Worst Erotica Ever

OK, I hate to be ornery, and I did already pass along my negative thoughts about Freedom by Jonathan Franzen but something happened around the Christmas dinner table that warrants another post about this badly overrated book.

Its erotic passages have to be some of the worst erotica I've ever read in a mainstream published book. Those passages were quite frankly awful.

How awful? Well, when I was reading the book I read a couple of them aloud to my wife knowing that they would either make her laugh or become disgusted. It worked. Not because of the content, but because of the truly awful writing.

Awful enough that around the Christmas table, my grandparents (almost 90 years old) brought up the book and declared it's erotic passages the worst they had ever read. Let me tell you, it's saying something when the elderly folks are complaining about the sex. Given how conservative they are, it's really something worth noticing if they even mention the word.

I guess I just have to say that I didn't like Freedom. I wouldn't like it no matter what edits it was subjected to, but I do have to say that without the horrid erotica, it would be a better book.

Full Dark, No Stars

People know how much I love to read, so I received three Barnes and Noble gift cards for Christmas from various folks. Wonderful gifts! Actually, I must say that they are wonderful gifts that integrate perfectly with the Nook. Book buying has never been easier.

My first purchase was Full Dark, No Stars by Steven King. This is a collection of four short stories, each of them a quick and enjoyable read. Highly recommended.

I'd write more, but I've got a lot of books to read!

The Templar Salvation

I was very excited to read this sequel to The Last Templar, and I was not disappointed by it.

Read The Last Templar, if you enjoy it, you will love The Templar Salvation.

The Crush

The Crush by Carl East is a short erotic story in the younger man, older woman vein. I didn’t particularly enjoy the story, but it is a fast read, and free, so if ‘Mother I’d Like To Fuck’ is your thing, it’s worth a try.

How To Write A Dirty Story

I think it vital that I, like any writer, keep learning the craft as I continue writing and selling my own words. For that reason I carefully read How To Write A Dirty Story by Susie Bright.

I’ve enjoyed Ms. Bright’s fiction and non-fiction for many years now, and was not disappointed by her exploration and explanation of the crafting of fine erotica. I found the wisdom contained within the book to be well worth it’s cost and the time I devoted to it.

For anyone seeking to write erotica well, this book has something to offer, and will help.

The Last Templar

I found The Last Templar by Raymond Khoury to be a fast, action packed, and engaging book. It is the story of a modern day treasure hunt with the good guys and bad racing against each other for the prize.

I’d recommend The Last Templar to anyone who enjoys action packed thrillers.

Horror Stories

Last night I finished Horror Stories by J.A. Konrath. The book is a collection of flash fiction, some good, and some bad. For those who enjoy short horror, there will be something to love in the collection, and the book is very reasonably priced.

Freedom

While on vacation I read Freedom by Jonathan Franzen. I had been looking forward to the book and was frankly disappointed in it. The story of a dysfunctional family, I found the characters difficult to enjoy, and can only assume that the accolades received by the book came about due to the story’s happy ending.

The book contained a handful of erotic passages; unfortunately they were poorly written and rather absurd.

I would not recommend the book, especially given the very high price commanded for the electronic version.

Afraid

As a lover of the horror genre I was not disappointed in my reading of Afraid by Jack Kilborn over the weekend. A story of the U.S. military gone horribly wrong I found it to be a fun and fast paced read.

Watch prices however, I discovered a radical pricing difference from seller to seller.

Room

I’ve been looking forward to reading Room by Emma Donoghue since the moment it was released. Told from the perspective of a five-year-old boy who has never stepped outside of the shed in which he was born, and never interacted with anyone but his mother the story asks, what if?

The book made me think, and on some level I think that is all we can ask of art.

The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet’s Nest

I’ve now finished all three books in the Millennium series by Stieg Larsson. The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet’s Nest is last, and by far the best of the three. Unlike the others it was extremely fast paced, and conveyed excitement from the first page to the last.

I don’t know if it would be as enjoyable a book if one did not read the previous books first as the backstory is very detailed, and possibly necessary for a full appreciation of the characters.

Sandman Slim

A book with heavy religious overtones, I enjoyed reading Sandman Slim by Richard Kadrey. It was an easy and quick read, but not for those bothered by violence, or offended by non-serious religious perspectives.

It questions, who is more fun, who is better to be around, God or Satan? It seems that Sandman Slim is just a bit of both.

The Girl Who Played With Fire

Early this morning I finished The Girl Who Played With Fire by Stieg Larsson. This is book two in the Millennium Series.

It was a slow read and seemed to be a simple story that was needlessly drawn out. Despite that fact, it was also oddly compelling. I didn't read it quickly, but I was attracted to it and continued to pick it up until I was finished.

I do recommend it, but if pressed, I'd have to admit that I'm not quite certain why.

Endurance by Jack Kilborn

I've finished Endurance by Jack Kilborn (J.A. Konrath.) It was a very quick and exciting read from the 'sick and twisted horror department.' Great fun, and at under three bucks can't be beat for those who enjoy the wonders of horror.

Sony

Dystopian Longings distribution continues to expand, it is now available from Sony.

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo

I've just finished The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson. This book was all the rage some months ago but I held off reading it due to the mixed reviews I had received. It seemed that some folks loved it, others hated it and I didn't want to waste my time on something that I didn't know I would enjoy.

I saw the movie, subtitles and all, and from that point knew that it would be a good read. I was not disappointed.

It is true that the book seems to have lost something in its translation. It is a bit 'clunky' in places and some jumps in the story do not flow well. That aside, the story and the characters are spectacular. Both elements are strong enough that faults are easily forgotten as the reader moves through the book.

I highly recommend it.

Dystopian Longings At Kobo

Dystopian Longings is now available at Kobo.

The Blood That Bonds

I've just finished a free e-book, The Blood That Bonds by Christopher Buechler.

I found it to be an extremely good story, fast paced, interesting, and with enough twists to overcome any feeling that vampire stories may be overdone.

Unfortunately however the book was poorly formatted for use on the Nook, and it was in bad need of a close edit to remove typos and misplaced words.

If I were rating the story alone it would clearly rate 5 stars. Unfortunately with the formatting and copy editing problems, I couldn't go any higher than 3.

Hopefully the author is able to correct these problems, and do so before the second book in the series is released. He has a clear winner with just a bit of touch up work.

Roma

Early this morning I finished Roma: The Novel Of Ancient Rome by Steven Saylor. It was a large book both in size and scope, yet an enjoyable and engaging read as it quickly covered countless generations of ancient Romans from before the first settlement to the reign of Augustus.

I highly recommend it for those who enjoy historical fiction.

Dystopian Longings Distribution

Distribution for Dystopian Longings is slowly growing. It can currently be purchased from:

Smashwords

Barnes & Noble

And via the Stanza app on the iPad & iPhone.

Buddha: A Story of Enlightenment

This is a fictionalized biography of the Buddha. A fast past and engaging book that provides a very soft overview of Buddhist spirituality without seeming dogmatic.

I enjoyed Buddha by Deepak Chopra, and am looking forward to reading his books Jesus and Muhammad.

Truly Twisted Reading

I've recently enjoyed the book Serial by Blake Crouch, Jack Kilborn, & J.A. Konrath. Greatly enjoyed the book actually. I found it to be shockingly entertaining.

A warning though, I am aware from reading reviews that many people find the book to be overly disturbing. Perhaps tender folks shouldn't read it, or perhaps tender folks should realize that the whole point of horror fiction is to disturb.

There are two versions of the book, one is free, the other reasonably priced. I enjoyed them both, but certainly recommend the longer 'Uncut' version.

Serial


Serial Uncut

The Future Of Ebooks?

An interesting article discussing the possible future of ebooks and electronic readers by Joe Konrath:

Journey of the Late Adopter

The Second Coming

I've just finished The Second Coming by David Burton. I had high hopes for this book based upon its reviews and blurbs but was unfortunately disappointed.

The story itself offered a great deal of promise but that was not enough to overcome the book's deficiencies.

The flow of the story was difficult to keep up with, and characters who had been well developed were often dropped without resolution or mention. I found this disconcerting as I moved through the book.

As I mentioned, I did finish the book, but I considered setting it aside.

Overheard Somewhere Online

"Books are like boyfriends, you always love the one you're with now the most."
-Unknown

I Will Be Your Dominatrix

I Will Be Your Dominatrix by Sarah Welcombe. Available from Smashwords.com

A short story about a professional dominatrix who convinces herself that life would be better if she left her exotic profession behind for a more mainstream career.

An interesting twist on the old adage that says the grass may look, but seldom is, greener on the other side of the fence. Of course the career change is not all the dominatrix had hoped and she soon realizes just how good her former profession was.

I enjoyed this story, found the character extremely realistic, and would recommend it for a quick, fun, and easy read.

Dystopian Longings: A Collection Of Dreams

I've co-authored a book of flash fiction stories with the incomparable Mistress Milliscent entitled Dystopian Longings, A Collection Of Dreams.  It is comprised of eighteen very short stories focusing on the powerful themes of bdsm, female domination, male submission, enforced chastity, and cuckoldry.

Dystopian Longings is distributed by Smashwords and may be purchased in a wide variety of ebook formats by clicking the link below.

Dystopian Longings: A Collection Of Dreams by Ms. Milliscent & F. Kettleman