"The Falcon Killer" by L. Ron Hubbard

"The Falcon Killer"
by L. Ron Hubbard
Multicast performance
produced by Galaxy Audio
Approx 2 hours.

I'm really loving the vast array of genre's from L. Ron Hubbard's pulp fiction days. More to the point I'm loving the production work of the Galaxy Audio releases of these stories from the various genres. During the mid-20th century Hubbard wrote numerous stories for the numerous pulp fiction magazines that were published during the time. What got me hooked were the science-fiction and fantasy stories, which are my favorite genres of any literature. After listening to all the Stories from the Golden Age in the sci-fi/fantasy genres I was highly impressed by the production of each audiobook.

Galaxy Audio, part of Galaxy Press, is releasing all the old Hubbard stories to create these 2 hour audio pulps, that bring to mind the old radio dramas from around that same time. Each one of these audiobooks is a flash back to when stories were fun. Galaxy Audio has a great team of voice actors for the books and the sound effects and music are superb. Just picking out any book will get you hooked.

This time around I listened to one of Hubbard's Tales from the Orient, "The Falcon Killer," which was originally published in April, 1939. This story takes place in War-torn China in the early part of the 20th century. This is the story of an ace free-lance fighter pilot, nicknamed "The Falcon Killer (Tzun Kai)," who is actually Bill Gaylord, raised in Peking by his American parents. Gaylord lost both of them as a child during the violent Boxer uprising and then saw his foster family slaughtered in wartime. With a past that's hardened his soul and given him nerves of steel, Gaylord has used his resolve to down more Japanese aircraft than can be counted. Gaylord has a tattoo of a half dragon which has some meaning that only the Chinese know. This tattoo provides the great twist at the end of the story that makes this a true Hubbard pulp-fiction.

Events pit Gaylord against a Japanese spy who has caused untold trouble for the Chinese. Gaylord must somehow find and defeat him or risk losing an ancient Chinese kingdom to the land of the rising sun.

Just before the local ruler can sell out his people Gaylord is discovered to be within the town and is called join the ruler for dinner. Gaylord discovers his dinner has been poisoned, but will it be too late before the Japanese move in and take over, creating one more province under the rising sun banner?

This story has some great aerial battles, escapes and intrigue that will keep you wondering whether the Falcon Killer will live to see another day.

"Deep Blue" by David Niall Wilson

"Deep Blue"
by David Niall Wilson
Narrated by Chris Patton
Published by CrossRoad Press, 2010
Approx. 11.5 hours

"Crossroads or Cross-hairs, it's all the same. There's only one way through the pain and that's through the music." That's what the mysterious old bluesman tells Brandt when Brandt learns he as a new musical power. This quote grabbed me in this novel by David Niall Wilson, and kept hold as Brandt, a burned out musician begins to play music that can absolve or dissolve people of their pain. But as Stan Lee says, "With great power, comes great responsibility." What Brandt must do with this new found power is yet to be revealed.

David Niall Wilson has written a haunting tale of a down and out bar band that is either on the verge of making it or burning out. The band's leader Brandt is trying to find that one thing in the music that is constantly eluding him, what that is he's not sure, yet. After leaving their latest gig and being too drunk to drive Brandt walks home. As he's walking he keeps hearing a haunting blues harmonica being played. When he arrives home he realizes he's forgotten his keys and decides instead of walking all the way back he swigs some courage from the tequila bottle and decides to track down the mysterious musician. Who he finds is a ghostly figure of Wally, a harmonica playing old bluesman. Wally shows Brandt his hidden talent of playing music by absorbing others' pain.

The night after learning this Brandt takes the stage with his band-mates and begins playing. As he plays he gets visions of Nazis killing Jews, American Indians being forced to walk the trail of tears and more painful events. Over his shoulder as he's playing he hears Wally repeat the quote, "Crossroads or Cross-hairs, it's all the same. There's only one way through the pain and that's through the music." When Brandt finishes the audience is still and his band is staring at him all asking, "What was that?" Brandt leaves without an explanation.

The next night the band has a record exec in the audience, but no Brandt, this time the bassist Cynthia, takes her bass playing to new levels. She has always seen "angels" but tonight she seems to be playing for the angels. Before the angels never paid her any attention, but this time as she plays they are all looking at her and listening with intent. She finishes the song as she sees a vision of her mother, as she reaches out, the record exec breaks the vision and starts his schpiel. She is slightly frightened and leaves.

This now leaves the band down to the Drummer, Dexter, and the rhythm guitarist, Shaver. Shaver has been trying to find "The Song." "The Song" being what Brandt and Cyn discovered. He plays so much he tears up his fingers so bad he cannot touch anything. His girlfriend Liz tends to his wounded hands and takes him back to Dexter's apartment so they can find "The Song" and find Brandt and Cyn.

The band all seem to have strange pasts, Dexter was raised by a Church that handled snakes as part of worship (he was left at the steps of the church as an infant). Dexter could handle the snakes because he found the pattern in the snakes, the pattern that is existence. Cyn has always seen "angels," by this I mean everywhere and all the time. Liz was raised in a church where as each member died the church held a service where food was placed over the body and a dark man known as "The Sin Eater" would gorge on all the food placed in the process eating the sin so the person can reach salvation.

The band meets a man named Payne who seems to be keeping them from their "mission." But the band heads west to Liz's home where her father is the "Sin Eater," but the church is under new leadership and has forgotten their past and the "Sin Eater." This is where the showdown between the band and Payne will be held.

Through some great musical imagery and excellent sub-plots, David Niall Wilson, has written a captivating story that is full of surprises. The reader, Chris Patton, fully captures the imagery in his excellent voice work and telling of this story. While listening I wasn't sure if it was Wilson's words or Patton's voice, or the combination of the two, but I swear I heard the music in every scene.

"Does My Head Look Big in This?" By Randa Abdel-Fattah

"Does My Head Look Big in This?"
By Randa Abdel-Fattah
Read by Rebecca Macauley
Produced by Bolinda Publishing Pty Ltd, 2008
Approx 9 hours

When It comes to life lessons, it seems that the youth have it made, at least in literature aimed at them. As adults the only ones that seem to offer advice are those who have a slant or an issue to press. This book, "Does My Head Look Big in This?" offers up a dose of reality when it comes to multi-culturalism.

Anyone who has been through them can tell you, the teen years are not the easiest of times to get through, you've got peer pressure, body & hormonal changes and pressure to decide what you are going to do with your life. Imagine all that and then one day some people that claim your religion as their cause decide to destroy a couple of buildings in New York. Now the entire world looks at your religion as evil. Even worse live this as a High School student. That is just what Randa Abdel-Fattah has offered up in this book, a look from a typical Muslim girls eyes.

Amal Mohamed Abdel-Hakim is a sixteen year-old Australian-Palestinian-Muslim girl living in Melbourne with her mom and dad. Her father Mohamed drives a metallic-red convertible because he's convinced that he's still young and cool, he fails to remember that he has a receding hairline, and he blasts Italian opera or 'Palestinian Folk' songs from his car stereo system. Her mom's name is Jamila, which means beautiful in Arabic. She’s loud, fun and energetic, loves to laugh, and is neurotically clean. Just before starting her 11th year in school she makes the decision to adopt the Muslim custom of wearing the hijab, the head covering traditionally worn by Muslim women, with varying reactions from her family and peers. This book is about those reactions.

She gets support from one of her Muslim friends, who also wears the hijab, but her mom and dad are worried about what she will have to go through. With the terrorist attack of 9/11 not quite a year past, the world looks at Muslims with suspicious eyes. Logically thinking Amal goes by the the premis that a small group of fanatics shouldn't condemn a whole religion, a very peaceful religion at that. After all are all Christians hated because of the Ku Klux Klan or the Nazis, they were all Christian based. Too bad the world as a whole does not think logically.

At first her small group of friends think she is forced to wear the Hijab and feel sorry for her, after she makes it clear it is her choice, some begin to approach her out of curiosity and realize she is the same. To give a little slice of the world some of her friends include, a Japanese girl, an Aussie girl with body image issues, a Greek Orthodox woman that came to Australia not speaking English and more.

This book not only deals with the typical problems of the teen years but also shows a very eye opening view of a religion that is misunderstood.

The reader, Rebecca Macauley, does a smash up job of reading this book, she does a great job of portraying the various accents and cultures. Just to give you a hint of what verbal gymnastics she has to go through, she has to portray an Australian Muslim, then also some Pakistani, Orthodox Greek, British Cockney and even American accents. She does a great job delivering the story and manages to express all the emotions on this roller-coaster of life view.

"The Art of Zombie Warfare; How to Kick Ass Like the Walking Dead" by Scott Kenemore Illustrations by Adam Wallenta

"The Art of Zombie Warfare; How to Kick Ass Like the Walking Dead"
by Scott Kenemore
Illustrations by Adam Wallenta
published 2010 by Skyhorse Publising, Inc.
266 pgs.

It all started out as a great promotion on the radio station I work for (WAKO radio in Illinois), I would interview some authors and have a pre-Halloween party. I found Scott Kenemore's series of Zombie books and thought, next to George Romero, here may be an authority on zombies. After several LOLs and needing stitches for my side I decided not only does Scott Kenemore know his zombies but he knows some history as well.

"The Art of Zombie Warfare" is a funny book about how you can not only fight like a zombie but how to raise your own zombie army and become a zombie general. So at this point you may be asking, why fight like a zombie? I think this section of the book best explains why.

If cut off from communications with HQ:
--Conventional soldiers will hold position and attempt to reestablish lines of communication
--Zombie soldiers will hunt and kill the enemy.

If caused to encounter unforseen obstacles, natural disasters, or confusing signs from the enemy:
--Conventional soldiers will wait for word from senior command on how they ought to proceed in light of this new development.
--Zombie soldiers will hunt and kill the enemy.

If faced with an overwhelming foe they cannot possibly hope to defeat themselves:
--Conventional soldiers will call for reinforcements, request an air strike, or just run away.
--Zombie soldiers will hunt and kill the enemy.

See a pattern here?

Scott goes further to explain how throughout all history ,mainly through movies and books, that zombies are the best fighting machine ever. He does this with the best tongue in cheek humor that while it may appear from the cover you are reading a horror book, but in reality you will find yourself laughing out loud several times while reading. Not only are there some funny parts throughout the book but Scott also makes references to all zombie movies ever made, from Dawn of the Dead to Return of the Living Dead to Army of Darkness and all the ones in between.

The first half of the book fully explains how to fight like a zombie and the virtues of fighting like a zombie while the second half describes how to become a zombie general. This is an important part, because, well basically because zombies can't be led. So how do you lead the unleadable? Scott explains that it's not leading because you may get in the way, but that you are there to take credit and rule the world. Whether it's storming a castle, encroaching on visiting early 19th century missionaries ona small island off the Haitian coast, or taking over the local shopping mall, the zombies will win.

Scott Kenemore even discusses historical figures that fought like zombies. People such as Civil War General Ambrose Burnside, 2nd Century Chinese zombie commander Sima Yi, and the Nazis.

So if you are looking for a fun romp through Zombie land, check out Scott Kenemore's "The Art of Zombie Warfare," the most fun you'll ever have with the undead.

Recreate Your Night with David Guetta!

Recreate Your Night with David Guetta!

Check Out The Alter Bridge Webisode!

Check Out The Alter Bridge Webisode!

"UR" by Stephen King

"UR"
by Stephen King
Read by Holter Graham
Produced by Simon & Schuster Audio, 2010
approx 2 hours

It is a running joke that Stephen King can take any inanimate object and turn into a vassal of evil, and in this short story King seems to perpetuate that bit of humor. In the past he's had a possessed car, lawnmowers, household appliances, and more, now King has turned the latest form of literature, the e-book, or more specifically Amazon's Kindle, into a bringer of evil.

Stephen King wrote this story specifically for the Amazon Kindle e-reader and was previously only available as a Kindle download, now Simon and Schuster have released the book in audiobook form. Being a huge King fan, I almost bought a Kindle just to have this story but I'm still a hold out for buying an e-reader. So, when it came out in audiobook form I jumped at the chance to listen.

Holter Graham does a great job performing the book. He captures the eeriness in the story and does a great job voicing the different characters. His voice is very captivating and keeps the listener in the story. In a very interesting not, Holter Graham is not a stranger to King's work, he starred in the film "Maximum Overdrive" which was written and directed by Stephen King. Graham played the kid, Deke.

In "UR," a Midwestern English instructor, Wesley Smith, has recently broken up with his girlfriend and is haunted by her parting shot, "Why can't you just read off the computer like everyone else?" In trying to create an atmosphere that could lead to reuniting with his girlfriend, the coach for the college's ladies basketball team, Wes logs on to his Amazon account and orders a Kindle. The Kindle arrives the next day via "One Day Delivery" which Wes did not request. The other odd thing is that the Kindle comes out of the box with no instructions and is pink in color (at the time the Kindle only came in white).

Once Wes powers up the Kindle he finds a menu for UR functions. The UR functions seem to be various alternate realities. At this point, King does one of the things I love about his books and stories, he ties in this story to his Dark Tower Mythos. Each reality is a different level in the tower. In one reality Wes and colleagues discover that the Bay of Pigs conflict led to nuclear annihilation of the Earth. Wes' colleagues are another English teacher and a student.

Wes decides to look at UR Local, which is stated to be under construction. UR Local will only download local papers from future dates and is governed by Paradox Laws which are enforced by the "low men in yellow coats" (remember "Hearts in Atlantis"?). When Wes and his student explore this function they discover that the Lady's Basketball team is involved in a tragic accident with a drunk driver. Can they stop this drunk driver? Can they avoid the low men? You'll have to find out for yourself.

As to purchasing a Kindle...well I'm still undecided...probably so, as long as it's not pink.

The Headhunters by L. Ron Hubbard

The Headhunters
by L. Ron Hubbard
Multi-cast performance
Produced by Galaxy Audio
Approx. 2 hours.

Once again I dive into a Story from the Golden Age, some mid 20th century pulp fiction penned by L. Ron Hubbard. This time I take a far flung adventure to the Solomon Islands following adventurer Tom Christian and what leads to his path for revenge and gold. Tom's path is overgrown with headhunters whose specialty of shrinking heads is sought after by an professor from the United States and two assistants, one of which happens to be the beautiful, Christine Forsythe. Yep, it's an L. Ron Hubbard adventure and there's always a beautiful dame involved.

Originally published in August of 1936, the story opens with Tom Christian confronting Punjo Charlie who murdered Tom's partner attempting to gather gold worth half a million dollars, Tom Christian sets off to the jungles of the Solomon Islands to retrace his partner's footsteps and finish the job. But Tom's gold fever makes him unaware that the notorious thief Punjo Charlie has laid a trap to snare the young man and collect the treasure himself. Just when Tom is about to become the second victim of Punjo Charlie, Tom's native sidekick, Hihi saves the day. Punjo Charlie, though, slips away.

Christian's problems soon triple when a trio of Americans, one of whom is the aforementioned Christine Forsythe, are taken hostage by Punjo Charlie. Christian now must rescue the ill-fated party before their heads are shrunken by the headhunters and before Charlie can get the gold.

What follows is an all-out war which pits Christian, his first mate Hihi and their contingent of coast men against a horde of bloodthirsty headhunters, all under the control of the man who killed his partner. So be prepared to be constantly on the edge of your seat as arrows and spears fly and gunshots ricochet off the trees in the deep jungle of the Solomon islands.

Once again this book is available from Galaxy Press as a sort of modern Pulp Fiction or as a 2 hour cd audio pulp from Galaxy Audio. The cast are also again supremely talented in bringing this tale to life with fun accents and voicework. The sound effects and music make this tale alive with a rich ambiance that will spoil your audio book experience forever. You will never again wish to hear a book unless it is performed by the multi-talented production of Galaxy Audio.

"The Improbable Adventures of Sherlock Holmes" edited by John Joseph Adams

"The Improbable Adventures of Sherlock Holmes"
edited by John Joseph Adams
Performed by Simon Vance and Anne Flosnik
produced by Brilliance Audio
Approx 21.5 hours

If you are a constant reader of my postings, you may be wondering what I'm doing listening to a Sherlock Holmes audio book. I know, it sounds weird and most of my readings are in the Sci-fi, Horror and Fantasy realms, but once in a while I dive into the classics, but this time I'm not straying away from my favorite genres. This collection of short stories takes the world's most famous "Consulting Detective" into some very interesting adventures.

The defining quote Sir Arthur Conan Doyle wrote for Holmes, “Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth," is what guides this collection. This collection explores the improbable and bends the limits on improbability. There are 28 stories in this collection written by authors whose specialties range throughout the sci-fi, horror and fantasy realms. Just a few of the authors are; Neil Gaiman, Tanith Lee, Laurie R. King, Anthony Burgess, Stephen Baxter.

Some of the stories in this collection are rewrites of original Holmes adventures, such as "A Study in Emerald" by Neil Gaiman. Gaiman takes the introductory story to Holmes' adventures , "A Study in Scarlet," and places Holmes and Watson in an alternate universe in which Lovecraftian creatures have invaded the Earth and rule the contintents. In the original story Scarlet referred to the color of the blood of the murder victim, in this story Emerald refers to the alien's greenish blood color. I found this story to be the most fun, in that having known the original story, how the aliens created a strange turn to the clues Holmes had to decipher.

In the other stories you have Holmes traveling through time, meeting with the authors, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and H.G. Wells, explaining his 3 years of missing time when Watson believed him to be dead at the hands of Professor Moriarty.

Whether you are a Sherlock Holmes fan or a fan of the strange genres of fiction you will have fun when listening to this collection. There is a bit of something for everyone here. Even some normal Holmes Adventures that just don't seem to be solvable by Holmes.

The readers, Simon Vance and Anne Flosnik swap the reading depending on whether the story is told from a woman's point of view or a man's. Anne Flosnik reads the stories using various accents and emotions perfectly. The gem in this audio book, in my opinion, is Simon Vance, throughout the book Vance captures the characters of Holmes and Watson flawlessly. No matter where the adventure takes them he is consistent with their vocal qualities and that keeps the listener tuned in to the adventure. I know there were several times I couldn't stop listening until Holmes solved the crime.

"Bloody Jack" by L.A. Meyer

"Bloody Jack"
by L.A. Meyer
Read by Katherine Kellgren
Produced by Listen & Live Audio, 2007
Approx 7.5 hours


So do you like pirates, street urchins and love stories? I think I may have found the perfect audiobook for you. This time around I listened to another young adult novel, and had a grand adventure from the streets of London to fighting pirates on the high seas. This adventure novel is also a nice historical novel. The story takes place during the 18th century when his majesty's navy was battling pirates and preparing for war against France.

The story is told through the voice of Mary "Bloody Jack" Faber as she lives out these adventures. It all begins with her as a young orphan on the streets of London trying to survive. Mary takes up with "Rooster" Charlie, the leader of a gang of orphans who beg on the streets to survive. Charlie takes care of his gang and Mary looks up to him as a brother. When Mary discovers Charlie dead on the dark backstreets of London, she no longer has someone to take care of her so she decides to be her on person. She takes Charlies clothes and the persona of Jack, she soon learns that as a boy things are a bit easier in the street life.

Now living as Jack, she finds her way to the docks, where Navy ships are looking for ship boys, these are the boys that do the grunt work on board the ship, Jack gets on board the H.M.S. Dolphin as a ship boy and maintains her secret of being a girl. She soon boards with 3 other boys taken on at the same time and leads a life as a Navy ship boy. After a year or so on-board she finds it harder and harder to maintain the secret because her body is betraying her. Not sure what all the changes of puberty will bring, since she never had any parents to tell her, she strikes out on the next port call to a bordello to ask one of the women there what she needs to know. Upon leaving the bordello the other boys see "Jack" and add to to the myth of her being a boy, after some teasing. During this same port call the 4 ship-boys have created a pact among each other to always be true. To prove this they get tattoos and whenever a secret must be kept they swear upon their tattoos.

Jack gains her nickname "Bloody Jack" after the crew of the HMS Dolphin boards a ship and she, still only about thirteen years old, shoots a plundered pistol to kill a pirate who is about to stab one of her fellow shipmates, Jaimy, who is paralyzed with fright. She comes back to the Dolphin covered in blood, and her proud shipmates nickname the little "boy" Bloody Jack.

During a battle with a pirate ship in the Caribbean the HMS Dolphin is damaged and takes on water. The ship is forced to seek shelter in the cove of a small island until repairs can be made. On this island there is no wood of use to repair the ship so one of the crew members, who has been experimenting with kites, puts Jack on the kite and flies her high to scout for land. During the "flight" the kite breaks free flying Jack 30 miles or so from the Island to be marooned on another Island by herself.

Growing up alone and trying to maintain a major secret create a great adventure in "Bloody Jack." Basically start out with a little "Oliver Twist' throw in some "Treasure Island" with a dash of "Robinson Crusoe" and you have this fun adventure.

Katherin Kellgren does a wonderful job voicing this book. From the cockney accent of the street kids to the distinguished officers on-board the HMS Dolphin, she delivers the book with realism.

The Walking Dead on AMC

I just Spread the Dead. Click below to do the same and you could win $5,000! Don’t forget to check out the premiere of The Walking Dead Sunday Oct. 31 at 10/9c on AMC. http://www.amcspreadthedead.com/share?ref=1415245048

Field Report: Blue Microphones Snowball

Field Report: Blue Microphones Snowball

Looking for a good Mic....check this out.

Your Chance to win: "The Art of Zombie Warfare - How to Kick Ass Like the Walking Dead" by Scott Kenemore

Your Chance to win:
"The Art of Zombie Warfare - How to Kick Ass Like the Walking Dead"
by Scott Kenemore
Skyhorse Publishing
2010
266 pgs.

I've got a Halloween treat for you. This time I'm teaming up with Skyhorse Publishing http://www.skyhorsepublishing.com to give you a chance to win a copy of the book, "The Art of Zombie Warfare - How to Kick Ass Like the Walking Dead" by Scott Kenemore. All you have to do is comment below and on Halloween I'll draw the winner's name and you'll receive your own copy. Comment and make sure you leave a way for me to contact you. If you don’t feel comfortable leaving your email address then email me gil (at) gilwilson (dot) com and let me know you commented. Drawing to be held Sunday, October 31, 2010.

Do you dream of becoming a soldier who fights with the efficacy and skill of a zombie? Are you a general commander seeking to imbue your troops with the ruthless, soulless killing efficiency of an animated corpse? Are you a voodoo priest or wizard desiring to raise an actual army of zombies to help you conquer the land and install yourself as ruler? Then this is the book for you! With "The Art of Zombie Warfare" you will learn how to fight without weapons, communicate wordlessly, and enjoy the multifarious battlefield strategy benefits that come with always just walking straight at the enemy.

5 tips for adopting the zombie combat style in this book:
Withstand massive amounts of damage.
Dish it out like a zombie.
Don't follow treaties or rules of any kind
Fight like you're already dead.
Be quiet.

Written by the author of "Zen of Zombie" and "Z.E.O," "The Art of Zombie Warfare" is the most authoritative tome available today on the subject of zombie combat.

Available @ Amazon and http://www.skyhorsepublishing.com

comment below to win. Drawing to be held Sunday October 31, 2010.

What happens to your internet presence after you pass on?

"Buffalo Unbound, A Celebration" by Laura Pedersen a book review and how to win a copy of the book

"Buffalo Unbound, A Celebration"
by Laura Pedersen
Published by Fulcrum Books
2010
216 pages

At the end of this review I'll tell you how you can win a copy of this book and and Laura Pedersen's memoirs of growing up in Buffalo, "Buffalo Gal."

Laura Pedersen columnist, trader, humorist and author loves her native city of Buffalo, New York. In her memoirs of growing up in Buffalo, "Buffalo Gal" she told humorous stories of growing up during a time in Buffalo when times were tough. In 2009 "Forbes" magazine ranked Buffalo as one of the top ten most miserable cities in which to live and then had the gall to repeat the insult in 2010. Pedersen didn't stand for this and has written a humorous and at times heartfelt book to retaliate and portray Buffalo, NY as a top-tier city and "The City of Good Neighbors."

Pedersen takes the reader on a wonderful journey through the history of Buffalo from the times when the Iroquois Indians ruled the land to now where the city is thriving with locally made candies, food festivals, multicultural events, theatre and stunning architecture drive away the reminders of great blizzards past.

Each chapter/essay in this book covers something about Buffalo that I found fascinating, whether it was the history or descriptions of the beautiful and even some strange sights. Buffalo is always changing with the times. Laura Pedersen could always throw in some comment that leaves you smiling. Her humor really makes this book one that cannot be put down.

The Buffalo Chamber of Commerce had better have a thank you basket handy for Laura, because every section had me wanting to move to Buffalo and set down roots. My only reservation, was the snow and cold. Pedersen even covers the "Blizzard of '77" and a few other tragedies such as the "Cleveland Hill Fire," when an elementary school burned down killing many children, but the bright side, if there can be one in such a tragedy, is that this New York tragedy created the need for schools nation wide to organize fire drills.

If you like architecture then you already know of Frank Lloyd Wright, but did you know of the many Buffalo area buildings he designed? Architecture is covered as well as sculpture, and other arts, so it seems Buffalo has a bit of something for everyone.

This book is a fun read that not only teaches a little history, but entertains with the not quite dry wit of Laura Pedersen and creates the urge to shuffle off to Buffalo. But there's still that snow thing...maybe if a radio station in the Buffalo area needs an employee and will pay to move me there, for that I would love to see the sights written about in this book, maybe I'll have to plan a vacation to Buffalo, after all Niagara Falls is close by.

Now let's talk about how you can win a copy of this book. All you have to do is comment on this posting and you'll be entered in a random drawing to win not only this book, "Buffalo Unbound," but also Pedersen's memoirs, "Buffalo Gal." Comment and make sure you leave a way for me to contact you. If you don't feel comfortable leaving your email address then email me gil (at) gilwilson (dot) com and let me know you commented. Drawing to be held Friday, October 22, 2010.

Also check out Laura Pedersen's website for more information about her and her other books.
http://www.laurapedersenbooks.com

"Devil's Manhunt" By L. Ron Hubbard

"Devil's Manhunt"
By L. Ron Hubbard
Multicast Performance
Produced by Galaxy Audio
Approx 2 hours

It's time once again to go back to those thrilling times of yesteryear...okay so that was the opening for "The Lone Ranger" TV series, but listening to this audiobook reminded me of the series I used to watch as a kid. I also realized that hey, I actually do like reading/listening to westerns, but only good westerns. It seems L. Ron Hubbard wrote some pretty cool westerns. With Galaxy Press and Galaxy Audio re-releasing the old pulp fiction stories from the mid-20th century that Hubbard penned, or rather typed ( I read somewhere he could carry on a conversation and type out a short story at the same time), I can now go back and enjoy those stories I've missed or denied myself due to not thinking I like westerns.

Maybe it's just that these productions from Galaxy Audio keep me glued to the audiobook. Galaxy Audio provides the complete theater of the mind experience in every one of these releases. This audio book is no exception. When the horses ride off they actually ride off not just some one slapping coconuts together. These guys have no need of the Wilhelm Scream in their vocal sound effects, because each of the voice actors are top notch and every grunt and scream occur in the moment and fit the story perfectly. The original music also pulls you into the story and with these stories, the music had that authentic western feel.

This release features three stories not only all falling into the western genre but all having the same theme of being hunted down. The fun part in all of Hubbard's stories is that they end with a bit of a twist that is nearly hard to see coming. After hearing several of these stories I've discovered I can almost predict the twist to come....almost.

"Devil's Manhunt," originally published February, 1950 tells the story of Young Tim Beckdolt who had been working in Arizona for eight long, treacherous months before striking a rich seam of gold. Now, after three months of hard, grueling labor, he's stockpiled that gold ore. Just as he's about to set out and sell all the gold a Swedish giant named Sven and the foppish Virginian killer named Bonnet, arrive to jump his claim. Forced by gunpoint to mine the remainder of the gold for this villainous pair. Sven and Bonnet hunt game each night to keep them all nourished, but one night Bonnet chances across a bear and finds that game to be a challenge. Bonnet then realizes he loves the hunt and wonders what the best game to hunt would be. Bonnet and Sven then decide to hunt Tim, after all they were going to kill him anyway, might as well make a sport of it.

"Johnny, the Town Tamer," originally published August, 1949 is a fun story in which Texas Johnny frustrates an attempt to kill him, and runs off the man who tried to do it. Johnny comes into a town that is crooked all the way up to the town manager. They all see Johnny has some gold dust and a herd of cattle that will soon be coming through town and see the opportunity to get rich. Johny and a mysterious partner outwit the entire town, but the fun...is how they do it.

"Stranger in Town," originally published December,1949 introduces the reader/listener to Zeke Tomlin, who may be a little paranoid, but he has good reason. New in Dry Creek himself, Zeke knows someone will ride in one day, looking for him. Because in his past he was blamed for murder by a corrupt marshal, and has been hiding out ever since. When the corrupt marshal arrives in pursuit, Zeke must deal with him and the town.

Strap on your spurs and get a shot of some red-eye and enjoy these stories from the Golden Age.

"Immortalis - Part 1 of 3" Book 7 of "The Demon Wars Saga" by R.A. Salvatore

"Immortalis - Part 1 of 3"
Book 7 of "The Demon Wars Saga"
by R.A. Salvatore
Multi-cast performance
produced by GraphicAudio
Approx 7 hours

I knew it was coming, the beginning of the end, and here it is. This is the first of three parts of the final book in "The Demon Wars Saga" by R.A. Salvatore. This saga has been a great adventure in fantasy taking place in the land of Corona. The heroes have included wizards (of a sort), elves, dwarves, goblins, giants, a centaur that plays bagpipes, humans and a dragon. Everything one could ever want in a fantasy series. Salvatore not only created this fictional Land of Corona and populated with some great heroes and villains, but he also created several forms of government and religious doctrine.

One of the things that forms a great work of fiction is how in depth the characters and their adventures are explained. By creating brand new forms of politics and religion these characters have strict rules to go by and how or when they cross those lines create the great stories. Salvatore has done just that by at first in the saga creating a demon that threatens the land and how these governments and religions react. Even more to the point the excitement occurs when heroes are the ones acting and the government and religion stand by idly.

Throughout the adventures I have grown quite fond of he central characters. Jilseponie (Pony) who as a child was left alone to die after goblins raided her town. She grew up to become a soldier in the king's army, a weilder of magic and then Queen of Honce-the-Bear. Now she is no longer queen because her son, who was thought to have died at birth, has usurped the crown and has left her in her own exile. But she will not go quietly, she is now out to find why Lady Dasselrond, the leader of the elves took her baby and released his evil on the land.

Bellimar Juraviel, the elf that trained rangers so they may protect the humans of the Land of Corona, is now in love with one of his lost kinsfolk. Juraviel is of the Touel'alfar elves and centuries ago the Touel'alfar had split in ideals from the Doc'alfar. The Doc'alfar left the lands and were never heard from again. Juravial was escorting the most recently trained ranger Brynn Dharielle to the lands of To-gai to free her people from slavery when they discovered the Doc'alfar. Juraviel fell in love with one of the Doc'alfar and now will be having a child with her. Juravial brings the King of the Doc'alfar back to Lady Dasselrond in hopes of reuniting the elven folk, but learns that King Adryan may be a threat to the elves.

King Adryan killed King Ursal to gain the crown and a few others and as he decides to conquer the Behren and To-gai lands of the south his murderous past starts to haunt him. He awakes from dreams where those slain have come back. His reign not only includes conquering the lands to the south but with the aid of his mentor, the evil, Marcalo De'unnero, Adryan also plans on reforming the Abellican church.

All this is where part one leaves off. Now on to part 2 so I can get more of this excitement. The nice thing about listening to these audio book productions from GraphicAudio is that they split them up in six or seven hour installments. For me this provides convenience of enjoying the events in the saga and enjoying the breaks between the excitement and turmoil created by R. A. Salvatore. This same excitement and turmoil is made more exciting through the superb production from GraphicAudio. They use excellent voice actors that not only express the emotion and action of the characters at the moment but also seem to be able to express the character's history that led to this moment in time. The music and sound effects also move you along through the saga leaving you on the edge of your seat for the entire run.

So strap in and enjoy this beginning of the end of the saga.

"Beastly" by Alex Flinn

"Beastly"
by Alex Flinn
read by Chris Patton
Produced by Brilliance Audio, 2010

So I'm out looking for something different to hear as an audiobook, and I look through the young adult section of listings and run across this book, "Beastly." With young adult fiction it can be hit or miss, you can count big hits in the Harry Potter, Lemony Snicket series of books but when I tried the "Twilight" series I was let down. This book looked like a promising telling of a classic story. The premise of the book is based on the traditional fairytale "The Beauty and the Beast." The author researched various versions of the fairytale, and even makes some reference to them throughout the book.

This is by no means the Disneyfied version, so if you are looking for that type of fun, musical story with a happy ending, it's not this one. This version of the story, while encapsulating the full meaning and feel of the classic, brings the story to modern times with some nice teen angst, cliques and materialistic views of life.

In this book Kyle Kingsbury, the rich, handsome son of Rob Kingsbury, a famous news anchor, has lived all his life thinking that looks and money are all you need in life. He seems to be living proof of that, he dates the hottest girls and is the most popular guy in school. But when Kyle asks a not so good looking new student, Kendra, to the prom as a practical joke, Kendra, transforms Kyle into an ugly man who then turns into a beast. It turns out Kendra is really a beautiful witch.

Kyle's father is ashamed of his son's appearance and locks him in a large apartment in downtown New York so no one will see him. Kyle's only company is his housekeeper, and, later, a blind tutor named Will and his dog. Kyle changes his name to "Adrian", which means "dark one". His only happiness comes from the rose garden he plants and maintains in his small backyard, encouraged by Will. Adrian has two years to break the witch's spell by falling in love and being loved sincerely despite physical appearances.

The Beauty in this story comes in the form of Lindy. Lindy is a poor girl who attends Kyle's school by scholarships. Her only hope to get away from her poverty stricken life, taking care of her drug abusing father is to maintain her grades. In being the bookworm sort she has gone through the school unnoticed. She does have a crush on Kyle, and at the same prom where Kyle is turned into the beaste, Kyle gives her a white rose, only because his girlfriend wanted an orchid and wouldn't wear a "cheap rose." This event is big to Lindy, but Kyle sees it as insignificant.

A man breaks into Kyle's/Adrian's rose garden and when the Beast confronts him the man pleads for his life and offers his daughter to the beast to avoid the police. Kyle learns this is Lindy's father and finds this could be his last chance to find true love and break the curse. Kyle takes Lindy in and he must discover the secrets to true love and find his way to her heart.

I will warn you once again this is not a Disney version and the Happy Ending is relative. The reader, Chris Patton delivers the story with perfect intonation of all emotions and character quirks that at times I almost thought I was listening to a multi-cast performance.

The interesting thing I discovered is that this book has been turned into a movie, that will be released in 2011.

"Transcendence Part 3 of 3" Book 6 of "The Demon Wars Saga" by R.A. Salvatore

"Transcendence Part 3 of 3"
Book 6 of "The Demon Wars Saga"
by R.A. Salvatore
Multicast performance
Produced by GraphicAudio
Approx 6 hours



Sad to say, but my adventures in the Land of Corona are coming to a close. With the finishing of this final part of book 6, I realize there's only one more book left and the story seems to be ready for a huge finale. This last trilogy builds up the new leaders in the land of Behren and Honce-the-Bear. This book in particular covers the land of Behren and how the Behrenese have conquered the To-Gai and the ranger that is out to set the To-Gai people free, Brynn Dharielle.

In the previous five books the land of Behren has been mention, but only in passing. This time around R.A. Salvatore explores the government and religions of the southernmost lands. The main outline of the land seems to derive from an equivalent of our Middle East and Asian countries. The Behrenese are closely related in many senses to the Muslims where the To-Gai seem to be loosely based on Mongolians of Asia, then you have the Jhesta Tu Mystics that could resemble the Shao lin Monks of China.

This final installment of "Transcendence" builds to two great battles, one for the leadership of Behren and one for the final stand of the To Gai.

The Behrenese are ruled by holy clerics known as Yatols, and the leader of the Yatols is the Chezru Chieftain. The latest Chezru Chieftain is Yakim Douan, and it is time for his transcendence, a period where his body dies but the next chieftan is born into the body of an infant, much like the idea behind the Dali Lama. But in this case Yakim Douan has been cheating the system by using the soulstone, one of the magical gems of the Abellican monks from the northlands. The Behrenese religion forbids the use of magic gemstones, but Yakim Douan has been using the soulstone to possess the bodies of unborn infants to be reborn for many centuries. He is now getting old and is ready to invade his next body, but with the problems in Honce-the-bear and the rebellious To-Gai, he has to put this off.

Brynn Dharielle was taken by the Touel'alfar, the elves, and trained as a Ranger so she can return to free the To-Gai. Her campaign has been successful in that she has been constantly making dents in the Behrenese armies, not enough to conquer but enough to ruin the day of the Chezru Chieftan. She has been called the Dragon of To-Gai, because at her side she has a dangerous ally, Agradelus the dragon. Agradelus has been underground for many years and the taste of battle keeps him hard to control.

Brynn is assisted also by a Jhesta Tu Mystic Pagonel. Pagonel discovers the secret to Transcendence and returns to the Behren capital city of Jacintha to uncover the truth and ridicule the Chezru Chieftain. This could turn the land into a land of turmoil knowing their ruling party and religion has been deceiving them all these years.

Once again through the magic of GraphicAudio's superb production this saga continues with some of the most exciting audio books ever produced. GraphicAudio uses great voice talent, sound effects and incidental music that leaves you feeling as though you need to wash the sands off from the desert battles and checking yourself for arrow wounds. Their production is magical.

"On Blazing Wings" By L. Ron Hubbard

"On Blazing Wings"
By L. Ron Hubbard
Multi-cast performance
Produced by Galaxy Audio
Approx 2 hours.

Galaxy Audio and Galaxy Press continue to release L. Ron Hubbard's short stories written during the Golden age of Stories, back in the pulp fiction days of the mid-20th century. This January starts another round for the year and the first one out of the archives is this gem of a story,listed under the Air Adventure category, but mixes in a little science-fiction and fantasy. Originally published in May of 1940, this story combines destiny and war heroes at a time when war heroes were the popular read.

David Duane, artist, adventurer and air ace learns his destiny in the mystery-shrouded city of golden minarets, Puhjola. Duane, is an American fighting for the Democratic People's Government of Finland, only because he found himself in the country when the war started and knew he could make some money in their air force. After all he's been an air ace for several wars.

When David Duane goes after a group of Russian Bombers he sees a city in the clouds. This city turns out to be the mythical land of heroes, Puhjola. There he is reuinited with his other air team that have been shot down in this recent raid. Not only that but he meets up with buddies from previous wars who died in action, he also meets up with the Russians he shot down. When he apologizes for shooting them down, one of the Russians says "No big deal, it is war." The strange being that runs the city of Puhjola, tells Duane that was his last chance that no matter how many times he returns he cannot change his destiny. Duane is told that he will meet up with a Russian Woman and fall in love and then lose his life while trying to protect her, instead of saving the thousands of others he should be protecting.

Duane says he can change it this time, just give him one more chance. The leader says no and tells him he can no longer return to Puhjola. Duane is determined to change his destiny, but when he wakes up his plane is buried in the snow and burning and Russian soldiers are beating him. He cannot recall his time in Puhjola, but something about his destiny is buzzing in his brain. He is then rescued by a female Russian intelligence officer and falls in love. But he knows he needs to change something.

Can David Duane become a hero again and change his destiny or is his destiny unchangeable? As with all of L. Ron Hubbard pulp fiction stories not only is a dame involved, but you can expect twists and turns until the very end.

One of the best ways to enjoy these stories is in the audiobook form produced by Galaxy Audio. Galaxy Audio, a division of Galaxy Press, combines superb voice actors, stunning sound effects and mood enhancing incidental music that keeps you locked in to this story from The Golden Age.

"Countdown" by Greg Cox

"Countdown"
by Greg Cox
Multi-cast Performance
Produced by GraphicAudio, 2010
Approx 6 hours

DC comics had/has a great configuration of crossover comics with their multi-verse "Crisis" series.
Crisis on Infinite Earths
Countdown to Infinite Crisis
Infinite Crisis
52
Countdown to Final Crisis (novel form titled "Countdown," this book)
Final Crisis
The series told a tale of 52 alternate realities otherwise known as multiverses. The problem consisting of multiple realities coming together could destroy all realities. In this book, "Countdown," The aftermath of "Infinite Crisis" led to the series "52" which consisted of the Primary Earth dealing with the aftermath. This book, as the title suggests, is a countdown to events that lead to yet another multiverse crisis which will be the "Final Crisis." The original "Countdown to Final Crisis" comics were published in 51 issues, Greg Cox has created the novelization of the series into this book.

So once again the comic books are converted to a novel. What happened to the awesome graphics that make a comic so much of an experience? Well, Greg Cox uses words to convey the images and any fan of good fiction would appreciate this. But what happens if the comic fan wants those images? I suggest picking up the audio book created by GraphicAudio. GraphicAudio has a slogan, "A Movie in your Mind," and let me tell you, they deliver. From the moment I heard my first GraphicAudio audiobook, I've been hooked. They use a cast of very talented voice actors that can creat every subtlety of a superhero through voice only. For Example, when you hear someone acting the role of Batman in a GraphicAudio audiobook, you hear Bruce Wayne's loss of his parents, his calculating the next 30 moves in defeating a foe, and more, just through superb voice acting.

The acting is not the only thing that keeps these audiobooks interesting there is also incidental music that rises and falls with and enhances all the emotions and action in the story. And even more fun are the sound effects. So how do you give sound to the Green Lantern's ring creating a boxing glove and punching his foe? You can't just simply punch something and record it, because the power behind the ring is what is creating the glove. GraphicAudio create some superb effects that you can see in the mind's eye all aspects of just such an action. These guys really know what they are doing.

So with all that said let's talk about this audiobook. The excitement abounds, the story twists and turns and ultimate good is pitted up against ultimate evil. Exactly what you'd expect from a comic book, but in this series all this takes place without the big name superheroes. The Justice League members do make their appearance near the end to help wrap up the final battle and outcome, but for the most part what were normally minor characters now take the lead.

First off we've got Superman's pal, Jimmy Olsen, suddenly endowed with superpowers. Not sure where they come from, Jimmy's not one to ask, being the epitomical good guy, Jimmy immediately takes on the guise of Action Man and tries to right wrongs. The problem with these newfound powers is that they only occur when his life is threatened. But when his life is threatened the powers are doozies. Powers such as, porcupine like quills suddenly erupting from his skin and shooting at foes, his body turning to ooze and more weirdness. Even not being able to control his powers Jimmy tries to fight crime.

Next we have Mary Marvel. After the events in 52, Mary is now just simply Mary Batson, sister to Billy Batson (Captain Marvel/Shazam). Her powers were mysteriously taken away and she awakens in a hospital scared and powerless. To find her brother and eventually her powers Mary seeks out Madame Xanadu, warns Mary not to go to Gotham City. Ignoring her, Mary is chased by thugs through the Gotham subway, and finds the former Kahndaqi Embassy, where Black Adam has been hiding. Adam appears, saves Mary, and transfers his powers to Mary. Mary acquires the powers of Black Adam, Isis, and Osiris as a result. These dark powers change Mary's psyche and she seems to be one of the bad guys.

Holly Robinson, former Catwoman (the good Catwoman not the criminal one) meets up with Harley Quinn (Joker's former girlfriend) at a women's shelter in Metropolis where a woman claiming to be Athena is recruiting Amazons to go to Paradise Island, which was vacated by the real Amazons (Wonder Woman's family).

Jason Todd (former Robin that should have died), and Donna Troy (former Wonder Girl, who also should have died) meet up with a Monitor who recruits them to find The Atom. It seems The Atom, Ray Palmer, is the key to fighting the New Gods who are waging war against each other and could destroy the Universe.

"Transcendence - Part 2 of 3" Book 6 of "The Demon Wars Saga" by R.A. Salvatore

"Transcendence - Part 2 of 3"
Book 6 of "The Demon Wars Saga"
by R.A. Salvatore
Mult-cast performance
Produced by GraphicAudio
Approx 6 hours


I'm rolling through "The Demon Wars Saga" by R.A. Salvatore and I keep thinking, I should slow down, after all, the series only has 7 books and this latest one is book 6 and I'm two-thirds of the way through it. But as much as I would love to let these drag out and savor each one, the story is just too exciting to stop. I'm already opening part 3 and will start listening to it after this review.

The saga is one of the best pieces of fantasy fiction I've read/heard since "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien. (Interesting that the good fantasy writers use initials instead of first names.) What makes this saga so good is that in the writing Salvatore is consistent with the characters and includes all the favorites through the entire saga. Some heroes die but they are not forgotten. The heroes that do live on while staying consistent with their central character, Salvatore knows how to write in the room for growth.

Even more exciting about this series is that I'm listening to the audiobooks produced by GraphicAudio. GraphicAudio turns these books into great auditory theatrical events. They achieve the "Movie in your Mind" reality by using excellent voice actors, superb sound effects and incidental music that pushes the excitement to even higher levels. Many times during great battles in the saga I found myself getting closer and closer to the edge of my seat and only able to relax once the music fades out. The special effects are achieved through some great sound effects, when the elves let an arrow fly you hear every detail from the moment the arrow is notched, through its flight and the sound of the arrow hitting the target, whether it is into flesh or stone. It's really amazing the effects that are achieved by GraphicAudio.

This installment continues with the adventures of Touel'alfar trained ranger, Brynn Dharielle. Brynn was trained by the elves to become a hero of her people the To-Gai who are being enslaved by the Behrenese. Brynn is trained and sent to Behren with the aid of her main trainer, Belli'mar Juraviel, elven trainer of the ranger, Elbryan (Nightbird) Wyndon. Along the way Juraviel & Brynn come across the Doc'alfar, the dark elves of legend. The elves send one of their own to accompany them under the mountains into Brynn's land. The party of 3 come across the lair of a dragon and are separated. Brynn escapes and goes on to her land to find a small revolution led by a prideful warrior. This warrior falls to his pride.

During the campaigns Brynn meets up with a Jhesta Tu mystic by the name of Pagonel. Pagonel rescues Brynn from death by the Behrenese army. Pagonel is one of the few mystics that has achieved the highest state of enlightenment. The mystics are able to perform magicks without the use of the magical gemstones like the Abellican Monks. Pagonel falls in love with Brynn and she with him. Pagonel begins teaching her the enlightenment of the Jhesta Tu.

In the meantime Juraviel and the female Doc'alfar also begin to fall in love while being held by captive by Agradeleas, the dragon. Agradeleas soon learns that Juraviel is duty and honor bound to escape and find Brynn. Agradeleas decides to accompany the 2 elves to find Brynn.

The Behrenese soldiers seek out Pagonel because he murdered one of their higher ranked soldiers. This brings war to the Jhesta Tu. The Jhesta Tu are at first winning the battle but more soldiers arrive, surrounding the mystics.

I will leave you hanging there until the next installment, enjoy.

Your chance to win "Buffalo Unbound" by Laura Pedersen

Laura Pederson is releasing another book and this time she and I are giving you a chance to win a copy. All you have to do is comment on this blog and you'll be entered to win. Make sure you include an email address so I can contact you if you win. The winner will receive a copy of "Buffalo Unbound" and Pedersen's previous book "Buffalo Gal"

I'll be drawing the random winner Friday October, 22 so enter now. Only one entry per e-mail address.


BUFFALO UNBOUND: A Celebration by Laura Pedersen.

When Forbes magazine recently ranked Buffalo, New York, eighth on a list of America's 10 Most Miserable Cities, former New York Times columnist Laura Pedersen set out to celebrate the people and places that make Buffalo the Most Exciting City. In BUFFALO UNBOUND, a follow-up to her award-winning memoir BUFFALO GAL, Pedersen captures the current renaissance in a humorous conversational style that would make former Nickel City newspaperman Mark Twain proud.

Writing about the economic collapse and social unrest of her 1970s childhood in Buffalo, New York, Laura Pedersen was struck by how things were finally improving in her beloved hometown. As 2008 began, Buffalo was poised to become the thriving metropolis it had been a hundred years earlier—only instead of grain and steel, the booming industries now included health care and banking, education and technology. Folks who'd moved away due to lack of opportunity in the 1980s talked excitedly about returning home. They missed the small-town friendliness, and it wasn't nostalgia for a past that no longer existed—Buffalo has long held the well-deserved nickname the City of Good Neighbors. The diaspora has ended. Preservationists are winning out over demolition crews. The lights are back on in a city that's usually associated with blizzards and blight rather than its treasure trove of art, architecture and culture.

"Buffalo Gal"
Growing up in the snowblower society of Buffalo, New York, Laura Pedersen s first words were most likely turn the wheel into a skid. Like many families subsisting in the frigid North during the energy crisis, the Pedersens feared rising prices at the gas pump, argued about the thermostat, fought over the dog to stay warm at night, and often slept in their clothes. While her parents were preoccupied with surviving separation and stagflation, daughter Laura became the neighborhood wild child, skipping school, playing poker, betting on the horses, and trading stocks. Learning how to beat the odds, by high school graduation Pedersen was well prepared to seek her fortune on Wall Street, becoming the youngest person to have a seat on the American Stock Exchange and a millionaire by age 21. Combining laugh-out-loud humor with a slice of social history her hometown was a flash point for race riots, antiwar protests, and abortion rallies, not to mention bingo, bowling, and Friday night fish fries Pedersen paints a vivid portrait of an era.

Read Laura’s account of the rise, fall and rebirth of the Rust Belt city.
More information about Laura Pedersen and her books can be found online at: http://www.laurapedersenbooks.com.

"Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" by Lewis Carroll,

"Alice's Adventures in Wonderland"
by Lewis Carroll,
read by Michael York
Produced by Blackstone Audio, 2005
Approx 3 hours


Every once in a while you just have to read a classic. In my adult life, I've gone back and read, "Moby Dick," "Catcher in the Rye," "A Brave New World," and a few others and each time I find something new I didn't catch before or enjoyed something new that I knew was there but didn't have the life experience to fully appreciate. This time around I got the opportunity to listen to the audiobook of "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland." I had re-read this to my son a few years ago and we had a blast with all the absurdities and adventures. This time I could have the book read to me, and what a treat it was.

One of the nice things about this version was that it is read by Michael York. I've listened to audiobooks by Michael York before and am considering myself a fan of his voicework. His British accent is nice for this Yank to hear and he has the vocal range and talent to create some great character studies. This book is filled with some very interesting and strange creatures/characters and York does a superb job of making each character not only stand out but the voice fits what the character should sound like. York makes the White Rabbit not only sound in a hurry but through his voicework makes the rabbit come to life. All the characters come to life with the expertise of Michael York.

"Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" has been analyzed through and through over the years but in my humble opinion it's just one of those books that should be enjoyed. During the 60s the book got a revisit due to the possible drug use mentioned, even Jefferson Airplane based a song on the book, "White Rabbit." Sure there may be some psychedelia to the book, but I feel that's just due to the book's absurdities.

One of the best sections I found this time around is Chapter 3 "A Caucus Race and a Long Tale." The play on words in this section definitely made me chuckle as did the chapter featuring the Gryphon and the Mock Turtle. In reading the book to my son, we had a version with the original drawings, we got the entertainment from the pictures as I read. This time around I had no pictures by Michael York made up for that by delivering the descriptions and absurdities with ease.

I'm not sure what classic I'll be visiting next, but I can tell you, it'll be hard to capture the fun I just heard in this presentation.

"Transcendence Part 1 of 3" Book 6 of "The Demon Wars" Saga by R. A. Salvatore

"Transcendence Part 1 of 3"
Book 6 of "The Demon Wars" Saga
by R. A. Salvatore
Multicast Performance
Produced by GraphicAudio
Approx 6 hours.

Here I go starting on book six of the seven volumes that make up "The Demon Wars Saga" by R. A. Salvatore. This book is called "Transcendence," and tells the story of the second Ranger trained at the same time as Adryan Wyndon, who became King of Honce the Bear in the last book. Brynn Dharielle, was rescued by the elves of Touel'alfar after her parents were murdered by the Behrenese. The Behrenese have been enslaving Brynn's race, the To-Gai, and her purpose as a Ranger is to free her people and start a revolution.

This book begins as Brynn and Belli'mar Juraviel, elven trainer of the rangers, begin their journey south from Andur'Blough Inninness, the elves' home, to the lands of Behren. Along the way they must cross the mountains called The Belt and Buckle. Traveling through the mountains Belli'mar and Brynn are attacked by zombies. The zombies are found to be under the control of the legendary Doc'alfar, the Dark elves. The Doc'alfar are amazed to see Belli'mar, or any member of the Touel'alfar, the split between the two occurred hundreds of years in the past and the each elven branch believed the other perished. Belli'mar convinces the king of the Doc'alfar that Brynn is not a typical human and that they both should be allowed to live.

The Doc'elfar know of a secret passage under the mountains and send a guide with Belli'mar and Brynn. The passage is not safe as is found to be true by the scattering of bones, abandoned villages of powries (dwarves) and a Dragon. This is when the this book really gets exciting as Belli'mar, Brynn and their Doc'elfar guide must battle for their lives as the dragon attacks. Brynn finds the remains of the last To-Gai ranger trained by the elves, and realizes she will be the first to survive, if she can survive. Taking the sword of the dead ranger and a few shield like armaments Brynn does manage to survive and arrives in a To-Gai village run by the Behrenese. As for the elves, it is not known.

GraphicAudio delivers this story with the excellent production they use in all their releases. The acting is simply the best. The voice actors not only portray the different characters but implement various accents and vocal qualities that allow the listener to listen to this "Movie in Your Mind." The sound effects and incidental music create the perfect auditory cinematic experience, creating the best experience you may ever have in audio books.

"All Frontiers are Jealous" by L. Ron Hubbard

"All Frontiers are Jealous"
by L. Ron Hubbard
Multi-cast Performance
Produced by Galaxy Audio
Approx 2 hours


If you are and adventuring sort then you need to check out the adventure stories from L. Ron Hubbard. These stories are all being re-released by Galaxy Press and in audio book form by Galaxy Audio. Each story contains some excitement, thrills and chills while telling a bit about a time in world history when we were a bit naive about goings on in the rest of the world.

If you choose to go the audio book route (which I highly recommend) you will get even more of an adventure thanks to the superb talent at Galaxy Audio. Highlighting the mystery and suspense of Hubbard's stories, Galaxy Audio has a great cast of voice talent to bring the characters to life. Along with the talented cast there are great sound effects and original incidental music that keeps the story flowing with cinematic ease.

This book, "All Frontiers are Jealous," which was originally published back in June of 1937, sweeps the listener away to a time when the Dark Continent, Africa, was just starting to get railroads to connect the major cities. An American engineer, Dan Courtney, surveying the route of Sudan railway in Africa, saves a girl from the fierce tribe of Dinkas. In the process he kills a man and upon searching the man's body finds a badge marking him as a "Diamond Cop," part of an international police force to fight the lucrative diamond smuggling business. Knowing he's in trouble deep he proceeds to try to rescue the woman's companion. Courtney, sneaks into the village of the Dinkas and in order to escape with his life takes on the tribal chief in a face-to-face encounter.

As is typical with all of L. Ron Hubbard's stories from the Golden Age, there are some twists and turns that he explores that keeps you wondering what will happen next and not until the very end does the full story come to light.

As a reader/listener in the 21st century, going back to these early 20th Century writings seem at first odd. Some of the the writings may seem stereotypes of the people, and some unfairly so, but given the time, they make complete sense. Hubbard didn't write anything to offend anyone and none of it is offensive, it just makes you realize the differences that can exist within a 70 year time frame.

Keeping honest with the times and writing style all the books in the Stories from the Golden Age series allow the reader/listener to escape and enjoy some simple adventures. Perfect for the person who likes to have fun while reading or listening to a good book, and fun you will have.

"Dead in the Family" Book 10 of the Southern Vampire/Sookie Stackhouse Mysteries by Charlaine Harris

"Dead in the Family"
Book 10 of the Southern Vampire/Sookie Stackhouse Mysteries
by Charlaine Harris
Read by Johanna Parker
Produced by Recorded books
Approx 9.5 hours

In each of the books in the Southern Vampire Mysteries the title of the book will tell you what to expect in the story. This time around "Dead in the Family" hits the nail on the head. It seems as though every character major and minor ever mention in the series has a family problem in this one.

To sum up what has happened so fair; The Fairy war is over, Sookie's great-grandfather Niall (a powerful fairy) has closed most of the portals between the Fairy world and the human world. Sookie's cousin Claude (a fairy) chose to remain with the humans. The two natured (were-wolves, shape-shifters, et. al.) have revealed themselves to the world and it's not quite as positive a response as when the vampires did it. The government is trying to get the two-natured to register, even though they have been citizens and veterans all these years. Louisiana's Vampire territory has been taken over by the "King" of Nevada and Eric Northman Sheriff of area five of Louisiana, and Sookie's boyfriend is the last remaining member of the former Queen's "court."

With all this happening the future is pretty much unsure, the Shreveport, La. werewolf pack is under pressure from the government to get registered, and the government is just looking for a reason to lock up all two natureds. Alcide Herveaux, leader of the pack asks Sookie's permission to have the monthly pack run on her land since his is being watched. When the run is over Sookie is told that there have been fairies running around her land recently and a dead body. One of the fairies can be explained in that Sookie's cousin and full fairy, Claude has moved in with Sookie because he needs to be near someone like him, even if she's only 1/8th fairy. The dead body is that of Debbie Pelt, Alcide's former girlfriend, whom Sookie killed. The other fairy scent, needs to be explained.

Eric & Sookie's relationship seems to be building, at least until Eric's maker shows up with his latest progeny, Alexei Romanov, only son of the last Czar of Russia, who as an adolescent witnessed the Bolshevik Revolution, including the slaughter of his entire family. Alexei seems to be bordering on the brink of insanity (who could blame him?). Eric returns to Shreveport, but not before sending a tracker to find out who the other fairy may be.

This tracker discovers another body. This second body is new and has been buried on Sookie's land to frame her for murder. Who is this other body? Who killed them? Why is Sookie being Framed? All these questions get answered and but they don't solve anything. This just creates more turmoil in Sookie Stackhouse's life.

"Ascendance - Part 2 of 2" Book 5 of "The Demon Wars Saga" by R. A. Salvatore

"Ascendance - Part 2 of 2"
Book 5 of "The Demon Wars Saga"
by R. A. Salvatore
Multicast Performance
Produced by GraphicAudio
approx 6 hours.


R.A. Salvatore's epic tale of the Land of Corona just keeps getting more and more exciting, and GraphicAudio's productions keep these books exciting with the superb audiobook productions. "Ascendance" is book five of the series and tells the tale of Aydrian Wyndon, the lost son of Elbryan the Ranger and Jilseponie the warrior. When Jilseponie was battling with the demon possessed Father Abbot Dalebert Markwart, the supreme leader of the Abellican Church, she thought through his magic Markwart killed her unborn son. The truth is that Lady Dasselrond, leader of the Touel'alfar, the elves, rescued the baby from Jilseponie's womb, and raised him as a Ranger among the elves.

In Part one of this book Aydrian escaped the land of the elves and set out to make a name for himself. As fate would have it Aydrian crosses paths with Marcalo De'Unnero, the former Bishop of Palmaris, who has been possessed by the were-tiger spirit, and is the man that murdered Aydrian's father. De'Unnero begins plotting against Jilseponie, who is now Queen of Honce-the-Bear, in the land of Corona. De'Unnero's plan is to put Aydrian on the throne, topple the church and put himself back in power. Aydrian, powerful with the magic gemstones used by the church and an equally powerful Ranger, goes along with these plans and even develops a few of his own.

To further the cause, De'Unnero places himself among the nobles in the kingdom and running the long con gets the Duke Callis to hold a series of contests as a show for the King's 50th birthday. Bringing to mind scenes from the classic tale of Robin Hood and the movie "A Knight's Tale," nobles and peasants alike compete in melee battles, jousts and sword fights to prove who is worthy of the King's Pennant. Aydrian defeats the strongest man in the Kingdom Duke Callis by killing him on the field. But before he does this the Duke says he battles for the King and in a show of rebellion Aydrian says he battles not for the king but for Queen Jilseponie.

Salvatore has a great skill of weaving this tale that includes many subplots that come together to produce a extremely exciting climax to the story. GraphicAudio combines their cast of talented actors with realistic sound effects (especially during the jousts and sword fights) and music that seems to build to a climax along with the story to the very end. I found myself on the edge of my seat while listening to all the battles and then at the end I felt as though I were going through those battles and was experiencing an adrenaline high from the excitement fueled by GraphicAudio's superb production.

Super exciting fantasy novel, not sure how Salvatore and GraphicAudio can top this, but the next book, "Transcendance," is sitting by my side as I write this ready to continue the adventure.

"Ascendance - Part 1 of 2" book 5 of "The Demon Wars Saga" by R. A. Salvatore

"Ascendance - Part 1 of 2"
book 5 of "The Demon Wars Saga"
by R. A. Salvatore
Multicast performance
Produced by GraphicAudio
approx 7 hours


Being a big fan of science-fiction, fantasy and supernatural stories, I jumped at the chance to begin reading the "Demon Wars Saga" by R. A. Salvatore. I first looked at this series and saw there were seven books in the series and knew it would be a fun adventure. I then found out they were available as audiobooks from GraphicAudio and knew that was a convenient way to get into the saga. When GraphicAudio first produced these I was so enthralled by the story that they couldn't release them fast enough. I then thought well, just go read the books. That didn't work because GraphicAudio had me addicted to their superb production quality and presentation that I just HAD to hear these masterpieces of audiobook production.

You see, GraphicAudio has a slogan, "A Movie in Your Mind," and they take it pretty seriously. It shows from the first words spoken in these audiobooks. The full cinematic feel of these stories is pushed along with superb voice acting and sound effects that come exploding out of whatever sound-system you hear these productions on. They really know how to suck you into the story. The storytelling prowess of R. A. Salvatore is enhanced a thousandfold through GraphicAudio's production quality. The nice thing is that GraphicAudio separates the books into 2 or 3 parts keeping each edition to about 6 or 7 hours in length. This is nice in that the books can be absorbed in chunks and then give you time to recover from the experience before continuing.

So let's talk about this book. This is book 5 of the 7 book saga that is "The Demon Wars," years have passed since the "Miracle of Avelyn" occurred on Mount Aida healing the country of the Rosie Plague. The Abellican Church is well on its way to canonizing Avelyn, even though he was once called a heretic.

Jilseponie after losing her husband, the Ranger, Elbryan (Nightbird) Wyndon, has settled in to becoming Baroness of Palmaris and serving the people. The Abellican church, who realize that with her talent of magic using the holy gemstones would better serve the Church and the folk of Palmaris by becoming a Bishop of Palmaris. The Bishop being a representative of both secular and church interests. At this same time King Danube Brock Ursal, king of Honce-the-bear wishes for her to become his wife and Queen. The King is actually in love with Jilseponie, but the church seems to have a hidden agenda.

The elves of Touel'alfar took Jilseponie's unborn son (also son of Elbryan) and raised him to become a ranger even greater than his father and to, hopefully, be the salvation of the elves. The plans of the Touel'alfar go awry due to Aydrian's own arrogance, cultivated by a dark force he encounters at Oracle.

The focus of this book is on the development of Adryan and what could possibly be a dark future for all the residents of the land of Corona, elves and humans alike, and GraphicAudio delivers this story with a punch.

"Hurtling Wings" by L. Ron Hubbard

"Hurtling Wings"
by L. Ron Hubbard
Multicast Performance
Produced by Galaxy Audio
Approx 2 hours


I've got to tell you, these audio book releases from Galaxy audio are just plain fun. During the mid-20th century L. Ron Hubbard eked out a living by writing stories for the many pulp fiction magazines that were in heavy circulation at the time. He wrote the stories in various genres so he could cover a wide range of the publications and even used aliases/pen names for some of the stories. Some of the genres he wrote in are; Science-Fiction, Westerns, Mystery, Fantasy, and Adventure (the adventure could be further broken down to sea, air and orient adventures.) Galaxy Press began re-releasing these stories and packaging them down to books that cover the various genres. Galaxy Audio in turning these into audio books has gone a huge step further by creating some very entertaining audio drama with each book.

Each book contains one or more stories, and with the audio books these come out to about 2 hours of pure audio pleasure. Using a cast of very talented vocal actors, these stories come to life in full audio glory. The actors not only perform the characters they create the mood and express the action they make you HAVE to listen to the stories. The sound effects are not simply thrown in when the story asks for it but instead layered into the full production so that they fit perfectly in to make the full experience completely engulf the listener.

So with all that in mind I try out another genre in the Hubbard/Galaxy inventory and gave "Hurtling Wings" an air adventure a listen. Soon I was caught up in the action and enjoying the full theatrical spectacle that is this audio book.

Hurtling Wings was originally published in "Adventure" November,1934, and seems at first like a simple story about aircraft racing teams competing in various aerial events. But with Hubbard's stories from the Golden Age nothing is simple. Cal Bradley is a daredevil racer and test pilot and during the acrobatics section of the event loses his plane in what turns out to be sabotage. Speed Kyle's company which builds the best planes around needs a good pilot to show of his planes at this event. This National Air Meet is important because the winner of the meet could get a valuable air mail contract, which could pull Speed's company out of the possibility of financial ruin.

Cal happens to be dating Speed's daughter Georgia, and this means they could be together more, but the sabotage follows Cal as it turns that some of the other businesses competing are not very honest. During the various flying contests Cal battles sabotaged planes to keep them in the air and battles the saboteurs to keep everyone around him safe. The excitement of this story will have you on the edge of your seat the whole time and not until everyone is safe and back on the ground can you relax.

Check out this latest release from Galaxy Audio for some exciting air adventures from the Golden Age of stories.

"Strange Brew" Edited by P.N. Elrod

"Strange Brew"
Edited by P.N. Elrod
Multiple readers
produced by Audible Frontiers (2009)
approx 12 hours.


In continuing my search for more Jim Butcher's "Dresden Files" stories I find another collection of short stories that have a few of my other favorite supernatural authors and I may have found a few more. This book features 9 stories all dealing with the supernatural, in particular witches, wizards and potions. There is no Professor Snape to let this lot know if they are doing it right or wrong, but for the most part they all get it right. The nice thing is that for most of the authors in this book, they have a running series and these short stories take place within the realm of that same series and for the die-hard fans, here's one more source for some quick pleasure while waiting for that next book.

Each story has their own reader thus giving this collection in audiobook form a better sound of being different stories from different authors. Now let's talk about each story one by one.

"Seeing Eye" by Patricia Briggs: Patricia Briggs returns to the world of Mercy Thompson, but follows an entirely new character – the witch (Wendy) Moira Keller. Tom Franklin, werewolf and second in the Emerald City pack, shows up on Moira’s doorstep asking for her help in finding his kidnapped brother Jon, Moira cannot refuse him, even though it could mean her death. For Moira is no ordinary witch, and she has a dark past connected to those who have taken Jon – the Samhain Coven, led by the cruel and power-hungry Kouros. Together, Moira and Tom set out on Jon’s trail, using her magic and Tom’s strength to discover Jon’s fate, and to face Samhain once and for all.

"Last Call" by Jim Butcher: Harry takes on the darkest of dark powers--the ones who dare to mess with his favorite beer. All Harry wants to do after a long hard day of wizarding and private investigating is have one of Mac's famous home brews and possibly a steak sandwich, but when Harry, walks into Macanally's, he finds the place in disarray, not the normal planned disarray but one which finds several tables turned over, customers and Mac,himself, unconscious. Harry then finds that the home brew has been tampered with and a deeper darker mystery unveils in which an ancient being wishes to take over Chicago. This story takes place between Small Favor and Turn Coat.

“Death Warmed Over” by Rachel Caine: This story takes place in a world where witches moonlight in extremely specialized fields. Holly Caldwell is one such witch with a rare affinity for resurrecting the dead, working at her day job when she receives a last minute email from her other boss, Sam – a request for a “disposable,” or a long-term resurrection from the local police department. Holly has sworn off disposables ever since her first and last job – because of the pain her impossible relationship with the resurrected caused her. Now, Sam and the police want Holly to raise the same man from her past, a powerful witch named Andrew Toland who died in 1875 fighting an army of resurrected dead gone violent (or more commonly, zombies). Though it pains her to reopen a relationship that is in all ways impossible, Holly breathes life back into Andrew. Unfortunately for them both, only later do they learn that someone has been killing resurrection witches, and Holly is next on the list. This turns out to be kind of a creepy love story of sorts that has a twist in the mystery unfolding.

"Vegas Odds" by Karen Chance: The longest story in "Strange Brew" is Karen Chance’s "Vegas Odds." The story bursts with excitement from start. Half-Were Lia and her boyfriend Were Cyrus destroy her house while under attack from a group of War Mages. From there the listener is thrwon into a world full of magic and a strong instantly likeable heroine while never letting up on the non-stop action.

"Hecate’s Golden Eye" by P.N. Elrod: Yes even the editor gets into the action with a story from her Vampire Mysteries series featuring the Vampire Noir, Jack Fleming and his partner Escott from 1930's Chicago. Fleming and Escott are asked to recover a stolen heirloom--a rare yellow diamond with a curse. Any man who touches it DIES. Of course, since Jack's already dead he should be immune, right? Maybe, maybe not. Mix in some con artists and a homicidally violent mad Irishman and see what happens! Just picture the old film noir detectives, but picture one as a vampire and you have this fun tale.

"Bacon" by Charlaine Harris: A beautiful vampire joins forces with a witch from an ancient line to find out who killed her beloved husband. This story has the funniest ending and is worth the purchase of this book alone. This story takes place in the world of Sookie Stackhouse (you know, from "True Blood" fame) featuring the vampire Dahlia. There was a previous Dahlia story in the anthology “My Big Fat Supernatural Wedding,” and Dahlia does appear in "All Together Dead."

"Signatures of the Dead" by Faith Hunter: The story is told from the perspective of Molly, a witch who is asked by the police to track down a group of killer vampires. The star of the story is actually Jane Yellowrock, skinwalker and vampire hunter, who has the job of actually finding and exterminating the vampires. This story is an introduction for the Jane Yellowrock character, who is going to be the protagonist of her own series of books.

"Ginger: A Nocturne City" by Caitlin Kittredge: This is the story of werewolf detective Luna Wilder’s witch cousin Sunny Swan. This thriller is a morality tale of sorts showing how doing the right thing can get you into more trouble then you can imagine, and that in everyone is the will to get done what needs doing. Who knew that the small task of supporting her cousin by visiting the trial she is testifying in will lead her into the dark depths of Nocturne’s City underworld?

"Dark Sins By" Jenna Maclaine: Recently turned vampire, witch Cin Craven may be the strongest witch in existence if she knew how to use her magic. This small fact allows for the imprisonment of Cin and her companions The Righteous a group of vampires that act as judge, jury, and executioner of their own kind.

So if witches are your cup of tea, check out "Strange Brew."

"13 Bullets" by David Wellington

"13 Bullets"
by David Wellington
read by Bernadette Dunne
produced by Blackstone Audio
approx 11.5 hours

If you're tired of the recent trend of vampires being used to tell stories of teen angst or of eroticism, and think it's time to get back to staking those bloodsuckers, then I have just the book for you. David Wellington not only gets back to hunting down of these undead but also throws in a bit of a twist in the story that doesn't detract from the true vampire horror fans have come to enjoy. In fact, Wellington takes us back to the Nosferatu type of vampire, bald, rows of sharp teeth, pointy ears and pale skin. Not only does Wellington bring back a terrifying look of the vampires, but his words create a terrifying story that will keep you looking into the shadows.

Bernadette Dunne does a smashup job of voicing this audiobook. She not only differentiates the characters with subtle vocal changes , but she captures the mood of every scene and presents the horror with her vocal tempo. This creates not only a great audiobook experience but also sucks (pardon the pun) you into the story so you don't want to stop listening.

In "13 Bullets" vampires are not mythical creatures but have been known about for centuries. The vampires in this world cannot simply swap blood to create other vampires, the victim must commit suicide to complete the transition into undead status. The vampires also create an army of minions by bringing back their victims and creating half-deads to do the vampires bidding. The half-deads are weak, have no skin and scare easily, but they will do the vampire's every demand.

The story begins when a Fed named Arkeley has tracked down the vampire Lares and in the process of trying to capture him, the vamp wipes out a SWAT team and nearly takes out Arkeley. Lares takes Arkely as his "hostage" to a boat where in 3 coffins are 3 other vampires, these vampires, however, are in a severly deteriorated condition. When Lares begins disgorge all the blood drained from the SWAT team onto the near skeletal remains of the vampires, Arkeley realizes Lares is trying to bring back the other 3 vamps. Arkeley destroys Lares and 2 of the remaining 3 remains. One vampire, Malvern, is taken into custody and is being studied. This is the opening action of this book, with the chase the fights and the horrific scenes the listener knows they are in for a great scare fest.

The book really takes off when a state trooper running a sobriety check point on a highway meets a half dead with a trunk full of dismembered bodies. She calls in the feds and Arkeley is the one who takes over. That night the trooper, Laura Caxton, is visited by one of the half-deads and when she tells this to Arkeley, he realizes they want more from her, but what?

Caxton and Arkely then team up to try and destroy at least 3 known vampires and "13 Bullets" will take you on a journey through some dark places and unravel a classic vampire tale.