The Getaway by Jim Thompson
I continue to grind away on the Jacob Cable book. What draft am I on? The fourth? I am not sure anymore. I’ve taken my foot off the gas a bit because I got into…
Author: Steve Ruthenbeck
6-26-21 Writing A Book #17
I just finished my fourth draft of Sharp Things. How is it looking? It is not where I want it yet. All of the pieces are there, but I’m not quite happy with the tone…
Czech DogSS of War
Did you know DogSS of War, in its original iteration, was published in the Czech Republic? It was called Řád vlkodlaků, which apparently means The Order of Werewolves. I am not a fan of that…
If It Bleeds — Rat
Rat started out great, fantastic even. The story is about an amateur writer who goes to a cabin in the middle of nowhere to write a novel. The setup was beautiful. King’s writing put me…
If It Bleeds — If It Bleeds
People seem to like Holly Gibney, the quirky introvert crime solver who, when she’s not lamenting the difficulty of social interaction or using socks filled with ball bearings as weapons, runs a detective agency. She…
If It Bleeds — Life of Chuck
Do you remember that old Twilight Zone episode with Dennis Weaver as the convict on death row? He tells his captors that if they kill him, they will all cease to exist because he is…
If It Bleeds — Mr. Harrigan’s Phone
I’m reading Stephen King’s new book, If It Bleeds, and thought I’d review the four stories in it one at a time. It’s something to do and keeps me off the streets. New Stephen King…
Mefisto In Onyx
Harlan Ellison wrote a novella in 1993 titled Mefisto in Onyx. Ellison always had some great titles, along with a unique voice, plus his well-known ornery behavior and outspoken personality. Regardless, his friends say he…
Lovecraft Homages Reviewed
I’ve been trying to get in the habit of reading more fiction again. This past week I went through a couple of short stories: The Cabin In The Woods by Richard Laymon and Black Man…
TWO new books available!
Been busy — TWO new books available! This feels like the first time I’ve come up for air since roughly November. I’ve been working on polishing up some “trunk” novels. Two new books are now…