Wednesday, April 30, 2014

Human by Milan Bakrania Brings Hope Back to World Ravaged by Most Dangerous Virus Ever!


30 years from now
A ghost runjs across an immaculately manicured garden towards the banks of a steadily moving stream.
It's a child, maybe five or six years old, wrapped tightly in a white anti-infection suit. Something shiny
catches her eye. Lodged in the shallow waters is a silver object...
Dear Uncle Ryan...According to the media, the outbreak is relentlessly spreading to ever corner of the planet. 1,725 have died  already and two more cases were reported an hour earlier in Kolkata and somewhere in Myanmar. Face masks are now compulsory. But will it be enough to prevent more deaths? Only time will tell...  
 Why am I writing all this crap? Well, this afternoon, the World Health Organization and FEMA issued a joint statement. It was long and full of words unknown to me, but one statement stuck. This virus is like no other. 
Don't ask me why but, from that moment all I could think about is you and the time we spent together...

Human
By Milan Bakrania


                                            

10:58 PM..."Zenith!"
 I turn to see an oversized silhouette approaching fast. In seconds he is in front of me removing his mask. It's my friend Roshan, sweating like a pig, huffing and puffing, coating the whole vicinity in his garlicky scene. He's obviously been running for quite a while. 
"It's Joy," he finally bleats, putting two chubby hands on my bony shoulders. "He's been kidnapped!"
It had become personal now...Zen had followed all the rules, wearing a mask continuously and helping to keep his work environment as well as his home as clean as possible. But Roshan and Joy had been his best friends for so long--and in this world you had to work at keeping friends close.

Obviously he had not been successful in keeping his wife close! Ha! That rarely crossed his mind anymore, so he spent much time out with his friends, after work, enjoying what the recent news was that each had heard. Joy was an engineer, but had been forced to work selling on the streets. If there had not already been others who had been kidnapped, they would not have worried, thinking Joy was just off somewhere, but when they got to his apartment and found too many of his personal items that he would never leave behind, they knew he must have been taken.

"Last week, a policeman followed a group of
children being led by two possible kidnappers
into a field just outside the old city, over a
passing brook and into an unmarked village.
When the policeman entered the village, it was
deserted. There was no sign of life apart from
a small temple at the centre, a dried-up well
under a very old tall tree and intricately
carved ruins scattered everywhere...No
trace of existence has been found in the
area, even after a forensic search. The
policeman has been sent on an extended leave.
Zenith is a wonderful character. He is always running, to get to work, to get done, and go to the wonderful place there at work--where the engineers worked. Zen had wanted to be an engineer. His father had not been supportive, but his Uncle Ryan--was continually encouraging, continuing to remind him to dream, that he could be what he wanted to be...But now, he cleaned--the buildings where great engineering projects were being handled constantly. And the people who worked there liked him and would share their activities with Zen, as if he was their peer, even though he would never be at this time in his life. 
Now, though, when he got off work, he would search for his friend Joy or talk with Roshan, deciding what to do next. With so many people dying, the police were constantly involved in cleanup! Body bags were routinely around for use and because of the volume dying, they were taken to a common dump for burning. There was just no time to provide for family remembrances--sometimes they didn't even learn their loved one had died and been carried away until much later!
Roshan died from the virus...He was now alone, trying to find his other friend.
Then a text message came--apparently from the kidnappers and directed him to Ellis Bridge:
"Joy is waiting for you. Come to the centre of Ellis Bridge, 9am...Come alone..." Another text later came but he didn't know what the letters and numbers meant. He had gone to the Bridge but nobody had been there, so he decided he'd better get to work. There, he asked for help in determining what the numbers meant... A GPS!

He Started out again...,

Later, those with whom he worked, would ask about him... They would realize he had disappeared...like the others...

Zenith, and readers, are about to go on an adventure like no other. Across the world, millions were dying from the virus... Would it be the end of the world? 

Milan Bakrania has given readers a story not of the end of the world as it had become... But of what it could be... His vision was perhaps from his own dreams... Or were his dreams preparing him for what was to come? Suddenly after reading a story with a man named Zenith as the main character--a cleaner, a janitor, who had dreamed of being an engineer has left Ahmed City, India, to a place where most have magically been taken...Zenith walked in...

From a somewhat simple story of a man's life, the novel moves to a place where I wanted to be... I wanted to explore and be out with Zen to see what he was discovering. For there were people from all over the world--from every culture,  those of every color...and...there was hope there...I became once again hopeful for the world.

Thank you Milan Bakrania.  May your dreams and the dreams of many others across this world come true...

Highly recommended! But do take the time to realize that it is from the simple life of one man, who dreams, that this world may just come...


GABixlerReviews





Born in London. Grew up wanting to be a doctor, astronaut, singer and archeologist but ended up in the IT field! Writing was something I always did but never saw it as a career until I was threatened with redundancy…that’s when I re-discovered the creative juices. Along with writing, my wife and I are CEO/founders of Swaroop Arts, a platform established to exhibit our paintings…another hobby that’s become a career!


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Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Out Today! Terry Irving's Courier - Added to My Personal Top Ten for This Year!

As I was getting ready to begin my review, I came across this extensive interview with Author Terry Irving by Blogger Nick Wale...so I decided to change my format a little and provide information about this fascinating novel's author!
http://nickwale.wordpress.com/2012/12/13/meet-terry-irving/
http://nickwale.wordpress.com/2012/12/27/irving-unleashed-a-revealing-conversation-with-terry-irving/
http://nickwale.org/2013/02/27/irving-confidentially-an-inside-look-at-courier/

No! Not right now... He's not as mean as he looks in this pic LOL so check out lots of other ones...



I moved to Washington DC in 1973 to kick around for a few weeks until I decided on a real career. I ended up riding a classic BMW R50/2 for ABC News during Watergate. 

Carrying that news film was the beginning of a 40-year career that has included producing Emmy Award-winning television news, writing everything from magazine articles to stand-up comedy and developing many of the earliest forms of online media. After producing stories in Beirut, Hong Kong, El Salvador and all 50 states, I still live right outside Washington, DC because my wife and my dog simply
refuse to live anywhere else.






I thought it was ironic that this author was not picked up by an American publisher! The topic surely can't scare anybody now after soooo many years, right?


The back blurb, pointing out that the book was set in 1972 and that Watergate had everybody on edge, was a clue, but what was actually covered was much closer to my heart...

The Vietnam War--why it went on so long, why it was getting such a bad rep and why were we losing so many Americans, while, when those that did come back, were treated so badly!

Finally, a potential answer! Sure, it's fiction, but it sounded feasible to me. In fact, it sounded highly likely to have occurred! After you read Courier, do let me know if you agree that this book just might be sharing exactly what happened...


Courier
By Terry Irving

It felt like the motorcycle had become a part of his body--a part that made him whole. The back tire of the BMW R50/2 had started to lose traction on the crusted ice--ice that had hung around for months in the shadowed parts of the alley, where the sun never reached. The wheel was spinning now and drifting left, the back end approaching a ninety-
degree angle to the front, but Rick Putnam realized, with a bit of surprise, that he wasn't concerned... It was all reflex action--as automatic as walking.
~~~

He scanned the street in front of him, then, without moving his head, methodically checked behind him in the rearview mirror. Catching a glimpse of himself--something unusual since he never sought out mirrors--his startling blue eyes under deep brows stared back. Women might find them mesmerizing, but he regretted how they made him so easy to remember. Usually he wore dark sunglasses, but in today's gray afternoon light, sunglasses might result in one of those curious second looks that sometimes proved so inconvenient.
He had spent many years making sure he was neither noticed nor remembered...
...a specialist in the restoration of silence began his latest assignment...
~~~


Rick took off as soon as he had been given everything that would be used later that evening on the news. The others would follow after gathering up their gear. One of the guys had taken some extra footage and was trying to get it put in for use, so Rick grabbed everything while they continued to argue...

The specialist was ahead of Rick and was moving forward, By the time that he was done everybody involved in the interview would have been eliminated...
It had been going as planned, except for the Courier...

The first attempt on him failed...so did the second...

Rick had almost died during the war...he had been seriously hurt and presumed dead, so that they continued to throw additional bodies on top... some of the shots that hit him were from Americans as the battle had continued. When he was finally found, they fully expected him to die...

Rick had other plans...and you'll see that physically he was keeping himself in great shape, and had learned to be much more on alert in any and all situations. Only his emotional lapses and his nightmares continued... But all that he had done to prepare for his continued survival was now what was keeping him alive, even as others continued to try to eliminate the last individual involved in any way...
"What the hell do they want with you?" Rick turned to
head outside. "They've already tried to kill me and even
some of my friends to get it."
"What the hell you got? You started selling smack
all of a sudden?
"Nothing that profitable," Rick said as he limped
back into the sunlight. "Apparently, it's the reason
all of us were stuck in the shit over in Nam for so
long. The reason a lot of good guys died." He
stood up slowly and walked to the garage door. The two
Vietnamese were out of their car, facing off against
the bikers.
~~~





For some of you, there will be much in the early part of the book that you will not recognize. For those of us who remember all of the equipment, we can sit in amazement to realize that so much has been invented since the 70s!

If chase scenes are exciting additions for you, then this will be even more fantastic as bike versus auto comes often! It is amazing that Rick lived through everything, flying with two bikes that were his favorite "dance" partners


It was early evening when Rick stopped the bright
green Kawasaki directly in front of the Datsun and
blew the horn. As the two men jerked alert, he gave
them the finger...
The Kawasaki was one fast machine...Rick realized
how drastically different it was to control this
explosive crotch rocket...
~~~


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Saturday, April 26, 2014

The Mystery of Moutai by G. X. Chen - Cozy Mystery Provides Short Trip to China and Murder, Of Course...

His voice echoed as he called out, "Mom, I'm home! Where are you?" ...He walked over and stood in front of the battered coffee table, looking down at the exquisitely designed liquor bottle, which seemed empty. Then, he noticed something bulky stuck between the sofa and the coffee table. It was his mother, face-down on the floor. On her partially hidden, painfully distorted  face, blood trickled from her nose and her mouth. His legs started trembling violently. John screamed, but no sound came from his mouth. It was seemingly a long time before he was able to control his limbs. He ran to the kitchen, picked up the phone, and dialed 911...The rest of the day was a blur. Police officers and detectives came and went, along with a team of forensic specialists and an ambulance. Everything in the apartment and around the body was checked, including a fancy gift box and the empty bottle of Moutai. The forensic officers used protective gloves, putting all the items, one at a time, carefully into separate evidence bags.


The Mystery of Moutai


By G. X. Chen

No, Jackie Chan has nothing to do with the story, other than apparently being one of millions who love Moutai. According to the author, men in China prefer a much strong liquor so wines from other countries do not sell well there... A gift of Moutai is so precious, that everybody will immediately accept a drink...not knowing, because of its strength, that it could have been laced...and the drinker soon dead...
Friday, April 24
Another warm night: the breeze coming from
the open windows makes me feel it's an early
summer rather than spring day.
It has been a thrill to know that I will soon
meet my old friend who suffered much at the
hands of the Red Guards during the Cultural
Revolution. I'm extremely excited about the
opportunity to renew our friendship. I
don't have many old friends anymore, having
lost all the contacts when I moved. I
particularly crave the comradeship we forged
during the formidable years when we were
both young...
~~~

The two amateur mystery solvers, Ann Lee and Fang Chen were friends of Shao Mei. All were living in Boston but were called because John had found his mother dead and the police asked for somebody to come be with him. Although they were called aunt and uncle, by custom, they were not related. Ann, though, was much like his mother and was a welcome support to John. He and his mother had come to America so that he could attend school; his father had stayed in China. John loved his new life, but would be returning to live with his father. Until then, it was agreed that he would stay with Fang Chen who had more space than Ann... 

Both friends, however, had only one thing they wanted--to find the individual who had killed Shao Mei. Actually, they made a good team, throwing out ideas to each other and then going over the options. At first, this goes very slow, so that the readers may feel the need for moving faster, but once readers are also into the story and the many events occur, I think you will become as involved as I did in solving the mystery. In cozies, there are sometimes not as many potential individuals to consider, but this is counter-balanced well with the fact that there are insufficient police officers who can assist in the murder due to language differences... 

Paul Winderman was the officer in charge of the case, but it was sitting on his desk, already becoming cold...there was no evidence, nothing found at the scene of the crime except the wine bottle and traces of the poison. The glasses had been washed, the place wiped down. Besides nobody could figure out the motive... Thus he happily accepted Ann and Fang's involvement since they had helped him before...

John's father had been trying to get approval for him to come to get his son but was having problems. Readers will learn much about living in China and the restrictions placed on nearly everybody. The Cultural Revolution was mentioned so often, that I've included a short narrative about it for readers who would like to learn more.

An interesting method for readers to learn and try to solved the mystery was the inclusion of a diary written by, perhaps, the guilty individual. But don't think it will help you immediately solve the case...a diary is merely the thoughts of an individual, at a given time, so you really have to consider what may be of use out of everything written...



When Ann and Fang talked about John's father having trouble with getting clearance to travel, they decided to go and take John home. They could also visit and enjoy a needed vacation, plus try to discover more about what Shao Mei might have been involved with to cause her murder...
Of course, the Great Wall was part of their tourist activities, but so was Wangfujing...where among all the other shops, they needed to visit one particular shop and talk to the owner...



The day after, that shop owner was killed...

The same method was used, the bottle of Moutai left behind...

Ann and Fang had seen the blood flowing from the five head openings and remembered that the result of poison was the same in both victims.
 At a point, Ann and Fang realized that they themselves must have provided information to the killer--How else would they have known that they would be visiting that shop?!!!

Fortunately, they were able to ask Paul, back in the U.S. to conduct background checks of those involved...

But that didn't stop them from being pursued. They had
noticed an old black car that they had both known to have once been used by the Red Guard... And when they almost got hit by that car, only being saved by a quick acting street vendor, they began to realize they must be on the right track, even though they didn't yet know it!

Shao Mei had been a physics professor in Beijing but had to accept a mailroom clerk job at an insurance company when she came to America. Still, she was able to have her son in school where he was excelling...

But as discussions occurred--such as perhaps she had some secret treasure she had brought from home, which was Fang's favorite choice, it was pointed out that she surely would not have become a mail clerk if she had something valuable!

It was interesting that they really didn't begin to have the whole story until they had returned to Boston! The setting moved into the academic area, where Shao Mei had once been. We learn that she had been taken as a prisoner of the Red Guard, along with many others there in China...


Action begins to move faster, even though within the college and soon the killer knows that her followers have returned home...

But they cannot be permitted to live!

Loved the ending! Ann Lee and Fang Chen are an excellent pair of mystery solvers and I hope th author will continue further mysteries with these two!

Highly recommended...


GABixlerReviews

Enjoy more of the amazing Mall!
The Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, commonly known as the Cultural Revolution, was a social-political movement that took place in the People's Republic of China from 1966. Set into motion by Mao Zedong, then Chairman of the Communist Party of China, its stated goal was to enforce communism in the country by removing capitalisttraditional and cultural elements from Chinese society, and to impose Maoist orthodoxy within the Party. The Revolution marked the return of Mao Zedong to a position of power after the failed Great Leap Forward. The movement paralyzed China politically and significantly affected the country economically and socially.
The Revolution was launched in May 1966. Mao alleged that bourgeois elements were infiltrating the government and society at large, aiming to restore capitalism. He insisted that these "revisionists" be removed through violent class struggle. China's youth responded to Mao's appeal by forming Red Guard groups around the country. The movement spread into the military, urban workers, and the Communist Party leadership itself. It resulted in widespread factional struggles in all walks of life. In the top leadership, it led to a mass purge of senior officials who were accused of taking a "capitalist road", most notably Liu Shaoqi and Deng Xiaoping. During the same period Mao's personality cult grew to immense proportions.
Millions of people were persecuted in the violent factional struggles that ensued across the country, and suffered a wide range of abuses including public humiliation, arbitrary imprisonment, torture, sustained harassment, and seizure of property. A large segment of the population was forcibly displaced, most notably the transfer of urban youth to rural regions during the Down to the Countryside Movement. Historical relics and artifacts were destroyed. Cultural and religious sites were ransacked.
Mao officially declared the Cultural Revolution to have ended in 1969, but its active phase lasted until the death of the military leader Lin Biao in 1971. After Mao's death and the arrest of the Gang of Four in 1976, reformers led by Deng Xiaoping ended the Maoist reforms associated with the Cultural Revolution. In June 1981, the Central Committee announced the official verdict: "The 'cultural revolution', which lasted from May 1966 to October 1976, was responsible for the most severe setback and the heaviest losses suffered by the Party, the state, and the people since the founding of the People's Republic." 

G.X. Chen is a freelancer who lives in Boston (both of her mystery novels are based in Boston). She permanently moved from China to the US after Tiananmen Massacre in 1989. G.X. Chen’s previously published books include The Mystery of Revenge (a mystery novel) and Forget Me Not: A Love Story of the East (a historic fiction/romance) and several other novels in Chinese. To learn more, go to http://gxchen.tateauthor.com/

Friday, April 18, 2014

RM DAmato Presents Future I Hope I Never Live to See!

 
According to Bullock, Hitler was an opportunis..."You see," Sanchez continued,,,"Chaplin once said that Hitler imitated his mustache," He heard a small laugh. "So, to return the favor, Chaplain made a movie called "The Dictator. He plays the role of a dictator who has been mistakenly elevated to a position of power. Also, the brilliance of it all is that Chaplikn represents an oppressed minority like the Jews in Hitler's Germany. At the end of the movie, he mocks Hitler's speech with a different version of his diatribe and evil ranting. Let's look at it." On the screen, Charlie Chaplin, wearing a pseudo-Nazi unjiform labeled with X's instead of swastikas, sat with some cronies and reluctantly decided to gtive a speech. Despite his apprehensions, he nervously spoke in front of citizens and party officials...
I Have Three Things to Tell You My Friend

By RM DAmato

Perhaps because of living in a small town where we knew our school teachers, but especially after I started working for a university and realized that instructors made less than many working at that university, I've always felt strongly about the lack of support for education and especially teachers. This book reminded me of not only that fact, but that I was, as told to me by a counselor, used and abused by an institution and then thrown aside... Sure, there are others like me...but not as bad as it's going to get according to the author of this futuristic novel...

I started by sharing a video that I never knew existed. It's by Charlie Chaplin... Had you ever heard of or seen it? In the novel, it is part of a lecture by a provisional teacher. His mentor is allowing him to take over his class as he decides whether he wishes to stay teaching for his career. His partner wants him to become a lawyer, seemingly to me because of the low pay as opposed to anything else... Not only was I impressed with the lecture, which of course, was created by the author whose professional experience supports that role, but because it was one of the few lectures he might ever give. Amazing! You see, in the future, there are few teachers who do more than provide support as our youth are taught electronically by a canned and, more importantly, approved course curriculum... There is no free thinking on the part of teachers, or little of it...

Teacher
Teacher (Photo credit: ben110)
While the setting is within a college, the rules and regulations actually are government controlled. It is hoped that Education professions will ultimately be eliminated due to electronic advances. Until then, funds have lowered routinely... Mr. Sinclair is the main character, although the Janitor is just as much in the same situation as Sinclair. In fact, everything regarding your career includes the need to know how old you are. Both Mr. Smith and Mr. Sinclair are near the time of, well, shall I just say, rehabilitation at this time...
You see, new medical sciences advances have allowed age to be stopped and your body energized and enhanced to a point that the individual is just about ready to start his career...The catch? You must choose a new profession, be retrained and committed to that career for the remainder of your life... 160 years...                                                                                                                                                                                      Don't want to keep on working, especially if you can't stay in the career you love? Well, you can choose to retire. But don't plan to live beyond your 80th birthday... THAT'S THE LAW!
Not exactly a great time to be living; that is, if you ever planned to have some kind of life outside of working... After all, you are owned by the government once you sign your job contract...

Now while Sinclair is mentoring his possible replacement, he also is spending time talking to lawyers and friends about what he should choose to do.  He's considering a new field in Engineering! And is working on an old motor bike even though he hasn't been able to get it running. His wife has left for Japan and he's almost sure she won't be back as she leaves. So he could potentially be alone or perhaps try to find somebody new...

Ironically, the janitor has taken a liking to him, almost as an equal. Mr. Smith has self-educated himself, although that cannot help him in his possible reassignment. He hates his boss and loves a woman who is also a janitor... But his greatest love is opera and he spends time listening to it and even invites his beloved to go to an opera.  She announced at the end of the evening that she hated it... and without saying it... a whole lot more!

Daily activities of these individuals are also included and readers can see that there is not much "life" to celebrate... Life is centered around work... And the same old philosophical debates are, of course, still going on because nobody will ever agree...

I had most of what would be happening figured out...or at least I thought I did! But I was totally wrong, except for the young man who was being mentored by Sinclair... So, I was wrong--but-- you know, I was totally accepting of the ending! In fact, if I were living at that time...

Now you are not going to understand why this video is added unless you read the book...Still, it fits soooo well... I just can't tell you why and not let you be surprised! 



"So decide...Go the easy or go,,,a crazy Pagliaccio..."

It is hard to say that I loved this book, but, for me, it was mind-blowing! And, yet, as I consider my own evaluation of the work environment in the world, I find it both memorable and believable--
tooooo believable. Ponder whether you work to live or live to work... I once lived to work and found that nobody really appreciated it as long as contributed to the bottom line and expected no respect, courtesy or a life beyond that job...

If you've ever felt like that, this might be a must-read to help you face reality... You decide!


GABixlerReviews


About the Author

RM Damato received a B.A. in English from California State University, Northridge in 1982 and an M.A. in English from U.S.C. in 1983. He worked as an assistant editor for the Los Angeles Times but spent most of his career as a teacher in California and Florida. He is married with one daughter.  Currently, he is an adjunct professor at Florida International University. His second novel, I Have Three Things to Tell You, will be completed in 2014 and it will illustrate the state of the public educational system in the near future. Also, a collection of poetry, The Random Musings of a Late Baby Boomer, will be completed in 2014.


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Thursday, April 17, 2014

The Poe Consequence - Where Horror and Street Fiction Collide! By Keith Steinbaum...




The Poe Consequence

                                                                         
Swat rubbed his face and flinched
at the surprising swelling circling
his right eye...his fingers seemed
to touch melted wax...he felt
disturbed by the gauze=like
fuzziness of his vision...
~~~


By Keith Steinbaum



English: the signature of Edgar Allan Poe Espa...


English: Edgar Allan Poe.
English: Edgar Allan Poe.
(Photo credit: Wikipedia

                                                                                    











Are you a fan of Edgar Allan Poe? Do you enjoy the dark, the macabre? Have you by chance read The Tell Tale Heart? A vid is provided if you'd like it as background. Even if you don't listen to it all, play a little and set the mood... For you are about to learn of a contemporary novel based upon his works... Can you get too involved with Poe? Some have and have learned of the

Consequences...

Read on only if you dare...




They were both there that night... 

All the Diablos were looking for was their enemies...it had been reported that The Lobos would be there. It was time for some payback... Tonight was the night. They saluted Apache and went searching...

Their enemy was worried about something far less than respect for a fallen one...They were out of beer! No money...guess they had to get it the usual way...just where would they go tonight...


In the cool, reflective silence, as the six other Diablos
surrounded the candle's meditative flame, Face turned
to contemplate the ultimate legacy to Apache's artistic
 gift...Carlos had come to represent victory over the
enemy,,,
...But Face sensed the possibility of another spirit. A
different  kind of warrior. An uncommon type of war.
~~~



It happened to be the same store that a certain professor was headed for... for a quick stop that would, unfortunately, end that night!
Warren and Kevin, twins, had bonded early and remained close, although not necessarily with the same interests.















Warren had loved the works of Poe 
Seizing the last can of Bud, King walked through the
darkness to the other side of the park...From his first day
in the gang, two things were made clear: You could die
any day, so every moment you're alive, live it as a Lobo.
And because you could die any day, if you wanted something
bad enough, do whatever the fuck it takes to get it.
Miguel "King" Ruiz had learned his lessons well, and
tonight he wanted to get drunk and party like a Lobo--
no matter what it took...
Either way, man or woman, somebody was gonna be his
bitch tonight.
~~~
and had carried that love and interest in literature into his professional decisions and became a professor. 

While in New Orleans, Warren planned to take advantage of the location and visit a psychic. Kevin enjoyed launching into his usual tirade about con artists. But nothing would dissuade Warren.

Although when he got back, he didn't want to share what he had been told...

In fact he had run out of her place before she had finished the last card in his Tarot spread... 

Can't say I blame him--she was telling him a lot of strange, eerie stuff!

Still, there was no reason for Warren to connect that fortune with stopping at a corner store that night. The Lobos were already there, getting ready to get that beer for the party to come. When the Diablos learned where they would be, they planned a drive-by...

But Warren and his son got in the middle and when one grabbed Warren's son, he ran to get him and was shot in the back. Face had yelled, trying to ensure nobody hit the boy, but they didn't realize that Warren also was an outsider...

Dean had long ago accepted the general populace's ignorance concerning most of the depressing bullshit that cops see every day. Dean just wanted to do whatever he could to keep the lid on the ever-simmering cauldron of violence, but he hadn't been doing a good job of it in recent weeks. There had been a total of seventeen reported deaths between the Lobos and Diablos over the last two and a half months and eight of them were diagnosed as heart failure. Eight massive heart attacks striking young men with no previous history of heart problems...
and why only to those two gangs...
~~~
  
It is amazing to realize that this is a first novel for Steinbaum... He brings the literary horror message from Poe, and in particular The Tell Tale heart, and adds it to Street Lit gang banger activities directly from the LA streets! No wonder the police have no idea how to deal with the deaths that began to happen...There was no physical evidence, no witnesses, no reason for death, at least until the autopsy showed what was inside each body.  Of course each of the eyes were affected as well.

Only when an enterprising police officer started a matrix connection was it clear that once a member of either of these two gangs killed somebody, then that individual would be killed the next day... Kevin who had worked on a set of gang-related articles was even brought in by the police, hoping he could add info from his early meetings...

There are a couple of paranormal issues thrown into that mix that really spices up the adventure for readers. Got to say I loved the concept, the story line and the implementation merge of today's world with the one present during Poe's time.  Whew! The Poe Consequence is scary, eloquent, weird, literary writing at its finest and a story worthy, in my opinion, of being a followup to Poe's classics!


GABixlerReviews




About the Author

As a professional lyricist, Keith Steinbaum has co-written songs that have been heard throughout the world. His poetry has been published in various anthologies, and he received an International Poet of Merit award from the International Society of Poets. This is his first novel.