May 13, 2016

Podcast: “How to Succeed in Evil”, Prologue and Chs. 1-4, by Patrick E. McLean

Podcast: “How to Succeed in Evil”, Prologue and Chs. 1-4, by Patrick E. McLean

Do you remember the Malaysia Air Flight 370 that disappeared a few years ago? It seems Patrick McLean was prescient – he wrote about a similar disaster-in-the-making which occurred out over the Pacific…or maybe it’s something that happens all the time and we just don’t hear about it. But what we don’t hear about is a superhero named Excelsior [go ahead, Google that word, see what it means] who flies to the plane’s rescue. Or does he? Anyway, this is how this fabulous podcast, read most excellently by the author, kicks off. Over the next three Fridays we’ll post the first twelve episodes, just to make sure you’re hooked. But you probably will be by the time you finish the first one anyway. If you listen to these and just can’t wait to listen to more, please go…

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April 29, 2016

Podcast: “Ancestor,” Episode 3, by Scott Sigler

Podcast: “Ancestor,” Episode 3, by Scott Sigler

“Ancestor” is what you might term a serious or sophisticated story. By that I mean it has character development, a complex plot, and a lot of subtlety lying just below the surface of it being an action story. These are good things for a story to have. You may have read novels, or listened to other novel podcasts, where the plot is the thing, and the only thing. Like a Dan Brown novel. So get comfortable, pay attention to Scott Sigler’s more elaborately developed story, and feel yourself become immersed in it. Because you will. And you’ll be glad you did. From Scott: President Gutierrez wants Murray Longworth to take charge of a new government agency specially designed to handle “Special Threats.” However, Murray has some conditions that he needs to have met before he will accept the…

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April 22, 2016

Podcast: “Ancestor” Episode 2, by Scott Sigler

Podcast: “Ancestor” Episode 2, by Scott Sigler

After that completely daft beginning, you’re probably getting real curious to see why this wacko Chinese genetic engineer is allowed to walk around without a strait jacket on. And you would be right to wonder. If we left you hanging last week, it’s because we didn’t mention something pretty important at the end of the blurb, so here’s the whole thing for you to, ahem, chew on: There’s just one problem: these ancestors turn out not to be the docile herd animals Colding’s team envisioned. Instead, Colding’s work has given birth to something big, something evil. ……AND IT’S VERY, VERY HUNGRY! Scott goes on: Galina Porischova has a clandestine meeting with Paul Fischer. She wants to blow the whistle on Genada’s research. We begin to see exactly how far Genada is willing to go to…

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April 16, 2016

Podcast: “Ancestor” by Scott Sigler

Podcast: “Ancestor” by Scott Sigler

Scott Sigler is The Man of Podcasting. We can thank Scott because it was he who really got it all started, podcasting novels. His first was “Earthcore,” which is as memorable as when it first came out in 2005. He has been prolific ever since. Today we introduce “Ancestor,” podcast first in 2010. Here’s Scott’s introduction: Every five minutes, a transplant candidate dies while waiting for a heart, a liver, or a kidney. Imagine a technology that could provide those life saving organs for a nominal fee…..and imagine what a company would do to monopolize that technology. On a remote island in the Canadian Arctic, P.J. Colding leads a team of scientists who have discovered this holy grail of medicine. By reverse engineering the genomes of thousands of mammals, Colding’s team has dialed back the…

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March 25, 2016

An Interview with V.E. Ulett, Author of the “Captain Blackwell” Novels

An Interview with V.E. Ulett, Author of the “Captain Blackwell” Novels

An Interview with V. E. Ulett, Author of the Captain Blackwell Novels JBR: How did you become interested in writing about the days of wooden sailing ships? VEU: My interest in writing springs from a love of books and reading. Historical fiction is one of my favorite genres. I loved C.S. Forester’s Hornblower series, and even more Patrick O’Brian’s wonderful books. I have a certain fascination with the British Royal Navy of (Admiral Horatio Lord) Nelson’s day, but I don’t read only in that era. Arturo Perez-Reverte’s Captain Alatriste novels are another favorite of mine. JBR: Those tales take place in Spain and elsewhere in the 1600s. In those times, sailors often considered a woman on board a jinx. You’ve broken through that with Mercedes, a woman who can hold her own with the men. It’s…

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