GNBraun's blog

Jacket Art

2012-01-13T10:38:00.001+11:00

Here's the full wraparound cover art for Hammered: Memoir of an Addict.

Some original art, and some great books at the fundraiser

2011-10-27T19:05:00.000+11:00

TWO new pieces of original art by Chuck McKenzie... both signed by the artist...

Also, a pack of books kindly donated by Chuck McKenzie:

Field Combat Manual for Zombie Slayers, written by Marc Sherman
Boneshaker, written by Cherie Priest
Dog Blood, written by David Moody
Shakespeare Undead, A Novel, written by Lori Handeland
Surviving the Zombie Apocalypse: A look at the History and Influence of Zombies on Popular Culture, edited by Christopher Wortzenspeigel from High Quality Wikipedia Articles
The Zombie Handbook; An Essential Guide to Zombies, and, more importantly, How to Avoid them, Dr. Robert Curran
Alone Series, Chaser, written by James Phelan (signed)

All are now up at the AHWA site...

A very special auction item...

2011-10-20T17:34:00.002+11:00

A very special prize-pack is now up for auction at the AHWA site for Rocky Wood - Melbourne author; member of AHWA; president of HWA and all-round nice guy!

Donated by Jeremy Wagner, the pack consists of:

A signed/personalised first-edition trade-paperback of The Armageddon Chord

Deep beneath the Egyptian sands, an ancient and evil song written in hieroglyphics is discovered in the long lost and buried pyramid of the demonic pharaoh, Aknaseth. It is written, that if this song is performed for the world to hear, it will unleash the Apocalypse upon the world of man…Satan will reign and grant immortality to the chosen.

With the help of the abominable Egyptologist, Helmut Hartkopff, nihilistic multi-billionaire, Festus Baustone the Third will do whatever it takes to bring the song to life at any cost—even if his only daughter is to be sacrificed.

Kirk Vaisto, dubbed the “God of Guitar” by his millions of fans, soon finds himself caught between the forces of divine good and monumental evil. Vaisto begins a musical journey that takes him from an unholy chapter in ancient Egyptian history to the very remains of the Holy Cross, to the concert stage, and beyond all this, to the very edge of Hell itself.

Will Kirk Vaisto give the performance of a lifetime and either deliver our world from evil…or he will annihilate us all with the stroke of his hand?

What will happen when Kirk Vaisto strikes

The Armageddon Chord?

A signed/personalised author photo;

The Armageddon Chord collectible 'jumbo' guitar pick and;

One The Armageddon Chord t-shirt (large).

Remember folks, the page with details is HERE!
You've gotta be in it to win it...

And even MORE auction items for the fundraiser!

2011-10-17T20:21:00.003+11:00

Some more specials up for grabs at the Rocky Wood fundraiser auction.

Firstly, a LIFETIME SUBSCRIPTION to Dark Discoveries magazine, valued at nearly $300.
Also included is a pack comprised of NINE back-issues of Dark Discoveries:

- Issue #1 (Spring, 2004) – Douglas Clegg, Elizabeth Engstrom, Bev Vincent, Bill Gauthier, Article on Stephen King by Rocky Wood, a SK Bibliography and more.
- Issue #3 (Fall, 2004) – Simon Clark, Tim Lebbon, Gary Braunbeck, Tom Piccirilli, James S. Dorr, Earthling Publications Profile, Bill Gauthier column, and more.
- Issue #4 (Spring, 2005) – Graham Masterton, Jeffrey Thomas, John R. Little, Alan M. Clark, Jeremy Robert Johnson, James Newman, Jon F. Merz and more.
- Issue #6 (Fall, 2005) – Ramsey Campbell, Douglas Winter (Part 1), Norman Partridge, Scott Nicholson, Tim Curran, Matthew Warner, Darren Franz and more.
- Issue #7 (Winter, 2006) – Elizabeth Massie, Douglas Winter (Part 2), Gerard Houarner, Steve Vernon, J.F. Gonzalez, Tributes to J.N. Williamson (Gary Braunbeck and others) and more.
- Issue #9 (Winter, 2007) – T.M. Wright, Brian Hodge, Elizabeth Engstrom, John Maclay, Michael McBride, Tony Richards, Bill Gauthier column and more.
- Issue #10 (Summer, 2007) – Jay Lake, Tim Waggoner, Alan M. Clark, John Everson, Tributes to Charles L. Grant (Christopher Golden, Kealan Patrick Burke and others), Stephen King’s worldwide book tour and more.
- Issue #11 (Spring, 2008) – Joe Hill, Edward Lee, Tim Lebbon, Michael Laimo, Cody Goodfellow, Charlee Jacob, Chad Savage and more.
- Issue #17 (Fall, 2010) – Dark Science Fiction Special. Featuring: Ray Bradbury, John Shirley, David Cronenberg, William F. Nolan, Jeffrey Thomas, Bruce Taylor, Nick Mamatas, Randy Broeker, Jeremy Robert Johnson, Ronald Malfi and more.

As an added bonus, also included are two signed/limited books released by Dark Discoveries:

- CATALYSTS - Bill Gauthier (2007). Introduction by Thomas F. Monteleone and artwork by Alan M. Clark. Features 13 stories, an afterword by the author and story notes. Signed and Numbered Trade Paperback and one of only 250 copies done.
- WILLIAM F. NOLAN: A MISCELLANY (2011). Features a rare story, an essay and bibliography. Signed by the author and limited to 250 trade paperback/perfectbound copies.

Also on offer at the auction site are:

Rain Dogs by Gary McMahon - Signed limited edition from Humdrumming Press (2008)
Inscribed to the winning bidder with an additional signature by the author.

Thought Forms by Jeffrey Thomas - Signed/limited edition from Dark Regions Press (2009)
Inscribed to the winner with an additional signature AND remarqued by the author.

Nekropolis 1, 2 AND three by Tim Waggoner, all three signed and dedicated to the winning bidder!

Nekropolis

Meet Matt Richter. Private eye. Zombie.

His mean streets are the city of the dead, the shadowy realm known as Nekropolis. And in this first case, Richter must help a delectable half-vampire named Devona recover a legendary artifact known as the Dawnstone, before it’s used to destroy Nekropolis itself. That is, if he can survive the myriad horrors that infest the city itself.

A mass of new auction items!

2011-10-14T17:16:00.000+11:00

There's been a rush in the last few days of donated items, so I'm listing all the definite additions here!

Tim Lebbon's The Reach of Children. 112 pages

Signed and inscribed to the winner!

The Stephen King Illustrated Companion, by Bev Vincent!
Signed and inscribed to the winner!

Killer Move by Michael Marshall hardcover.

Signed and inscribed to the winner!

This is Marshall's latest release, and his signed stuff is hard to come by, especially in Australia!

Bone Marrow Stew by Tim Curran.
This is the signed/limited edition published and donated by Tasmaniac Publications. Limited to 250 copies worldwide, this is a PC copy.

And lastly, but by no means least, Scott Nicholson has kindly donated his ENTIRE EBOOK CATALOG! Every...single...book!
The author will emailthe ebooks to the winner in epub, mobi, or PDF files, as required!
The titles are:

Novels

Liquid Fear

Disintegration

TheRed Church

Speed Dating with the Dead

Cursed! (with J.R. Rain)

Ghost College (with J.R. Rain)

The Vampire Club (with J.R. Rain)

Bad Blood (with J.R. Rain and H.T. Night)

Collections

These Things Happened

Children’s Books

If I Were Your Monster (with Lee Davis)

Too Many Witches (with Lee Davis)

Duncan the Punkin (with Sergio Castro)

Screenplays

The Skull Ring: The Screenplay

Creative Spirit: The Screenplay

The Gorge: The Screenplay

On Writing

Write Good or Die

The Indie Journey: Secrets to Writing Success

New Fundraiser Item!

2011-10-13T17:23:00.002+11:00

Up for auction now is a set of the two-volume Cemetery Dance release.

Stephen King's Secretary of Dreams Volumes One and Two Gift (slipcased) Editions.

Limited to 5,000 copies.

Volume One

World Fantasy Award winner Cemetery Dance Publications, critically acclaimed artist Glenn Chadbourne, and New York Times bestselling author Stephen King are proud to announce The Secretary of Dreams, the master of horror's first unabridged graphic short story collection!

Featuring a half-dozen classic tales of terror personally selected by King, this collection presents his stories for the first time in the tradition of the pulp horror comics. Spanning over 280 oversized pages, the hundreds of illustrations and full comic panels from acclaimed Maine artist Glenn Chadbourne transform The Secretary of Dreams into a work of art. Not one word from King's stories has been left out, but now they've been brought to life by hundreds of pen and ink drawings by Chadbourne! The featured stories are: "The Road Virus Heads North," "Uncle Otto's Truck," "Rainy Season," "The Reach," "Jerusalem's Lot," and "Home Delivery."

Volume Two

This second venture into the world of Stephen King's stories contains even more artwork and detailed illustrations that could only have come from the inspired hands of artist Glenn Chadbourne! The Secretary of Dreams (Volume Two) continues where the first acclaimed volume left off: combining classic tales of terror from the mind of Stephen King with the haunting artwork of Maine artist Glenn Chadbourne. This unique book displays an incredible and original blend of King's words with Chadbourne's one-of-a-kind B&W illustrations: text and artwork brought together to tell these chilling stories in a whole new way.
As you venture into this new volume of The Secretary of Dreams you'll discover "The Monkey," "Strawberry Spring," and "In the Deathroom" presented on beautifully designed oversized pages. These stories are heavily illustrated with spot artwork, full page illustrations, and even multiple-page art spreads. Dozens of painstakingly crafted illustrations bring King's characters to life.
Also within this collection are "Gray Matter," "One for the Road ," and "Nona," which appear for the very first time in full graphic format as imagined by Chadbourne. Not one word from King's original manuscripts has been left out. Instead Chadbourne presents the stories through a variety of techniques: traditional paragraphs of text merged directly into the artwork, handwritten bursts of dialogue to convey emotion, and even multiple fonts to match the mood of each scene.

The auction page is HERE!

Remote-bidding from anywhere within Australia or internationally is available!

Another great auction item...

2011-10-10T19:05:00.001+11:00

Apart from the signed Stephen King book (see the post below this one), here's another great item up for auction!

$75 worth of services at Cohesion Editing and Proofreading... how can THAT be wrong?

Check out the page HERE!

Some great auction bargains

2011-09-23T11:42:00.000+10:00

Some of the great items up for auction at the joint Australian American Association/Australian Horror Writers Association fund-raising dinner-dance and auction.
Fill list and reserve prices (HERE) and details of the bidding process for those unable to attend (HERE) are on the AHWA website .

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Just After Sunset - US first hardcover edition, donated and signed by Stephen King.

Stephen King--who has written more than fifty books, dozens of number one New York Times best-sellers, and many unforgettable movies--delivers an astonishing collection of short stories, his first since Everything's Eventual six years ago. As guest editor of the bestselling Best American Short Stories 2007, King spent over a year reading hundreds of stories. His renewed passion for the form is evident on every page of Just After Sunset. The stories in this collection have appeared in The New Yorker, Playboy, McSweeney's, The Paris Review, Esquire, and other publications.

Who but Stephen King would turn a Port-O-San into a slimy birth canal, or a roadside honky-tonk into a place for endless love? A book salesman with a grievance might pick up a mute hitchhiker, not knowing the silent man in the passenger seat listens altogether too well. Or an exercise routine on a stationary bicycle, begun to reduce bad cholesterol, might take its rider on a captivating--and then terrifying--journey. Set on a remote key in Florida, "The Gingerbread Girl" is a riveting tale featuring a young woman as vulnerable--and resourceful--as Audrey Hepburn's character in Wait Until Dark. In "Ayana," a blind girl works a miracle with a kiss and the touch of her hand. For King, the line between the living and the dead is often blurry, and the seams that hold our reality intact might tear apart at any moment. In one of the longer stories here, "N.," which recently broke new ground when it was adapted as a graphic digital entertainment, a psychiatric patient's irrational thinking might create an apocalyptic threat in the Maine countryside . . . or keep the world from falling victim to it.

Just After Sunset--call it dusk, call it twilight, it's a time when human intercourse takes on an unnatural cast, when nothing is quite as it appears, when the imagination begins to reach for shadows as they dissipate to darkness and living daylight can be scared right out of you. It's the perfect time for Stephen King.
Signed by Stephen King.

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This original illustration, "TheInquisitors", by horror artist Greg Chapman, depicts the renownedwitch-hunters Jacob Sprenger and Heinrich Kramer - authors of the infamous MalleusMaleficarum - and the Witch-Finder General Matthew Hopkins.
All three men appearin the forthcoming McFarland graphic novel Witches!, written by Rocky Wood andLisa Morton, and illustrated by Greg Chapman.
The piece has been personallysigned by the artist.

This full-colour piece is fairly self-explanatory!
Also signed by the artist.
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http://www.amazon.com/Stephen-King-Companion-Mcfarland-Companions/dp/078645850X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1303182768&sr=1-1

This companion provides a two-part introduction to best-selling author Stephen King, whose enormous popularity over the years has gained him an audience well beyond readers of horror fiction, the genre with which is most often associated. Part I considers the reception of King's work, the film adaptations that they gave rise to, the fictional worlds in which some of his novels are set, and the more useful approaches to King's varied corpus. Part II consists of entries for each series, novel, story, screenplay and even poem, including works never published or produced, as well as characters and settings.

Signed by Rocky, and dedicated to the winning bidder!

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http://www.mcfarlandpub.com/book-2.php?id=978-0-7864-4563-9

That notorious evening at Villa Diodati when Lord Byron challenged his contemporaries to write a ghost story, his summons brought forth a mad doctor intent on reanimation and a vampire drunk with bloodlust. The night modern horror was born was notoriously dark and stormy, as were the lives of those who wrote the most fearsome--yet beloved--tales in literature, for those so gifted were also cursed. Horrors, a graphic novel, reveals in gruesome detail how Mary Wollstonecraft, Bram Stoker, Edgar Allan Poe and other masters of the genre were haunted by their monstrous creations.

Signed by Rocky, and dedicated to the winning bidder!

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Sterling Silverpendant, with a doublet Opal, valued at $300, kindly donated by AAA member Nick LeSouef from Lightning Ridge Opal Mines.

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To be held on the 29th October in Melbourne - details are on the flyer below.

REVIEW: The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern (proof)

2011-09-14T18:48:00.002+10:00

The Night Circus

By Erin Morgenstern

ISBN:9781846555244

Format: TradePaperback

Imprint: Harvill/Secker

Published: 3^rdOctober 2011

In 1886, a mysterious travelling circusbecomes an international sensation. Open only at night, constructed entirely inblack and white, the Cirque des Rêves delights all who wander its circularpaths and warm themselves at its bonfire. There are contortionists, performingcats, carousels and illusionists – all the trappings of an ordinary circus. Butthis is no conventional spectacle. Some tents contain clouds, some ice. Thecircus seems almost to cast a spell over its aficionados, who call themselvesthe rêveurs – the dreamers. And who is the sinister man in the grey suit whowatches over it all? Behind the scenes, a dangerous game is being played out bytwo young magicians, Celia and Marco, who, at the behest of their masters, areforced to test the very limits of the imagination – and of love.

REVIEW:

‘The circus arrives without warning. No announcementsprecede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not.’

Since Twilightbrought the romance back to fiction in the literary scene there has been anexplosion of ‘paranormal romance’ that seems to want to profit from StephanieMeyer’s success.

From VampireAcademy to True Blood, from sexy vampires to sexy werewolves, the genre hasbeen flooded with ‘TwiHards’. Now, along comes the real thing.

The Night Circus by ErinMorgenstern is a tapestry of brilliant threads, woven together into somethingthat seems somehow more than the sum of its parts.

The languageitself is sublime, more literate than most, but the book’s true beauty liesdeep within the narrative. The way the descriptives tie together, the way thewriter draws you in and creates visuals unlike any other book; the way thecircus becomes as much a character as any other within the story; thehauntingly beautiful prose: all these facets combine to create a feast for thesenses that transcends the normal reading experience.

To look at thisbook purely as something to read is to do it a disservice. It needs to beapproached from an experiential perspective, for it truly is more an experiencethan just a book.

Within thepages of The Night Circus,Morgenstern has created a mythos, a new world for readers to inhabit, and a tragicallyflawed love that is written without the angst so prevalent in most of today’sofferings. Her writing style is literate, while still accessible; captivating,while still easy-to-read. While it is unlikely to create a fan-base as rabid asTwilight managed after four books, itwill surely win over many, many readers.

If you readthis with expectations of something ordinary, you will be delighted, and if youexpect something great, you will still be pleasantly surprised.

A resoundingeight out of ten for this wonderful new talent.

Geoff Brown

The Night Circus willbe available from Dymocks Bendigo, and all good bookstores, from the third ofOctober 2011. Thanks to Dymocks for the review copy.

Halloween Fundraiser!

2011-09-08T21:56:00.000+10:00

The Australian-American Association in co-operation with the Australian Horror Writers Association is proud to present a Halloween fund-raiser dinner dance. Details as shown in the flyer, and it sounds like it's going to be one HELL of a night... and for a great cause!

PoD presses and quality-control...

2011-07-31T19:22:00.001+10:00

NOTE: This is an opinion piece. Names have been left out to protect the (allegedly) guilty.

In the last few years, an amazing number of Print-on-Demand (PoD) small-presses have sprung up in the publishing world.

Some of these presses are run by very professional people who have an amazing level of talent when it comes to editing, layout and cover design. Some have a great deal of talent when it comes to sourcing other professionals with an amazing level of talent in editing, layout and cover design.
These presses run a very tight ship, they put out high quality perfect-bound paperbacks, eBooks and, sometimes, hardcovers. I have many of these books in my collection, and they are quality books, written by quality authors and edited by quality editors.
These presses pay their authors, give advances (admittedly, not as high as the bigger publishers, but still advances), and pay royalties for all sales. Sometimes, they put out 'for the love' anthologies (not very often), or publish free pdf downloads of selected short stories to get their name (and their authors' names) out there. There is nothing wrong with this. It's great exposure for all involved.
I have the highest respect for these people and the publishing houses they run. This new paradigm of PoD is giving authors a chance to get their names out there.
The publishing world is changing, and this is one of the biggest changes.

And then you have the other PoD presses. The ones that are run by authors who believe that they have an amazing level of talent when it comes to editing, layout and cover design. It's a shame they don't.
They're not editors, they're not cover artists and they're not layout artists. They're nothing but authors that have received too many rejections (that they feel aren't warranted) and have decided to self-publish. At the same time, they decided they'd do more than just self-publish: they decided they'd put out a submission call for other authors.
They put out 'for the love' anthologies all the time (and sometimes novels, if authors submit them); they don't pay authors, they don't give advances or even contributors' copies. Not often, anyway. The only ones who make money from their books are themselves.
The authors who trustingly submit to them, hoping for some exposure and to see their name in print, and the authors' families and friends, are the only real customers. These anthologies and novels are as close to vanity-publications as you can get without being vanity publications.
I don't think they do it with any real desire to deceive anyone. I don't think they realise that the books they release are sub-standard. Here is the problem. They really think they are putting out quality stuff.

I don't understand why they don't give royalties, nor why they don't give contributors' copies.
I do think they don't sell many books at all; only to the authors themselves, and the friends and families of the authors. If they did pay royalties, it wouldn't be much, but it'd be something.
Something is better than nothing. Something is something.

Sometimes, these presses move into the realm of more professional releases, and they start paying. More often than not, they don't. They keep on releasing 'for the love' anthologies until they run out of authors who want to submit.
Sadly, that never happens...

So, all you budding writers out there... have faith in your work, have faith in its strength and have faith in its ability to sell (yes, sell) to someone who values it enough to at least pay you for it.
Your time is valuable, and if you don't value it enough to want something in return, then who will?

OzWriting Plus: A great post on self-publishing...

2011-07-30T22:04:00.000+10:00

OzWriting Plus: A great post on self-publishing...

A great post on publishing vs self-publishing...

New post up at Hammered blog: Film shoot photos...

2011-07-27T18:18:00.000+10:00

All the photos are up now at the link below. The film-shoot went, well, so keep an eye out for the finished trailer in a month or so...

http://beenhammered.blogspot.com/2011/07/book-trailer-video-shoot.html

Private Midnight by Kris Saknussemm

2011-07-12T11:59:00.000+10:00

Private Midnight by Kris Saknussemm

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Detective Birch Ritter. Man, cop, Noir protagonist of Private Midnight.

Once started, this novel feels like a police-procedural, but it’s so much more than that. Multi-layered to begin with, it quickly takes on a dreamlike quality. Loaded with psychosexual tension and noir-metaphors, it’s very easy to read, and even easier to get lost in. Then, towards the end, it takes an even darker turn (if that’s possible); a turn no-one can see coming, yet seems a natural direction when it arrives.

The writing is very fluid, with a unique style that is pure Saknussemm. It’s filled with darkness and light, but the darkness seems darker than it ever is in real life... or is it? That’s for the reader to decide. More like a waking nightmare than anything else, it explores the darkness inherent in everyone. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel, and I recommend it highly.

Synopsis:

Detective Birch Ritter is a man on the edge of himself. His past is filled with secrets, shadows, guilt, and ghosts. Then a dubious police buddy he hasn't seen in a year introduces him to a mysterious woman who says her business is shadows. What she knows about what lies between the darkness and the light inside men is more than Ritter may want to find out, and much more than he can resist learning. It's said that to try to forget is to try to conceal, and concealing evidence is a crime. But maybe revelation is another kind of crime-against nature.

Kris Saknussemm, the widely acclaimed author of the sci-fi smash Zanesville, now delves into another genre, and another world-a world where even the sunlight is shadowy and where deviancy is the norm. Private Midnight is a journey into the seedy, sexy, underbelly of life-crime noir for a new generation.

BUY IT HERE FROM AMAZON!

View all my reviews

Ban Live Exports...

2011-07-07T20:53:00.000+10:00

Not the usual sort of post, but important!

If we banned live exports, we could then organise a new industry here in Australia that slaughtered the animals to different culture's religious requirements.
The end result would be twofold: more Aussie jobs and no immoral practises performed on animals that WE are responsible for...
Think it over...
It's a win/win solution...

Pre-release blurb for Hammered

2011-06-24T14:16:00.002+10:00

'Because of the nature of the drug life involved, many people will find connections with the writing of people like William Burroughs, but I actually see an older linkage to the work of Malcolm Lowry, who wrote so poignantly of alcoholism, lost hope and hope regained.'

-Kris Saknussemm ~ Author of Zanesville, Private Midnight, Sinister Miniatures and Enigmatic Pilot

Great new review for Festive Fear: Global Edition!

2011-06-19T13:00:00.003+10:00

A great review for Festive Fear: Global Edition, in which one of my stories features.

The reviewer really liked my short, Santa Akbar!

'G. N Braun hits the juxtaposition jive with the excellent Santa Akbar! Aka The Taking of QF123. I for one simply love Braun's Christmas carols, they are so insanely brilliant that you wonder if the dude wasn't traumatised by something in his adolescent years, perhaps a rabid reindeer or something. One to read the Kiddies on Christmas eve, especially if said Kiddies belong to relatives you really don't like. To be honest I want a whole collection of Braun Christmas goodness, over to Stephen Clark to get that happening'
http://www.scaryminds.com/reviews/2011/book105.php

Thanks, Scaryminds, for the high praise!

GNB

Druggies are people, too...

2011-06-15T18:48:00.000+10:00

Another new post on the Hammered blog...

http://beenhammered.blogspot.com/2011/06/druggies-are-people-too.html

New Blog for Hammered, and for discussion of drug-abuse

2011-06-06T23:02:00.001+10:00

http://beenhammered.blogspot.com/

Check it out if you have time...

Hammered - Cover Art

2011-06-03T10:51:00.006+10:00

'
And here it is.
The final cover art for my upcoming memoir, Hammered. Nice and gritty, and a photo set in the area where a lot of the action takes place.
Anyone from Melbourne knows you don't get through Richmond without seeing at least one drug deal go down. The area is rife with heroin and ice.
Most people forget that human beings live there, too. All they see is the drug-culture.
All I see is the humanity lost...

'Read this and weep—and maybe help change someone else’s life. It’s never over on the street until you’re gone.'
-Kris Saknussemm
Author of Zanesville, Sinister Miniatures, Enigmatic Pilot and Private Midnight

To be released later this year by Legumeman Books.

An old review for an oldie but a goody...

2011-05-16T11:41:00.004+10:00

ScaryMinds review site posted a review of Insurrection HERE!

They were very kind. :D

Newspaper Article and other news

2011-05-14T09:26:00.002+10:00

Hi everyone.
Some more news updates.
Hammered is currently undergoing another round of edits, and I'm expecting to have it back reasonably soon. Still looking on track for release later this year, so I hope you all try to pick up a copy (either the e-book or the physical item) once it's out.

Last week, I made the local newspaper. It was a horror-themed article based around Friday the 13th (yesterday), and I managed TWO photos and at least 50% of the article space. There will be another interview and article once Hammered is released.

HERE is the article.

Hope you all enjoy it and have a great weekend.

GNBraun

Zanesville - The Review

2011-05-04T18:21:00.003+10:00

WHO IS ELIJAH CLEARFATHER?

This is the question central throughout Kris Saknussemm's visionary novel Zanesville.
It's a good question.
According to the blurb, he could be a messiah, a reincarnated ex-porn star or a revolutionary. Read the blurb and read the novel to work it out for yourself.
Zanesville is set in a near-future alternative timeline America, where the landscape is more reminiscent of a surrealist painting of a country-sized Disneyland populated by 500 million escapees from a lunatic asylum. The style of writing is difficult to describe without throwing in references to the beat poets of the 50s and 60s, such as William S. Burroughs. Burroughs' visionary style incorporated graphic visuals with insanely-rendered nightmare visions. Saknussemm does the same thing, albeit with his own unique style.
The writing is strong and fearless. The scope is magnificently gigantic. The story is fold upon fold of insanity, with more than a smidgen of surrealism.
Whether Saknussemm is a visionary or a madman is yet to be decided. All I know is that this book was good. It was very good. It dragged me in and chewed me up and rolled me around inside the cerebral cortex of the craziest patient in the worst asylum on Earth before spitting me back out into this reality, which pales in comparison to the US of the Vitessa Corporation. If America was anything like its alternate reality counterpart as portrayed in Zanesville, the line of people waiting to gain entry would be nearly as long as the line waiting to get the Hell out.
Read the synopsis below, read the novel, and prepare for wild ride through the imagination of one of the zaniest writers to come out of Australia in a long time.

Go on...I dare you!

4/5, with an edge toward 4.5/5

SYNOPSIS:
Futuristic bioweapon or good old-fashioned messiah? Reincarnated ex-porn star or mutant information-age revolutionary? The man who awakens in New York City's Central Park with no memory of his identity and the enigmatic message FATHER FORGIVE THEM F carved into the flesh of his back may be all of these things and more.

Taken in (and then expelled) by a group of freedom fighters battling the soul-deadening Vitessa Cultporation, Clearfather is a stranger in an even stranger land. Following tantalizing clues that point to the gnomic Stinky Wiggler, and pursued by murderous Vitessa agents, Clearfather embarks on a surreal odyssey of self-discovery across an America that resembles a vast amusement park designed by some unholy trinity of Walt Disney, Hunter S. Thompson, and Hieronymus Bosch.

Accompanying Clearfather is an unforgettable cast of characters-including Aretha Nightingale, an ex-football-playing drag queen; Dooley Duck and Ubba Dubba, hologram cartoon characters sprung outrageously to life; and the ethereally beautiful Kokomo, whose past is as much a mystery as Clearfather's own.

By turns hilarious and deeply moving, a savage, fiercely intelligent satire that is also a page-turning adventure and a transcendent love story, Zanesville marks the arrival of a brilliant new voice in fiction.

Buy it from AMAZON!

LIFE - Free Fiction

2011-04-28T19:28:00.001+10:00

Empty coke bottle, syringe wrappers blowing in the wind.

I sit and watch as junkies stagger past, either stoned or hanging out; morphine stare or desperate for it.

I live in a daze as people die around me; fast or slow, I’m not sure which is worse. Nadia vomits raspberry soft-drink in a bilious puddle, pale and drawn out of her mind. Shane struts; he’s off the gear right now, but only for a while. Money talks and bullshit walks.

I hear the furious call of an ambulance, racing to help people who don’t want to help themselves. I remember watching a body tumble from the sky, twirling in the wind like a screaming kite, hitting the ground like a dying swan, limp and rigid at the same time. Burst open for the entire world to see.

I wonder if any of it is worth living, worth dying for.

I sit and feel the same as I always do. I want to score, I need to score, and I want to score again.

Life as a junkie is life in a circle; stoned, not, stoned, not; locked up, not, locked up, not.

Aren’t we always locked up, locked in?

Locked in the cycle, locked in the desire, locked in the need.

I feel locked in, locked up, locked out...

Free Fiction: Boneyard Smack

2011-04-12T18:14:00.001+10:00

Click on the image below to download.

‘A great start from this promising author. A gritty tale that will give readers a sample of what Braun is capable of. Keep your eyes peeled, it’s only going to get better.‘
Scott Tyson
~ Author of Dear Santa (Festive Fear 2)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

‘Short, nasty and scarily realistic!’
Trost

~ Author of Hoffman’s Creeper and The Legend of Redback Jack

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

‘Braun gives us 2 minutes trapped in the mind of a junkie trying to get a fix…a short, sharp shock. Nothing scarier than real life.’
Daniel I. Russell
~ Author of Samhane, Fluffs and Shutterbug

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

‘Who is this fuckhead, and what’s this shit he calls writing?’
Colonel Glipshitz
~ Author of We, the Moral Minority and Beatnix Under the Bed

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Matthew Revert . . . “GN Braun: many who like killing themselves like this.”
Matthew Revert’s facebook page status thread

Family Ties (Free Fiction)

2011-04-05T11:19:00.001+10:00

George stepped into the lounge just as Kathy came down the stairs.

“Hi darl. How’s Peter?” George had a voice like a bear, deep and rough.

“Hey there! He’s fine, and he sends his love. When did you get in?”

George moved over to the base of the stairs as she descended. “About three hours ago. Have you spoken to your brother lately?”

“Nope. Andy’s totally wrapped up in that new project at work. He’s beyond the attention of us mere mortals these days.” Kathy moved down the stairs to George and hugged him tight. George smiled down at her, proud of how she’d grown.

Kathy released him and stepped back, looking down at the floor and seeming lost for words.

“Honey, what’s wrong?” George moved closer,but Kathy backed away even further, onto the first stair.

“Look...there’s something I have to tell you. I just...I don’t know how to say it.” Kathy looked up, tears in her eyes as they met his.

George looked horrified. “Honey. You know you can talk to me about anything!”

Kathy inched further away, heel striking the next riser. “I know that, but this is...hard. It’s sorta to do with Andy.”

George looked confused. “I thought you hadn’t seen him?”

Kathy blushed. She walked quickly past George and into the lounge, subconsciously moving so that a sofa lay between them. “It’s more to do with Gina.”

“Your sister-in-law? Honey, I don’t understand?” George tried to move around the obstacle to embrace her, but Kathy moved to keep it between them.

“Look...it’s hard, okay?” Kathy sagged against the sofa, finally letting him close enough to hold her.

“Whatever it is, we can deal with it, darl.” George felt Kathy stiffen as he spoke.

“I...I had her. I had an affair with her.” Kathy sagged bonelessly to the sofa.

“What? Do you mean sexually? You slept with your brother’s wife?” George was unable to keep his horror from his voice, as much as he tried. “Have you told Peter?”

Kathy started to cry. “I don’t have to tell him. He was there. He slept with her too.”

“Oh, sweetheart. What have you done?” George held her close. What else could he do?

(Free Fiction) Neo-Flaneur

2011-03-18T17:37:00.004+11:00

We walked toward the pet-shop, laughing and joking around as boys do. Arriving out the front, we drew straws to see who would go. I lost.
Animals sat in the window, staring out at reality like they hoped to be rescued from their captivity sometime soon. Their hour had arrived. I walked through the front door dressed as a jester, drawing curious glances from the shopkeeper and the girl he had in his employ. I walked up to the counter. “Pardon, Monsieur and Madame. I am seeking a dog that speaks. It must be fluent in both Russian and English, and be fairly well-versed in Latvian as well. Can you help me?” I asked with a straight face.
“What? We don’t have anything like that here,” the shopkeeper said with a puzzled look on his face. “Do you think you could order me one in, preferably by the end of the week?” I asked .
“Listen, mate. I dunno what game you think you’re playing, but we haven’t got time for any of this nonsense,” he said, growing red in the face.
“I’ll have you know that the Russian Ambassador is coming for high tea on Saturday, and I boasted that my dog is fluent in those languages,” I said. “Now I have to put up or shut up, and I can’t bear the thought of being made to look the fool.”
“Listen, mate, you can get the hell out of my shop...” By the time these words had left his mouth, I’d turned and walked over to a display full of cocker spaniel pups, opening the gate on the side and shooing them out while quizzing them in both Russian and Latvian. The two staff hurried to try and round them up, but the puppies scattered like drug dealers upon the arrival of a police-car. I next opened three bird-cages while stating at the top of my voice that I would settle for a budgie that knew sign-language, and the clamour grew as the suddenly-liberated birds started flying around the shop. I had the opportunity to release three more sets of dogs, a cage of love-birds and a huddle of scared kittens before the owner, a large and florid man, tried to grab me by the arm.
I ran from the shop quoting Marx and Nietzsche as the two workers stood silently puzzled in the midst of animal mayhem. I rejoined my friends, almost doubled up with laughter as George moved to go inside and add to the furore: between the four of us, we’d have a grand time.

GNBraun

The Modern Bed.

2011-02-22T17:42:00.000+11:00

The Modern Bed of Catholicism

Gario rifled through the pile of refuse, leftovers from the most recently burnt church. The rioters had targeted the Catholics this time, tearing the priest from his bed in the middle of coitus with a young faithful. The screams of the religious still echoed around the square as the crowd set fire to the church, tearing velvet curtains from the nave and piling them higgledy-piggledy amongst the pews to better ignite the whole sorry mess. The priest was gutted and thrown, bleeding and screaming in pain, onto the tallest of the pyres.
Gario paused, finding a large piece of cloth the flames had spared. It seemed to be part of a robe, judging by its ornate embroidery and the holy symbols rampant on the smoke-stained white velvet.
Could be worth a bit, he thought as he stuffed it into his pouch. Later, after he went home from his day of fossicking, he examined it further. Sewn into the lining was a memory stick.
Curious, he booted up his laptop and inserted the stick. Most of the files were corrupted, likely from the heat of the blaze or the smoke it had been subjected to. All that remained was one readable document.
Opening it on the screen, he found the first three lines contained child-porn references and addresses of underage brothels, but after that, someone – presumably the priest – had been working on a letter. It was addressed to the local Bishop, Monsieur l’Abbe d’Melbourne.
“My friend, I am very unwell. I gorged myself at the last banquet, and find I have a terrible tummy upset. I cannot leave my bed, and the young ones are running amok in the church next door. The rain is beating a rapid tattoo on the window, and all I have for company and solace is my favourite altar-boy. The bed we adorn is the special edition I’d had imported from Denmark, with the added pleasure devices I have grown to love. I thought I knew this bed, but with being bound here for days, I have found new dalliances concealed within the tried and true methods of satisfying my desires, and have grown to love it even more than I ever thought possible.
“The alter-boy died of blood-loss three days ago, but I have managed to entertain myself satisfactorily without him so far.
“I cannot understand people who buy plain old beds, when the pleasures available on the modern beds for a few dollars more so enhance the joys of sleeping and the waking hours spent lying down upon them.
“The memories I have to take with me to the grave, the many hours of joyful repose I have endured, are too numerous to recount here, my friend.
“The cries of abandon issued by my bed-mate, the sighs of ecstasy uttered by my own mouth as I attained new heights of decadence.
“I can only imagine the sins others have committed upon beds such as these, the blood, sweat and tears of joy that have passed the lips of many a man and maid.
“I believe it was Rousard who uttered those fateful lines. I cannot remember verbatim, but they had to do with lasciviousness and tricks of lovers...ah, how they ring true when I think of all the times I have shared with my young boys here, on this bed.
“I think that if I die upon this bed, I shall die happily.
“Goodbye, my friend; here are my hands to kiss, and if it were possible, I also offer you my lips. I love how you once kissed these lips of mine.”
Gario shook his head and thanked God that religion was now outlawed.

Guest reviewer - Dawn Roach reviews Love Lies Dying by Steve Gerlach

2011-02-07T19:19:00.004+11:00

For your pleasure, I have a guest reviewer appearing today.
Dawn Roach, admin at The Art of Words, has kindly agreed to review Love Lies Dying by Steve Gerlach, Australian dark fiction writer.

Title: Love Lies Dying

Author: Steve Gerlach

Genre: Dark Fiction/Thriller

Main Characters: John, Sherrie and Zoe

Main Theme: Instead of being greeted by his wife, John arrives home to find a stranger (Zoe) reclining on the sofa and his wife missing. Believing that she has been kidnapped, John and Zoe set about tracking down the kidnapper.

Plot Development: No surprises held here...the story begins in a logical, orderly fashion and develops rather predictably.

Character Development: Unfortunately, the characters contain no depth nor are they given any chance to develop into believable entities. Instead, we (the readers) are introduced to our main characters, given vague descriptions and then promptly abandoned.

Setting: Both the rural and the city scenes are disappointingly vague and bland.

My Opinion: After all the hype given this author, I had very high expectations but after reading this lengthy novel, I was left feeling rather short-changed and disappointed. This book is in need of a severe edit; at least one third could be removed, leaving the reader with a much more stream-lined story. The occurrence of John’s dream sequences seems, to me, to be irrelevant to the story and the narrative gives you the impression that you are being spoken to in monotone.

On the positive side, this novel is written in easy-to-read “everyday” English, it ends with an interesting twist and it delivers a moral, albeit sick and twisted in nature.

Rating: 2 ¹/₂out of 5

Zanesville by Kris Saknussemm

2011-01-29T18:55:00.002+11:00

.Zanesville: A Novel by Kris Saknussemm

View all my reviews

I received a copy (signed) of this from the author today. Cannot wait to read this one. It sounds very damn fine...
Hammered (my memoir) is coming along nicely, and it should be sent off to the publisher for a round of editing within two weeks, likely sooner. I am starting study at Bendigo TAFE on the 7th February, and I plan to have the manuscript sent before I do.
More to come on that soon.

Floods and other s***

2011-01-20T18:48:00.005+11:00

I've been absent for a few months now. Two main reasons (apart from being the ultimate procrastinator).

First, I was working on my memoir (Hammered) rewrite, which has been just as difficult as the first draft.
Not hard to write, but hard to relive.
Bad memories surfacing took away my drive to finish, but now I'm on the home stretch.
It should be in the hand of the publisher within four weeks now.
Phew!

Now to the second issue: Goddamn water!

I've been recently affected by the severe flooding in Northern Victoria, with my entire town underwater and looking like a lake with trees and houses sticking up out of the water.
The water has receded, but now the hard part - the cleanup - starts.

My house made it through unscathed, but everything I had stored in both the garage and the bungalow was ruined. Time to throw it all out, tear up the carpet in the bungalow and see what can be salvaged of the buildings themselves.

I've been floored by the amount of volunteers from outside the flood zone, and the high volume of donations of all kind - cash, food, blankets, clothing etc. The people of regional Victoria rock! As do the people of more metropolitan areas.

Hopefully, all residents of Northern Vic will completely recover, but there have been losses that are irreplaceable.
A close friend lost their grandmother to the stress of the hurried helicopter evacuation from the local aged-care home...the same aged-care home where my mother is a resident. Thank God she's fine.
An eight-year old boy was drowned near Shepparton while swimming in a swollen creek. Never a good idea, but this must be hard for the family regardless.
My thoughts go out to all those affected by floods along the entire East Coast of Australia.

REVIEW: Praise the Dead by Gina Ranalli

2010-11-17T12:12:00.003+11:00

Praise the Dead: A Zombie Novel

Paperback: 188 pages
Publisher: Coscom Entertainment (July 30, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1926712250
ISBN-13: 978-1926712253

Available at Amazon

Young Andrew Perry has what he calls "The Power of Resurrection," and he wields it like a toy wand, reanimating animals and people as he sees fit, primarily for his own amusement. But when this strange power begins to amplify, he decides he must be destined for more than merely roadside parlor tricks. In another part of the country, a girl named Lindy possesses a power of her own, a power that threatens both her health and her sanity. The ability to hear and speak to birds, at first terrifying, soon gives birth to insight that suggests there is more going on than she perceives. Day by day and year by year, each child becomes more aware of the other and the inevitable confrontation that is fast approaching. Each must build their own army and prepare for the final showdown between Good and Evil. Caught in the middle, the rest of humanity must choose a side, especially when the dead begin to walk. Who will honor the living . . . and who will Praise the Dead?

# # #

This ain't the first Ranalli book I've read, and it certainly won't be the last.
A pre-apocalyptic tale, this is a very unusual zombie novel, but really, the whole shambling corpse thing is getting a bit over-run with Brian Keene wanna-be's anyway.
This is not one of those...
I do think it could have been longer, as there was room for more development of plot and characters. Still a very enjoyable and satisfying read.
The two central characters are both children, and each bears an unusual power. The antagonist wields the power to raise the dead, while the female protagonist has the ability to communicate with birds.
For a zombie novel, there are plenty of undead, but the zombies are not as central to the tale as you would expect. There is an over-riding theme of good vs. evil, of the manipulation of mankind towards its own self-destruction.
The characters are well-written, if a bit under-worked, the pace is steady, and Ranalli once again exhibits her unique voice and narrative style.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and highly recommend it to anyone interested in an unusual but very good read.

4.5/5

Dead, or is it just the legumes I ate last night?

2010-11-16T21:27:00.005+11:00

Judging by the activity here of late, it would seem I am either dead or lying in a coma in some long-term care ward in hospital.
Thankfully, neither of these are fictions are, in fact, reality.

I have no excuses for my absence, if indeed anyone even noticed. Between rewriting Hammered and trying to find a home for Happy Hour and a couple of other pieces, it's been hectic.

NEWS:

I have now signed the contract for Hammered, and it seems it will be released as a paperback by Legumeman Books in September, 2011. The ebook for PC's, Kindle and other e-readers will be available earlier in the year. I'll update here as the information becomes available.

Upon its paperback release, I will have signed copies available for purchase through this website, as well as through the publisher's site.

Legumeman Books also provides FREE fiction for you all through its FREE SERIES!

And don't forget there are also three FREE shorts of mine available from Legumeman Books Free Series: Boneyard Smack, Bubba Wants You! and Insurrection.

Also, Festive Fear 2: Global Edition is out very soon, with my sequel to Insurrection, SANTA AKBAR! Check out Tasmaniac Publications' website for news.
Although if you want one, you'll have to find a copy on the secondary market, 'cause it's sold out from the publisher and booksellers.

The Strain (Book one of The Strain trilogy)...

2010-10-23T10:51:00.000+11:00

The visionary creator of the Academy Award-winning Pan's Labyrinth and a Hammett Award-winning author bring their imaginations to this bold, epic novel about a horrifying battle between man and vampire that threatens all humanity. It is the first installment in a thrilling trilogy and an extraordinary international publishing event.

The Strain

They have always been here. Vampires. In secret and in darkness. Waiting. Now their time has come.

In one week, Manhattan will be gone. In one month, the country.

In two months - the world.

A Boeing 777 arrives at JFK and is on its way across the tarmac, when it suddenly stops dead. All window shades are pulled down. All lights are out. All communication channels have gone quiet. Crews on the ground are lost for answers, but an alert goes out to the CDC. Dr. Eph Goodweather, head of their Canary project, a rapid-response team that investigates biological threats, gets the call and boards the plane. What he finds makes his blood run cold.

In a pawnshop in Spanish Harlem, a former professor and survivor of the Holocaust named Abraham Setrakian knows something is happening. And he knows the time has come, that a war is brewing . . .

So begins a battle of mammoth proportions as the vampiric virus that has infected New York begins to spill out into the streets. Eph, who is joined by Setrakian and a motley crew of fighters, must now find a way to stop the contagion and save his city - a city that includes his wife and son - before it is too late.

Well-written, with brilliant characterisation and a visionary take on a vampire plague that infests and infects New York City. An amazing plotline with very good pacing, The Strain begins a trilogy that looks to be very promising indeed.

4/5

Rewrite and Acceptance

2010-10-07T09:23:00.003+11:00

Okay.
It's been a very busy month, what with Stalkerfest 2010 to organise, taking over two roles within the Australian Horror Writer's Association (Vice President and manager of Sinister Reads), along with loads of personal shit to deal with, so I have no excuses for my long absence other than totally run off my feet.

On the plus side, I recently received word that Hammered: Memoirs of an Addict has been accepted by Legumeman books here in Australia, to be published next year sometime.
Now to rewrite the damn thing with a load of new material.
I'll update as I can.

It's also getting closer to the release of Festive Fear 2: Global Edition with my story Santa Akbar! contained within...for anyone who hasn't ordered this, it's sold out and likely only to be found on the secondary market next year.

FREE FICTION: Fairground night...

2010-09-10T15:03:00.004+10:00

Gelda sat in the car park, just looking.
Along the midway, the lights sparkled, softly illuminating the crowds of happy families chowing down on succulent hot-dogs and gloriously sticky cotton-candy.
Opening her door, she glanced over at Petal.
"C'mon, dude. Let's go."
Closing her door and locking the car once Petal got out, Gelda pocketed the keys and moved slowly towards TwiLand, a TwiHard theme park.
Steppenwolf Mayan must be making a friggin' fortune.
The smell of juicy franks and that delicious theme-park relish made her mouth wet while at the same time the noise of a hundred different attractions rang jubilantly in her ears, meshing into a symphony of fun and saliva.
Gelda felt the delicious crunch of sawdust under her Reeboks and smelt the wild animals from the nearby circus tent as she ventured tentatively into the main midway.
Where do I start?

# # #

Petal sunk lower in the seat as they pulled in.
Already she could hear the discordant jangle of pipe organs and those off-key calliopes these places always used.
As they parked, the smell of vomit and stale food began to seep in through the air-vents of Gelda's crappy Toyota, almost miasmic in the way it seemed to cling.
Fuck!
Petal opened the door and stepped out into the raucous night, the glare from the lights assaulting her eyes, causing them to weep and sting.
The piece-of-shit Toyota beeped twice as the locks engaged, and she followed Gelda over to the midway.
The screams of illiterate teenagers pierced the night like steel slivers driven into her ears. Everywhere she looked, things sparkled and played baseball. Underfoot, the sawdust slid askew with every step she took, making her think it was covering the world's largest pool of vomit.
To top it all off, something stunk like wet cat.
When does it end?

Busy as Hell...

2010-08-31T21:03:00.002+10:00

My lack of updates recently cannot be excused, but I've been fairly flat-out.
~~~~~~~~~~

Finished, edited and submitted Hammered, my memoirs from the darker days of my youth?
Check.
Write submission for nice-looking anthology?
Check.
Finish exercises for online writing course?
Check.
Organise costume and accommodation for Nightmare Ball at AussieCon?
Check.
Make first post as new manager for AHWA's Sinister Reads?
Check.
~~~~~~~~~~

I'll be posting more free fiction soon.

GNB

Unheard...

2010-08-17T22:35:00.007+10:00

I sit in this room, the shadowed memories flying behind my eyes like moths darting at the flames of an open fire.

High, vaulted ceilings rise above me like a narcissist's self-regard.

I remember...

Alone, I feel a tempest of recollection bursting at the seams of my mind, twisting it like taffy in a sideshow arcade and trying to come forth, to break free of the mental constraint that is me.
Books lie scattered everywhere, a field of fallen dominoes waiting for another chance to inspire.
I wish they could.

The memories grow...

Grotesque images plough my senses: the smell of beast after a sudden fall of acid-rain, the colour of viscous viscera fermenting in a vat of vomit.
This appeals to me in ways I cannot begin to define.

I can hear the silence: the echo of my pain, like claws scraping down a fleshless spine as the spider-webs cling to the ceiling, drifting like dandruff from a diseased scalp; that, too, appeals to me.

Was I going insane?
Or am I already there, all this an imaginary friend that's not very friendly at all?

I can taste the dust settling onto my skin, and it tastes like dry, dead beetles; scarabs scuttling down my throat to infest and ingest me from the inside.
It tastes too good to not be true.

The three windows allow marginal light, seeming as stingy as bankers with God's own illumination. The carpet under my bare feet is gritty, more a collection of shards, splinters and sand than any man-made fibre.
I feel the same; scattered and broken.

I remember...

As I stare at the tattered pictures of fallen heroes blue-tacked to the walls, I remember the events that happened here, the terrible things that no-one will talk of.

Not to me, anyway.

I remember the things that I wish I could forget.

I mean...it was me that suffered here, wasn't it?

Was it?

Or was it all just a dream...?

...I remember?

Free tiny fiction and news of reviews...

2010-08-16T22:49:00.005+10:00

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A short post to let you know (if anyone's even watching) that I'm still alive.

This week I'll be posting a number of reviews, as I'm way behind.

First up will be THE PLACE IN BETWEEN by The Reverend Steven Rage, out from Legumeman books now.

Here's a short...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Makh, lead singer for The Funeral Pyre, looked over at Ziggy, sitting stoned as a maggot and barely able to keep his eyes open.
"Dude...you want some more smack before we start the road trip?"
Ziggy barely stirred as Bonehead from SakAttack stuffed a white rock under his tongue and then pushed him behind the wheel of the van the two bands shared.
Bonehead turned to Makh. "What can go wrong?"

Evolution of a writer (1): Favourite Authors

2010-08-07T23:52:00.008+10:00

I thought it was about time to let on some of my tastes and influences.

I will, over the next few weeks, fill in the gaps on my tastes and recommendations in reading, music and film/television. At first just in list form, like below, but I shall eventually place links here for some of the authors, publishers, musicians and artists that I review over the coming weeks..

Not that I think you'll be interested in personal stuff, my tastes in the arts may show you some of my influences, both overt and the ones I am unaware of.
Just the basics today, I'll go more into detail in future posts, including youtube links to songs I feel are worthy.

Again some (most) of you may just think 'Great, more shit...just gimme the reviews and the free stories.' For you guys and gals, I apologise. Call it rambling, call it pointless...fuck...dress it in drag and call it Theodora for all I fucking care.

As you can see, I don't give a toss if you read it or not.
Here goes with the first list.

Authors (Influences in Bold):
(No particular order, just as they spring to mind)

Stephen King, Dean Koontz, Richard Laymon, William S. Burroughs, Charles Bukowski, Gina Ranalli, James Roy Daley, Michael Slade, Brett McBean, Steve Gerlach, Tim Curran, R. Frederick-Hamilton, Matthew Revert, Matthew Reilly, Jack Ketchum, Simon Clark, Joe Lansdale, Robert R. McCammon, Graham Masterton, Greg Lamberson, James A. Moore, Michael McBride, William Ollie, Brian Keene, Jeff Strand, Andersen Prunty, Brian Knight, R. A. Salvatore, Ed Greenwood, Kylie Chan, Garrett Cook, Jason Wuchenich, Jess Gulbranson, Gregory David Roberts, Wrath James White, Michael Marshall (Smith), Kim Paffenwroth, Terry Pratchett, the Harry Potter series, Stephen King's Dark Tower series, The Celestine Prophecy, Kevin Shamel, Robin Hobb, Andy MacNab, Chris Ryan, J.R.R.Tolkien, Robert G. Barrett, Andrew J. McKiernan, Shane Jiraiya Cummings, Raymond Feist, the Reverend Steven Rage, and Chantal Boudreau (unpublished but damn good).

Basic list that I will update and add to as I think of extras.
I recommend any or all if these authors to you all. If you like my stuff, you'll most likely enjoy some or all of these writers. Check them out if you've a mind to, and use your own judgement.
Some are well known, some are barely known and some are unknown. All are damn good.

COMING SOON:
Publishers
Musicians/Bands
Artists (Visual in all mediums)
Cinema, Live Theatre and Television

Thanks for reading,
GNBraun

REVIEW: Gina Ranalli - House of Fallen Trees

2010-08-05T04:47:00.008+10:00

House of Fallen Trees by Gina Ranalli

Grindhouse Press Book 001
Trade Paperback, 264 pages
ISBN: 978-0-9826281-1-9
Release Date: June 15, 2010

Cover Price: US$15.00

“Two men have the carcass.” These words, heard over a crackling telephone line, change writer Karen Lewis’s life for the worse. Months earlier, her brother went missing in the small rural town of Fallen Trees, Washington. And now she finds out he willed his half of a bizarre bed and breakfast to her. “Two men have the carcass.” Is this ominous phrase enough to draw her into the mystery of Fallen Trees? Is the answer to her brother’s disappearance located there? Or is it just a trap, something designed to draw her into a nightmare world and break her sanity? What horror awaits Karen in the House of Fallen Trees?

NOW AVAILABLE!!

Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Direct from the Publisher

Cover designed and illustrated by Brandon Duncan:

Attributed to and Copyright 2010 Grindhouse Press

Gina Ranalli's Official Website

------------------------------------------------------------

Gina Ranalli is a well-established and inspiring voice in bizarro and horror fiction.
A New Englander by birth, Gina resides in the emerald green heart of Washington State, where she enjoys consuming copious amounts of caffeine, playing with her animals and generally acting like a hyper seven-year-old.

BOOKS

Chemical Gardens - 2006
Suicide Girls in the Afterlife - 2006
13 Thorns (with Gus Fink) – 2007 (Wonderland Award winner for Best Collection)
Wall of Kiss – 2007
Mother Puncher – 2008
Swarm of Flying Eyeballs – 2009
Sky Tongues - 2009
House of Fallen Trees – 2009
Praise the Dead — 2010
Peppermint Twist — TBA
Still Life with Vibrator – TBA

ANTHOLOGIES

The Bizarro Starter Kit (Orange) – 2006
Falling from the Sky – 2007
Bits of the Dead – 2008
Horror Library Vol. 3 – 2008
The Beast Within – 2008
Northern Haunts - 2009
Dead Science - 2009

SHORT STORIES

Skin Flowers - 2008

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
:REVIEW: House of Fallen Trees:
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
I first read this wonderful book around the third draft of the first printing in 2009, the limited edition first published by Cargo Cult Press, now an imprint of Bloodletting Books.
It was a great read, truly one of the best of the year for me.
This new impression by Grindhouse Press, a new but already formidable publisher in the United States, has had a facelift. Beautiful cover art, and a bit of work under the bonnet, too...
I'd heard it was improved, had been added to and re-edited and that it reads even better, which was hard for me to believe until I read the new improved version.

Absolutely fantastic book.
Miss Ranalli is moving from the realms of bizarro into the 'straight' horror novel...our gain and their loss, although any who read Gina Ranalli will know that anything she chooses to write will have that same lyrical, clear and emotive style she exhibits throughout her career.
House of Fallen Trees is a tale of love, family, discrimination, loss and redemption, wrapped up in a haunted house tale that manages to explore new realms within that much-worn sub-genre. Gina writes with a unique vision, a rare thing these days, that seems to be mostly confined to the 'bizarro' genre, and many thanks to Cargo Cult Press for bringing this group of writers to our attention in the horror/small press genre. Bizarro was an underground movement of authors based around Seattle, but now the genre has grown to the point where it can't be called underground anymore...maybe it's moved into avant-garde now?
Whatever bizarro is now, Gina has outgrown it like a pair of old schoolshoes. Making her way in the publishing world by not sticking to a genre, but to her own unique voice, Miss Ginalli will surely be a household name in the near future.
8.5/10

I highly recommend this book.
One of the best reads this year, for sure!

Buy it...buy it NOW!
I have. . .

GNBraun

New (Free) Published Short: Insurrection (aka Don't Fuck with the Fat Man)

2010-07-29T22:40:00.005+10:00

Insurrection Snowy Mountain Style
(aka don't fuck with the fat man)
by
GNBraun

Happy Christmas in July!(Just)

When Santa's elves revolt, it's up to one person to stop it - the motherfucking fat man himself! Celebrate Christmas in July in typical LegumeMan fashion - with gratuitous blood!

GNBraun was raised in Melbourne’s gritty Western Suburbs and is a trained nurse currently studying to work in the social services. He writes fiction untied to any genre, and is the author of Boneyard Smack, Bubba wants YOU, Insurrection and Santa Akbar (Tasmaniac Publications Dec. 2010)! Longer works are forthcoming, but he can only write so fast. Visit his blog and homepage at http://gnbraun.blogspot.com/ for free fiction and latest updates

Download Insurrection for FREE here. (or click on the cover above)

Feel like writing something? Try here...

2010-07-28T20:22:00.006+10:00

These are some examples of the writing available at the facebook page The Art of Words (the first was inspired by a headline posted at the forum, the second inspired by the image of the light globe, also posted at the forum).
This group caters for the writer in all of us, amateurs and professionals alike. Join, read, write, enjoy!
Also, there is a forum independent to Facebook, found HERE, that covers both The Art of Words and it's sister site, Art to Art, which caters for the visual artist.

----------------------------------

All that remained of the entire shemozzle were a few capuchin monkeys staggering around dressed like bell-hops and two sneaky looking chimps huddled together in a corner and feeling decidedly anarchic.
It was never discovered just which bright spark thought of having two warring clans of organ-grinders appear in the same village on the same day, but it wasn't one of the best ideas of the decade.
It all began quite grandly, as these things often do, but quickly degenerated into a mass of fisticuffs, bleeding men, flying teeth and squealing monkeys/apes. The chimps rushed to gang up on their smaller cousins, and the humans involved fell before the ferocity of their simian counterparts.
In the end, the only winners were the undertakers, who danced all the way to the bank.
GNB
------------------------------------------

George looked carefully through the microscope, studying the mote-sized organisms.
"Scurry around, my pets. The only meaning you have is my intent and desire."
Flicking the switch, he reconnected the tiny terrarium to the mains power supply.
Lights flared as current thrummed through the system again.
Life went on inside the terrarium; billions of people, going about their daily lives, unknowing of the fact they were, in the end, only a biological power supply.
GNB
-------------------------------------------

Links above for the independent forum.
Search on Facebook for The Art of Words and/or Art to Art.
Great sites, all of them.
Check them out...

Insurrection: Cover Art!

2010-07-28T15:36:00.005+10:00

Cover art for my new short story, Insurrection: Snowy Mountain Style (aka Don't Fuck with the Fat Man).
Available for free download soon from Legumeman Books Free Series, offering sheer, unadulterated examples of writing prowess, available as free downloads.

LIVE ONLINE AUTHOR CHAT: Gina Ranalli

2010-07-28T12:29:00.004+10:00

Gina Ranalli, author of bizarro classics such as Chemical Gardens, Suicide Girls in the Afterlife, 13 Thorns, Wall of Kiss, Motherpuncher and Sky Tongues, and the horror/bizarro titles House of Fallen Trees and the forthcoming Praise the Dead, has an upcoming live chat at Legumeman Forums (in the chat room), so be sure to join up to join in.

TIME:

EDT (U.S.A. - New York) Saturday, 31 July 2010 at 9:00PM
Central (U.S.A - Louisiana) Saturday, 31 July 2010 at 8:00PM
EST (Australia - Victoria) Sunday, 1 August 2010 at 11:00AM

Turn on, Join up, Log in...

Ditmar nominations closed...

2010-07-24T14:49:00.009+10:00

The nomination period for the Ditmar awards is now closed.
The shortlist should be announced in August sometime.

Good luck to fellow author Shane Jiraiya Cummings and author/illustrator Andrew J. McKiernan, as well as anyone else I know but am unaware of their eligibility.
When the shortlist is unveiled, I encourage all of you who are eligible to vote for your favourites.

In a previous post, I included links to works I thought were worthy of nomination, but as the nomination period has ended those links have now been disabled.

The link to my short story Boneyard Smack is still active.
Click on the image below to download.

'A great start from this promising author. A gritty tale that will give readers a sample of what Braun is capable of. Keep your eyes peeled, it's only going to get better.'
Scott Tyson
~ Author of Dear Santa (Festive Fear 2)

'Short, nasty and scarily realistic!'
Trost

~ Author of Hoffman's Creeper and The Legend of Redback Jack

'Braun gives us 2 minutes trapped in the mind of a junkie trying to get a fix...a short, sharp shock. Nothing scarier than real life.'
Daniel I. Russell
~ Author of Samhane, Fluffs and Shutterbug

'Who is this fuckhead, and what's this shit he calls writing?'
Colonel Glipshitz
~ Author of We, the Moral Minority and Beatnix Under the Bed

Matthew Revert ... "GN Braun: many who like killing themselves like this."
Matthew Revert's facebook page status thread

28 minutes ago · ·

Thanks for looking,
GNB

ANNOUNCEMENT: Festive Fear 2 up for pre-order...

2010-07-23T18:42:00.012+10:00

Tasmaniac's
FESTIVE FEAR 2- GLOBAL EDITION
is now up for pre-order!

The fear returns and this time its worldwide!

Original stories from:

Christopher Conlon
Paul Kane
B. Michael Radburn
Scott Tyson
Matthew R Davis
Daniel I Russell
Lee Thompson
Steve Cameron
Tim Curran
Ellen Shaw & Wayne C Rogers
GNBraun
Adrian Chamberlin
Alison J Littlewood
Tom Piccirilli

Cover art by Daniele Serra
Internal illustrations by Andrew J. McKiernan

Limited to only 200 copies.
$15.95

***
Released this December. Pre-order from Tasmaniac NOW.

Order from Tasmaniac, Horror Mall & Jeff 'n' Joys.

Don't be a idiot - get it!

The Nightmare Ball...let your darkest visions free...

2010-07-22T05:13:00.010+10:00

THE NIGHTMARE BALL:

A GOOD TIME FOR ALL

The Australian Horror Writers Association invites you to pursue your wildest dreams and face your deepest fears in the best possible way: behind a mask!

Come as your favourite horror/SpecFic themed character.

Dress is formal / nightmare. Prizes will be awarded for Best Mask and Best Ball Ensemble.

Join us for a night of elegant diversion, misdirected passion and perhaps a little conspiracy.

PURCHASE YOUR TICKETS HERE

Confirmed guests include: Ellen Datlow, multiple award-winning editor of the Year's Best Fantasy & Horror series; Rocky Wood, Chairman of the international Horror Writers Association Board; and Richard Harland, author of the best-selling Worldshaker.

Award-winning Australian artist Shane Ryan will contribute his dark art to the Ball's ambiance.

Featuring:

-Diverse refreshments (yes, this means alcohol)

-Door prize + prizes for the Best Mask and Best Ball Ensemble

-Dance Floor and & DJ, spinning the darkest hits of the 80's and 90's

-A nightmare-themed ballroom

Authors, editors, agents, publishers, reviewers & international guests!

Date: Friday, 3rd September 2010

Time: 9 pm to 12 Midnight

Place: The Banquet Hall (Room 201) at the Melbourne Convention Centre in conjunction with Aussiecon 4, the 68th World Science Fiction Convention.

This event is open to all. You do not have to be a member of the AHWA or Aussiecon 4 to attend.

TICKETS PURCHASED IN ADVANCE ARE:

AU$30.00 for Members of the AHWA and their spouses.

AU$30.00 for members of Aussiecon 4

AU$40.00 for non-members AND AT THE DOOR

PURCHASE YOUR TICKETS HERE

Please note: prices in the shop are in US dollars.

Again, dress is formal/nightmare.
Prizes will be awarded for Best Mask and Best Ball Ensemble.

There is also a door prize. Our generous donors include Stone, Fire and Water (the gargoyle specialists), Tasmaniac Publications, The Theatre of Blood and Brimstone Press.

Come along, join us.
Let it all hang out; scars, humps and everything else you're ashamed to be proud of...

*BONUS: Also held during the same period :
The Melbourne Writers Festival
Melbourne Writers Festival is the city's premier literary festival featuring over 300 writers from around the world. Literary banquets, debates, readings, performances, film screenings and workshops are just some of the events you'll enjoy at this year's festival. In Melbourne from 27 August to 5 September 2010.

Combine your literary orgasms for double the pleasure*...
*Use protection at all times (aka if its not on, its not on!)

REMEMBER...
If it can't be tamed,

The Ditmar Awards 2010 & Free Fiction...

2010-07-21T22:32:00.035+10:00

2010 Ditmar Awards
(Fan Nominated)

The Ditmar Award (formerly the "Australian Science Fiction Achievement Award") has been awarded annually since 1969 at the Australian National Science Fiction Convention (the "Natcon") to recognise achievement in Australian science fiction/speculative fiction (including fantasy and horror) and science fiction fandom. The award is similar to the Hugo Award but on a national rather than international scale.
Nominations close on the 23rd of July, so there's very little time left.

These eligible works by author Shane Jiraiya Cummings and author/artist Andrew J. McKiernan are available for FREE DOWNLOAD courtesy of the authors until nominations close...
(Links to works (except my own) NOW DISABLED)

The nomination form can be found HERE, just fill it out and click.

Eligible works by Andrew J. McKiernan (links now disabled) are:

Best Novella/Novelette

"The Message" by Andrew J McKiernan - originally appeared in Midnight Echo #2 from AHWA. Short listed for both Aurealis and Australian Shadows Awards: "The Message by Andrew J. McKiernan is the absolute standout in this issue. Again, a grounding in real life events gives this story real impact. There’s a real emotional hit to this one that will linger long after you’ve closed the magazine." OzHorrorScope
"Daivadana" by Andrew J McKiernan - originally appeared in In Bad Dreams 2: Where Death Stalks from Eneit Press: "'Daivadana' by Andrew McKiernan, [is] my favourite kind of story, epic and action packed and filled with ancient and nasty magicks. He writes stories that I wish I'd written. Damn his eyes." Martin Livings.

Best Short Story

"The Dumbshow" by Andrew J McKiernan - originally appeared in Masques from CSFG: "The Dumbshow is a noir carnival that shows off Andrew McKiernan's considerable prowess, effectively conveying the mute character's emotions and dialogue through the unlikely medium of written mime...his characters are crystal clear and throbbing with life." Specusphere

Best Artwork

"Shards: Short, Sharp Tales" by Shane Jiraiya Cummings, illustrated by Andrew J McKiernan from Brimstone Press: "McKiernan shows a brilliant sense of what stands out in the mind of a reader and then brings those images to life with a frightening style and ability beyond most artists working today in the smaller presses." gnbraun.blogspot.com/2010/07/new-reviews-up-this-weekend.html

The nomination form can be found HERE, just fill it out and click.

Eligible works by Shane Jiraiya Cummings (links now disabled) are:

Collected Work

SHARDS (Brimstone Press)

Almost forty short, sharp tales – all illustrated by Andrew J. McKiernan

Described by bestselling author Jonathan Maberry as “a guided tour of the darkest backroads of the imagination … wonderfully moody and creepy” and ScaryMinds’ Jeff Ritchie thusly: “Shane Jiraiya Cummings with Shards shows he is not only a master of the flash fiction style of writing but has pretty much written the definitive statement on how it should work.”

Shards is Shane's debut collection and represents the best of his flash fiction drawn from pro and semi-pro markets such as Shadowed Realms, Dark Wisdom, Horror Literature Quarterly, ASIM, Borderlands, and Shadow Box. Several of the stories therein are award nominees or honourable mentions in Year’s Best anthologies. This collection is the real deal and well worth your attention!

Best Novella

Phoenix and the Darkness of Wolves (Damnation Books)

Shane's best work of fiction published to date, Phoenix is the quintessential Australian post-apocalyptic dark fantasy story.

Stephen M. Irwin said of Phoenix: “Robert E. Howard meets Cormac McCarthy? Lovecraft meets London? Imagine no longer; Phoenix and the Darkness of Wolves weaves its own unique magic, binding ancient sorcery and modern apocalypse together on the plains of Western Australia.”

Want to read a story that’s crosses the mythology around bushfires with Stephen King’s The Gunslinger. This is it. Enjoy!

Best Short Story

Chasing Jormungand (Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine #38)

What can I say about this story? It’s Shane's first published humorous SF story. It was written at Clarion South. It’s written in second person perspective. Best of all, it’s about rival groups of scientist chasing yawns through Sydney’s subways. Yes, scientists chasing yawns.

You’ll never guess how the protagonist defuses the situation when it turns life threatening. For all its perceived silliness, this is, in fact, a finely crafted story.

Read it and I bet you won’t be able to resist yawning!

At the very least, check out Shards...it's brilliant and you can purchase the book from Brimstone Press (See my full review HERE).

Also, if you are interested in reading my own Boneyard Smack, it's available for free download from Legumeman Books HERE --> (pdf file)

'Short, nasty and scarily realistic!'
Trost

~ Author of Hoffman's Creeper and The Legend of Redback Jack

'Braun gives us 2 minutes trapped in the mind of a junkie trying to get a fix...a short, sharp shock. Nothing scarier than real life.'
Daniel I. Russell
~ Author of Samhane, Fluffs and Shutterbug

'Who is this fuckhead, and what's this shit he calls writing?'
Colonel Glipshit
~ Author of We, the Moral Minority and Beatnix Under the Bed

The nomination form can be found HERE, just fill it out and click.

Read, enjoy, nominate if you feel they are worthy.

Make your vote count, it comes but once a year!

GNB

How To Write Books for Boys and Girls...

2010-07-19T18:34:00.004+10:00

A link on Facebook took me to a blog where this was featured for a laugh...

I liked it so much I stole it for my own nefarious purposes...

How To Write Books for Boys and Girls

By Lupe Fernandez

I found this 1954 article about Children’s Literature on a defunct website. Submitted for your edification and amusement.

"How To Write Books for Boys and Girls"
"Always portray the military, politicians and religious figures in a positive way. Remember, these responsible authority figures keep Americans safe against atheists, beatniks and Communists.

"The family in your story should consist of married parents. Divorce has no place in reading material of teens. Broken homes make them nervous and might put unnecessary worries in their heads about whether Mom and Dad are getting along. While many classic stories feature orphans, today’s modern family is more educated and healthy, and orphans are old fashioned characters.

"Dad should always work in an office or to a responsible job like a fireman or a policeman. Fathers should never be an unemployed loafer or a union organizer. Mothers should always be homemakers. Mother’s who work in offices set a bad example for impressionable girls.

"Boy characters should have healthy, manly hobbies like playing baseball, collecting bubble gum cards, and outdoor camping. Girls should like sewing, cooking and talking with other girls about like clothes and boys. Activities that keep boys inside like reading, writing or thinking are not suitable role models for young men. Those are girl activities. On the other hand, too much physical exercise by girl characters would be unrealistic and your reader would lose interest. If your story has a Tomboy, make sure she is not a major character. Make the Tomboy a supporting character who longs to act like a real girl.

"Dress your characters in appropriate clothing. Boys: short sleeve shirts (only puny boys who spend too much time reading in their rooms wear long sleeve shirts), loose, comfortable pants with pockets and Keds sneakers with tied laces.

"Girls: ankle-length skirts (absolute no pants), Mary Jane shoes (only girls with loose morals wear high heels unless attending special occasions like a funeral or a wedding), hair tied in a pony tail or neatly trimmed.

"Language is very important. As boys and girls are often not in control of their feelings, they make many exclamations of surprise.

"Appropriate phrases:
'Jeepers!'
'Golly!'
'Holy Moley!'

"Inappropriate phrases:
'Crazy man!'
'What a gasser!'
'Kookie!'

"Never show a boy and a girl holding hands unless accompanied by an adult or riding in a hay wagon with other boys and girls.

"Never have a girl romanced by a foreigner, especially greasers, scratch-backs, potatoes, pachucos, fruitpickers, or braceros.

"If your story is a crime mystery, make sure your youngsters deal with bunco artists, robbers, or counterfeiters. Never put your youngsters in peril with murderers or social deviants.

"Everybody likes a good ghost story, but stories with supernatural happenings should be confined to misunderstood blithe spirits, college fraternity pranks or escaped convicts in disguise.

"If you follow these tips, your story is sure to be a delight to boys and girls everywhere, and stand the test of time just like the classics you read as a youth.

"End your story with a good, hearty laugh at the dinner table. Perhaps, Skippy the family dog runs through the house chasing Fluffy, the neighbor’s cat.

"These are a few tips for a good writing and wholesome reading."

ARE YOU PAYING ATTENTION, MARIO CARDARELLI?

FREE FICTION: The carrot or the stick...

2010-07-16T18:36:00.013+10:00

A writer I'm connected to on Facebook, Jeremy C. Shipp, asked a question. If you found yourself in FluffyBunny Land and had to become a door-to-door salesman to survive, what would you sell?

Here's my answer.

FluffTail Bunnymuncher sat easily in his easy chair.
"Damn fine name if you ask me...easy chair. Fuckin' easy is right. Best damn chair we ever bought, if you ask me."
FluffTail had a habit of repeating himself, as if one dose of the shit he talked wasn't enough. His common-law wife, MoistFluffy Crevice, was just about to the point where she'd either kill him or fuck him till he fell asleep. About three and a half seconds after he came, no doubt.
Fucking males!
A soft and discreet knock came from the front door of their burrow in the slums of TailTown, the low-income area of FluffyBunny Land. It sounded almost criminal in its attempt to seem nonchalant.
FluffTail opened the door to see a large guy, bearded and overweight. The human looked left and right before speaking in a low voice and trying to sidle past at the same time, as though hoping one act would distract from the other.
"Gotsumthin'youwannasee, squire..."
Flufftail tried to close the door before the weirdo could get past him, but the guy was faster than he looked. Before he could protest, the human was down the hall and into the lounge, quick as a wink.
By the time Flufftail had closed and triple-bolted the door and ran to the lounge, the freak was sitting in his easy-chair and handing MoistFluffy a carrot.
"This'll cure what ails ya, see if it don't."
FluffTail didn't like this. He didn't like it one iota.
"Now see here..."
Before he could even repeat himself one time to make his point, the human cut him off by thrusting a second carrot down FluffTail's throat.
"Try this for free and see if you don't like it. If you do don't like it then you don't have to have it, but if you don't don't like it, then you would have already tried it. See?"
Suddenly the human's eyes rolled back in his head and he mumbled several incoherent sentences. It seemed to FluffTail, who had chewed and swallowed the rudely-dealt carrot, that he was talking to himself. After another minute of hurried one-sided conversation, the human shook his head and looked at FluffTail once again.
"Dude, the boss said that you're our lucky one thousandth customer this month. You win six months supply of our best product. Double UoGlobe Carrots Grade One."
"What sort of name is that for carrots, you moron...what sort of name?"
"Why, it describes our product most efficiently. Grade one carrots, those we sell. Here's our card, wish you well."

FluffTail was all of a sudden feeling funny, both nauseous and dizzy. He turned to the non-easy sofa and collapsed there, feeling shittier than the time he'd shafted that crazy fucking March Hare.
Goddamn viagra/coke speedballs.
"Delivery will be about three PM this afternoon, my furry friend."
With a smile and a wink, Braun left to go recruit his next customer...

FINISHED...

2010-07-12T20:54:00.008+10:00

I've finally finished the memoir novel(la) I've been working on for the last six months or so.
It hasn't been an easy one to write, as it was a difficult period of my life, but it was necessary to write it out.
I think it's as good as I hope it is. We'll see...
I have the first draft finished, so working on other stuff now until the rewrite in two weeks.

More news to come as it (hopefully) goes through the publishing routine...

REVIEW: Shards by Shane Jiraiya Cummings (illustrated by Andrew J. McKiernan)...

2010-07-08T20:46:00.011+10:00

Shards: Short Sharp Tales by Shane Jiraiya Cummings (Illustrated by Andrew J. McKiernan)
Published July 2009 - Brimstone Press/160p/B-Format pb ( ebook reviewed)
More Information and Purchasing Options HERE

Shane Jiraiya Cummings was kind enough to send me a .pdf file of this wonderful collection of short fiction.
Shane has close ties to the Australian Horror Writers Association, and the skill shown in writing these shorts proves he has the chops needed. There are seven distinct sections, each subtitled to summarise the general loose theme of the tales therein, from personal demons to sacrifice, from obsession to the apocalypse. I enjoyed every one!

Shane's writing is deep and thought-provoking, maintaining a thin veneer of civilisation but hinting at the darkest depths of fear and the human condition. He writes like a good surgeon operates; with as little as necessary, no waste, no excess. Every word has a place, and there's a place for every word. The stories work on a bigger level, each one leaving you with the feeling that there was a complete tale there, no matter how short. This isn't always the case; some writers work shorts like parts of a longer piece, giving you fragments of the story and leaving you to figure out the rest, but Shane gives you totality. You leave his writing feeling dirty, but at least you don't feel used and left wanting.
Shane Jiraiya Cummings' writing style also works on a smaller level within the story. Seemingly innocuous sentences and phrases have a way of biting you while reading, and small sentences take on a leer of insanity when you realise just where they lead.
All up a great release from Brimstone Press.

I know very little about Brimstone Press, although I should know more, it being one of the few small-presses in Australia that cater towards the dark and speculative side of fiction. I know of the line of anthologies they put out, the Australian Dark Fantasy and Horror yearly collections, and I know about the CD packages of fiction and art they release, which I find particularly innovative and a great concept. I do know they give an outlet to Aussie SpecFic writers. Helmed by Angela Challis and based in Western Australia, they could be someone I look to submit to in the near future...

Back to Shards, anyway.
Along with the high quality of writing inside this nicely presented volume, Andrew J. McKiernan has done a damn fine job on the illustrations that are presented for each story.
Each picture sets the mood well for its written counterpart, sometimes complimenting the story, while at other times almost expanding or adding to the tale that follows. McKiernan shows a brilliant sense of what stands out in the mind of a reader, and then brings those images to life with a frightening style and ability beyond most artists working today in the smaller presses. If the book was worth getting because of the writing, the artwork contained within is the icing on the cake...and it's that really nice icing we all love...you know, the one your Mum used to let you lick from the spoon when you were younger?
Check out his site HERE!

This book is a shining example of the quality of art and dark literature coming out of the Australian continent, a quality the rest of the world is just beginning to understand.
8/10!

Aussie, Aussie, Aussie, Oi, Oi, Oi!!!

Another acceptance...

2010-07-06T13:10:00.014+10:00

Festive Fear 2: Global Edition/Dec 10th 2010 (Preorders Open Soon)

An email arrived today telling me that I have had a short story accepted for publication in Festive Fear 2: Global Edition, published by Tasmaniac Publications. My contribution concerns a rather nasty Santa with even nastier habits.
Tasmaniac Publications is a relative newcomer to the small-press scene, but has been releasing some powerhouse authors so far with more to come, and their production values are beautiful...
Recent releases from this publisher include novellas by Tom Piccirilli, Steve Gerlach, Brett McBean (forthcoming series), Gary A. Braunbeck and Simon Clark.

Festive Fear 2: Global Edition will be a limited edition of 200 perfect bound trade paperbacks. Festive Fear 1 sold out very quickly , hence the increase from 150 to 200 copies for this one, but it would still pay to get in quick.

FULL TABLE OF CONTENTS!
COMING SOON
-------------------------------------------------------

Also, another short accepted by Wicked East Press for their upcoming flash fiction anthology Cup of Joe, edited by Jessica A. Weiss.

A Cup of Joe/Dec 2010

GNBraun

FREE FICTION: Standing Still...

2010-07-03T20:01:00.014+10:00

Danielle stood still...

It all began so quietly.
First, the sparse reports on the news networks, vague hints of new troubles in the Middle East. We had no idea what was coming. No idea at all.
Israel went on Thursday and Iran followed soon after as America answered the strike against one of their allies. North Korea took advantage of the devastation and world-wide confusion to destroy their southern counterpart.

Danielle stood still, watching the flare as it dropped out of the stratosphere, resembling nothing so much as a shooting star without the wish.

India and Pakistan both launched within minutes of each other, and China was most likely responsible for the appalling strikes on the North American continent.

In the end, it didn’t matter who pushed the buttons; it mattered only that they were pushed.

Danielle watched the flash, the fatal millisecond where peace ended and insanity began. She felt her eyes burn, darkness descending as the breeze sprang up, foreshadowing things to come.
Things to come very soon.

Danielle stood still, imagining the mushroom cloud as it grew.
Danielle stood still as the ill wind blew her away.

...and then there were none...