Boxing and Books with Lou Eisen

If you’ve hung out here for any length of time, you know I have more than a casual interest in the sport of boxing. In fact, I’ve written several short stories featuring the sport (you can read them here.) Yes, boxing is full of toxic masculinity, casual racism and violence, to which I say, “what’s your point?” It is the very essence of drama.

But as much as I enjoy the sport, it doesn’t begin to approach the love my old friend and stand-up comic friend Lou Joshua Eisen has. We’ve talked prize fighting for almost 40 years (including a memorable night watching Cooney-Foreman.) He’s finally written a book worthy of his obsession, and even though it doesn’t fit what we usually talk about here, I wanted you all to know about it.

Okay, Eisen. What should people know about you?

 I was born and raised on December 1st, 1960 in Toronto, Canada, where I reside today with my wife Cynthia. I fell in love with boxing when I first saw Muhammad Ali on local television to promote his upcoming fight with Canada’s George Chuvalo on March 29, 1966. I became obsessed with boxing at that moment. My mother had died only one month earlier and boxing kept my mind occupied. It was at that point that I started obsessively watching boxing on TV. I also started collecting boxing books, magazines, and newspaper articles, most of which, I still have today. Boxing was really my first love.

What’s the book about?

My book is entitled, BOXING’S GREATEST CONTROVERSIES – BLUNDERS, BLOOD FEUDS AND MOB CORRUPTION. My book covers eleven controversial fights from different eras in boxing, starting in 1772, when the first fixed fight that can be unequivocally verified occurred in England, and ending with the second Tyson-Holyfield fight in June of 1997.

We both love boxing, flawed as it is. Why do you think that is?

Boxing appeals to me primarily because the prize ring is really the only bastion of honesty that I know of. There is no artifice about two warriors in the ring facing each other with only the skills God gave them, to succeed. Boxing is great not because it gives a fighter a chance to be as good as his/her opponent but, because it gives them a chance to be better.

We have spent a lot of time over the years BSing, and I don’t know many people who have written, spoken, and been interviewed about the sport as much as you. Why write the book now?

The roots of the book emanate from 60 years of watching thousands of fights on television, many of them controversial. I wrote the book because much of what has previously been written about some of these fights is incorrect, deliberately or otherwise.  I wanted to find out the real reason these fights ended up being so controversial and a source of arguments.

What’s your favorite story in the book?

That’s a tough question. My favorite story in the book may very well be the chapter on the Roberto Duran-Ken Buchanan fight because I watched it on TV with my cousin Barbara who was from Glasgow, Scotland and the way it ended was outrageous. We were both angry and yelling at the TV!

Where can folks learn more about your book?

You can learn more about my book and where to purchase it at amazon.com, dundurn.com and at barnesandnoble.com. They can also follow and subscribe to my substack at https://loue.substack.com/

Whether your tastes run to historical fiction or award-winning urban fantasy, check out all my work on my Amazon Author Page, and don’t forget to sign up for my newsletter.

Your Boy is in Two New Fiction Anthologies

I love writing short stories. Usually, they are writing exercises where I’m attempting to try something new without investing in a full-blown novel. Two, very different, anthologies out this month feature some of my stories. I think they are some of my best work, if very atypical of my usual stuff.

The first is a very dramatic, serious piece called The Ghost Tower. It is set in Bangkok, Thailand, and features a lonely man and an abandoned skyscraper. Make of that metaphor what you will.

It’s in the 2024 Edition of Whispers in the Desert Wind. That’s this year’s collection of stories from talented writers in the Las Vegas area. Technically, it’s the Henderson Writers Group. I hope you get the book and support their (our) good work supporting writers here in the Las Vegas area.

The second anthology is VERY different. It is a highly political, angry, screw-them-all to the oligarchs and wealthy jerks who are running things. The title, Devour the Rich should give you an idea. it’s edited by my GoIndieNow compatriot, Juliet Rose.

My horror tale, Fur Babies, is about the revenge of a cat lady on her horrible boss. This book is full of rage, and vitriol and (just to give you an idea) I’m probably the least cranky contributor in it, so let that be your guide.

Trigger warning, the book is dedicated “To Luigi.” If you know, you know. Nobody asked me, probably not a choice I’d have made, but I’m only one among many. Enjoy and get a little vicarious revenge on the 1%.

Meanwhile, if you’d like to read some of my other short stories, this site is full of them. Just click on Short Stories and Other Pieces on the menu.

Of course, you can read my novels and my nonfiction work on my Amazon Author Page.

The Prolific Bryan Tann

If you’ve been following my socials (and why the heck haven’t you??) you know that I’ve been pretty active in the Go Indie Now community. You can see my latest wide-ranging, somewhat silly interview here.

The best part, besides being able to promote my work, is meeting all the other authors and artists that are part of that community. On an episode of This Week in Indies (you can see it here) I meat the prolific Bryan Tann. Thought you might want to meet him too.

Alright man, what’s your story?

How’s it going everyone?! I’m Bryan Tann, born and raised in Pittsburgh, PA. I write fiction that includes Urban Fantasty, Science Fiction, Horror, and Erotic Crime. I have a black belt in Kenpo and a recognized black belt in Goju Ryu, the real life equivalent of Miyagi Do Karate! I have an MBA with a focus on Leadership and I have more movies and funko pops than I can count!

I can appreciate the writing in more than one genre, even if it makes you hard to categorize. What are a couple of your books about?

My Urban Fantasy novels in The Enforcer series follow the adventures of Bryce Kreed, a vampire enforcer tasked with protecting a Mistress Vampire from a Clandestine Blood Cult. 

My Sci Fi series follow the adventures of John Baker, a government created super soldier tasked with hunting down a terrorist until he finds he’s on the wrong side. 

My Erotic Thriller, Ed and Livvy, tells the tale of a couple who have both suffered. Together they have made the decision; never again. 

I know that the vampire enforcer has an interesting history. Where did he come from?

Bryce Kreed was a recurring nightmare from my late teens and early 20s. I had a psychotic break and became the character. I decided to take back my peace of mind, and made my trauma into a character. 

Who did this to you? Who did you read that really influenced you?

I love Robert R. McCammon. His book Swan Song changed my life. I’m also a fan of my writing partner Kindra Sowder. 

If you’re tired of werewolf detectives (WHAT?!!!) Check out the exciting historical fiction action of Acre’s Bastard and Acre’s Orphans. Can one small boy save the Kingdom of Jerusalem? It’s like Kipling’s Kim, set in the Crusades.

Don’t forget to subscribe to my newsletter and learn all about what’s going on and future projects. Cool stuff is coming.

Body-Swapping Romantic Fantasy with L A Hilder Jones

If you haven’t figured out by now, I love living in Las Vegas. One of the biggest reasons is the people I’ve met through Sin City Writers. We are an odd little group but supportive of each other’s efforts and we rejoice when one of our own gets published. Thus, I bring you L A Hilder Jones and her new novel, “It Happened One Morning.”

Okay, I know you under another name, but who is L A Hilder Jones and why should people care?

I’ve always been a storyteller ever since I was a teenager. Wrote two books. One was about a sensuous vampire exacting revenge on three annoying classmates (8th grade, you know?). The other was an 18th-century soap opera-type story which took place in Wales. Never published them, but the whole point was to create a world I wanted to be part of. Escape the annoying, humdrum reality that is life, and control the fate of characters in my hands.

But, gotta have a day job. In my case, several day jobs. After college, I landed a mailroom job at KNBC-TV, then a gig working Hollywood Squares. Typing their contracts for prizes and such. Then after about five years at Lockheed as an editorial assistant for an aerospace magazine, I headed to Washington, D.C., where I eventually landed two jobs at Gannett. Left there, joined another company writing for their newsletters and eventually their proposal center. Then moved to Las Vegas, where I became a communications consultant to MGM Mirage, then joined a government contractor where I wrote for and oversaw their company publication. Twelve years of that and I said, “That’s enough,” took early retirement and now write what I want to write and publish.

Your book has a unique premise. What’s it about?

“It Happened One Morning…” tells the story of Boz Studebaker, a famous but burned-out on-air relationship coach who, one morning, suddenly turns into a woman. Now’s he forced not only to live a woman’s life, but also take his own advice. He–Bonnie–does everything she can to turn back to Boz, even enduring problematic “woman-y” situations and two little shapeshifters. But a horrific event leads her to the love of her life. For the first time, Bonnie doesn’t want to return to being Boz. Problem is, the Universe has other plans for her.

The novel is a mix of laugh-out-loud entertainment, poignancy, and wise advice, while Boz/Bonnie learns what makes and breaks even the most promising relationships.

The ebook version launched Oct. 12. The paperback version will launch Dec. 1, 2024, just in time for the holidays.

What about the magic or character appealed to you? What are the roots of this unique story?

When I was very young, I was inspired by actors I had crushes on, or TV shows and movies. Never books, oddly. Now, I write from experience and the experience of others. When I imagined Boz, his looks and personality reminded me of Bruce Willis’s wacky but astute character in “Moonlighting.” Liz, his producer, was inspired by my hairdresser. Morgan Pacek, Bonnie’s lover, was a composite of men but he ended up being his own man in the book. And the story itself was inspired by all the male relationship coaches I watched on YouTube and the internet. They give really smart advice, mainly for women. But one component was missing: They, as straight men, never dated men. We women have, so their advice only goes so far. That observation inspired the Boz character, who does go through that gender shift, to his horror and dismay.

Who did this to you? Who did you read that made you the writer you are?

I loved Charlotte Bronte’s “Jane Eyre.” She brings you into that 19th-century world so easily and beautifully. Today, I’m reading Kristin Hannah’s “The Women”. I much admire her writing style, because she simply tells a story with intriguing characters, without getting prose-y and long-winded. Her writing style is “seasoned,” for lack of a better word. Another writer I admire is Nathaniel Philbrick, particularly his “In the Heart of the Sea” non-fiction. I love non-fiction the most, particularly when the author forgets his or her research and delves into the story, the real reason why that story was written.

Where can we learn more about you and your work?

You can learn more about my book by reading it. I recommend that readers buy my books directly from my website, www.lahiderjones.com. They can get a personally autographed copy with a bookmarker. Otherwise, the ebook is available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Smashwords, Apple Books, all the big players. When the paperback goes live Dec. 1, folks can come to Copper Cat books in Henderson, where I’ll have my launch party, selling “It Happened One Morning…” at a discount. And, we’ll get to meet and chat!

Johnny Lycan & the Last Witchfinder was a finalist for the 2024 American BookFest Fantasy Book award. Check it out, along with the rest of the series on Amazon in Audible, Kindle or Paperback, or through Black Rose Writing.

Johnny Lycan is now an Award Winner

I know that book awards aren’t supposed to be a thing. We’re supposed to be cool and arty and above all that nonsense.

That said, look what just happened. Johnny Lycan & the Last Witchfinder is a finalist for the 2024 Best Fantasy Book from the American Book Fest.

Yes indeed, the grand finale of the Werewolf PI series is officially an award winner (or at least a finalist, darn it.)

Thanks to the team at Black Rose Writing for their help with this book and the whole darned series.

Order the AWARD WINNING Johnny Lycan & the Last Witchfinder now, available in paperback, Kindle, and Audible.

Multi-generational Chinese Historical Fiction with Wendy Chen

Like most NAWPS (North American White People,) my family history was never greatly recorded until most of the old aunties were gone. That’s one reason I’m fascinated with historical fiction that connects different generations across multiple countries. Living in Las Vegas, which has a plethora of excellent HF writers, I was excited to learn about Wendy Chen and her new book, Their Divine Fires.

Although we share geography, this is the first time I’ve had a chance to “meet” her. I hope you enjoy our conversation.

Hi Wendy. We’ve never had a chance to meet, even though we share a town. What should we know about you?

I am a writer, translator, and teacher, with a background in the visual arts–specifically bronze and marble sculpture. I am interested in writing across genres, and my work often pushes against genre conventions as well. For example, I write poetry that has elements of prose, and vice versa. My first book, Unearthings, was a book of poetry, and I recently published my debut novel–a work of historical fiction titled Their Divine Fires–in May 2024. Next year, my translations of the Song-dynasty woman writer Li Qingzhao will be out in a poetry collection titled The Magpie at Night with Farrar, Straus & Giroux. I’m really excited about that collection, as Li Qingzhao is considered one of the greatest poets in Chinese history and wrote and published during a time when women were discouraged from doing so. Currently, I teach creative writing at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

What is “Their Divine Fires” about?

My book follows four generations of Chinese and Chinese American women in one family. Beginning in the early 1900s in China and ending in modern-day America, the novel traces the journeys of these family members as they each figure out how to survive amidst revolution, resistance, and adversity. Each generation faces challenges unique to their period, such as the Chinese Revolution of 1911 or the Cultural Revolution of the 60s, but they are all unified by a common spirit of persistence. The novel is particularly interested in the ways individuals grapple with love–its vulnerabilities and its pains–against, despite, or because of history. This is a book for readers who loved Min Jin Lee’s Pachinko or Marquéz’s One Hundred Years of Solitude.   

What is it about that time period that appealed to you? What are the roots of the story?

The novel has personal significance to me, as it draws on the history and lives of my ancestors. The inspiration for this novel is the stories my grandmother would tell me when I was a child, stories about her mother and her grandparents. It always fascinated me to think about how the lives of my ancestors and my own life were so different from one another, and yet how their lives led inextricably to my own. How could my grandmother, a peasant girl from a rural village in China, end up in America in the 80s? How could China have changed so much over the last century? How did my ancestors live through revolution, civil war, famine, disaster, dictatorship, and come through it all on the other side? Those were questions I was working through while writing Their Divine Fires. 

What’s your favorite scene in the book?

One of my favorite scenes in the book is the opening, when a brother asks his little sister to cut his hair. At that time in the early 1900s in China, men typically kept their hair long and untouched, a symbol of respect and reverence for their bodies which their parents gave them. It was, therefore, an act of filial piety to preserve your hair. However, the sister helps her brother cut his hair, an act which defies tradition and angers their parents. I struggled a lot with figuring out how to open this book, as I wanted to give a sense of the ways a family was beginning to fracture across the generations without hitting the reader over the head with the symbolism. Finally, I landed on this scene, which demonstrated the fracture as well as the love between the siblings–a bond which is eventually tested as the novel develops. 

Where can we learn more about you and your work?

My website wendychenart.com provides information about me, my publications, and my latest projects. You can also find me on Goodreads, Twitter, and Facebook under the profile name wendychenart. Their Divine Fires is available at Amazon here. 

Part of the fun of being a multi-genre author is meeting readers with diverse tastes. If historical fiction, rather than werewolves, is your cup of team, consider The Lucca Le Pou Stories. It’s a two-book series about a young orphan in the Crusades who becomes a spy. There’s intrigue, violence, leprous knights, and heroics ala Kipling’s Kim.

You can find the series on Kindle here. If you’d like a signed paperback copy, drop me a line. Of course, you can find all my work; fiction, nonfiction, and just plain goofy at my Amazon Author Page

More Than the Usual Parental Brainwashing with SJ Carson

One of the perks of being in an inclusive writers group like Sin City Writers, is the chance to see so much good work while it is still nascent, then celebrate when it comes into the world. Such is the case with SJ Carson’s new novel, Aveline. I’ve read bits and pieces of it for a long time, and now it’s out in the world October 9th.

Okay, lady. Who are you and why do we care?

Originally from Long Island, New York, I have been a writer since the age of five. I began writing illustrated storybooks, making covers out of the cardboard backs of legal pads. In junior high, I started keeping a diary in which I wrote short stories and vignettes based on my life. Then, in high school, I started writing poetry. In English class, I read the work of the Romantic poets and thought, naively, “I can do that!” I spent the next fifteen years or so honing my craft as a poet. I went to Boston University to earn my MFA in poetry and taught English briefly at the College of Southern Nevada.

Around the age of thirty, I decided to focus on fiction and become a novelist. I started probably ten or fifteen different manuscripts, just trying to teach myself the craft of fiction. I am excited that my first novel, Aveline, will be coming out on October 9, 2024!

I read your first book of poetry, which is something I rarely do, and enjoyed it. I’m excited to see the book out in the world. What’s Aveline about?

It’s about a thirteen-year-old girl named Aveline Fleur, the granddaughter of her country’s Leader, and the daughter of its Lightminister (i.e., chief propagandist). Aveline grows up believing that she lives in the most prosperous, most peaceful country in the world. In reality, its dictatorial government suppresses dissidents by brainwashing them using powerful new drugs. When Aveline discovers what’s really going on, and that her best friend’s mom has been disappeared by the government, she has to leave her comfortable, safe world behind and take action. Her journey is a coming-of-age story as much as it is a struggle to protect the people she loves. When we first meet Aveline, she is a timid girl, but by the end she has blossomed into a confident young woman.

It has a very Divergent kind of feel to it. Where did the story come from?

Back in 2012, I began writing a short story about a young woman named Allyn and her troubled relationship with her daughter Aveline. Both were members of their country’s ruling family. Allyn was not a very good role model for Aveline since she was hungry for power at all costs. Allyn even manipulated her boyfriend, a lower-class man, for political gain. However, I didn’t get beyond a few pages when I ran out of steam. I wasn’t sure at the time where the story was going or what my goal was in telling it.

I let the idea stew for about seven years while I worked on other projects. Then, in early 2019, I started working on it again and developing the plot. How would Aveline react if she learned that her mother, a powerful governmental figure, was up to something wicked that affected the entire society? How would their relationship change? Would it even survive? With these questions in mind, I began the manuscript that would eventually become Aveline. I worked on it for five years, on and off, before it was accepted for publication by The Wild Rose Press.

What are the authors who helped form you? I’m going to assume it’s an eclectic list.

The first author I fell in love with was Sylvia Plath. My twelfth-grade English teacher gave me a copy of The Bell Jar, and I devoured it, along with Plath’s Collected Poems. Never had I read prose or poetry that resonated so deeply with my personal experiences as a teenage girl. I still read Plath to this day and find something new in her work every time.

Currently, I also really enjoy Janet Fitch (her best-known work is White Oleander), Robert Jordan (The Wheel of Time series), Frank Herbert (Dune), and Philip Pullman (His Dark Materials series). Each author is very different, but each has taught me about the craft of storytelling, character development, and world-building.

How can we find out more about the wonder that is you?

You can connect with me at my author website, www.sjcarson.com, and on social media as follows:

If you hate starting series that aren’t complete, consider the Johnny Lycan: Werewolf PI series. The grand finale, Johnny Lycan & the Last Witchfinder is available now on Amazon and from Black Rose Writing. All three books are now available on Audible.

“I’ve been a fan of this series since the beginning, and while I’m slightly devastated that this is the end of it, I LOVED The Last Witchfinder.” S G Tasz

An Enigmatic Book From the Enigmatic KJ Fieler

In working with a publisher who puts out a lot of books (Shout out to Reagan and the team at Black Rose Writing) you cross trails with a lot of people. Some of them stick with you and you form a small society of cool people you like interacting with. Enter KJ Fieler. She’s interviewed me in the past and pretends to enjoy my work. Her newest book, Shadow Runner is out now. I’ll let her tell you about it.

So what’s your deal, lady?

By all accounts, I’m an adult, a suburbanite, and a writer. I agree with that last bit. As for the first two, I’ve never claimed to be either and can’t imagine how such a rumor started. Okay, maybe the fact that I do own a home is misleading. I submit to suburbia but view a house as just something to clean, and I need it to come with interchangeable backyards. Turns out, that’s entirely possible. Toward that end, Ric and I bought an Airstream, hired someone to mow the lawn, and spent six months one year, eight the next, wandering around state and national parks. I was never so gloriously happy as when there was a bison scratching his behind on our truck.

There’s a visual, to be sure. What’s the new book about and does it involve buffalo hindquarters?

In a nutshell: what happens to a person who’s forced to embrace the darkness to survive?

Shadow Runner is the tale of Ada, a young aristocrat who’s kidnapped and raised by a secret society. As she comes of age, she must target the very people she once called kin or attempt a daring escape. But if she leaves, she risks the lives of the ones most dear: her adopted sister and her enigmatic captor. Moreover, in a world of moral ambiguity, she must find her humanity. It’s a cross-genre blend of historical fantasy, steampunk, and young adult fiction.

What is it about the story that appealed to you? Where did it come from?

My favorite stories are all some version of the Heroine or Hero’s Journey. Ada’s life mirrors my own, except that her circumstances are placeholders for less glamorous—and slightly less traumatic—real-life events. I was never abducted by criminals… unless you count the time my rather seedy college roommates once told me we were going to the beach and failed to mention the part about having to scale a fence marked “no trespassing.” But I digress. Like most people, I’ve experienced my share of adversity. Among other things, I’m a breast cancer survivor, which years you’d think I would want to erase from my life. I don’t. I consider those trials a blessing. They forced me to find my mettle and stop sailing through life as if the days ahead are endless. They also caused me to stop being afraid… of anything other than air travel and palmetto bugs.

Ada is a better version of the me who feeds the cat and does the laundry. She’s brave, smart, precocious. She knows just what to say to bullies, she stands firm when monsters come her way, and she always knows her way home.

Who are the authors you read?

Oh, I’d have given vital organs to meet Douglas Adams. Hitchiker’s Guide was great, but he also wrote Last Chance to See: a magical book. He went all the places—some I’m not entirely sure he didn’t make up—and wrote about them in his wickedly comedic voice.

I’d donate a kidney to meet Neil Gaiman… in case anyone needs a kidney and is in good with him. I grew up on Asimov and Clark; spent my junior high school days learning to write in Elvish, thanks to Tolkien; found myself in Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance which sparked my fascination with psychology and travel.

These days I’m a devotee of Barbara Kingsolver, Jess Kid, Wayne Turmel (EDITORS NOTE-SUCKING UP WON’T HELP), Cam Torrens, Del Blackwater, Deb Heim, Kim Conrey, Alex Hugi and… well, let’s just say I’m a big fan of digital books because they travel well.

And they’re cheap! Don’t forget that. Where can we learn more about you?

https://www.kjfieler.com

https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/29624050-kjfieler

https://www.bookbub.com/profile/k-j-fieler

https://www.facebook.com/kat.fieler

If you hate starting series that aren’t complete, consider starting the Johnny Lycan: Werewolf PI series. The grand finale, Johnny Lycan & the Last Witchfinder is available now on Amazon and from Black Rose Writing.

“I’ve been a fan of this series since the beginning, and while I’m slightly devastated that this is the end of it, I LOVED The Last Witchfinder.” S G Tasz

This final installment in Johnny’s saga is perhaps the weirdest, most baffling of all… Author Jill Hand

Today is the Launch of The Second Edition of the Long-Distance Leader and Maybe a Laugh?

Today we launch the updated version of a book that has changed lives around the world for 6 years. The Long-Distance Leader, Revised Rules for Remarkable Remote and Hybrid Leadership is now out in the world.

In this new edition we have updated the technology (Zoom exists! Skype for Business doesn’t!) and paid way more attention to hybrid work since the Return to Office (kind of.)

You can get the book at Amazon, or buy it from us and get free resources and bonus material! www.LongDistanceWorklife.com/LDL

Of course, when you write in multiple genres, they say you confuse your audience. People read business books don’t necessarily read fiction, and vice versal. Then people who read fiction, don’t always read historical fiction like Count of the Sahara or the Lucca Le Pou Stories. And people who read histfic don’t always read stuff like The Werewolf PI series.

I present the Venn Diagram of my audience. Thank you all.

Werewolves as Demon Metaphor??? Blackie Williamson

One of the things I always enjoy with the current werewolf renaissance in writing is when people come up with explanations for how and why the change occurs, or what’s really behind it. With the Johnny Lycan stories, it’s mostly a genetic defect (although as Nik Koslov can tell you, it can be transmitted by bite so don’t get cocky.) Horror writer Blackie Williamson has a different theory in his book, Evil Eye in the Sky.

Alright, Blackie. Who are you and what’s up?

Unlike many horror authors, I’m not trying to be original, but trendy, to sell books, because I’ve had bedbugs more than once and want out of this ghetto. I do write brutally, and with plenty of gore and series’ of shocks, to satisfy the true horror fans out there. I also write fantasy and science fiction. 

Okay, we’re going the brutally honest route. I like it. What’s Evil Eye in the Sky about?

A balance between beast and lover. Cormac, infected by another werewolf, has to fight with every fiber of his being to not rend asunder and eat blond Aubrey, his high-school love interest. To make matters worse, Cormac’s father, Goddard–who demands to be called God–is after Cormac and Aubrey to join his wolf pack and worship him, to devour innocents. The conflict is that they must find a way to defeat him.

You’ve made some interesting choices about what lycanism is and how it manifests. What is the thinking here?

: It was important to me to have the werewolf virus be a Legion, Cormac possessed by 2,000 demons. In cryptid research, I found that the Beast of Bray Road in Wisconsin became possessed after devil worship, as I am a Christian. I had fun with Cormac by making him a tough guy, but also a sweetie. Roots? I dunno. I was influenced by the werewolf-movie greats: An American Werewolf in London, The Howling, and the Ginger Snaps trilogy, as well as great werewolf novels like Cycle of the Werewolf by Stephen King. 

You’ve certainly done your werewolf homework. Who are your favorites?

Adam Nevill (werewolf novel The Reddening), Glen Duncan (The Last Werewolf), John Skipp and Craig Spector (Animals), Ray Garton (Ravenous and Bestial), and Graeme Reynolds (High Moor), the greats as far as werewolf novels, before they were overdone, plus Johnny Lycan: Werewolf PI Series by Wayne Turmel.

That’s a hell of a list, and I’m ashamed at how pleased I am to be on it. Not resistant to flattery. Where can people learn more about you?

My Amazon page is here.

@BlackieWFangs on X, and blackienosferatu on Instagram, plus blackynosferatu.livejournal.com.

If you hate starting series that aren’t complete, consider starting the Johnny Lycan: Werewolf PI series. The grand finale, Johnny Lycan & the Last Witchfinder is available now on Amazon and from Black Rose Writing. And it’s available in Kindle, Paperback and Audible.

“I’ve been a fan of this series since the beginning, and while I’m slightly devastated that this is the end of it, I LOVED The Last Witchfinder.” S G Tasz

This final installment in Johnny’s saga is perhaps the weirdest, most baffling of all… Author Jill Hand