Stuff these Christmas crackers in your Christmas stocking, if you’re that way inclined …
Big City Blues
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A Bunch Of Stocking Fillers …
Punk Noir Magazine
Punk Noir Magazine – hovering in the shadows of the late lamented Pulp Metal Magazine – is a non-profit, non-paying, online arts and entrainment magazine that views the world at its most askew. We’ll be looking at films, music, television and more. There’ll be interviews, reviews, news, poetry, fiction, micro fiction, and flash fiction. And some other stuff too, I’m sure. Submissions should open up at the end of 2018.
Elgin Bleeker reviews Guns Of Brixton
And says:
‘It is hard as hell to be funny in print – just ask anyone who ever sent a supposedly humorous text only to have it backfire.
But Paul D. Brazill makes funny writing look easy in his crazy crime novel, Guns of Brixton.
Fast paced, this 2014 book is filled with odd, weird, violent, and often hilarious characters.
Two dim goons are sent out to retrieve a lost briefcase for their gangster boss, and manage to screw things up at every turn, including a side trip to rob a jewelry store while dressed in drag.
They kill a man, hide him in the trunk of their car, then crash into the Mercedes-Benz of a young executive who is far tougher than they ever expected, and on and on.
In the meantime, the big boss sends others out to clean up the mess, including a killer priest.
Brazill loads up his story with bizarre twists and some of the most laugh-out-loud writing I have encountered in a long time.’
Supernatural Noir is reviewed at Words on Words
Over at You Tube, this weeks Words on Words 60 second spotlight is on Supernatural Noir by Paul Brazill and illustrated by Craig Douglas.
Supernatural Noir A Go Go!
Well, Supernatural Noir was published a couple of days ago on Halloween and it’s all happening!
Graham Wynd kicks off #Noirvember with a look at Supernatural Noir and says:
‘I didn’t even know how much I missed Roman Dalton, his werewolf detective, until I started reading through the stories again. Netflix ought to swoop in and bag those stories for a new series.’
Meanwhile, over at Unlawful Acts, David Nemeth says:
‘If you like reading Brazill–and who doesn’t–, you should give this short story collection a twirl because it’s Brazill and there are zombies. Oh yeah, get it because it’s going for a little over a buck.’
Dee Arr at Amazon.com says:
‘This is crime noir with a bite (my apologies to all vampire and werewolf fans), and the combination of Mr. Brazill’s talents hooked me. Riveted, I finished the rest of the book in one sitting, never noticing the day arrive while my coffee grew colder.’
And I’m over at Toe Six Press sharing the Supernatural Noir playlist:
‘Supernatural Noir is collection of my short stories that I consider to be both supernatural and, er, noir. And of course, there’s music all over the place!
Drunk On The Moon by Tom Waits
It started with a song. Tom Waits’ Drunk On The Moon, to be precise. A neon soaked torch song with more than a twist of noir. A song of the city at night, sung by a man who sounded like a wolf- and not just Howlin’ Wolf. And once upon a time, there was a magazine named Dark Valentine who were looking for cross genre short stories. So, I wrote a yarn about a werewolf private eye. And I called it Drunk On The Moon.’
Supernatural Noir is OUT NOW!
Werewolves, vampires and other creatures of the night prowl the neon and blood soaked streets in this sharp short story collection that places the supernatural in a hardboiled noir world.
“If you like noir then you’ll love this. If you like supernatural fiction you’ll love this. If you like great descriptive prose you’ll love this.”
— Darren Sant, author of Tales From The Longcroft Estate
You can grab Supernatural Noir from Amazon.com, Amazon UK and loads of other joints.
Short, Sharp Interview: Tom Pitts
PDB: You latest book is called 101. What’s it all about?
In a nutshell, it’s set against the Northern California pot business on the cusp of legalization. A kid on the run from trouble in San Francisco goes to hide out there and brings a whole lot of trouble with him. There’s a wild array of characters who’re in on the chase and they race back down the 101, converging in Oakland to settle their scores.
PDB: How has pot legalisation changed life in America?
The worst is yet to come. So far, in California, all we’ve seen is more and more laws and regulations. They’re coming up with new ones every week. If it keeps up, the black market will be back in business. A lot of the laws seemed designed to cut out the little guy, the small-time grower who previously flourished. It takes a pile of money to get in on the legal side now, the kind of money that comes from corporations and tech and venture capitalists. Out on the street things are generally the same, except you can smell weed everywhere. No exaggeration. Bars, malls, restaurants, billowing out of cars.
PDB: What’s best, critical or commercial success?
Critical. No question. There’s the pragmatic in me that says take the money. But, the truth is, you create what you create. If it’s going to last, it’s got to be good. You don’t need millions of dollars to be happy. You know what’ll make you happy? Leaving behind something great. If a critical success is also a commercial success, then good for the creator. Pretty unlikely it’ll happen with one of my books though. But if you start off looking for commercial success, you’ll end up with something watered down and forgettable. This is what I learned from music. Forget about what the audience wants and just create. Then, if it’s good, it’ll resonate.
PDB: Do you judge a book by its cover?
You have to judge a book by its cover. You do it whether you want to or not. Are there exceptions? Of course there are and I don’t want to discuss them. The reality is, if you’re standing at the store, staring at shelf, it’s the cover that’s got to pull you in. That’s its job. The word-of-mouth, the oohing and awing over blurbs, sizzling sleeve description all come after.
PDB: Was Huey Lewis right, is it hip to be square?
Perhaps he was right. Out here in Silicon Valley we’re living a real-life revenge of the nerds. I, unfortunately, was way too cool back then, so I’m now part of the ostracized, marginalized sect. The calculus majors and computer labs kids are now running the world, so fire up your bong, stream your Netflix, and let go of the steering wheel. Someone else is in control.
PDB: What’s on the cards?
For me? My novel American Static just came out as an audiobook, it’s up there on Audible, Apple, and wherever else. 101 is out on November 5th, ask any bookstore to order it, or you can find it on line. I’ve got another book coming out in 2020 called Coldwater, but until then I have to roll up my sleeves and get to work. These babies don’t write themselves, you know.
Bio: Tom Pitts received his education on the streets of San Francisco. He’s recently been called the underworld bard of the Bay. He is the author of AMERICAN STATIC, HUSTLE, and the novellas PIGGYBACK and KNUCKLEBALL. His new novel, 101, will be released by Down & Out Books November 5th, 2018.
A Song For Saturday: Transylvania Twist by Baron Daemon and the Vampires
A Film For Friday: The Last Days Of Frankie The Fly
Recommended Read: Broken Dreams by Nick Quantrill
Nick Quantrill’s Broken Dreams is a cracking book. It’s the story of a Private Investigator following a muddy and bloodstained trail through a battle scarred Northern city. PI Joe Geraghty- like his hometown Hull- has both taken many a good kicking and is trying to get back on his feet. Broken Dreams is realistic and romantic – in a Joe Strummer way. It takes you by the lapels and drags you along on a gritty, griping journey. Recentley rebooted by Fahrenheit Press, Nick Quantrill‘s debut novel is highly recommended.
Recommended Read: Violent By Design by Paul Heatley
Violent By Design takes place in the aftermath of the events in Paul Heatley’s brilliant Eye For An Eye. Gangster Neil Doyle is hoping to go legit with his new nightclub and is unaware that one of hs drug houses has been ripped off. Things invariablt spiral violently out of control when his right-hand-man Jimmy Finlay decides to keep things under wrap and sort things out himself. Paul Heatley’s Violent By Design is a brtual and brilliant Brit Grit gangland thriller. With heart.
