The Whirlwind In The Thorn Tree : Book One of ‘The Outlaw King’ by S. A. Hunt

Ross grew up to be a writer, just  like his dad, Hugo Award nominee E. R. Brigham. The thing is, he’s never published anything worthwhile in his  life. So  when his father dies unexpectedly and leaves him the obligation of finishing the final book in his wildly popular gunslinging fantasy series, Ross thinks he’s got the world on his shoulders. What he  discovers is a trail leading to the fantasy world of his father Ed’s outlaw novels, where the proud Gunslingers of Ain protect the land of Destin from an army of immortals bent on destroying every world in existence — real and fictional.

Available on Amazon as a Kindle e-book or Paperback

About the author S. A. Hunt:
Logistics Coordinator / Military Policeman, US Army
Former Strategic Surface Specialist, Herat/Kabul, Afghanistan

Merkabah Rider: Once Upon A Time In The Weird West by Edward M. Erdelac

The final chapters in Ed Erdelac’s saga of the Hasidic gunslinger have just been published. Merkabah Rider 4: Once Upon A Time In The Weird West is available from Amazon.

For years the Rider, one of the last of an ancient Jewish order of astral travelers, has sought his renegade teacher Adon across the demon haunted American west.

Now it is 1882. The Hour Of Incursion is here. The Great Old Ones, beings of immeasurable power from the roiling chaos before the dawn of Creation, are stirring in their ancient slumber. It is high noon for the entire universe. Seeking to rouse the Old Ones, Adon has gathered together the Creed – an army of fallen Hasidic mystics – and a host of dark allies including skinwalkers, necromancers, an undead master gunslinger, Lilith the Queen of Demons, and the Angel of Death himself.

The Rider and Kabede, in a last bid to stop Adon, recruit their own band, including an unstoppable preacher more steam engine than man, an alien entity from the dawn of time, a young witch, and the enigmatic Faustus Montague, an angelic being from another universe. But Lucifer the master of hell watches from his capitol city, ready to commit his legions to the winning side. And he has an agent among the Rider’s companions….

“Riding out of the Old West comes the Merkabah Rider, a Hasidic gunfighter who owes his provenance as much to the nasty inhabitants of Elmore Leonard’s westerns as he does his piousness to Robert E. Howard’s Solomon Kane. This highly original episodic series breathes new life into the overworked western with tight action, inglorious heroes, and unpredictable plots.” – Weston Ochse, award-winning author of SEAL Team 666 and Scarecrow Gods.

Gettysburg : The Graphic History by Wayne Vansant Book Review

Wayne Vansant’s latest graphic history concentrates on the major military events leading up to and including the turning point of the American Civil War, the Battle of Gettysburg. As with his previous book Normandy, Vasant presents a detailed, balanced account accompanied by 400 vivid color illustrations in a 96 page graphic novel format.

The brutality of American fighting American in the downhill bayonet charge at Little Round Top, Devil’s Den, the Wheat Field, Peach Orchard and the infantry assault known as Pickett’s Charge at Cemetery Ridge on the final day of the battle on July 3, 1863 is told with a descriptive, historically accurate narrative with artwork that illustrates the grim reality of death on the battlefield.

Key figures such as Medal of Honor recipient Brigadier General Joshua Chamberlain, Confederate Army General Robert E. Lee, Confederate General James Longstreet and victorious Union General George Meade are highlighted by accomplished writer and artist Vasant. Maps of key battle plans on both sides add to the interest and President Abraham Lincoln’s famous Gettysburg Address speech serves as a fitting conclusion.

This book will be of interest to anyone seeking a greater understanding of the Battle of Gettysburg and also serves as an excellent introduction for youngsters with its mix of historical text and graphic imagery. Vansant uses a scratchy ink line and sketchy style to convey action in an effective manner.

One is left with the impression that the outcome and history of the United States could have taken a different route had General Lee taken the advice of General Longstreet not to attack from Culp’s Hill on that fateful final day at Gettysburg.

Available March 2013 in softcover and as an e-book by Zenith Press. Thanks to Nichole Schiele at Quayside Publications.

Review copyright Paul Green 2013.

Producing: Film Craft Book Review

The latest in the excellent FilmCraft series of books concentrating on different aspects of the filmmaking process is Producing (released January 2013). The Introduction states the job of the producer is multifaceted and “requires the wearing of many hats.” The producer is “the ringmaster who keeps the circus going.”

Authors Geoffrey Macnab and Sharon Swart, explore the many aspects of the ringmasters with interviews with acclaimed producers from the USA, UK, Australia, Denmark, France, Netherlands and Hong Kong including Tim Bevan (Four Weddings and a Funeral, Bridget Jones’s Diary), Jeremy Thomas (The Last Emperor, Sexy Beast), Jan Chapman (The Piano, Lantana), Jon Kilik (The Hunger Games, Babel), and Peter Aalbæk Jensen (Melancholia, Breaking the Waves).

Jon Landau has produced the two highest grossing films to date in Titanic (1997) and Avatar (2009), both directed by James Cameron. Landau admits, “The role of a producer is to be both the Devil on the shoulder and the Angel on the shoulder.” Landau followed the path of his parents Ely and Edie Landau who produced independent films, making his debut producing the unremarkable Campus Man (1987). Success followed with The Last of the Mohicans (1992) and Mrs. Doubtfire (1993). ”Your business plan is the script,” declares Landau.

Lauren Shuler Donner is a leading producer who has prospered in a profession where females are in the minority. Her box-office hits date back to Mr. Mom (1963), St. Elmo’s Fire (1985) and Pretty In Pink (1986). Her current work builds on her producer credits for the X-Men franchise with The Wolverine (2012) starring Hugh Jackman. Shuler realizes success depends on anticipating the future. “You have to feel the temperature of the country and understand where the next trend will be.”

The Legacy section includes profiles of acclaimed producers of the past – David O. Selznick, Michael Balcon, Dino De Laurentiis, Erich Pommer and Alexander Korda.

The FilmCraft series from Focal Press continues to impress with its knowledgeable text, insightful interviews and well designed layouts complete with rare behind-the-scenes color photographs. This is an excellent addition to the series.

Published by Focal Press. With thanks to Becky Sahm at Big Picture Media.

Review copyright Paul Green 2013. All rights reserved.

The Searchers : The Making Of An American Legend by Glenn Frankel : Book Review

The latest book by Glenn Frankel provides the real-life story behind John Ford’s classic Western The Searchers (1955). Frankel is at his best telling the the history of the various Indian tribes in the Old West and the abduction of young women, wives and children, including Cynthia Ann Parker, the subject of Alan Le May’s novel and John Ford’s subsequent film adaptation.

The history is a graphic account of tribal warfare and the response by the settlers and troops. No side comes out smelling of roses. Brutality was the order of the day against the backdrop of an often hostile landscape that reflected the violence that took place. Torture, mutilation and desecration were familiar events. No morality tale or happy ending. Real life was nothing like Hollywood with its depiction of the noble warrior. It was simply a matter of warfare and survival for the Indians who found their land being taken. They had little compassion for the white man and the white man had little compassion for the Indian. There were exceptions but life was harsh beyond the imagining of any modern day reader.

When the author tackles John Ford he becomes more predictable. The well known tales of Ford’s heavy drinking, bullying of his actors and boorish manner are repeated. There is nothing new here, just quotes from Maureen O’Hara’s biography and other well tread sources. A major frustration is the small size of the photographs. There is a previously unpublished photo of the cast and crew of The Searchers that is printed so small you can hardly distinguish who is who.

I highly recommend this book for the historical section which makes up the first half of the book. The descriptive passages bring the past to life. It is written with style and a genuine feel for the period. Film fans will find The Searchers section less satisfactory.

The Searchers is published February 19, 2013 by Bloomsbury (405pg h/c $28.00).

Review copyright Paul Green 2013. With thanks to Laura Gianino at Bloomsbury

Eerie Exploits of Ranger Company X: The Official Series Bible

“The Official Series Bible for the weird Western setting, inspired by the pulps of the 1930’s as well as radio and television shows as diverse as The Lone Ranger and The X Files. Take on the role of a Texas Ranger doing battle with the forces of the supernatural.” – Hank Harwell

The Official Series Bible™ is a format for roleplaying game campaigns. Each setting is called a Pilot, like the first episode of a television series, providing enough information to get started and offering hooks for future adventures, be leaving things open enough for gamemasters to take things in their own direction. All information is presented without rules system information, so you can adapt it to the system of your choice.”

Fan communities can be found at Facebook and Google+.

A Town Called Pandemonium

A Town Called Pandemonium is a new Weird Western anthology edited by Anne C. Perry and Jared Shurin featuring a ten short stories by a variety of new authors.  Jared Shurin explains the premise of the anthology :

“Pandemonium is a lonely place. The town sits in the emptiness of the New Mexico Territory. If you wanted to visit – perhaps to make a deal with cattle baron Representation Calhoun, or conduct a different sort of transaction in the bordello of Waterloo Jones – it could be quite a memorable journey. The town is surrounded by ravines, mountains and an inhospitable desert. There’s no train, and the intermittent stagecoach guarantees only an uncomfortable passage.

Nor is Pandemonium’s isolation solely a matter of geography. In this slightly alternative history, the town has some unusual neighbors. The Anasazi still rule all their ancestral lands, uncommunicative and concerned only with their own unfathomable goals. The new state of Deseret sits to the north, its founding fathers looking hungrily at the unoccupied land of the New Mexico Territory.

For the residents of Pandemonium, however, this seclusion can be a blessing. This is a dying town, filled with the foolish, the reckless, the outcast, the hopeful and the truly desperate. From the sheriff to the undertaker’s wife, everyone has a secret. With the silver boom in the town’s past, these secrets weigh more heavily than ever before.

In Sam Sykes’ “Wish for a Gun” a lonely widower finds his heart’s desire buried right by his front door. The Deakins boys, from Will Hill’s aptly-named tale, also find something deep underground, something both extraordinary and horrible.

Both Archie Black’s “4.52 to Pandemonium” and Sam Wilson’s “Rhod the Killer” feature ostensible innocents. But they too are revealed as more what they seem, and may God have mercy on those unlucky folk who cross the paths of Rhodri Anwell and Mrs. Philpott.

The title character of Chrysanthy Balis’ “Belle Deeds” has her secret lust and, later, shame. Chrissie Miller discovers what happens behind closed doors in Den Patrick’s “Red Hot Hate”. While Osgood Vance’s “Sleep in Fire” and Scott K. Andrews’ “Grit” both feature men wrestling with their personal demons, Joseph D’Lacey’s hero struggles with an entire hidden history – and terrifying future. Dark deeds and darker secrets: Pandemonium is awash in them, and Jonathan Oliver’s “Raise the Beam High” explores the consequences of revelation. What happens when that which has been hidden is brought to light?

The stories of A Town Called Pandemonium – be they macabre, funny, dark or droll – are all linked together by the spectacular artwork of Adam Hill, who has given this played-out boom-town a whole new lease on life. Welcome to Pandemonium.”

• “Grit” by Scott Andrews
• “Belle Deeds” by Chrysanthy Balis
• “4.52 to Pandemonium” by Archie Black
• “The Gathering of Sheaves” by Joseph D’Lacey
• “The Sad Tale of the Deakins Boys” by Will Hill
• “Raise the Beam High” by Jonathan Oliver
• “Red Hot Hate” by Den Patrick
• “Wish for a Gun” by Sam Sykes
• “Sleep in Fire” by Osgood Vance
• “Rhod the Killer” by Sam Wilson

The anthology is available in two editions: the Silver Dollar paperback edition and the Cafe de Paris Edition (Hardcover, 100 numbered copies) from January 2013. Full details at the A Town Called Pandemonium website.