Updates and More: Muscle Memory 2. Beast Within 2. Never Never Stories. Seeded. Monster Hunter Alpha. Ghost Story.

It's been a long time since last I updated with interesting upcoming titles, so, here's a new update.

Steve Lowe's continues the story to his Bizarro Novella Muscle Memory published earlier this year by Eraserhead Press, with a free four part serial which he has been posting to his blog, called Muscle Memory 2: More Memory, More Muscle. For those of you who have read Muscle Memory and enjoyed it as much as I did, you can jump on over to Steve's site HERE and read the first few serials and catch up.

The continuing story includes many of the same characters from Muscle Memory, as well as a whole new can of worms.

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On the short story front, Graveside Tales, publisher of such novels as The Wide Game by Michael West and Huffer by Michael Hultquist, have released their newest anthology. Beast Within 2: Predator & Prey includes such talented and amazing authors as: JG Faherty, Joshua Reynolds, Richard Farnsworth and Michael West.

Here's the synopsis: Predator and prey. Hunter and hunted. These aren't your usual shapeshifter stories. These are the stories of bears, tigers, spiders, birds and more. Werewolves in steampunk England. Werespiders in Japan. Werepelicans in Louisiana. Wereferrets in New York. This is an anthology that shifts the normal perceptions of who is the predator and who is the prey. Come take a walk on the wild side with the most unusual of guides and enjoy Beast Within 2.


It's out now and ready for you to purchase. Take your pick: Barnes and Noble, Amazon.com, or BookDepository.com.

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Also soon to see print in trade-paperback sometime in August, is author Jason Sanford's new collection of stories called Never Never Stories. Out now in e-book, Never Never Stories is published through Spotlight Publishing.

Here's a list of the ten stories that will see print:

• The Ships Like Clouds, Risen by Their Rains
• When Thorns Are The Tips of Trees
• Here We Are, Falling Through Shadows
• Rumspringa
• Millisent Ka Plays in Realtime
• Memoria
• Peacemaker, Peacemaker, Little Bo Peep
• Into the Depths of Illuminated Seas
• A Twenty-First Century Fairy Love Story
• The Never Never Wizard of Apalachicola

For more information, check out Jason Sanford's website for details on signed and numbered editions of Never Never Stories for cheap. And if the whole signed and numbered edition thing isn't for you, have no fear, you can still order it through these fine retailers: Barnes and Noble, Amazon.com, and your local Indy bookstore.

Look for a review for this title in the near future.

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One of my favorite books from last year was Brine by Adrienne Jones. I'm happy to announce that Adrienne currently has another novel expected to release sometime next month. Seeded is Jones' newest novel from Mundania Press. Here's the synopsis for Seeded: 

Callum Doherty picks up a trinket from an odd jewelry dealer at a hippie music festival, "a good luck charm" the man tells him. But days after clasping the pendant around his neck, he discovers it can't be removed. After visiting every locksmith and jeweler in the city with no success, he reluctantly accepts he's stuck with the thing.

But when an overwhelming burst of success transforms him into a wealthy superstar overnight, he wonders what other sudden life changes are linked to the pendant -- like the terrifying shapeshifters he spies following him through the city slinking around his property, and watching him while he sleeps.

You can currently pick up Seeded for the kindle, HERE.

Look for a review for this title in the near future, as well.

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It's been almost a year, and fans are still clamoring for more of Owen Pitt and the Monster Hunter International crew. Well, faithful and loyal readers, have no fear: Monster Hunter Alpha just hit bookshelves. Which means that you shouldn't be reading this right now. Instead, you should be comfortably situated with your very own copy of Monster Hunt Alpha with your favorite drink and snack. For those of you who still aren't convinced, here's the synopsis from the back of the book:

Pitt never met a monster he couldn't shoot -- Except one. Earl Harbinger may be the leader of Monster Hunter International, but he's also got a secret. Nearly a century ago, Earl was cursed to be a werewolf. When Earl receives word that one of his oldest foes, a legendarily vicious werewolf that worked for the KGB, has mysteriously appeared in the remote woods of Michigan, he decides to take care of some unfinished business.

But Another force is working to bring about the creation of a whole new species of werewolf. When darkness falls, the final hunt begins, and the only thing standing in their way is a handful of locals, a lot of firepower, and Earl Harbinger's stubborn refusal to roll over and play dead.

And if that doesn't convince you that Monster Hunter International is a book you should be reading right now, then you should be slapped. You can find copies HERE and HERE.

A full review for Monster Hunter Alpha will be posted very shortly. Look for it soon.

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And finally, last but not least, is a title that geeks and nerds the world over have been waiting to get their grubby little hands on since they put down the last Harry Dresden novel. Ghost Story, after having been pushed back another several months, has finally seen the light of day. For those who don't know what it's about, here's the synopsis for it:

When we last left the mighty wizard detective Harry Dresden, he wasn't doing well. In fact, he had been murdered by an unkown assassin.

But being dead doesn't stop him when his friends are in danger. Except now he has no body, and no magic to help him. And there are also several dark spireits roaming the Chicago shadows who owe Harry some payback of their own.

To save his friends -- and his own soul -- Harry will have to pull off the ultimate trick without any magic...

And there you go, folks. Not a lot to go off of, but enough to satiate your craving just a little longer...

~Rodney

Monster Hunter Vendetta Book Review

Title: Monster Hunter Vendetta

Author: Larry Correia

Publisher: Baen Publishing

Pages: 612

ISBN: 9781439133910

Monster Hunter Vendetta is the second book in Larry Correia's New York Times Bestselling series (Currently #27 in Mass-Market), which started with Monster Hunter International.

Like I've mentioned before, there's always the expectation for a sequel to be at best, on parr with the first book in a series. With this being the first sequel that Larry's written, I was looking forward to finding out just how well Monster Hunter Vendetta would turn out. Too often authors will hit the big one with their first novel, then turn around, write the second book in the series without really caring, and being unfare to the reader. This is not true for Larry. He's a damn good story teller who knows how to weave every essential elemnt of storytelling together, without sacrificing one thing for another. As I cracked open my copy, I was blown away. Needless to say, there's no dissapointment on my face.

Picking up several months after the events in Monster Hunter International, Monster Hunter Vendetta continues the story of Owen Z. Pitt and his life as an accountant-turned-monster-hunter. After having made The Dread Overlord mad for something Owen didn't due (thanks largely in part to the Feds and a big nuke), Owen is then faced with a bounty on his head, put there by the The Dread Overlord (seriously, how could you ever be happy with a title like that?). Enter the the Church of the Temporary Mortal Condition, I cult spearheaded by a British necromancer who simply goes by the name of the Shadow Man, and wants nothing more than to gain the favor of The Dread Overlord.

Like with most things, the government always has to have it's hands in everything, that's why the MCB (Monster Control Bureau) sends Agent Franks to fill in as Owen's personal bodygaurd. And that's were the story begins.

I love learning about the history of things, and in general, world building, and Correia definitely doesn't dissapoint in that regard.Throughout the book Larry delves further into the backhistory of the rich, vast, complicated and bone numbingly scary world that he's created within the pages of Monster Hunter Vendetta. Along the way we're introduced to gansta gnomes, Owen's rockstar brother, giant Japanese demons, giant zombie elephants, and MHI's newest toy, Leviathan, as well as the answer to one of the biggest mysteries shrouding MHI's history. Needless to say, there isn't single dull moment within the pages of this book. And, finally, one of the biggest jaw dropping surprises that I would have never seen coming in a million years.

Monster Hunter Vendetta was by far more than I could have ever expected, and then some. That's why I'm giving it 9 TARDIS's out of 10. So, if you like zombies, vampires, werewolves, necromancers and scary death cults, and are tired of the same run of the mill cliched tropes that seem to mercilessly litter the shelves of Urban Fantasy section these days, then pick up Monster Hunter Vendetta, and while your at it, why not start from the beginning, and double the fun? Go ahead and grab Monster Hunter International and start from there.

~Rodney

Monster Hunter Vendetta Cover Revealed

Here's the cover for Larry Correia's Monster Hunter Vendetta. For those of you who have been following us since the beginning, Larry was the first author to agree to be interviewed on this site. After rushing out to buy a copy of Monster Hunter International, Ryan and I devoured it in several days, mostly without sleep or food, and we look forward to doing it again with this one.

Here's the official blurb for Vendetta:

Accountant turned professional monster hunter, Owen Zastava Pitt, managed to stop the nefarious Old One's invasion plans last year, but as a result made an enemy out of one of the most powerful beings in the universe. Now an evil death cult known as the Church of the Temporary Mortal Condition wants to capture Owen in order to gain the favor of the great Old Ones.

The Condition is led by a fanatical necromancer known as the Shadow Man. The government wants to capture the Shadow Man and has assigned the enigmatic Agent Franks to be Owen's full time bodyguard, which is a polite way of saying that Owen is monster bait.

With supernatural assassins targeting his family, a spy in their midst, and horrific beasties lurking around every corner, Owen and the staff of Monster Hunter International don't need to go hunting, because this time the monsters are hunting them. Fortunately, this bait is armed and very dangerous . . .

Although Monster Hunter Vendetta isn't supposed to be on the shelves of your local bookstore until September 28th, (usually books show up earlier than their intended release date, so check those shelves!) you can pre-order yourself a copy now from these fine booksellers: Barnes & Noble and Amazon.

I know there will be some sleepless nights for me, now that there's a release date, and I'll most likely waste a large amount of time staring and drooling at the new cover (which I've made the background on my laptop... hehehehe!!!!).

Hopefully this will satiate you Monster Hunters out there, until the big day!

~Rodney

Podcast #4: Interview #1: Larry Correia

Larry Correia is hopelessly addicted to two things: guns and B-horror movies. He lists his occupations: gun dealer, firearms instructor, accountant, and writer, and was until recently part owner of a company specializing in firearms and movie props. He shoots competitively and is a certified concealed weapons instructor. Larry resides in Utah with his very patient wife and family. He has also designed a special patch for the agents of Monster Hunter International, Inc. As he puts it, "If you don't look good while you're killing stuff, then you're not really a monster hunter."

Monster Hunter International

Troubled by vampires or werewolves?

MHI will solve your problems
through superior firepower!

Five days after Owen Zastava Pitt pushed his insufferable boss out of a fourteenth story window, he woke up in the hospital with a scarred face, an unbelievable memory, and a job offer.

It turns out that Monsters are real. All the things from myth, legend, and B-movies are out there, waiting in the shadows. Officially secret, some of them are evil, and some are just hungry. On the other side are the people who kill monsters for a living. Monster Hunter International is the premier eradication company in the business. And now Owen is their newest recruit.

Business is good...

Welcome to Monster Hunter International.


Baen, being the awesome publishing company that they are, is currently offering the first seven chapters of M.H.I. to read, for free. Monster Hunter International

Podcast Interview #1: Larry Correia

Enjoy!

~ The Sci-Fi Guys