hospitals and cemeteries. Marketing gurus say "perception is everything" and that goes for motorcycling, too. Several sections of Mastering the Ride are dedicated to discussions of safe following distance, scanning for hazards and escape routes, visibility, and evasive maneuvers. In many piloting, automotive, and motorcycle training programs, this translates to SIPDE (search, identify, predict, decide, and execute). This takes the MSF's SEE (search, evaluate, and execute) to a more functional and detailed level by forcing riders and drivers to think about all of the steps necessary in avoiding catastrophe on the road.
    All of this stuff is about learning how to accurate gauge and react to typical situations with exceptional skill. Since Hough managed to overshoot his own limits at a ride in August 2012 and crashed Lee Park's Triumph in an emergency stopping maneuver, some people might take his advice with a small block of salt. However, most experienced riders know that there are only two kinds of motorcyclists: those who have crashed and those who haven't crashed yet. Hough isn't shy about illustrating this book with pictures of his own off-pavement misadventures and self-deprecating examples of moments when his mental state resulted in (or could have) his sliding down the road shiny-side-down. Crashing is just one possible result from riding a vehicle that doesn't balance itself.
    There are a lot of valuable, but subtle, riding tips that could be missed by a first pass through Mastering the Ride. As an example, in MSF classes, instructors always challenge riders to "look where you want to go," but Hough extends that further by saying "point your nose . . . in the direction you want to go." Using the fighter pilots' tactic of both looking in the intended target direction and keeping your eyes level to force a commitment to a direction change, this hint goes a long ways toward minimizing "target fixation." Just for this tip, I'm glad to have read the book.
    Hough's take on preoccupied drivers is accurate and usually far more politically correct than my own. When he describes the reckless homicide rear end crash that took Anita Zaffke's life in 2009, he doesn't provide more than the first name of the victim or much of a condemnation of the homicidal fingernail-painting driver. In a similar fashion, he refrains from seriously criticizing modern driving skills or in-vehicle distractions. Hough is less politically correct when he describes most US highway law enforcement tactics as being "revenue generating" rather than safety-oriented. Having been hooked by speed traps in some pretty silly locations and even sillier law enforcement legal interpretations, I'm totally on board with Hough in this regard.
    Hough mistakes bicycle habits or newbie fear for skill when he describes using two or three finger-braking as an advanced riding skill. If you watch the extras on the Faster DVD, you'll see that Valentino Rossi often uses all four fingers and I suspect Hough is rethinking his own braking skills after flipping Park's Triumph this past summer. There are times when two finger braking is more than enough, but making that a regular habit is a formula for reduced braking when you really need it and a busted finger or two when the bars slam to the ground in a right turn low-side. His take on advanced braking systems (ABS and linked) seems to be pretty "old guy biased," too.
    Where this book shines is in the street riding strategies. Hough describes a roadway that is in constant flux and a high state of hazard; just like the roads we all ride. His tips for evaluating traffic, turn radii and camber, road surfaces, and other road risks are valuable and expert. There are two appendix entries that the majority of American riders should read: "The Aging Rider" and "Travel." Since the average age of American motorcyclists is moving right along with the Boomer generation, we're all heading toward that moment when we have to consider being too old to ride. Goofy "solutions" like trikes and sidecars aside, it is simply a matter of time for all of us. Hough is close to that point himself and discusses aging and declining skills honestly and factually. His admonition that we all need to ride somewhere on our motorcycles is just good sense. Ride someplace you've always dreamed of visiting. 

ANNOUNCEMENT: DUNCAN BRADSHAW WEEK ON CONFESSIONS!

We all love a good week long spotlight on someone at Confessions and we are doing it again next week!

Starting on Tuesday 19^th we are kicking off a week of Duncan P Bradshaw, celebrating the launch of his newest book, Hexagram.

This has the normal mixture of features from Confessions during the week including an interview, review, showing off and guest posts from Duncan.

I have to quite honestly say that this is probably the funniest interview I have ever had the pleasure of conducting. It turned out to be so long that for the first time ever I have had to split it into three nights. Trust me, you don’t want to miss any of them!

This is what we have planned for you:

Tuesday 19^th – Interview Part One.

Wednesday 20^th – Interview Part Two.

Thursday 21^st – Interview Part Three.

Friday 22^nd – Confessions review of Hexagram.

Sunday 24^th – Duncan’s Past, Present and Future Confession.

Monday 25^th – Showing Off Hexagram on the launch date!

We both really hope you can come along to this and show your support for Duncan for his latest release!

Thanks for visiting Confessions of a Reviewer!

Nev.

CONFESSIONS REVIEWS DUNCAN P BRADSHAW

Class Three

Those Who Survive (Class Four #1)

Prime Directive

Black Room Manuscripts Vol 1

Part-Time Author/Full-Time Loon.

One day upon waking, as if from some frightful nightmare, I sat at my laptop and typed out letters, which formed words, slowly they created sentences. People read it and said, that's okay that is, have a biscuit. And I said yes.

I live in Wiltshire, in Southern England with my wife Debbie and our two cats, Rafa and Pepe, they just miaowed a hello at you. Between bouts of prolonged washing up and bungie cord knitting, I type out the weird and wonderful things that run around my head.

My debut novel, zom-com Class Three, was released in November 2014, the first book in the follow up trilogy, Class Four: Those Who Survive is out in July 2015. I'm then going to try and get some novellas released which are on something other than the undead.

And for more about Duncan, visit his site or find him on social media:

Website - Facebook – Twitter – Goodreads – Amazon Page

HORROR CON: THE CONFESSIONS REPORT!

On Friday the 8^th of July, the Confessions die hards (me), boarded a train to sunny Rotherham to attend their first ever Horror Con UK. This was a weekend that I had been looking forward to for a long time. I was going to meet authors I have spoken to on social media for a long time. Most in a professional capacity, and also a lot of them in a personal capacity. Either way, I was looking forward to having some interesting conversations and a few beers and also picking up some lovely new books.

It didn’t start the best. My train was cancelled and I had to jump on an earlier one. Problem was, there were three train loads of people on one train. Standing the whole journey for two and a half hours was not my idea of fun.

Then I got to Rotherham. Oh dear. No offence meant to anyone who lives there but you really need to do something with that town centre.

I decided to walk up to my hotel because my Google Maps told me it was less than a mile away. It didn’t tell me it was up the highest gradient hill in Rotherham. I know I’m on a diet, but losing three stone in sweat in that one walk was not something I had planned for that weekend.

Then I got to the hotel. Oh dear. It was worse than the town centre. I decided to bite the bullet and just go with it because at the end of the day, I was only going to be sleeping there. Oh dear. My room was like an old people’s home. I probably shouldn’t do this but I’m not naming it so here is a picture of the beautiful interior.

THE CRAP HOTEL

Anyway enough of my problems. The rest of my Friday turned into a fun filled afternoon / evening of friends and drinking and more drinking and eventual fast food eating and the obligatory collapsing into bed in a drunken stupor. I met up with author Andy Lennon for the first time and we very easily slipped into a routine of chatting and drinking and smoking and drinking and chatting.

The only problem was, we forgot the eating bit.

We were joined later that evening by Mr Stuart Keane and his wife Leisyen. They remembered the eating bit but to be honest, they made up for the wasted drinking time very well.

Back to the old people’s home for some sleep and off to the event on Saturday. I was intending to take a load of pictures of the event itself to help tell this story but alas, I didn’t, so I can’t really show you what the event was like, or the people. One thing that stuck in my mind was the sheer effort a lot of people had put into their costumes for the day. Some had quite obviously been planning this for a very long time and should be applauded for their efforts.

The downside of the main hall was the fact that it stank. Not exactly sure what the smell was but I have an idea. It was rank.

Both days were more or less the same. It was spent wandering around chatting to authors, new and old. The first people I made a point of visiting were Duncan Bradshaw and Justin Park, manning the Sinister Horror Company stand. And what a beautiful site that stand was! It probably would have looked a bit better if they had moved to the side a bit but that is another matter. Loads of lovely books all on display and some of them finding their way into my possession. Dunk and Justin were exactly as I had thought they would be from chatting to them via message, and email over this past year. Very welcoming fellas who are a true credit to everything they do with SHC.

Plus Dunk liked my moobs!

DUNK AND JUSTIN

A lot of time was also spent with Jack Rollins and his brother Chris, manning the Dark Chapter Press stand. As normal, all of the DCP books were on display and also the new wares of Jack’s latest venture, Carsun’s Bazaar. If you see it at one of these events you really must pay him a visit. He has some wonderful figures, keyrings and curiosities on sale at very reasonable prices.

JACK AND CHRIS

Beside the DCP lot as usual was Stuart Keane, This time accompanied on the same table by Ian Noakes. As I type this I have just realised that I didn’t get my picture taken with Stuart or Ian. In fact I don’t even think I was properly introduced to Ian. I apologise for this guys and promise to make it up to you in the future. You definitely need to pop by Stuart’s stand at a con. His books are beautiful and I guarantee you will pick some up.

Another stand we spent a lot of time at was the one belonging to Mark Cassell. I met Mark at Emcon a few months ago and thought then that he was a really decent chap. After being able to spend a little bit more time in his company this time around I have to say that he is one of the nicest guys I think I have ever met. A really genuine bloke that works his nuts off at these events to make the most of the time he has there. He even let me take over his stand for a while when he needed a well-deserved pee. I can say that right? I made him money as well, selling a magazine and a flash drive! Never got my cut though.

MARK CASSELL

Andy Lennon is another man I must apologise to because I did not get a picture of me and him at his stand. I felt a bit sorry for Andy because he was in a smaller hall by himself, but as far as I can gather, he did OK for himself on the Saturday. He certainly had one of the best views with all the snakes and spiders that were surrounding him on the Saturday.

The highlight for most of us horror book lovers though was probably our individual sightings and meetings with the legend that is, Shaun Hutson. Facebook on the Saturday was saturated with exuberant fangirls and fanboys repeatedly posting their pictures with Mr Hutson and I really cannot blame them. What an absolute gentleman he was. Not in the true sense of the word because as anyone will tell you, his use of language is certainly not that of a refined gentleman. More the fella next door. He was an absolute gem none the less and it was a pleasure for all of us to meet him. He didn’t turn anyone away and was always willing to stand and chat no matter where you met him.

I was lucky enough to get to chat to him and his publisher from a Confessions point of view as well and got some rather exciting news that I will share with you at a later date so watch this space.

THE LEGEND SHAUN HUTSON

All in all I enjoyed Horror Con UK. I reckon I would go back OK. I don’t reckon I would stay in the same hotel though. I'm sorry my report isn't as fun as others to read but to be honest, it is something that is quite hard to describe. You need to be there. It is certainly an event where you can get up close and personal with your favourite authors and some of the film stars and has some wonderful stands selling some crackin horror merchandise. Some of the t-shirts especially were fantastic. I need to take a bigger budget next year!

So here is to next year. May it roll round very quickly! To all of you going to Edge Lit at the weekend, be safe and enjoy. I will unfortunately not be there this year but with a bit of forward planning, there is always next year.

Thanks again for visiting Confessions of a Reviewer!

Nev.

SHOW-OFF AND TELL #34 - Matt Hickman - Jeremy: Evil Has One Name

#34 in the Show-Off and Tell is one of the first books I actually picked up in person.

It’s Jeremy: Evil Has One Name by Matt Hickman.

I recently met Matt at Emcon in Nottingham. This was my first con and to be honest the event itself fell a bit flat to me but grabbing some lovely books and getting the opportunity to meet some people for the first time and get them to sign their stuff was, for me, the highlight of the weekend.

I had a bit of a surprise for Matt that weekend as well in the form of a gift for him from my wife Jo. It was a rather fetching T-Shirt featuring the cover of Matt’s favourite book, with the touching slogan on the back which read: I Love The Horse Cock.

He was a good sport about it even though I didn’t see him wear it and he still signed the book for me!

This is my copy:

As I type this, I am preparing to go to Horror Con this weekend when I will once again see Mr Hickman. I am expecting the T-Shirt to be modelled this weekend!

I may even get you a picture if possible.

You can buy Jeremy or any other books by Matt here:

Amazon US

Amazon UK

CONFESSIONS REVIEWS MATT HICKMAN

Jeremy: Evil Has One Name

Matt is an avid fan of horror fiction. He spends a majority of his free time reading books from both established and independent authors. With a diverse knowledge of the genre, he has now tried his hand at writing horror. With the support of his peers, some of which are established writers themselves, he now approaches a new career, one that will see him take horror by storm. His influences lead right back to traditional horror writers such as Edgar Allen Poe, Bram Stoker and William Hope Hodgson through to the more traditional horror writers such as Stephen King, Richard Laymon, Dean Koontz, James Herbert and Clive Barker to newer names such as Alex Kava, JA Konrath, Bryan Smith, Matt Shaw, Michael Bray, Iain Rob Wright, Graeme Reynolds, Tim Miller and Ian Woodhead right the way through to emerging writers who are currently starting out such as Stuart Keane, Jack Rollins, Kyle M Scott, Andrew Lennon and Shaun Hupp.

He currently resides in Tipton, a small town in the West Midlands with his partner and two children. He travels the width breadth of the UK on a regular basis as a Sales Manager for a construction company.

His writing debut, a collaboration with Andrew Lennon; Hexad, is available now as a digital download or paperback from Amazon.

He has since been featured in an anthology by Matt Shaw - Behind Closed Doors, which is available for digital download now from Amazon, to be followed by inclusion into an anthology from Dark Chapter Press - Kids, and The Dichotomy of Christmas, featuring such established names as Graham Masterson and Kealan Patrick Burke.

And for more about Matt, visit his site or find him on social media:

Website - Facebook – Twitter – Goodreads – Amazon Page

Whose Safety Goes First?

A few weeks ago, on her way to church in River Falls my wife received a speeding ticket/random-tax-assessment on the fourteen mile unmarked section of speedtrap also known as US 63 between Red Wing, Minnesota and Ellsworth, Wisconsin. She was, as is her habit, not even close to being the fastest moving vehicle on the road at the time the trooper decided to single her out, but she was probably the only non-Wisconsin victim for Pierce County’s uniformed tax assessor.

As a Minnesota motorcyclist, I’ve long known that Wisconsin is one giant speedtrap mostly aimed at out-of-town targets. It’s a well-discussed subject on every internet motorcycle group and one of many reasons that many motorcyclists choose to ride in long, loud, and intimidating pirate parades. The state’s tax assessors are less likely to harass twenty bikers than they are one. However, one reason for the state’s high motorcycle crash/morbidity/mortality rate has to be that riders are keeping an eye out for traffic tax assessors and missing critical hazard factors as a result. If you are suffering the delusion that a 5mph-over-the-limit violation is about highway safety on a road that locals commonly travel at 75mph, you are fooling no one but yourself. If safety were a real concern, drivers’ license tests would be a difficult hurdle for at least half of the people behind a wheel.

After receiving the speeding ticket, we began to evaluate that section of road for both the average speed and the highway markings. The fact is that most of the traffic on US 63 in that area travels at well over 65mph and you will stack up dozens of vehicles if you travel at the unmarked 55mph speed limit. The more telling fact is that the only speed limit sign in 14 miles on that road, from Red Wing to Ellsworth, is right after the Red Wing bridge (a couple of miles before the cynical “Welcome to Wisconsin” sign). That one speed limit sign is carefully placed as close to a bridge barrier as possible to be easily missed. The next Wisconsin speed limit sign appears as you enter Ellsworth.

When my wife appeared in the Pierce County kangaroo court to contest the ticket, she was told by the judge that she should consider it “a privilege” to be allowed to drive on Wisconsin’s highways. When she said the state should consider installing a few speed limit signs to inform visitors that Wisconsin has lower-than-average speed limits, he said “taxes would go up on your cheese, then.” Along with admitting that patrolling this road and randomly enforcing a 55mph speed limit was nothing more than a visitor tax, those statements made it clear that the county (and state) knows it is running an unmarked speedtrap. Even more, the attitude of the two county bureaucrats, a “traffic court administrator” and prosecutor, was clearly one of pride and arrogance. At no time did either of those bureaucrats admit that more rational and fair behavior should be expected of either Pierce County or Wisconsin.

For the nearly two years that we have lived in Red Wing, we’ve travelled to Ellsworth, River Falls, and Hudson several times a week; often spending $75 to $150 shopping at the Ellsworth Cooperative Creamery, local stores, and local restaurants. Since she received that ticket, we’ve rarely made the trip and look for every opportunity to avoid Wisconsin’s $175-per-visit tourist tax. We have avoided purchasing fuel, food, or anything else in or from the state, not as a boycott but simply because this experience has left such a bad feeling about Wisconsin that we simply want to do what we have to do in that state quickly and escape as painlessly and cheaply as possible. The “privilege” of being allowed to travel un-harassed on US highways in Wisconsin has been excessively expensive and there is nothing about being stopped by an armed tax collector that says “Welcome to Wisconsin.”

Having just returned from a 2,800 mile motorcycle trip through Minnesota, Nebraska, South Dakota, Colorado, New Mexico, and Kansas, I can state from experience that a fourteen mile section of unmarked 55mph US highway is unusual, at best. Many states appear to have abandoned Jimmy Carter’s 55mph fuel economy altogether, but every state I visited clearly marked local speed limits. Not doing so is clearly an attempt to generate income for local bureaucrats as ruthlessly as possible and it likely explains, in part, the poor state of Wisconsin’s economy.

Recent events have demonstrated the hazards involved when an armed, nervous, and too often unsuited-for-police-work officer accosts citizens over insignificant infractions of irrational or surreptitious laws designed to generate revenue for governments rather than provide peace and security for the public. Financing local governments with “law enforcement revenue” is dangerous for everyone, except the local governments. Operating under the reasonable premise that “they’ll never uncover this scam before we’re outta her with our pockets stuffed,” the bureaucrats behind this semi-legal highwayman scheme could not care less about the communities that harbor them. If every business goes broke, every citizen leaves town for a better life, if every building falls into ruin, these people will keep doing what they are doing until the money runs out. And when one of the tax asseessors screws up and shoots a motorist because he mistook a billfold for an Glock and the family of that victim rightfully sues the city into bankruptcy, the sharks will take their resume and somewhere else and do it all over again.

The simple fact is, when a local government has screwed up badly enough that there isn’t enough revenue to support the bureaucracy, the only logical move is to reduce the bureaucracy to a size that fits the budget. Nobody in their right mind ever promised government employees lifetime employment. The idea that the last people left in town will be the local cops is well past insane.