Charlie's Books

Charlie's Books
Buon Giorno, Amici!

Our motto ...

Leave the (political) party. Take the cannoli.

"It always seems impossible until it's done." Nelson Mandela

Right now 6 Stella crime novels are available on Kindle for just $.99 ... Eddie's World has been reprinted and is also available from Stark House Press (Gat Books).

Friday, October 4, 2013

Podcast and Interview … Breaking Bad … Some Reviews … Keno's Animal Rescue ... Kyle Carey ... this week in the NFL …

Amici:



Ah, if only that picture were true! In the meantime, we’re avoiding all things political because frankly, dears, we no longer give a damn unless the entire system is overhauled, and a few (say, 30 tea baggers) currently holding up the works are exiled to Star Island off the New Hampshire coast for a winter wonderland vacation ... drop them off, say, next weekend and pick them up again, say, April 30th ... they might be thawed out by then.
 
In the meantime we're working ... first to promote Dana King's debut knock-out novel, Grind Joint. It launches next month so grab it now. This one is a winner ...

 


And now that it’s week 5 in the NFL and week 1 of the NHL, who’s got it better’n us?

Nobody, right. So, what did the ugly one do to celebrate his beloved New York State Buffalo Bills recent victory over the SUPER BOWL CHAMPS? Well, first he drank some Chivas, then he did a podcast with Dana King, Rick Ollerman and Roy Croxton … check it out right here ...  and then he enjoyed re-reading the interview that was posted by Jesse Randall over at Hey, There’s a Dead Guy in the Living Room. Jesse felt she asked some really inappropriate questions … not at all, the ugly one (moi) says …

 
 

Okay, Amici, I can’t take it anymore … all the kissing up to the writers of Breaking Bad … the greatest television drama ever, etc. … listen to me: You don’t get to allow a witness to a double DEA murder walk off into the sunset and still get kudos for the writing. And you get shit on big time for letting him walk away with an $11 million dollar gift from the killers of the DEA agents.

Yes, I thoroughly enjoyed Breaking Bad … yes, the characters were wonderful … yes, some of the writing was brilliant … but the writing quit being brilliant when Walter White walked away from witnessing those murders with an $11 million dollars gift from the friggin' killers! From the point on it was a farce and nothing else. Unless, of course, you can believe that transformer ending, when there was no doubt the car would be parked in the exact location that would enable the machine gun to whack almost every single bad guy who happened to be standing in the exact right position to get whacked (what, nobody had to take a bathroom break?).

I had to wonder why didn’t Walter just hack into NORAD and order a drone strike?

Playing to the audience is NEVER a good idea when it involves a leap of faith like, oh, I don’t know, letting the witness to a murder (never mind two murders) walk off into the sunset with $11 million. Everybody wanted Jesse to survive. He did. Everybody wanted to see some more humanity in Walt … and they did. Everybody wanted Jesse to whack Todd … and he did … and everybody wanted to see the bad guys get whacked … and they did.

None of the above happens if the writing didn’t yield to what the audience demanded.

TK says: GROW A PAIR, writers!

We at TK know it was a good series … maybe even a great series … but please, enough with ignoring the bullshit that occurred after Hank bought it.

Unless, of course, it was all a dream sequence and they’ll do one more episode wherein Walt gets plugged two seconds after Hank, and then somebody spots Jesse under the car and he’s plugged too … and the bad guys drive off into the sunset … and Todd marries the Ricin lady and they have a big-ass family that is featured in a new reality show called: Crime Pays.



Mini Reviews ... Blackie Noir, Jed Powers and Jon Basoff ...

 
Kiss Me, Evil ... Blackie Noir has penned some fast and furious hardboiled novels. Kiss Me, Evil is perhaps his most hardboiled requiem for any fighter. The staccato voice telling the story is laced with sarcasm, self-deprivation and wit. You’ll learn more about motorcycles and street fighting here than if you took a dozen courses on suburban survival and attended the ACME Motorbike school, but you’ll also be intrigued by the treacherous world surrounding an almost champion boxer married to a femme fatale on steroids. Nicky Kid Dimitri is our almost champ. His much more attractive and ruthless half is Trina, the femme fatale with larceny in her heart, and when Nicky turns down a $4 million payday, Trina’s larceny slips into overdrive. Then there’s Roxi, a younger version of Trina, or maybe the real deal? … Sometimes Nicky can’t help himself, but all those around want a chunk of whatever is left in his tank. No spoilers here, amici … so get the book and read it. The faint of heart beware … this one isn’t shy, not at all. Blackie Noir writes his way ... and it’s always hardboiled and bare knuckles exciting. Get it here:


 
Hampton Beach Homicide … Kelsey Sweeney puts up 4 quarters ($1.00) as payment to find the person who killed his mother. Dan Marlowe (yes, it’s a familiar name, but there’s a reason) is the guy little Kelsey hires … Dan is fighting demons of his own, fear amongst them … there’s a clean staccato voice telling the story and it’s one you’ll appreciate. Author Jed Powers has the Robert Wade touch … and it doesn’t get much better than Mr. Wade. Get it here:

 
“Corrosion” is a very good novel that takes a look deep into the mind of its protagonist and raises the question of what is crazy and what is normal. It also raises questions as to what love really is and the dangerous line between love and obsession. — Examiner.com


 

It’s not what yous think ... James “Head” Guiliani runs Keno’s rescue shelter in Brooklyn (77th Street off New Utrecht Avenue) … click on the link for a more in-depth explanation …  this guy is a true to life animal lover/rescuer ... and a helluva good guy ... and he’s got some great stories. Click on that link and see some great pictures of James at Keno ... where no animals are caged and the big dog, Primo, is as loveable as they come.


 
 

 
 
This week in the NFL …

So last week was our best week (11-5) but it was bested by the Principessa Ann Marie who won her office pool ($125) for going 14-2 (with the point spreads) … as you know, we’re chicken-shits here at TK and we pick games not on the basis of point spreads (gambling is illegal, you know) … so, here we go … put your In-Knucks-We-Trust-Bucks on the following games:

My beloved New York State Buffalo Bills over the Brownies 24-23 … (Oy vey) ... and the Rangers lost their opener last night (Double Oy Vey!) ...

The Wes Cravens revolt and squish the fish, 30-17

The Cheatriots go down swinging to the Bengalis, 24-21

The Colts bop the Sea Pigeons, 27-24

The Chefs roll over the Titans, 27-17

The Pantherless crush the Cards, 34-20

The 49’ers route the Texas two-steppers, 24-10

The Aints over Cutler’s Cubbies, 34-19

Lions upset the Packing Company, 30-24

Rams jolt the Jags, 24-10 * THE LOCK OF THE WEEK

The Moonachie Blue team gets off the schnied and pound the Dog Killers, 37-27

Broncettes crush the Cowgirls, 33-17

The Chargerless over the Raiderettes, 28-14

And the Falcons of Atlanta over the Moonachie Green team, 30-13


—Knucks

Government Mule ... Simple Man ...



Same band ... Bridge of Sighs ...