Considering that Ghost Road Blues won the Stoker Award for Best First Novel, I eagerly look forward to reading Book Two: Dead Man's Song.
"Wait a moment," said the voice. "You didn't mention that your copy of Ghost Road Blues was personally sent to you by Maberry, and he autographed it for you. Personally. Oh, and there's that little business about you being a contributing editor to his magazine, Cryptopedia."
"Finish the tune, man. Finish the tune," said the Bone Man, smiling as he swung his guitar back over his shoulder.
"Yes, he sent me a copy of his book. He also sent me a copy of his other superlative work, Vampire Universe, which he autographed for me, too. I also reviewed that one favorably. And I'm just doing movie reviews over at Cryptopedia. So what's your point? That I can't be impartial. That I have a vested interest to play nice? Well, Griswold, or whatever the hell you are. We're writers. We know all about the Blues. We can take the good with the bad because we write about it everyday. We can poke each other in the gut just as well as we can pat each other on the back. That's how we get better at what we do. So far, though, Maberry doesn't need any poking." I shut my laptop and headed to bed.
"But you have forgotten one thing," said the voice. "You wrote your notes all over that personally signed first edition of the Bram Stoker winner for Best New Novel." A peal of thunder shook the room.
"Oh, my lord! You're right! What did I do!" I turned to the Bone Man for help.
"That's cold, man. You're on your own with this one. That's beyond even me," he said, and vanished with a twang from his guitar."Arrghhhh!" I screamed, as Griswold's triumphant laughter echoed into the distance.
Article comments
1 - Natalie Bennett
This article has been selected for syndication to Advance.net , which is affiliated with newspapers around the United States, and to Boston.com. Nice work!
2 - IL
Thanks!
3 - Faisal
I bought this book and read it solely becuase of the fact that it won the Stoker. After reading it, I have seriously started doubting the credibilty of the Bram Stoker Awards and all those authors who have chipped in with their blurbs. Pathetic does not describe it adequately. Its far worse than that. Badly written, extremely painful to read, this is by far one of the worst books I have ever read. Mr. Maberry should take some basic classes in creative writing. If he wants to convey that something was scary he will write "it was unspeakably dreadful and evil" and so on. This so so so so so bad :( :( :( I would have been better off reading some hack. At least they deliver and are not pretentious.
4 - Barb Harris
Wow...sounds like that last jackass has some kind of personal beef with the author. I thought personal attacks weren't allowed on these blog boards.
As far as my take on Ghost Road Blues goes...my book club just finished reading it (31 members), and we agreed that it was an excellent book, and particularly strong for a 'first novel'. Even out here in sunny Los Angeles I know I felt the creepy chill of the small eastern Pennsylvania town. This book would make a very, very spooky film.