Adam Howe writes with pitch-black wit and gulp-worthy violence in “Gator Bait,” a swamp-noir-horror (swampoirror?) set during the 1930s Prohibition. Now, mixing a bayou period piece and horror is no easy task, but Howe pulls it off with aplomb by throwing some “creature feature” dynamics into the steamy stew and cooking up a pulpy recipe for literary success.
A ragtag drifter named Smitty opens the story by losing three fingers to a cuckolded husband. (On a side note, while reading this part, all I could think of was the, “On your finger scale, how was my wife?” scene from The Last Boy Scout. Man, I love that movie! But I digress…) Smitty, sans some digits, gets the eff outta Dodge and ends up in a sleazy backwater dive where the owner, Horace Croker, gives him a job playing the piano. At first Smitty sticks around for the money, but when he gets an eyeful of Grace, his boss’s smoking-hot-and-ready-to-trot wife, he finds another reason to stay. Problem is, Grace is in permanent “hands off” status and Horace has a nasty habit of taking those who piss him off and tossing them to Big George, the massive gator that lives behind—and under—the honky-tonk. You might think you can see where all this is going, but Howe has several twists up his sleeve and leavens the inevitability with some eye-popping surprises.
This novella is chock full of restless energy that prowls like a caged tiger and tight, gripping dialogue. Every facet of the story—plot, characters, setting, action—is skillfully rendered. This is rich, violent, pulpy fun from start to finish and I sported an ear-to-ear grin on my face as I read about all the dastardly doings down at the Grinnin’ Gator.
Bottom line, “Gator Bait” is Joe R. Lansdale chugging moonshine with John Skipp as Tobe Hooper fires up a blowtorch. And if that doesn’t make you want to read this, then nothing will.
Mark’s thoughts…
Much like fried Brussel sprouts or Hillary Clinton, co-writing is not for everyone. Whenever I talk to fellow authors and mention that I co-author (with Derric Miller) for most of my horror projects, the first thing out of their mouths is typically, “I don’t know how you do that.”
Derric and I have thus far written one splatterpunk novella (“Mudslingers”) and one survival-horror novel (Gristle) together and are currently working on a short ghost story (“Gurgles”) for our upcoming anthology. We have also sketched out plans for a Gristle sequel as well as a Christmas horror novel about holiday icons (Santa Claus, Frosty, Rudolph, etc.) coming to life and turning murderous (we’re guessing Disney won’t be interested in the film rights). So while we may not have yet achieved the co-writing cult status of John Skipp & Craig Specter (our literary heroes and inspiration), we do have some experience at co-author shenanigans. Enough experience that we have figured out the #1 rule for harmonious co-writing.
Check your ego at the door.
Co-authoring is all about surrendering control of your writing to someone else. If you are consumed by the need to have every word on a page come from your brain, then co-authoring is not for you. If you cannot handle spending days/weeks/months writing something, only to have someone else shake it up and twist it all around, then co-authoring is not for you. If you cannot accept someone taking your words and deciding they can write some of them better, then co-authoring is not for you. So yeah, fragile egos and thin-skins need not apply.
For example, when writing “Mudslingers,” Derric one day decided to write the whole ending without even consulting me. I received a message in my inbox saying, “Yeah, I went ahead and ended the story. Hope you like it.” I could have screamed and hollered and thrown a temper tantrum and told him that was some straight up crap. But instead I just said, “Okay,” then sat down and added my twists to what he wrote. No muss, no fuss, because my ego did not demand that I have a say in how the story climaxed. Besides, even at my most sick and twisted, I probably couldn’t have conceived the deranged denouement Derric dug up. (Not sure if that’s compliment or condemnation…)
During an early draft of Gristle, Derric penned a sex scene that I disliked because a) it felt too comedic, and b) I didn’t feel the scene made sense at that point in the story. Derric took no offense to my criticism but remained firm that the lovemaking was vital to the plot. After some back-and-forth, we compromised by keeping the scene but rewriting it in a more serious tone. In other words, we checked our egos at the door and worked together toward a resolution we could both live with. I mean, yeah, I called him crazy and he called me a prude, but that’s all part of the creative process.
Now, in the interest of full disclosure, part of the reason Derric and I co-write so easily together is because Derric checks his ego more than I check mine. He’s the kind of guy who writes the first draft at blitzkrieg speed and then waits patiently while I pore over every word and typically has little issue with all the changes I make. Of course, I think I take so long doing my draft revisions that by the time I’m done, Derric just wants to get the book released and no longer cares about how much I altered what he wrote. So maybe the secret to co-authoring isn’t, “You need to check your ego at the door.” Maybe the secret to co-authoring is, “At least ONE of you needs to check your ego at the door.”
Bottom line, co-authoring is not for everyone. Even for myself, when it comes to my action fiction, I don’t think I could relinquish control enough to co-write with someone (though if Lee Child is interested, I’m willing to give it a go). But for some reason, I’m perfectly content to co-write horror. Find the right (write?) partner, slay your egos, and just have fun with it. After all, if you’re not having fun writing, what are you doing it for?
And now, it’s Miller time…
For the most part, I agree with Mark. I think going into a co-writing project—which I’d never done until we wrote the abomination known as “Mudslingers”—you just have to realize you won’t get everything you want and need to compromise. You know, like the exact opposite of how the U.S. Senate operates today.
With “Mudslingers,” Mark wrote the first chapter and sent it to me. As we were both music reviewers at Hardrock Haven at the time, the most we delved into the plot beforehand was, “we should have two music journalists battle it out to the death.” How their exact death came to fruition was never discussed, but the story arc basically meant they had to be in the same physical location at the same time … and then it came to me (as Mark said, “the deranged denouement). If you haven’t read it, it’s worth the .99 cents even if you only read the final chapter.
Mark decided the book should be chock full of metaphors, many of them (purposefully) overwrought. Not really my style, but he wrote the first chapter, meaning I had to follow his lead and not stylistically veer from the path he carved first. So I got in a groove and wrote, “His mouth opened wider than a glory hole in the bathroom at a Weight Watcher’s convention.” Mark nixed it. I didn’t complain. He didn’t like it. I didn’t care one way or the other.
Gristle was a whole different ballgame. I wrote the entire first draft with a lot of phone calls and input from Mark along the way. It was based off a screenplay Mark had penned years ago, so I had an outline to work with. Mark was busy working on The Assassin’s Betrayal, so he asked if I wanted to take the first stab. I did, but kept it short enough so he could add 20k words when his turn came. I tied myself up in knots trying to write the logistics of an escape scene; I was just too close to it. So I literally turned it over to Mark and said, “Fix it. I can’t.” And he sure as hell did.
I don’t know if opposite styles is one reason we work well together. He’s right … I write at a frenetic pace. I am not hyper-critical of my writing. I do not bother to fix each typo as I go along. In radio interviews, I have described my style as, “Puking my words onto the page and cleaning it up later.” Mark couldn’t be more opposite. He’s diligent, methodical, but has the ability to write nearly every single day. He has the kind of dedication I need to work on.
Quick aside: I found writing “Mudslingers” hilarious at times. I’d turn over a chapter, then a few weeks would go by and Mark would finally send the next chapter … and I would then write the next chapter in a day or two and it’d be right back in his inbox. I’m sure part of him had to feel under pressure at times because I’m so fast.
So yes, another aspect to co-writing is the pressure. You can’t come up with something half-assed and turn it over and say, “Good to go!” Neither one of us will let the other do that. So for me, there’s a voice saying, “Don’t let Mark down.”
Gee, does that mean we are actually learning from each other and making us both better writers? I can’t speak for Mark (just co-write with him) but I know I’m becoming better at my craft each project we create together.
Co-writing is not easy and it’s not for everyone, especially those who take themselves too seriously. But when you do it right … it’s fun as hell.
Oh yeah, one last note … Mark and I have never met in person. Ever. Wrap your head around that one, kids.
They say to never judge a book by its cover, but many readers still do and sometimes—just sometimes—it pays off. For example, when I saw the cover of Zeke Mitchell’s Kill Zone, with its assault rifle and flame-kissed fonts, I judged that it would be a hard-hitting action novel with a serious ‘80s vibe and that’s exactly what I got.
You remember back in the '80s when noble one-man-armies like The Executioner rampaged against the evildoers, killing them mercilessly? When Chuck Norris and others of that Uzi-toting ilk stormed across the silver screen putting buckets of bullets into scumbags? Yeah, so does Zeke Mitchell and he expertly captures the vintage spirit of those old action-adventure series, writing in the same "kill 'em all and let God sort 'em out" zone that made those books such (not) guilty pleasures. Seriously, if this novel had been written back in the glory days of the genre and then turned into a movie, the producers would have immediately called Schwarzenegger and offered him the starring role. (Well, unless it was being produced by Cannon, who probably would have settled for Michael Dudikoff.)
The plot is minimal, just enough to hang a series of ceaseless action sequences on, and our stone-cold yet honorable protagonist (Matt Thorn) wastes more villains in this book than all the Rambo movies combined (OK, maybe a slight exaggeration ... but just a slight one). The carnage count is wildly absurd in all the right ways. Everywhere Thorn turns, there are bad guys popping out of the woodwork to waste him ... only to get wasted themselves instead. Sure, the thugs are piss poor shots while the hero rarely misses, but that's all part of the genre. You want realism, stick to Schlindler’s List or something. Me, I just kept on grinning as I watched (read) one enemy gunman after another get chopped to bits by auto-fire.
The level of graphic violence merits mention. This ain’t no PG-13, watered down, sissified action. This is hard-R stuff, with exploding heads, ripped flesh, splattered brains, popped-out eyes, gushing blood, and enough body parts to fill a butcher shop. None of that “the enemy target clutched his chest and fell to the ground” bloodless bullcrap here.
Bottom line, Kill Zone is a great kickoff to what should be a killer action series. If you enjoy nonstop shoot-‘em-up action, then prepare to be impressed. This one is all guns 'n' guts and loaded with so much auto-fire action, I could practically smell the cordite seeping out of my Kindle.
Guns, Guts, & God is now just Guns ‘n’ Guts (www.gunsnguts.blogspot.com). Please update your bookmarks accordingly.
Now, you may be thinking, Hey, man, why’d you drop God?
Trust me, it was nothing personal. Evolution is natural and blogs are no exception. Intents, goals, focuses … all are malleable and subject to change. When I first kick-started this blog, back when I was a newbie indie author, I thought all my focus would be on the action-adventure genre, which I affectionately refer to as “guns ‘n’ guts” because, well … there are lots of guns and guts. But I also dabble in spiritual essays and had a notion to occasionally throw one up on this blog, so when I was selecting a name for the blog, I added “God” at the end to kinda-sorta cover those intermittent faith-based writings.
Now, while I still primarily write action-thrillers, I have expanded into the horror genre, but that still makes sense under the “guts” section of the blog’s name. But the reality is, randomly posting an entry about God, faith, etc. just doesn’t make sense. Different demographic, different audience. If I decide to pursue writing spiritual essays, I will create a new blog for that, not try to force them to awkwardly coexist.
So the blog has a new name—Guns ‘n’ Guts—and a revamped focus. My hope/goal is to get back to posting entries on a more regular basis, so hopefully those of you who still check in for new content will find your patience rewarded. If I could buy everyone a new SIG-Sauer for their loyalty, I would. But these days, I can barely afford a Kel-Tec.
Next up, if all goes according to plan, is a review of Zeke Mitchell’s Kill Zone, which has been scorching up the Amazon charts for months now with no sign of slowing down and heralding the arrival of a new action author to be reckoned with. So bookmark the new link (www.gunsnguts.blogspot.com) and get ready to lock ‘n’ load, because we’ll be chatting about autofire carnage again real soon.
With all due respect to Shakespeare, to blog or not to blog, that is the question. And it's a question I have asked myself frequently over the past few months. Like most indie authors, I frequently peruse articles regarding methods for success in the dog-eat-dog publishing world and more often that not, one of those recommended methods is to blog. In fact, it comes across as more of a command than a suggestion. "If you are an author, you must have a blog!" the articles trumpet, usually followed by, "If you have a blog, you must add new content constantly!" To which I typically find myself thinking, I'm lucky if I can find time to brush my teeth. When the hell am I going to find time to blog?
Here's the problem, and it's a problem faced by many--if not most--independent authors: limited writing time. Sure, if I had 8 hours a day to write, I would bang out a new blog every other day and twice on Sundays. But with all the responsibilities and activities that come with a full-time career and family, the available writing time gets chopped down to slivers. I get up an hour before work in the morning to write and sometimes (not always) scrape together another 30-60 minutes before bed. That's it.
Perhaps I should feel like some kind of slug because I only write 1-2 hours per day, but that is all I have to give. So with that said, should I spend that limited time blogging? More and more these days, my answers has been "no."
Here's the thing: I do not write fast. Oh, I can type pretty fast, but typing is not the same thing as writing. In those 60-90 minutes I scrape together each day to write, I am usually able to generate 1-2 pages of a manuscript. It takes me about the same amount of time to write a blog post. So what's the better use of my time? Writing pages in the next novel or writing a blog entry?
Your mileage may very, but I saw no uptick in book sales when I started blogging and have seen no downtick in sales since I took a 7 month blogging hiatus. And during that period of blogging abstinence, I was able to co-write and publish a new novel (Gristle, co-authored with Derric Miller). Had I felt the need to blog weekly, I doubt that novel would be done yet. While it's not all about the money, it's not NOT about the money either, and by getting a new novel out, I am making money. As it commonly does, releasing a new novel increased sales of my other books as well. Blogging did not do that for me and begs the question, why should I keep doing it?
It is entirely possible that I am going about blogging all wrong. Maybe blogging is not a waste of time but the way I blog is. To that I merely shrug my shoulders and say, "Whatever." I do not mean to discourage anyone from blogging--if it works for you, by all means, go for it--but for me, forcing myself to blog has done nothing but rob me of time that I feel would be better spent working on a new novel. I will not shut down this blog and will continue to periodically post new content, but it will be when I want to do so, not because I feel I have to do so.
So the question was, to blog or not to blog? My answer is yes ... but only when I damn well please.
If being prolific is the key to success, then author Brian Drake will soon grace the pages of blogs far greater than this one. He currently has three series going--The Rogue Gentleman, John Coburn, Wolf (under the Dean Breckenridge moniker) and now Steletto--and has several titles in the pipeline for 2015. Brian recently took the time to answer some questions and one thing became perfectly clear--NEVER compare his books to Archer.
MARK: You already write multiple other series, so what made you want to start a new one?
BRIAN: A couple of things happened. 24: Live Another Day was announced and that got me binge-watching early 24 episodes to lead up to it. Then Gerard de Villiers, a French author who wrote the Malko Linge spy series, passed away. These two events started me thinking about doing a straight spy series. The Rogue Gentleman is an action series laced with humor, featuring an ex-spy and his adventures, and I wanted to do something to offset that. I had hoped to release The Termination Protocol in time for the new 24 series earlier this year, but I missed that because an editor at an actual publisher had the manuscript. They ultimately didn't move forward, so I released it myself.
MARK: As they say, never let one person's failure to move forward make you go backward. (Actually, they don't say that; I just made it up.) What made you want to become an action writer?
BRIAN: My imagination gets fired up with the idea of the heroic quest. Mystery and adventure stories are full of that, either solving a crime or locating secret documents, for example. You can do anything with the form, either something traditional, or a spoof, and it all fits. I like to explore the theme of what makes humanity tick, and you may have noticed The Termination Protocol features a short discussion on why it is man's nature to "live on his knees" and be controlled by a central power. We see a lot of that in the world and, worse, not much opposition, so I thought it was an idea worth exploring, albeit briefly. You don't see explanations like that often in adventure fiction, so I hope I'm breaking some ground normally reserved for standard literary efforts.
MARK: You know what else you don't see? Intestinal maladies. Seriously, imagine how cool it would be to read an Executioner novel where Bolan missed an opportunity to take out a target because he was suffering from irritable bowel syndrome and had to rush off to find the nearest toilet? Anyway, are there certain authors you draw inspiration from?
BRIAN: Most of the guys I read are dead now. If I had to name a top three, it would be Jerry Ahern, Ian Fleming, and Dashiell Hammett. I suppose the next question is how, but we don't have enough space for an analysis.
MARK: Since everyone you read is dead, if you would mind not reading my books, I would appreciate it. You are on record as stating you sometimes write your manuscripts by hand. Do you just enjoy cramped fingers or is there another reason you occasionally eschew a keyboard?
BRIAN: I like the sound of a pen scratching on paper. I like the idea of creating something by hand, whereas typing straight into a computer seems so remote, and I don't like the feeling of detachment. I like the idea of not having to find a power source if I want to write somewhere other than home (such as jail). Everything gets typed eventually, of course, and along the way I'm able to make improvements, so the written draft is really my first.
MARK: They say you never forget your first. Speaking of firsts, The Termination Protocol is the first in a new series, so how would you describe your new character, Scott Steletto?
BRIAN: Tom Clancy once said that the CIA is a large office complex that empties out at five o'clock every day. Another author, Barry Eisler, who worked there, said the CIA is like the Post Office with spies. I wanted to approach Steletto as a working man who has the same complaints about his job that everybody else does, then races around the world shooting bad guys. I think it will make him more identifiable to readers. Ian Fleming did the same thing, if you look closely, especially in Moonraker, where James Bond spends the first chapter sifting through paperwork at his desk. Hardly the stuff of the movies.
MARK: I can hear it now: "Somebody fetch me a bloody martini, shaken, not stirred, while I fill out this report accounting for every bullet I fired yesterday." OK, these days, if your name isn't Lee Child, it seems difficult to generate much noise in the action-adventure market. What is the single most important piece of advice you would give to a author aspiring to find success in the genre? (And no, "write erotica instead" doesn't count.)
BRIAN: That's funny, because I had a chat with one knuckleheaded friend of mine the other day who suggested I do just that. She even suggested titles: 50 Shades of Agent 69 and Double-0 Seven Inches Is Not Enough. But I told her I could never do that because I don't know how to spell "cock."
I have no idea how to answer your question. In fact, I should ask you. How many copies of your novel, The Assassin's Prayer, have sold just in the time it's taken to read this? I've given up trying to find the magic combination. Some of us are going to hit a home runs, some of us will make base hits, and the rest of us won't get off the bench. I seem to do a little better with each book, even if only for a short time. The Termination Protocol sold ten copies its first month, seven its second, and now it's stalled. No amount of advertising seems to work and I've exhausted so much money on this effort that things are going to be tight for the remainder of the year. I have an ambitious 2015 planned, a book every two months (stockpiled, if nothing else, unless I can afford the covers that frequently), and if it doesn't turn around, then it's time to hang up the pen and find another way to fund my addiction to Jammie Dodgers. Right now the only people making money off my work are my editor and cover artist. It's the sad reality of self-expression. F. Scott Fitzgerald said there are no second acts in America, but I'm trying to hang on through the intermission.
MARK: If it makes you feel any better, I had to go Google Jammie Dodgers. What do you think is the single worst mistake new authors make?
BRIAN: Holding back. Forget what people tell you about how to write. Follow your instincts and write your book.
MARK: My instincts tell me to write dinosaur porn, but thus far I have ignored them, and I'm pretty sure the world is a better place for it. While your earlier books all feature violent action, The Termination Protocol seems to be a bit more graphic about what happens when the bullet hits the bone. (Yes, that's a nod to .38 Special.) Was it a deliberate choice to ramp up the explicitness?
BRIAN: Actually, it was Golden Earring who sang "When the Bullet Hits the Bone," and now I have that song stuck in my head, so thanks a lot.
I wanted Steletto to be a throwback to the men's action novels of the '70s and '80s. I read a few of those before I started writing, so there's more violence, more suggestive sex, stuff like that. That tone may or may not transfer to the other series. It is kind of fun to write that way.
MARK: Golding Earring ... doh! Way to keep me honest. (For the record, I was thinking of "Bone Against Steel" by .38 Special, but don't ask me why.) In The Termination Protocol, there is a minor character named Mark Allen. Was that just happenstance, or do you actually borrow the names of people you know for your characters?
BRIAN: Hahahaha ... yes, it was an accident, I swear, and calling him a "minor character" is being generous--he's only there for a scene or two. (You're the second Mark Allen I know, by the way--I sold a car to the first one a few years ago, when I worked for GM.) I've borrowed many names from people I know. I did a book in 2010 called Show No Mercy, which has since been unpublished because I hated it, and in that one I named a nympho femme fatale assassin after a goodie-two-shoe I knew at church, and that gave me a big laugh. I don't worry about people finding out. Friends and family don't read my stuff. A prophet has no honor in his own home, as Jesus said. I should try using my girlfriend as the next nympho femme fatale assassin; it might be a kick ... or get me kicked in the head. A buddy tried to read The Rogue Gentleman once, only to tell me he felt like he was reading an episode of Archer. I'd given him a signed copy but took it back. He's lucky I didn't smack him with it. Seriously, an Archer episode??!!
MARK: Smacking him would have been justified. Just sayin'. What's your favorite action movie and what makes it special?
BRIAN: The go-to answer that nobody will argue with is either Goldfinger or Die Hard, but I'll go for the odd choice: The Magnificent Seven. Not only a stellar action movie but one that has true character arcs. The characters either change, or don't change, but know they need to change. There are some great scenes about the morality of the gunfighter and the fact that time is marching on and they have less and less time to exist in their chosen lifestyle. If they don't die, they will be forced to change, and you're left with Yul Brynner and Steve McQueen riding off into an uncertain future. Great show.
MARK: You'll probably want to smack me when I admit that I have never watched The Magnificent Seven. Some writers say to write whatever you damn well please, others insist you have to build your brand. What's your position on the subject?
BRIAN: Write whatever you damn well please ... and if it displeases somebody, write more of it.
MARK: Be true to yourself and follow your own path is always good advice ... unless your true self is a serial killer. Let's wrap this up by having you tell us what's next for you.
BRIAN: Steletto #2: The Fairmont Manuever is in the can, and ups the ante on action. Steletto #3: The Graypoole Resurrection is almost ready as well. The Rogue Gentleman #3: Another Way to Die is coming in 2015. I think the Wolf series, which I write under the name Dean Breckenridge, has had its day, but I may do one or two more to properly end the series. I'd like to try a western or sci-fi but I have no idea where I'll fit those in.
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If you're seeking an action novel that is heavy on the bullets and light on the bloat, look no further than The Termination Protocol by Brian Drake. The prose is as tight as anything Lee Child or Vince Flynn ever put to page, but with quadruple the action. If you're a fan of the guns 'n' guts genre and that last sentence didn't get you salivating, I don't know what will. (Maybe giving away a free Glock with every book purchase?)
In the interest of full disclosure, Brian Drake is part of a network of authors I occasionally converse with via social media. But he did not give me a free copy of this book--I bought it with my own hard-earned royalties--and all the thoughts contained in this review are mine, not his. If they were his thoughts, there would probably be a lot of stuff about 'Murica, Ebola conspiracy, and pumpkin spice tampons, judging from his Facebook posts.
But social media proclivities aside, Drake is an accomplished author and he recently unleashed his newest creation, CIA operative Scott Steletto, upon the literary world. Genre fans who ignore this novel deserve to be terminated like an ISIS terrorist wrapped in disease-drenched rags. The story rockets forward so relentlessly that it redefines the phrase "rapid-paced." Lean and mean is the name of the game here.
The most vital component of any action-adventure book is, well,
action (duh) and The Termination Protocol offers a plethora of gunfights. Even better, many of those firefights feature one of my favorite weapons, the Heckler & Koch UMP .45. (Seriously, I need to get my trigger finger on one of those suckers.) So if you like bullets a-blastin' and blood a-sprayin', then you'll be plenty happy here. While not exactly a gore-fest, Drake definitely goes more graphic with the carnage than we typically see from him. As a self-professed action-splatter aficionado, I wholeheartedly approved. Hell, I think I even gave him a standing ovation at one point ... which was awkward, since I was in church at the time.
Anyway ... lest you erroneously believe that the book sacrifices plot in favor of all-out action, rest assured that a nifty plot does indeed exist, full of betrayal and crises and even a smidgen of romance. And sex. Not exactly the 50 Shades variety, but suffice it to say that the HK UMP .45 isn't the only gun Steletto gets to shoot.
So yeah, the bullets may blaze and the brains may splatter, but the savage action is in service to the story and characters. Presumably Scott Steletto will grow more fleshed out as the series progresses, but as it stands, he is given more than enough personality to make him a welcome addition to the pantheon of pistol-packing action heroes. Only something as terminal as decapitation would prevent me from reading the next book in the series, and such an event seems unlikely unless I run into one of the aforementioned ISIS scumbags.
Bottom line, when all is said and done and boiled down to bare brass cartridges, if you like action-thrillers, you'll like The Termination Protocol. Even if it doesn't come with a free Glock.
