apostrophen's review
5.0
One of the welcome side-effects of an unwelcome cold was having time lying flat on my back, coughing, blowing my nose, and reading. In preparation for the panel I'm on, I read a novel by Christopher Rice and a shorter piece by Christian Baines and have nabbed a copy of Marie Castle's debut novel as well. With a little luck, I'll have it read before I get to New Orleans.
I also got to read On the Run, a collection of four novellas.
"Triple Cross" is the novella by Hank Edwards - a 1940's jewelery heist where the only thing hotter than the gems in question is the tension between the thief, a double-crosser, and a detective. The story twists and turns (and remains sweaty throughout), with chapters shifting to new points of view and adding new wrinkles to the mounting double- and triple-crosses. In a way, the story reminded me a bit of 'Noises Off' - there's a thread of sexy humour throughout this one. It was a joy to read, and I couldn't wait to see who - if anyone - would end up ahead of the law.
"The Saga of Einar and Gisli," by Jeff Mann comes next, the story of a viking asked to track down and capture a former lover and bring him to justice for a foul crime he has since committed. That this former lover betrayed him only adds fuel to the fire, but even anger can sometimes pale in the face of old passions. As always, Mann immerses the reader into this world of Vikings and blood and blades, and I was genuinely unsure where the tale might go. Plenty of sweat included in this one, as well as rope and knots (as fans of Mann are likely to expect). This novella had me fighting my cold medication to stay awake and read one more page.
Dale Chase brings us back to the turn of the century with her story, "Sundance," which puts us on horseback with Butch and Sundance through the eyes of a young man who is a part of their gang during a bank robbery and the run from the posse that comes thereafter. This young man's relationship with Sundance is fraught with the impossibility of the time, but there is a hope throughout the story, but can you outrun the law and the reality of the world around you? Fans of Chase know that no one does a gritty (and sexy) Western like she does, and she's in fine form here.
Lastly, there's me. My little novella is called "In Memoriam." With one diagnosis, an editor learns he is literally running out of time. With so much left undone, he realizes there is one thing he needs to do: find the first man he ever loved. But that man has been gone for years and might not want to be found. But time is a funny thing, and this editor finds himself facing the greatest – and final – rewrite of his life. Can a dying man restore love from nothing but memory, or is the past just too far gone to fix?
Jerry L. Wheeler has worked his magic again, giving a theme - pursuit, pursuing, gay love and lust - and collected these tales into a whole. I'm beyond proud to be included in this quartet.
I also got to read On the Run, a collection of four novellas.
"Triple Cross" is the novella by Hank Edwards - a 1940's jewelery heist where the only thing hotter than the gems in question is the tension between the thief, a double-crosser, and a detective. The story twists and turns (and remains sweaty throughout), with chapters shifting to new points of view and adding new wrinkles to the mounting double- and triple-crosses. In a way, the story reminded me a bit of 'Noises Off' - there's a thread of sexy humour throughout this one. It was a joy to read, and I couldn't wait to see who - if anyone - would end up ahead of the law.
"The Saga of Einar and Gisli," by Jeff Mann comes next, the story of a viking asked to track down and capture a former lover and bring him to justice for a foul crime he has since committed. That this former lover betrayed him only adds fuel to the fire, but even anger can sometimes pale in the face of old passions. As always, Mann immerses the reader into this world of Vikings and blood and blades, and I was genuinely unsure where the tale might go. Plenty of sweat included in this one, as well as rope and knots (as fans of Mann are likely to expect). This novella had me fighting my cold medication to stay awake and read one more page.
Dale Chase brings us back to the turn of the century with her story, "Sundance," which puts us on horseback with Butch and Sundance through the eyes of a young man who is a part of their gang during a bank robbery and the run from the posse that comes thereafter. This young man's relationship with Sundance is fraught with the impossibility of the time, but there is a hope throughout the story, but can you outrun the law and the reality of the world around you? Fans of Chase know that no one does a gritty (and sexy) Western like she does, and she's in fine form here.
Lastly, there's me. My little novella is called "In Memoriam." With one diagnosis, an editor learns he is literally running out of time. With so much left undone, he realizes there is one thing he needs to do: find the first man he ever loved. But that man has been gone for years and might not want to be found. But time is a funny thing, and this editor finds himself facing the greatest – and final – rewrite of his life. Can a dying man restore love from nothing but memory, or is the past just too far gone to fix?
Jerry L. Wheeler has worked his magic again, giving a theme - pursuit, pursuing, gay love and lust - and collected these tales into a whole. I'm beyond proud to be included in this quartet.
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