Book Review of THE ALEWIFE by Jason T. Graves

This was meant to be a video review. I’ve been really revved up about re-launching my YouTube channel… and of course that’s when I come down with the plague. I never get sick. NEVER. And when I do, I’m over it in no time. It’s been over a week. My throat and eyeballs feel swollen. My voice is all but gone. So video reviews are not an option at the moment. : (

Maybe I’ll be feeling like myself again by the time New Year’s Day rolls around, so I can accomplish ALL THE THINGS. In the meantime, Imma just leave this review here.

Mr. Jason T. Graves is a pretty cool guy. I met him through a mutual friend, UK author Clare Davidson, and then I contributed a short story to OFF THE BEATEN PATH, an anthology he edited and released last year. I recently finished reading his latest book, THE ALEWIFE, and let me tell you, I’ve got some things to say about this book…

 
First of all, do not let the cover deceive you. If the image was any more detailed, it would spoil the story. I started reading this book late in the evening. Big mistake. I was up until 3am, because I had to finish it. HAD TO. Aren’t those the best kind of reads?

So everything starts off simple enough. Middle-aged couple, heading off on a cozy little getaway to relax and try to make a baby. Doug and Jillian are a pretty typical couple. Doug is full of cheesy puns (which I love), and Jillian is a little high-strung. They get to their hotel and have dinner at the hotel restaurant, where things get interesting. Apparently, Doug has been to this restaurant before, and he’s quite familiar with the hot little waitress serving them. She worked there twelve years before, when Doug last visited with a friend. As if the awkwardness with Jillian isn’t bad enough, the girl doesn’t look like she’s aged a day. So Doug, the genius who booked a romantic getaway where his past would most likely be waiting to haunt him (good job, Doug!) is ogling the waitress even more. It’s not very conducive to baby-making with Jillian.

What follows has an erotic, mystery vibe to it—which is fun enough on its own—but then things dive off into the vast depths of sci-fi thrillerdom! Strange science and creatures galore! Great fight scenes and even a touch of romance. Oh! And more puns. Can’t forget those. This turn of events was entirely unexpected and glorious. It reminded me just a bit of Christopher Moore’s FLUKE. So fantastic! It’s definitely one I’ll be reading again.

Click HERE to go to Jason's page where you can stalk him and find links to everywhere you can buy THE ALEWIFE. Since you should. For reals.

 
Happy reading!

OTBP Blog Tour & Giveaway | Author Interview: Jason Graves

It's the last day of the Off the Beaten Path Blog Tour & Giveaway! So be sure to enter for a chance to win books and Amazon cash! It's super easy, and if you like following authors on Facebook and Twitter, there are tons of ways to earn more entries!

Today, I'd like to introduce the man who put together our haunting collection of short stories. He's been a blast to work with! : )

Jason T. Graves lives in North Carolina with his family and a menagerie of small, domestic animals. He takes his coffee black, and, when he is not conducting mysterious, mad-scientist experiments with his students, he writes mysterious and beautiful fiction. Many years ago, he was punched, only once and very lightly, by Muhammad Ali.  Jason is the author of the Noctivagas Chronicles and the novella On the Bridge.

Q. Vampires? Werewolves? Ghosts? What's your favorite flavor of supernatural and why? 

A. Vampires and Fey seem to have carried the day for the moment, what with The Noctivagas Chronicle (Blood Roses and Morning Stars) and On the Bridge. However, I enjoy other paranormal and supernatural critters and characters, such as angels and demons, ghosts and spectres, and Nephilim. I can't abide with lycanthropes though, because shape shifting would be a biological nightmare of epic proportions... and besides, that much hair is kinda gross. I enjoy writing about vampires because the whole phenomenon of pale, elegant, blood suckers is fascinating from a scientific
scientific stand point: how could biologically tenable vampires exist? That's a question that drove the story development in The Noctivagas Chronicle. Of course, no scientific treatment of the undead would be complete without some magic and mysticism thrown in for good measure, so I did that too. I'm not really keen on the whole ghoul-like vampires or zombies -- I swore I'd never write a zombie story -- although I have three ideas for stories that directly relate to zombies. Go figure! Oh, and never say never... it'll come back and bite you on the butt. 

Q. Do you dabble in other genres besides paranormal? What kind of stories come to you most naturally when writing? 

A. I mostly write about people and how they relate to each other and react to life-altering circumstances. As such, I can write across genres, and I do. I have written science fiction stories, and I have story ideas for Chick Lit and New Adult stories, and a dark, urban fantasy. I even have a couple of ideas for children's and elementary-grade books. I never want to be genre typed. 

Q. Are you an outliner or an organic writer? 

A. I am definitely an organic writer. I let my characters (aka, my subconscious) write much of the story, then come in and organize stuff with the conscious mind. I generally write the outline near the end, just to keep everything straight -- especially as my novels comprise a series, which requires more diligence. My subconscious mind is very clever, and I often don't find out just how much until months after I have written some things. It's fun to have those, "Ah, ha!" moments when I discover just how clever I am, haha! 

Q. Where do you do your writing? Do you have an office, or do you frequent a favorite coffee shop? 

A. I do the bulk of my writing at home, in my office. If I tried writing in a coffee shop, I'd be fat from all the lattes and pastries. I do write, on occasion, in my favorite book store. It adds symmetry to my life, and makes me feel like Harlan Ellison. 

Q. What are you currently working on? 

A. Um... I have about six irons in the fire at any given moment, but I've been spending most of my limited time on Mars Rising, the sequel to Morning Stars. I have also started working on the novel to follow On the Bridge, my novella about a possibly insane young black woman (Gretchen Thyrd) and the Fey who love and hate her. On the Bridge is a bit of an awesome story that I fear is being woefully under read. 

Q. What question do you wish someone would just ask you already?

A. I wish someone would ask me what my favorite flavor of ice cream is already. If you ever meet me at a convention or a book signing, just come up and ask me! I will tell you! Only, you need to be prepared to buy me some ice cream afterwards :) 

Thanks for visiting my blog today, Jason! And thank you for bringing us all together for the awesomeness that is Off the Beaten Path! 

Find Jason all across the interwebs...

Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Amazon

 

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OFF THE BEATEN PATH

The Blog Tour for OFF THE BEATEN PATH starts October 1st! Woot! The anthology features eight short stories from some great indie authors. We'll be giving away copies of the Kindle ebook edition and several Amazon gift cards, so be sure to check out these great blogs from October 1st - October 8th for some fun interviews and the chance to enter the giveaway!

Blog List 

Sharon Sant, author of Sky Song and The New Moon

Angela Roquet, author of the Lana Harvey series and Crazy Ex-Ghoulfriend

Monica La Porta, author of The Ginecean Chronicles and The Prince's Day Out

D. R. Johnson, author of The Phoenix Curse saga

Jason Graves, author of On the Bridge, Blood Roses, and Morning Stars 

Chip Putnam, author of The Reason Why Grandmothers Should Not Be Allowed To Read Vampire Novels and Prairie Zombies


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