Category: Uncategorized (Page 4 of 5)

Books that go bump in the night?

October 1, 2020 / stephenpatrick1

It’s the first day of October. As we turn closer to Halloween, its time for a horror thought experiment.

What is the scariest book you’ve ever read?

After you read ours, drop yours in the comments. Hopefully, we’ll all find some new recommendations to help guide our Halloween reading!

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DAVID RIKE— it’s hard to feel true, visceral fear while reading. About as close as I’ve ever come as an adult was reading Dan Simmon’s “Carrion Comfort”.

STEPHEN PATRICK – I’ve loved horror for a long time, but for scary, the one that gets me, hit all the right notes and had a creepy silver cover. Kubrick’s movie aside, “The Shining” is atmospheric, isolating and squeezes so much terror from the nature of men. Also one of my prettiest books, the printing on top of the silver seemed to wear off at regular intervals, slowly replacing the tiny picture of Danny with another image (the reflection of the reader on the cover)

Where to find us?

September 27, 2020 / stephenpatrick1

Fans of The Holocaust Engine or the authors can find our Facebook pages at the places below, including our brand new Readers Club where we can dive deeper into the book and the ongoing trilogy.

The Holocaust Engine

Stephen Patrick

David Rike

Holocaust Engine Readers Club

Reviews are in

September 24, 2020 / stephenpatrick1

The first reviews for The Holocaust Engine are in:

“…a chilling community horror adventure like no other, and one which leaves you with a lump in your throat throughout.

Author team David Rike and Stephen Patrick have crafted one of the most interesting and original virus-style thriller novels I’ve read in a long while. As a horror fan, I felt that the violence, threat, and suspense were in excellent balance throughout the novel, with different aspects of fear coming through in a sophisticated way that elevates itself above shock value. The psychological aspect of how the area becomes divided really fascinated me, taking a small-town horror vibe and placing it in a wild section of waterways and tropical islands to enhance the danger. The more I got to know the characters and the progression of their skills, the more I wanted another book in this excellent series to devour right away. Overall, I would highly recommend The Holocaust Engine for fans of horror, thriller, and virus-style adventure novels.”– Readers’ Favorite Book Reviews, K.C. Finn (5 STARS)

“The Holocaust Engine is the first entry in a series that will certainly be an engrossing one, and I was pulled in right from the beginning. The authors start the story in an intriguing manner and as the reader follows the narrative, they become quickly enamored with the characters. The writing is polished and it flows with an unusual fluidity and crispness. I noticed the descriptive power of the prose and how strongly the imagery pops up in the pages. The setting is wonderfully written, and it reflects a society in chaos. The descriptions offer details that add depth to the story and allow readers to feel for the characters. The theme of survival is central in this narrative and while it features scenes that are crafted for fans of horror, I was so taken by the keen exploration of human nature. The characters are real, the pacing is fast, and the plot is a twisty one.”– Readers’ Favorite Book Reviews, Romuald Dzemo (5 STARS)

“I loved the story from the beginning. It starts with the death of Wesley Bontrager, which is not truly reported by the press—and this isn’t far from contemporary reality. What everyone thinks is that the professional quarterback committed suicide in the infirmary at the Metro West Detention Center while awaiting arraignment for the murder of his friend and teammate, George Cole. But before his death, he did things that are gruesome, like killing the guard and the nurse. When new characters come into the story it quickly becomes even more interesting. I particularly loved how the authors capture the general climate of a community under quarantine, the lies that authorities tell the population to hide the facts, and the natural human instinct for survival and the way it is written. This is a well-crafted horror story with memorable characters and an unusual plot. David Rike and Stephen Patrick keep the writing elegant and fill it with strong descriptions, creating an apocalyptic world where inhabitants struggle to survive through scarcity. There are gory, nerve-racking scenes. The Holocaust Engine is a fun and quick read, thanks to the beauty of language and the authors’ gift for storytelling and plot. I enjoyed the short chapters and suspenseful writing.”– Readers’ Favorite Book Reviews, Jose Cornelio (5 STARS)

Writer Wednesday #2

September 23, 2020 / stephenpatrick1

This week’s question involves the “where” of writing. What is your favorite place to write, or Where do you do your best work?

DAVID RIKE: The Rocky Mountains. Unfortunately, that creative process is limited to two weeks a year

STEPHEN PATRICK: I’m a “couch creative”, doing my best work curled up on cushions at the house (typically by myself). Pillows are optional, even the angle of typing (sitting, prone, etc) is flexible. Two related features are the hot cup of coffee or tea (depending on the time of day), and access to my current notebook (for reference) and one resource book (for inspiration).

For our fans, friends and other writers, drop your favorites in the comments. Where do you write? or, where do you read? Any tips for those looking for a better/best place to engage the written word?

A Long-Expected Party

September 22, 2020 / stephenpatrick1

Today is Hobbit Day, the annual day to celebrate the marvel and majesty of Middle-Earth. Whether you came to his work through print, screen, games, film or just meme’s, today’s the perfect day to turn our thoughts back to the Shire and the journey that J. R. R. Tolkien set out for us.

Today’s question: What do you think of J. R. R. Tolkien and what he built for us?

After you read ours, drop your thoughts and reflections in the comments. and yes, meme’s count.

STEPHEN PATRICK- Like Bilbo and Frodo, we all took that first leap of faith to leave our comforts to follow a powerful magician on an incredible adventure that dramatically changed our lives. JRRT works on so many levels, he created complete stories within a larger universe ripe for deeper exploration. It’s worth the trip, but so much fun to stop and look around along the way.

DAVID RIKE – We’re not supposed to covet, but my gosh wouldn’t it be nice to define an entire genre all by yourself? But then, what did he do? He mined European folklore (basically the greatest hits in storytelling over the centuries) and then fashioned an earth that a lot of us would rather live in than the modern, real thing.

Browsing the stacks?

September 18, 2020 / stephenpatrick1

blur book stack books bookshelves — Photo by Janko Ferlic on Pexels.com

Throughout my life, I’ve always been drawn to bookstores. Big boxes, chains, resellers, mom/pop, even the book section at Thrift stores have held my attention, pulling me into orbit around titles, authors and covers, each vying for my attention.

Today’s thought experiment: How or where do you find books for your reading list?

After you see our answers, drop yours in the comments. We’re always looking for recommendations for books and I can assure you, we’ll both steal the best ideas for selecting books for our stacks,

DAVID RIKE- Seriously, from bibliographies of other books to recommendations to online lists. Plus I take a stack of gift cards into the Half Price Books every January and get a stack based on author, subject, jacket description… sometimes just the cover art.

STEPHEN PATRICK – I’m pretty eclectic, so this answer will be a bit all over the place. My go-to is walking into a store and looking around. I usually start out with a general list to start the year (5 non-fiction pieces, 5 fiction pieces, 2 self-help pieces, a few biographies and at least 1 “I don’t know anything about this topic” book, usually science or history.) Some authors stay on my must read list, but I usually let the stacks guide me. Online is a bit more precise, but I have found myself chasing rabbit trails from “Wonderland” to “Wonder” to “Wonder Woman” and back to a history of Wonder Bread. It’s not pretty, but it’s my system.

The end?

September 13, 2020 / stephenpatrick1

All good things must come to an end, but some endings are better than others. We started this journey to our launch date talking about famous first lines. While we hope this journey never ends, it made us think about last lines. Sometimes they are the perfect bow on a perfect package. Othertimes, they leave us wanting more.

Books, movies, whatever comes to mind, we’d love to see yours in the comments. Here are a few of ours:

“The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which.” Animal Farm George Orwell

“He loved Big Brother.” 1984, George Orwell

“And so farewell from your little droog. And to all others in this story profound shooms of lip-music brrrrr. And they can kiss my sharries. But you, O my brothers, remember sometimes thy little Alex that was. Amen. And all that cal.” A Clockwork Orange, Anthony Burgess

“It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to than I have ever known.” A Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens

“Later on he will understand how some men so loved her, that they did dare much for her sake.” Dracula, Bram Stoker

“And strangest of all is it to hold my wife’s hand again, and to think that I have counted her, and that she has counted me, among the dead.” War of the Worlds, H.G. Wells

“I take his hand, holding tightly, preparing for the cameras, and dreading the moment when I will finally have to let go.” The Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins

“To the eternal glory of the infantry—“ Starship Troopers, Robert A. Heinlein

And just for fun:

“The last man on earth sat alone in a room. There was a knock on the door…”

Dog-eared pages and faded ink

September 11, 2020 / stephenpatrick1

Today’s thought experiment is about “that one book”, the one with the worn edges, the notes in the margins, the one that has traveled with you through time and space.

Other than religious volumes, what is “that one book” on your shelf that you’ve read the most often? Drop yours in the comments, and add any backstory that goes with it!

Ours are below. Mine is a bit classic, and, to be expected, David’s is hyper-practical.

STEPHEN:

This one is easy, albeit a bit straightforward. This 1978 paperback packs nearly 800 pages of horror classics with an introduction by Stephen King. I’ve read it for curiosity, pleasure, school, research, inspiration and sometimes just because I had it nearby (and it fits in a coat pocket). I’ve carried it to both U.S. coasts as a traveling companion and it has three decades of margin notes, ideas and wear. A decade ago, I laminated the cover to keep it from falling apart. There is no single volume in my library that holds such a powerful influence on my reading/writing habits for horror, science fiction and literature.

DAVID: I have an edible plant field guide for the Rockies that we take with us on vacation every year. I’d take the kids plant hunting and we’d hike all over. Tried to make Choke Cherry jam one year and I still can’t figure out how to get Amaranth out of Lambs Ear…. Those seeds are tiny.