Toast Toasted

Pre-Release, publication set for 10/17/18
A boat is a hole in the water you throw money into,” is one of thousands of sayings that denies the truth which every sailor respects: a boat is conduct into a hostile environment. Water is a hostile environment. Seafarers are so afraid of it that we make jokes about running aground, catching fire, and blowing up; accidents happen. But that danger is the bond that holds together otherwise free-spirited individuals into one cohesive lot.
- River Queens
Based on a review copy of the book, I was pleased that my initial impressions were shallow. Initial thoughts (after reading the leaf notes alone) were a presented heavy handedness, calling hail to the great American novel as many small publications aspire every year. Determining what I was actually to be reading required cracking the first page and just taking it on directly. The title of the book, ‘River Queens: Saucy boat, stout mates, spotted dog, America’ supported a potential hyperbolic w…

So this was a seriously cool product. FYI, I received it for free to demo.
Such a simple thing. a single panel of solar cells, a plug in for fast charge, two usb out ports, and LED light bars.

I do not think this is really being marketed for emergency prep but it should be. Does it charge a cell phone? Yes.

more importantly, it takes 2.5 days of direct sunlight to charge fully.. and it can emit bright emergency light non stop for two full days..

This means that if you NEVER USED IT FOR RECHARGING, you could charge it as fast as you deplete it and have active light during the darkest hours of an emergency with no fear of low juice or batteries....

Nunet should consider making a waterproof version of this and ruggedizing it just a tad more, then really push it for 72 hour kits and emergency preparedness.

Enough said.
Here is a link to the product.
It is not an affiliate link, i will make no money off it.

Product link: https://www.amazon.com/NUNET-Nucharger-Dustproof-Shatter-Resistant-…

Based on a review copy:
Indrajit Garai’s second collection of stories was a mixed bag of beautiful story telling and unique perspectives. Garai presents characters hailing from France and Mumbai. The language elements of this collection are complex and (while sometimes confusing) distinct.. I have never read characters this blatantly likable and vibrant. Through individual character voices, dialects, and internal monologue- I found myself slowly bonding with their worlds. The story Changing Turf was particularly wonderful and my favorite. I wanted an entire book with that storyline.

Both a critique and a boon, there is a common thread that binds these stories. Across them, there is an innate optimism showing human ethics being successfully represented based on personal conviction alone. This success varies in hues depending on your perspective, but is undeniable.

As a critique, this optimism at one point did feel like a masquerade, presented as a nice bow to tied an worn gift. As a gener…

More than a year after throwing this book down in frustration, I picked it back up. It was a review copy of an up and coming title, it is now getting ready for it’s first release anniversary

Initially, I felt this title was uninspired and heavy handed. The plot unfolds on a satellite filled with corruption and crime syndicates. They call the satellite ‘Hardcore Station’ which sounds pornographic, like a Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) porno, with a cameo by Rutger Hauer to give it some SciFi credence.

Turns out it needed to be heavy handed, and aspirational (if not inspirational).

Written by comic book industry veteran and author Jim Starlin, the book is a series of chapter by chapter climaxes (pun) intended to drag a reader through some dirt. Any complaint I experienced has evaporated.

So what was the problem the first time I tried to read this? CONTEXT.

This title associates directly to a short run comic series of the same name from 1998 that I was absolutely NOT aware of. Insert crickets noise…

When the storm ends: pre-release ebook review (based on a free copy)

Fyi- This book could easily be renamed ‘Trigger warning’ as these are wide swathes of text in which will make readers uncomfortable, even though the overall theme if the book is catharsisl.

Too many times, small press books are all potential and terrible follow through. I happily, moved to the top of my reading pile, I was not disappointed. Rebecca Marsh put together a wonderful novel.

Quick synopsis- Beth Christopher is a child psychologist working a social case where she sees some similarities to herself in the way a troubled teen appears closed off and broken. Beth attempts to help 15-year-old Erin as she prepares to be tried in court for the murder of her father. Beth feels a kinship in the shared pain, having been raised in an unhappy and violent home, ultimately shuffled through the social services system. 30 years later, educated and in a stable loving marriage, Beth finds herself plagued by nightmares and di…

Secret Weapons is a pretty interesting first volume Trade Paperback. The Single issues were released early in 2017, with the TPB in January 2018.

In this universe, Psiots (read: mutants) are unsurprisingly debased, the history of this negative viewpoint is unknown. Not all of them are powerful, in fact many are considered a bit useless- like a girl who can speak to birds, a man who can conjure artifacts, but not control what useless thing will arrive when conjured.

Part Mystery Men / Part X-men, Secret Weapons takes the trope in a different direction with an unusual cast of characters, abilities, and (most importantly) the delivery of the common plot.. The standard trope continues to apply for a while before diverging: Psiot rejects are housed in a school of sorts and after being attacked are spread thin without leadership. The attacks continue as they are hunted by a malevolent force. The Psiots must locate each other, team up, and overcome their shortcomings.

So how does this different…