Hello cowboys & vampires!

I attended a TED Talk recently. Yes, I know, this simple fact may surprise you but my kind like a bit of intellectual stimulation now and again too. I’m kidding; of course, I just occasionally enjoy dining on the intellectually eager.

A room full of humans trying to better themselves has all the appeal of a yoga conference for chickens.

But truth be told, I find the style of TED Talks limiting, mostly boring,  the ultimate benefits short-lived. My own hypothesis is that this in-vogue, quick-hit theatrical approach to the transmission of knowledge can be traced back to Sesame Street’s imprinting on the developing neurons of this now balding boob-drooping boomer generation. Read more from the Undead Bloggess>>topod

Our favorite Alaskan deity – Kriss – recently posted a recipe and a review both related to The Cowboy and the Vampire. Wow! That’s all we can say….here’s a little excerpt from the review, but check out the full post at the Cabin Goddess website. It’s a great site. Yum. Creamed enchiladas and massive creativity.

“The balance of funny from Elita, the serious brooding character of Tucker and the metaphysical aspect of … well the Meta (must read it, it is where they go between morning and night when they “die” each day), the horror of what happens to Lizzie after the disaster of her wedding day is boiling away on high and causing the necessity to read till you are done. The darkest of the bunch and the best written so far I am just delighted. They are each finding their voices which peek through with a few of the different characters. I am absolutely thrilled to have grabbed this!”раскрутка

From Fresh Fiction for Blood and Whiskey:

THE COWBOY AND THE VAMPIRE: BLOOD AND WHISKEY is darker than the first book, but mightily entertaining and frightfully funny in places; you might not see a porcupine quite the way you did before. There are surprising twists and turns to the story, and not all primary characters are safe from the authors’ pen (keys?), and a somewhat unexpected ending leaves the reader wanting more, thus on to further adventures with our friends from LonePine, Wyoming.

Read the full review over at Fresh Fiction>>

From Marinela for Blood and Whiskey:

Move over Anne Rice! The Vampire Lestat might be the front man of a rock band but these new generation vampires from Clark Hays and Kathleen McFall are true Millennials. They tweet, they text, they even take pictures with their smartphones! The dry wit of Clark Hays and Kathleen McFall is still prevalent in the book and there are so many laugh out loud funny moments. But, the book has also taken a serious turn as Lizzie and Tucker grapple with the fact that Lizzie is now a paranormal. A great sequel to the first book! I can’t wait to read the third installment.

Read Marienela’s full review>>

The Eastern Oregonian for Rough Trails and Shallow Graves:

This series folds the western, vampire and romance genres into something aficionados of all three can appreciate, with a delicious wit that keeps readers coming back for more.

Read Renee Struthers’ full review>>aracer

There’s a long and rich literary tradition of established and successful writers writing to young aspirants with advice about the literary life. Well, at least I think there is, if not, seems like there should be. Rilke wrote to young poets, famously. I am stumped at this moment to think of others,  but even if I’m unable to put this letter into a larger literary context, I’m happy to share it.

Thanks Mr. Updike. I never expected a response. And it gave me a push at a moment when much needed.

Go on and read Rabbit. Redux too, and run some. And grab yourself a cowboy and a vampire on the way. All of these characters (and both authors) like hot baths and Reading, Pennsylvania too. (Click on the image to get the full letter).продвижение

Genre fiction is the perfect place to push past the expected and dream up new frontiers for science to aim toward.

The sly beauty of genre fiction is its voluptuous embrace of fringe ideas that rarely occur in normal human discourse other than in the land of impenetrable academic jargon, or tin-foil hats.

Everyday interactions tend to focus on sports, jobs, kids, and other quotidian but essential stuff. And occasionally Miley Cyrus. There’s little room for serious, or even half-serious conversations about quantum teleportation, genetically manipulated super humans, the neurological basis for out-of-body experiences and the like. These topics are outside the expected social bounds, and conversations can only occur in very halting, awkward ways. It’s understandable; common vocabulary about many of these topics is inadequate, still co-evolving incrementally with these ideas themselves.

That’s the beauty of genre fiction. A story set 100 years in the future lets the author go wild with scientific speculation in ways that would get her kicked out of “polite company.” That’s exactly why, in our case, we chose to populate the American west with a new breed of contemporary vampires and insert a theory of human consciousness into the storyline. Now, that’s entertainment. Academic jargon be damned. Read the rest of this entry »