Wednesday, May 01, 2013

Coming Back to Life

From late Thursday through Tuesday morning I spent the majority of time grading, but I’m now 99% done until Friday, when my next test hits. Yesterday afternoon felt like coming back to life after a period in a coma. I cleaned up my home office in preparation for a summer of writing, created an inventory for all my for-sale books, and actually sat down and did some reading of my own! This afternoon I will start back on Wraith of Talera, but this morning I’m going to put up a blog post and try to visit some blogs I’ve ignored for the past few days.

 
Just as I came back to life I found out that Under the Ember Star had gotten a very nice review over on The Post Modern Pulp Blog,, by Jack Badelaire. My favorite line from the review was: “Overall, Under the Ember Star feels like a much older work, like a battered old gem of a pocket paperback from the 60's or 70's dug out of the stacks of a used bookstore and bought for a dollar.”
 
 
That’s exactly the kind of books I like to read, and remember the excitement of making such finds many times in my bookstore life. I hope you’ll check out the review, and much thanks to Jack. http://postmodernpulps.blogspot.com/2013/04/book-review-under-ember-star-by-charles.html?spref=tw

 
In getting a chance to read myself last night, I finally got to finish a really good book I was working on by Steve Malley, called Blood and Skin. Here’s what I had to say about it on Goodreads and Amazon.

 
“An exciting read with some nice twists and turns at the end. I particularly didn't see coming the identity of the primary villain, although after the reveal it made perfect sense. The hero of the story is a tattoo artist with an interesting back story. I also know the author is a tattoo artist as well, so there is some really interesting insider information in the work. How much of the rest of the protagonist's back story is based on the writer's own life is open to question, I suppose.”  I will add here that I doubt Steve has any ghost companions and probably hasn’t killed as many people as the story’s protagonist has. One can never be sure, of course.

 
Below are the Amazon links. I can't get the widget thing to work today. 
Print version:
http://www.amazon.com/Blood-Skin-Steve-Malley/dp/0987659952/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1367419802&sr=8-1&keywords=blood+and+skin%2C+malley

Kindle Version: http://www.amazon.com/Blood-and-Skin-ebook/dp/B009FUA434/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1367419802&sr=8-1
 
And now, off to visit blogs.
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22 comments:

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Congratulations on the great review!
After a month of frantic A to Z Challenge, tomorrow will be like me coming back to life as well.

Cloudia said...

Great seeing you!

Aloha

Charles Gramlich said...

Alex, indeed. The energy expenditure must be enormous.

Cloudia, thankee!

Deka Black said...

Congratulations and good to see you're alive and kicking.. no, not asses. the keyboard ;)

Merisi said...

Congratulations on the great review !
Good to hear that you have a little bit of breathing space before the next load hits.

Prashant C. Trikannad said...

Welcome back, Charles! I liked the line you quoted from Jack Badelaire's review of UNDER THE EMBER STAR; those are the kind of books I like to pick up in used bookstores and read and never sell.

Riot Kitty said...

Congrats! On the review and being back in the land of the living.

the walking man said...

That's all well and good but when does whine time start?

pattinase (abbott) said...

I always wonder if student realize professor hate exams as much as they do.

ivan said...

Charles,

You seem to have the fierce energy of a much younger man. Congratulations.
And all the dross and trouble you have to put up with.

To borrow from David Letterman, I wouldn't give those troubles to a monkey on a rock. :)

Charles Gramlich said...

Deka, indeed, and thanks!

Merisi, yes, and enjoying that space.

Prashant, me too. Love that kind of thing.

Riot Kitty, thankee, and thanks again for your review of Micro Weird!

Mark, it has started.

Patti, I tell them but I don't think they listen.

Ivan, oh man, I wish I had such energy.

BernardL said...

You're right, that line in the review was a 'gem' in itself.

Lisa said...

That is a really great review Charles, it is so you.

sage said...

I hope you get some good writing in this summer--I'm hoping to have a chance to do some too

Golden Eagle said...

Congratulations on the positive review! :)

Blood and Skin sounds like an interesting story. I love plot twists like that.

Ron Scheer said...

Very nice comment indeed from a reader. Had to make you feel good.

Charles Gramlich said...

Bernard, it's nice to be appreciated.

Lisa, thankee!

Sage, so looking forward to it. getting some rest and getting some writing done. Amazing.

Golden Eagle, it's definitely a good book.

Ron, yep, absolutely.

Jack Badelaire said...

I work in Higher Ed, so I can certainly sympathize with wanting the year to end. Today is the first day post-classes, and it's like a ghost town around here.

Enjoy what you can of the summer, Charles!

Erik Donald France said...

I hear you on grades/comas . . .

Congrats on your review and on the review you did of Steve Malley's work. Excellent~! And here's to old school-feel gems ~!

laughingwolf said...

yeah, no rest for the wicked! ;)

grats on the positivities...

i'm with you on finding book treasures in the bargain bin!

Travis Cody said...

That is a terrific review! Congrats!

Sounds like you've got a good plan started for a productive summer of writing and reading.

Charles Gramlich said...

Jack, thanks for dropping by. Another Higher ed person. There are quite a few of us here in the blogosphere.

Erik, amen, brother!

Laughingwolf, makes me think now that I'm off I gotta hit the used bookstore near here.

Travis Cody, today it begins!