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The Wonky Donkey

by Craig Smith, Katz Cowley (Illustrations)

DETAILS:
Publisher: Cartwheel Books
Publication Date: December 29, 2020
Format: Board Book
Length: 21 pgs.
Read Date: March 8, 2023

What’s Wonky Donkey About?

Lifted from the lyrics of a children’s song, the book starts:

I was walking down the road and I saw…
a donkey,
Hee Haw!

And goes on from there to describe this unfortunate equine in more and more detailed (and ridiculous) ways–starting with its three legs, going on to describe its taste in music, coffee consumption, attitude, attractiveness, and so on.

Let’s Talk about the Art for a Minute

Katz Cowley is fantastic. The natural world and physical objects are presented in a great realistic fashion–heightened just a bit. The titular donkey and a bird that shows up in every scene, however, are a goofy cartoonish exaggeration of that fashion

I don’t know who decided to give this donkey a prosthetic leg–but it only comes up in the illustrations, so I’m going to give Cowley credit for it. It’s a great detail on many levels.

The expressions on the bird and donkey are the stars of the show–better than the words (by a crooked hair). I don’t know how a child can look at them and not want to stare. Or not wanting to pick up the book for another reading session.

Especially when a child is the age of the target audience, the adult reading the book is going to see themselves in the coffee-less expression of the donkey on the page talking about the caffeine deprivation. So everyone wins?

You can see some of the art, and learn more about the book, on Cowley’s website.

How is it to Read Aloud?

Ohhh boy. This is going to be hard to convey. First, it was only after I’d read this that I took the time to track down the song, but I couldn’t help but get a sing-songy cadence and voice as I read it. I also found myself talking faster and faster as I went through the book–like there was this unconscious effort on my part to spend the same amount of time reading each pair of pages–like a snowball rolling downhill, growing bigger and getting faster. This is great and all, but it’s also kind of a workout of both stamina and verbal dexterity.

You can’t help having fun with these lines–even as they build up and repeat like the 12 Days of Christmas. Really, try being expressionless or frowny while saying “He was a hanky-panky crank stink-dinky lanky honky-tonky wink wonky donkey.” You can’t, can you?

You might need to start using a spirometer before cracking this thing open though. As fun as it is, you’re going to end up getting requests for encores, and after 2-3 readings in a row, it’s going to lose a little bit of its charm. So keep something else around so you can switch to it for a minute or two before having to come back.

(between you and me, the song isn’t my style. I really hope the Grandcritter doesn’t discover it, because it feels like the kind of thing that’d you’d have to listen to 30 times a day–like that ditty about an infant scaleless predatory fish)

So, what did I think about Wonky Donkey?

A couple of weeks ago, my wife was telling a friend about our prep work for grandkids, including all the books we’re starting to stockpile. Once she got over being aghast that we’d never heard of The Wonky Donkey, she insisted that we fix this. We dutifully complied and it’s either one of the best moves we’ve made or one of the worst (see what I said above about reading it).

Joking aside, this is a great book for the intended age group. I’m going to have to do a deep dive into both the work of Smith and Cowley.

The other thing my wife’s friend told us was to get the board book–and she was right again. Parents/Grandparents/Etc. Do NOT get the paperback or hardcover. If the child(ren) doesn’t/don’t like the book, you’ll have spent too much money. If they do like the book (the more likely outcome), they will destroy it. It’s going to demand the number of re-re-re-re-reads that anything else won’t hold up to it. It’s also going to end up being one of those books a kid is going to carry around with them and flip through themselves–a lot. Paperbacks/hardcovers will not survive the gumming, accidental ripping, deliberate ripping, and overall expressions of toddler love that are so destructive.

I can’t see where this doesn’t become a tongue-tying obsession. The book you know the kid will love, you enjoy (the first few times a day you read it), you end up memorizing without trying to and just hope your lung capacity holds out during. It’s fun, it’s goofy, and it’s the kind of thing you’ll look back on in fondness.

4 Stars

This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase from it, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, the opinions expressed are my own.
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Highlights from February: Lines Worth Repeating

By HCNewton

On March 16, 2023

In Books, Currently Reading, News/Misc., Quotations

Highlights from the Month
One thing I’ve learned lately is that if I don’t get this done right away at the beginning of the month, it slips away from me. Good to know, I guess, eh? On with these lines from my February reads…

The Hero Interviews by Andi Ewington

It’s worth noting that ‘success’ in the adventuring business is usually measured by whether you’re still breathing after completing an adventure. Those who aren’t successful typically wind up dead.

“My father taught me that you always get out of life what you put into it. If you’re only paying a Dwarf in crumbs, then you’re only going to end up with a pissed- off Dwarf who is still hungry.”

Balstaff: … I just hoped someone would come to my rescue before I froze to death— or worse.”

Me: “What’s worse than freezing to death?”

Balstaff: “Being eaten alive by hungry Snow Wolves.”

Danger is just death’s distant cousin once removed— many an adventurer has fallen foul of it.”

Bad Memory by Jim Cliff

“Discretion is my middle name,” I said. “It’s a shame it doesn’t fit on my business cards.”

The dealer button moved around to me and I picked up the cards and gave them a shuffle. The six of us fitted around Scott’s kitchen table so long as everyone breathed in and nobody minded the odd elbow in the ribs.

Her glasses were designer – I could tell because the designer’s name was discreetly embossed on the frame. Her suit didn’t have any names on it, but I figured clothes designers were just more humble

“You’re lucky you caught me in a good mood. I just got a hole in one on the 17th. What is it?”

I resisted the urge to say ‘it’s when the ball goes in the hole on the first hit, but that’s not important right now’ and asked my question.

The Silk Empress by Josepf Matulich

“So, that’s what air pirates really look like.” They resembled none of the flamboyant descriptions of the penny dreadfuls he’d grown up on. He’d expected striped pants, velvet coats, and satin sashes. This group looked the type to rob pig herds on the way to Newcastle.

His mother would have approved of his lack of possessions, a sign of spiritual freedom. He tried to feel in his heart the way she did, but he would have still have preferred to have had a few more books.

He hurt. His right leg felt to be filled with blades and broken glass. One of his arms ached to the bones from shoulder to fingertips; he couldn’t feel or move the other. A slow catalogue of all his injuries actually made him chuckle. I should be happy to hurt so much, he thought. You don’t feel anything when you’re dead.

With the long guns they carried, seven of them could shoot Algie as he engaged the eighth. He had been shot once already this year, and he’d like to keep it that way at least until Christmas.

Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz

Alan Conway’s home was a couple of Framlingham and it would’ve been almost impossible to find without Sat-Nav. I’ve lived my whole life in a city roads actually go somewhere, because frankly they can’t afford not to.

You’d have thought that after twenty years editing Murder Mysteries I’d have noticed when I found myself in the middle of one.

It had all come to me at Paddington Station. The extraordinary moment that all of them must have felt–Poirot, Holmes, Whimsey, Marple, Morse–but which their authors had never fully explained. What was it like for them? A slow process, like constructing a jigsaw? Or did it come in a rush, one last turn in a toy kaleidoscope, when all the colors and shapes tumbled and twisted into each other forming a recognizable image?

Finley Donovan Jumps the Gun by Elle Cosimano

My phone vibrated again as I reached for the keyboard.

Vero: I hope you remembered gloves….

I dug my mittens from the pockets of my coat and drew them on, wishing I’d been prepared with something a little more Temperance Brennan and less Bernie Sanders.

A Man Named Doll by Jonathan Ames

“A child’s portion of Don Julio,” I said.

I always order alcohol that way–stole it from an old mentor, a cop long dead. But he used it for food because he had diverticulitis. I use it for alcohol because I’m Irish. But that’s not entirely ture. I’m also half Jewish. On my mother’s side. I’m half Jew, half Mick, all ish.

We both stared at the little hip of ice on his desk, at $289,000 worth of sparkling carbon. Which up close, under a microscope, looked like a palace.

It was bumper to bumper, thousands of cars jammed together, going nowhere and somewhere, reaching speeds as high as five miles per hour, ten if we were lucky; and even with the recent rain, the white smog, which we live in all the time, was especially thick,and you would never know that just a few miles to the east the whole valley basin was ringed by beautiful mountains, the San Gabirels.

But they were obscured by the white filth, and it’s old news, of course, but we are forced in this modern life, to always hold two ideas in our mind at once: one, the natural world is beautiful, and two, we are destroying it.

The Foundling, the Heist, and the Volcano by K.R.R. Lockhaven

“Why did you bury the treasure?” Azure asked.

Wakeman looked to her with an extremely confused expression. Even Mr. Threepbrush, who was usually over- the- top respectful, looked at her like she had just said the stupidest thing he’d ever heard.

“Uh… cause that’s what one does with treasure.” Wakeman couldn’t keep the condescension from his voice.

“Aye, Captain,” Mr. Threepbrush added, “what other choice did he have?”

Red Rising by Pierce Brown

Steel is power. Money is power. But of all the things in all the worlds, words are power.

I learn more when I make mistakes, so long as they don’t kill me.

Pocket Apocalypse by Seanan McGuire

Airplanes: essentially buses that fly, and hence have the potential to drop out of the sky at any moment, spreading your insides—which will no doubt become your outsides sometime during the collision—across whatever you happen to have been flying over. Since we were flying mostly over ocean, I was sure the sharks would appreciate our sacrifice.

“Family matters more than anything else in this world, Family doesn’t have to love you. Family doesn’t even have to like you. But when you need them, family has to have your back.”

Broken by Don Winslow

Behavior that was cute when you were in your twenties becomes aggravating in your thirties, pathetic in your forties and tragic in your fifties.

“father” and “mother” are verbs before they’re nouns.

(Image by DaModernDaVinci from Pixabay)

COVER REVEAL: Stargun Messenger by Darby Harn

By HCNewton

On March 16, 2023

In Book Tour, Fantasy, Fiction

I’m very pleased to welcome the Escapist Book Tour’s Cover Reveal for Darby Harn’s Stargun Messenger to The Irresponsible Reader this morning!

Book Details:

Book Title: Stargun Messenger by Darby Harn
Series: Stargun Messenger
Genre: Science Fiction/Space Opera
Intended Age Group: Adult
Length: 368 pages
Release date: May 5, 2023
Publisher: Self-published

About the Book

To save the stars, Astra Idari must outrun her own shadow.

Astra Idari is a mess.

She drinks too much, remembers too little, and barely pays for it all as a Stargun Messenger. She hunts down thieves who steal filamentium, the fuel that allows for faster-than-light travel. When Idari meets Gen Emera, she meets the girl of her dreams and the last living star. There’s just one problem.

Filamentium is only found in the blood of living stars.

Everyone wields knives and justifications for butchering the living stars to get around, but once Idari knows the truth, she faces a stark choice. Either she turns Emera over to her employers who control the filamentium monopoly, or risks everything to help Emera fulfill her quest to save her people.

The choice should be simple, but it’s not losing her life that terrifies Idari. It’s finally living. Idari knows she’s human despite outwardly appearing to be an android with a failing memory stitched together by her ship’s irascible AI, CR-UX. She’s been just getting by for longer than she remembers, assured in her humanity, but not enough to risk it.

Idari has lived her entire life in darkness. The dark comforts and shields. The dark preserves in its cold, and Idari may not be able to keep her star out of her shadow.

“If James Joyce had grown up reading X-Men comics and obsessively playing Destiny, he would have written this. A breathtakingly imaginative, star-spanning romp that is equal parts swashbuckling galactic adventure and lyrical introspection about love and identity.” – Wayne Santos, author of The Chimera Code

Book Links

Amazon ~ Goodreads

About the Author

Darby Harn is the author of the SPSFC quarterfinalist Ever The Hero, which Publisher’s Weekly called “an entertaining debut that uses superpowers as a metaphor to delve into class politics in an alternate America.” His short fiction appears in Strange Horizons, Interzone, and other venues. Visit www.darbyharn.com for more.

Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Instagram ~ Newsletter

and now…

The Cover

Stargun Messenger Cover

That’s a stunner, isn’t it? Great colors…

Be sure to check out the website, Twitter and/or Instagram page of the artist, Al Hess.

My thanks to Escapist Book Tours for the invitation to participate in this tour and the materials they provided. The opinions expressed by me are honest and my own.

WWW Wednesday, March 15, 2023

By HCNewton

On March 15, 2023

In Books, Currently Reading, News/Misc., WWW Wednesday

Four posts on a Wednesday? I guess it’s bound to happen sometime, eh? Don’t really have time for an intro, so let’s get on with the WWW!

This meme was formerly hosted by MizB at A Daily Rhythm and revived on Taking on a World of Words—and shown to me by Aurore-Anne-Chehoke at Diary-of-a-black-city-girl.

The Three Ws are:

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

Easy enough, right?

What are you currently reading?

I’m reading the second Retired Detectives Club novel, Death at Paradise Palms by Steph Broadribb. I’m still strolling through You Took The Last Bus Home: The Poems of Brian Bilston by Brian Bilston. I’m also listening to The Green Ember by S.D. Smith, Joel Clarkson (Narrator) on audiobook.

Blank Space

What did you recently finish reading?

Earlier today, I finished Quenby Olson’s Miss Percy’s Pocket Guide (to the Care and Feeding of British Dragons), an utterly charming read. I also recently finished Profiles in Ignorance: How America’s Politicians Got Dumb and Dumber by Andy Borowitz on audio, it was odd for Borowitz to be so earnest–more of that to come.

Blank Space

What do you think you’ll read next?

My next book should be the ARC of Fearless by M.W. Craven (actually, it should be something I’ve agreed to read for someone else, but it’s been sitting on my shelf ignored for too long, I can’t take its plaintive cries for attention anymore) and my next audiobook should be Golden Son by Pierce Brown, Tim Gerard Reynolds (Narrator).

Blank Space

Are you reading anything good?

LITERARY LOCALS: Treasure Valley Indie Book Fair/Book Haul

By HCNewton

On March 15, 2023

In A Few Quick Questions With..., Literary Locals

Literary Locals logo
Like I said a couple of weeks ago, the Nampa Public Library hosted the Treasure Valley Indie Book Fair and I wanted to take a minute or two to talk about it.

I’d seen the numbers of authors—and had tried to look them up to know who I wanted to be sure to talk to. But in person, it seemed like a lot more authors had tables. The library’s conference room was filled, and it spilled out into the main lobby area, too. My daughter and I went pretty early because we had other commitments—but there were lines at most tables when we arrived, and they were longer when we left.

Many of these authors wrote romances of various types—so we could skip those (not to be snobs, but we only had so much time, and neither of us were going to read any of them), and there were a couple of others we couldn’t make time for. But we did manage to have a nice conversation with J.C. Jackson (I feel bad about the fact that her first reaction to me was apologizing for not getting back to me about some emails—I just wanted to say hi), Jeremy Billups, Danielle Parker, and Troy Lambert. Names that I’ve mentioned a time or six here.

We also got to introduce ourselves and chat with a few others like novelists Justin Reed (who is a self-published author who takes the design of his books very seriously—and it pays off), Laura Jenski, and Amy Maren Rice. Rice was accompanied by her son, who a few years ago wrote a book that I was able to snag a copy of. There was another young author there, Elliot Linker, selling the graphic novel he wrote and drew. I tell you what, if you ever get the chance to have an elementary school-aged author sign their book for you—do it. The care they put into it… We also met children’s book author S. E. Richey and had a very nice conversation with her. Most, if not all, of these authors, will be showing up here in the near future, I hope.

All in all, it was a great event with a large range of genres, target audiences, and authors represented (which was pretty encouraging) and one I hope is repeated.

Now, I can’t be expected to show up to an event like that and walk away empty handed can I?
NPL Indie Fair Book Haul
What you see there (in addition to my lousy photography skills) is:
bullet Cooked Goose—the first in Laura Jenski’s Motorhome Murder Mystery series
bullet Teaching Moments—the second in Troy Lambert’s Max Boucher Mystery series
bullet The Call of the Karen by Denise Lynn Lambert, a book I’m not going to try to describe until I read it.
bullet Stray Ally—a military/dog adventure by Troy Lambert
bullet However Long the Day by Justin Reed—essentially The Prince and the Pauper in 1918 New York
bullet Pure of Heart—the first in Danielle Parker’s Faoladh Series
bullet Fuzzwiggs: The Switcheroo by Amy Maren Rice—a YA fantasy adventure
bullet My Border Collie World by Ruth Simerly, which pretty much looks like what the title says.
bullet Lulu and the Missing Tooth Fairy and Trouble with Truffles (do you have any idea how hard it is to get my fingers to not type “Tribbles” there?) by S. E. Richey
bullet Red Stripes VS Miles the Mutant Mouse by Kyson Rice, and illustrated by Amy Rice
bullet George the Banana: Book One by Elliot Linker (he was also giving away the banana toy on top of that stack—with the hand-drawn face)

I’m so glad I knocked off so many books from Mt. TBR last month, I need the space…

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A Few Quick Questions with…Andi Ewington

By HCNewton

On March 15, 2023

In A Few Quick Questions With...

A couple of hours ago, I belatedly posted about Ewington’s Comedic Epic The Hero Interviews, and now we get to hear a little from the author himself. I’ve had very few less-than-completely pleasant interactions with authors on this side, but some really stand out on the positive side. Andi Ewington fits into that category–in all our interactions over the last few months, Ewington has been kind, patient, gracious, generous, and funny. So it brings me a great deal of pleasure to share a little bit more of him with you all.

Andi Ewington is a writer who has written numerous comic titles including Forty-Five45, Campaigns & Companions, S6X, Sunflower, Red Dog, Dark Souls II, Just Cause 3, Freeway Fighter, and Vikings. Andi lives in Surrey, England with a plethora of childhood RPGs and ‘Choose Your Own Adventure’ gamebooks he refuses to part with. He’s usually found on Twitter as @AndiEwington.

Why don’t we start with a quick introduction—who is Andi Ewington, and how did he get into writing? What made him jump from comics to novels?
I’m a creative at heart; initially, I was a graphic designer for over 30 years, designing computer game packaging, advertising and branding. I got into comics with my critically acclaimed debut novel (Forty-Five), published in 2010. For nearly ten years, I built a small comic-writing side hustle alongside my day job, writing for IPs such as Just Cause, Dark Souls, World of Tanks, Vikings, and Pac-Man. In late 2018, I switched from design to writing games full-time before being promoted to Game Director. During this time, I was finding it harder and harder to secure regular comic work, so I published a series of funny tweets about cats and dogs playing Dungeons & Dragons called ‘Campaigns & Companions’. After that, my desire to see my words published as a complete novel consumed me—thus, ‘The Hero Interviews’ was born.

All authors have more ideas running around in their head than they can possibly develop—what was it about this idea that made you commit to it? What’s the appeal to you as an author about the interview structure?
I have a huge affinity for fantasy (having spent endless hours playing Dungeons & Dragons, Middle Earth RPG, Fighting Fantasy, Talisman, and Warhammer) and comedy (watching endless repeats of Blackadder, Father Ted, Alan Partridge, Monty Python). The idea slowly came to fruition after influences from The Incredibles, Creature Comforts, and World War Z—all of whom employed the Q&A format in their narrative. With so many epic fantasy yarns on the market, I wanted to publish something a little different that gave readers small nuggets of information that, when pulled together, create a bigger picture. Plus, you don’t have to believe everything in an interview—sometimes, what’s being said is only one side of a gold coin. I had done something similar with my debut graphic novel, Forty-Five—but The Hero Interviews resonates more with me because it’s written from the heart, with a plethora of personal experiences thrown in.

Between this and Campaigns & Companions, it’s pretty obvious that D&D is a pretty big influence in your mind. Do you trace your interest in storytelling to the game, or was it the other way around (assuming you can trace that in the first place)? What, for you, is the draw of that kind of game?
First and foremost, Dungeons & Dragons was the perfect social game growing up—it allowed me to stay up late with my mates, eat pizza, drink bottles of coke, and roll with laughter at the stupid situations we found ourselves in. Those were amazing days back then—and certainly a massive influence on where I am now. I especially loved subverting a carefully crafted adventure by doing things the DM hadn’t planned. Much of my storytelling spawned from Choose Your Own Adventure/You Are The Hero gamebooks (Fighting Fantasy, Way of the Tiger, Falcon, Lone Wolf). Being an only child meant I needed an escape from the boredom of solitude; those books did more to forge my love of narrative than anything else—especially as they put me central in the story as an active participant rather than a reader dragged along for the ride.

How do you approach humor in your books? Do you work to maintain a balance between it and the action/tension? Does it come naturally? Do you have to come back on a later draft and insert or delete jokes to get it right? (or I guess, insert other material to balance out the jokes?)
I find humour comes naturally; I’m always thinking of funny conversations, gags, one-liners, retorts, or situations—I love making people laugh! So, when it came to The Hero Interviews, it was a very organic process. I’d start with an overall idea, then try to subvert it somehow in a funny way—usually, as I’d work out the scene, I’d find the jokes would write themselves. Sometimes, I’d massage a joke more if I felt I hadn’t stuck the landing or cut it altogether if a beta reader didn’t respond well to the gag. As for action versus comedy, there’s always a delicate balancing act to ensure the jokes don’t get in the way of the plot or the action—killing a funny moment. So, I approached action in two ways—with what information was being shared in the interview and what was happening during the interview. This way, I’d have two opportunities for comedy to appear during an action scene, either through observations or slapstick.

I love a novel with comic footnotes. Can you talk a little about the choice to use that technique—in general, and how you decide when to use a footnote to deliver the joke rather than keeping it in the text? Do you add the footnotes while writing the “main” text or do you go back and add them later?
The footnotes came about after finishing the main draft of the story; I was struggling to further Elburn’s personality, using only questions—but I had just been reading ‘Tales From Small Planets’ by Nate Crowley, and I enjoyed the banter between the editor and the author which developed through the footnotes. I reasoned I could do something similar but have Elburn’s personality shine through the footnotes as off-the-cuff commentary. I know there are over 1700 footnotes, which can be quite a task to negotiate through—but I felt just incorporating them into the Q&A would weaken Elburn’s voice and potentially lose some of the joke’s impact (especially jokes that ran across several other footnotes). Ultimately, I feel it was the correct choice—even though I’m sure a few don’t enjoy the way it pulls them out of their reading experience*.

*If that happened to you, I’m really sorry—but I’m not sorry enough not to do it all again!

This was a long novel—even by the standards of Fantasy novels. Did you consider releasing it in smaller books (like whatshisname did with the thing about the ring)? Did you spend time thinking about the length at all, or was it a case of “this is what it took to tell my story, so that’s as long as it is”?
Oh, for sure, I knew it would be a beast of a book—and the idea of breaking it down into smaller volumes briefly crossed my mind. But, I think if I had, then it would severely hamper the whole experience of cross-referencing interviews with one another. I also wanted ‘The Hero Interviews’ to be the spiritual successor to my debut novel ‘45’, which spanned forty-five interviews—as you probably know, that’s the same number of interviews found inside ‘The Hero Interviews’.

Let’s play “Online Bookstore Algorithm” (a game I made up for these Q&As). What are 3-5 books whose readers may like The Hero Interviews?
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (Douglas Adams)
Notes from Small Planets (Nate Crowley)
World War Z (Max Brooks)
Guards! Guards! (Sir Terry Pratchett)

What’s next for Andi Ewington, author?
I’m currently editing a book for a friend of mine; after that, I will start work on the sequel to The Hero Interviews—The Hero Diaries!

Thanks for your time—and thanks for The Hero Interviews, I had a blast with it and I hope you have plenty of success with it.

The Hero Interviews by Andi Ewington: A Thoughtful Fantasy Adventure Shares the Page with 900 Fireball Jokes, 750 Quips about Useless Clerics, 600 Ways to Mock Paladins, and Plenty of Other Comedic Bits

By HCNewton

On March 15, 2023

In Fantasy, Fiction

So this is like a month overdue. I feel really bad about that because Andi Ewington got his Q&A responses back to me in record-time and I paid him back by dithering with this. It’s one of those I started and abandoned several times because it wasn’t right. This isn’t either, but I forced myself to actually finish it—it’s just going to get worse the more I tinker with it.

Oh, yeah, and do check in later this morning for a very nice Q&A with Ewington.

The Hero Interviews

by Andi Ewington

DETAILS:
Publisher: Forty-Five Limited
Publication Date: December 1, 2022
Format: eBook
Length: 925 pgs.
Read Date: January 20-February 11, 2023

What’s The Hero Interviews About?

The child and sibling of heroic adventurers, Elburn Barr, has taken a different path in life—one fit for someone with his particular set of skills (or lack thereof). He is a Loremaster—no spells, weapons, or danger for him, thank you very much. At this point in his life/career, Elburn has set out to understand what makes a hero tick—what is it that drives them, what early influences molded them, how do they keep going on? Does it vary from type to type? Are Barbarians made of different stuff from a Cleric or a Thief? What about a Ranger or a Wizard?

In addition to interviewing various leading examples of each type of hero, he talks to non-heroes, too. Like a farmer whose farm was saved(?) by some heroes from a dragon, the curator of a hero museum, people who run/design dungeons, etc.

We get these interviews in transcript form—with a little introduction from Elburn at the beginning of each, and maybe a little narrative about what’s going on around them during the interview, or what he does after. But primarily, it’s transcriptions of the interviews.

In addition to trying to understand the heroic psyche in general, Elburn’s hoping to understand and maybe connect with his adventurer-filled family. But he has an ulterior motive for all this—his older brother went off adventuring ten summers ago, and Elburn would like to know what happened to him. He’s hoping to find him alive somewhere but will settle for just knowing what happened.

This sounds heavy—but I should stress that this is a comedy. There’s a serious story (or three) being told, sure. But the book is a comedy.

Comic Footnotes

I’m a long-established fan of comic footnotes in novels—see what I’ve said about Josh Bazell, Lisa Lutz, Thomas Lennon, and K.R.R. Lockhaven for example. But Ewington puts them all to shame.

At least in terms of volume—there are almost 2 per page, although I’d have wagered it was higher than that (that’s an average—there are pages with several). Occasionally, it feels annoying to stop the flow of what you’re reading to check it. All I can say is that if you’re feeling that way, just keep reading and then circle back for the footnote after that bit of dialogue or at the end of the chapter—it’s not going anywhere.

On the whole, they work better in the moment without doubling back, so click the link if you’re not at the annoyed point. I did it both ways depending on my mood and can vouch for both methods. Whatever you do, don’t skip them.

You get a good sense of Elburn’s personality and attitude toward his interview subjects from the main text—but it really shines forth in the footnotes. To really understand the protagonist, you need to read them.

But your comedy-per-word ratio is higher in the footnotes, too. In the main text, comedy has to come out of the words, situations, and characters. In the footnotes, Ewington doesn’t have to do that—he can just make the joke. Frequently, that’s all it is—the joke. Neither is a superior joke-delivery method, it’s just easier to get to the funny bit in the footnote.

Audience

Anyone who’s into Fantasy to one degree or another is going to be able to appreciate most of what Ewington’s doing here. There is a pretty solid D&D-basis to everything, however, so the more you understand and/or have been exposed to the game.

The Length

There’s no getting around this point, The Hero Interviews is long. One might argue that it’s too long. I’m not sure I’d agree—but I wouldn’t disagree.

Early on (maybe around the 20% mark), I started to wonder if this thing wouldn’t work better as a trilogy. Break this into (roughly) thirds, add a 1-3 page Epilogue/Prologue to each to connect them and it’s a lot easier to digest. I think it’d work. Check out my Q&A with Ewington to see why he disagrees with that idea. I’m not entirely convinced, but at the end of the day, it’s not that important.

I do wonder how many readers will find their patience pushed by the length—I’d tell them to stick with it because it’s absolutely worth it (but taking a break every few chapters isn’t the worst idea).

A practical downside to the length is that it’s likely cost-prohibitive to publish this in paperback. This is a real shame because everyone I can think of to give this to won’t read it in ebook. (but I’m trying to think of a way to work around that)

So, what did I think about The Hero Interviews?

I hate when people drag out Douglas Adams or Terry Pratchett when talking about humorous SF/F, but I can’t get away from this one. For a long time, I’ve said that Life, the Universe, and Everything by Douglas Adams isn’t so much a novel as it is a series of comic episodes/scenes/bits trying to look like a novel.* As I’ve been trying to come up with a succinct way to talk about this book the last few weeks, I’ve decided that it’s the opposite—it’s a novel trying to look like a series of comic episodes/scenes/lines.

* I feel compelled to add at this point that I love the book, some of my favorite lines/paragraphs/ideas from Adams are in it. But it’s not a good novel.

It takes a while to see the plotlines emerge—it really does seem to be a light-hearted look at D&D clichés, stereotypes, tropes, etc. at the beginning, but eventually, you start to see the story arcs emerging and even start to see Elburn grow and develop. That’s something I didn’t expect to see when I started reading this.

If only because I have memories of interview transcripts and fantasy humor (and sadly, not much else), I expected this to feel like Off to See the Wizard by Clay Johnson, but it really doesn’t. Ewington’s ambitions are larger—and he packs more jokes into his pages. Ewington is also more interested in playing with the tropes and types of the genre, while Johnson was working within pretty well-established types.

Once I got to the interview with Gwenyn, the poor farmer with a field ruined by a dragon corpse left behind by heroes, I knew this book was for me. The Mime Warrior interview was so ridiculous that I had to love it—and I even came around to the least-Conan-like Barbarian (I admit I had a hard time with that one at first blush). Ewington both seems to embrace and relish going for the obvious joke—but the way he gets there, or what he surrounds the obvious joke with—that’s pretty special and creative. I’m not sure that makes a lot of sense, you’re just going to have to read it to see what I’m trying to communicate.

It’s really easy to see why Jodie recommended this one to me for the 12 Books Challenge, and I’m so glad she did (I wanted to, but hadn’t gotten around to buying it until she did). You should pretend that she recommended it to you, too (here, read her post about it). I mean, I’m recommending it to you—but maybe you’ll listen to both of us more than you’d listen to just me.

You’ll laugh; you’ll chuckle; you’ll grin; you’ll shake your head and roll your eyes while wondering, “Did he just find another way to make the same fireball joke?”*; and you’ll have a lot of fun. No better time than the present to go grab this, you’ll be glad you did.

* Yes, yes he did.

4 Stars

Mrs. Covington’s: A Cozy Fantasy Novel Kickstarter

By HCNewton

On March 14, 2023

In Books, Fantasy, Fiction, News/Misc.

I told you yesterday that you’d be hearing a lot about this book over the next few weeks–and I’m starting to make good on that promise now. I’ve said plenty of good things about Lockhaven’s previous books, we’ve asked each other Qs and As on our respective sites, and so on. So it’s not a huge surprise that I want to encourage you to support this Kickstarter.

I’m currently beta-reading this book (I hope to finish it tonight) and I’m doing a lousy job of taking notes for feedback, because I keep getting sucked into the story. This novel, “Set in a capybara-themed pub, this book includes a clue-based treasure hunt, found family, kindness, empathy, and nachos,” is going to charm readers–but it needs to get out into the world for that to happen. As of the moment I’m writing this, the campaign is 20% of the way to the goal–help it get a little closer.

Check out the video:

What do you know? I’ve been pronouncing the “o” in Covington wrong…anyway.

Look into the book and then pitch in to help Lockhaven put this out there in the world. I think you’ll be glad you did. I won’t be so bold as to suggest that the publication of Mrs. Covington’s will make the world a better place, but it will brighten the day of whoever reads it. So it’ll feel like the world is a better place for a while.

Go kick that start.

PUB DAY REPOST: Good Dog, Bad Cop by David Rosenfelt: Corey Douglas Starts to Come Into His Own as a PI

By HCNewton

On March 14, 2023

In David Rosenfelt, Fiction, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller

Good Dog, Bad Cop

by David Rosenfelt

DETAILS:
Series: The K Team, #4
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Publication Date: March 14, 2023
Format: eARC
Length: 288 pg.
Read Date: February 28-March 2, 2023
9781250828965

What’s Good Dog, Bad Cop About?

Pete Stanton, when he’s not building up a tab for Andy Carpenter at their favorite sports bar, is in charge of the Homicide Division of the Paterson PD. He doesn’t have the budget for more police detectives, but he had a healthy budget for consultants (figure that one out if you can). So he’s hired the K-Team to look into some cold cases for him.

The first one they pick is a doozy. A few years ago, a retired detective and mentor to Corey Douglas was found shot on his boat, a woman’s body was also found there. Some suspicions about a murder-suicide were floated, but nothing stuck. Corey wants to look into it, and Pete approves it with one caveat—they have to investigate the murder of that woman’s husband. He, too, was a Paterson police officer who was murdered. Other than his wife, there’s no obvious connection between the cases, and they weren’t investigated that way.

Corey and Laurie knew going in that Pete would assign them both if they requested one—and honestly, they wanted it that way. All three were aware of the game they were playing, and they all did their part. Now, hopefully, the K-Team and help the PPD close these cases and get some justice for the victims.

Simon

This is really Corey’s book—Laurie’s in it a decent amount, but she doesn’t seem to play as vital a role as usual. Marcus isn’t around much—but is when it counts. Where it comes up short is, as is often the case, Simon’s involvement.

We need to see more of him—Corey even jokes about it at one point, saying Simon’s going to be jealous about something he’s up to without him. That’s all well and good–but it’s not enough.

This is a series about detectives who name their team after a dog. Corey’s a former dog handler. The dog needs to be around more. Do we get some good Simon action? Yes. Are the lines about him and the action involving him good? Absolutely (equating him to Marcus is a great idea). But c’mon, Rosenfelt—give us more Simon.

Poor Sam

Okay, it’s been evident for quite some time in the Andy Carpenter books that while Sam is a good accountant, he enjoys his side gig as a computer researcher for Andy (who isn’t impeded by things like ethics or laws), and he’s more than happy to help out with the K-Team.

But these guys are starting to rely on him too much—sure, they do the legwork. They put a lot of the clues together—but Sam got most of those clues for them. And the number of times that Corey called with new tasks for him was borderline outrageous. They’re working this guy to the bone.

It occurs to me that I said something very similar about the computer tech in the DC Maggie Jamieson series. Is there maybe a union for overworked tech geniuses in Mysteries/Procedurals? Maybe Tilly Bradshaw can organize something.

Corey as a PI

Corey is really coming into his own as a PI (at least as far as fictional PIs go). In the first book or two, he tried to do things the right way—he was very aware that he was no longer a cop and had to act in a certain manner because of it. But he still acted like a police officer, with those kinds of instincts.

Laurie had spent enough time as a PI, was more comfortable in the role, and accepted a greater degree of looseness when it came to protocols. I doubt Marcus ever cared about them in the first place. But Corey was pretty uptight and had to be cajoled into doing certain things.

He seems over that now—he’s willing to color outside the lines, ignore certain rules/laws, and so on. It’s about getting the results and taking care of details and technicalities later.*

* I want to stress that I’m okay with this because we’re talking fictional detectives. The casual attitude toward privacy, phone records, financial transactions, and breaking and entering in a real person would be intolerable—I don’t care what their profession is.

It’s great to see him grow and develop. He’s not the same character that he was when we met him in the Andy Carpenter books–or when this series started. I’m sure that growth with slow and/or stop soon—but for now, I’m liking the journey.

The M Word

As much as he’s growing in his new profession, Corey’s got a long way to go on the personal front. Sure, he’s made great strides since meeting and starting to date Dani. He’s in a long-term committed relationship and isn’t thinking of running for the hills or making some lame excuse to break up.

But he can’t even bring himself to say—or think (including in his narration)—the word “marriage.” He will call it “M” throughout the book—and he’s thinking about it pretty frequently in this book. Sure, it’s immature—he realizes it. But that’s not enough. This is also one of those things that the reader has to suspend disbelief and just roll with. If you do, it’s a fun running joke (it’s easy to do, because if anyone can make a somewhat emotionally stunted man entertaining, it’s the creator of Andy Carpenter).

So, what did I think about Good Dog, Bad Cop?

I know this series (like the Carpenter books) aren’t technically cozies—Marcus by himself keeps them from being considered that way. But I don’t know if there is a pair of series (or one) that I feel so comfortable in. Within a paragraph or two of the protagonist showing up, I’m enjoying the book and feel at home.

Sure, there are better entries and lesser entries—characters moves I like more than others, and so on. But I know as soon as I start one of these books that I’m going to have a good time. That’s what happened here.

I’m enjoying Corey’s transformation into a more typical PI—there are a couple of moments where he felt like the 1990s-era Spenser (just with a dog that wouldn’t run from gunfire). I’m not going to complain about that—ever. I enjoy the dynamics between the team, between the team and the police/other law enforcement entities, between the team and Andy, and so on. I simply enjoyed myself here.

The mysteries on top of that were good, too. I admit that I got suckered into a red herring or two, and things that I was sure of along the way were wrong (I was on the right path, and was only one connection away from being in step with Corey).*

* I’m sure I probably sound defensive there, but that’s only because I am.

I don’t know what else to say—this is a good installment in a reliable series. Fans of Carpenter, the K-Team, or lighter mysteries will gobble this one up. Satisfaction assured.

Disclaimer: I received this eARC from St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley in exchange for this post—thanks to both for this.

4 Stars

This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase from it, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, the opinions expressed are my own.

PUB DAY POST: Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto: Come Meet Your New Favorite Senior Citizen Sleuth

By HCNewton

On March 14, 2023

In Fiction, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller

Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers

by Jesse Q. Sutanto

DETAILS:
Publisher: Berkley Books
Publication Date: March 14, 2023
Format: eARC
Length: 352 pg.
Read Date: March 2-7, 2023

What’s Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers About?

I’m not sure that I can answer this question without just recapping the entire novel—but without the charm and warmth.

Just Try…

How much time do you have?

It Publishes Today, You Need to Get Something Posted. Just Give Us the Setup

Okay, okay, I’ll attempt it—but I really want to spend the next hour just regurgitating the whole thing.

Vera Wong is an older Chinese woman, the owner of a small tea shop in San Francisco’s Chinatown. It’s dark, dingy, and doesn’t get much in the way of customers. She has one regular that she can count on to stop in early in the morning, and then spends most of the rest of the day waiting for someone else to walk in and order. Typically in vain. But it’s her life—she has nothing else to do with her time—her husband is dead, and her son is busy with work. So busy that he rarely has time to visit—or acknowledge all of the super-helpful advice she gives him to succeed at work and/or to find a wife. This doesn’t stop her from texting or calling him frequently to offer the advice, it should be noted.

Then one day, she comes down the stairs from her apartment above the shop to discover a dead body in the middle of the floor. She has little faith that the police will be able to tell her who killed the man, so she decides to discover the identity of the killer for them. How hard can it be? She’s watched plenty of procedurals, is smart, and (unlike Sherlock Holmes) is a suspicious Chinese mother. The murderer doesn’t stand a chance.

So she helps herself to a little bit of the evidence before the police arrive so that she can hunt for the murderer. It’ll be a good change of pace for her.

She sets a trap for the murderer and ends up with four good suspects, it’ll just take her some time to figure out who killed him and why. In the meantime, she sees at least three younger people that need some guidance to get their lives in order—she decides to take that on along with her murder investigation.

Vera

I’d like to spend a few pages talking about Vera—I’m certain that if you ask me in December, she’s still going to be one of my favorite characters of 2023.

She is so human—such a mass of contradictions and differing impulses. The fact that at her, um, advanced age she’s able to chart a new course for her life, to let people in, and adapt gives me a little hope.

But it’s her spirit, her way of looking at the world, and not backing down that’s really inspiring.

Once she’s done with these characters, I could use a grandmother like this.

Be Careful

Vera knows her tea, she spends a lot of time and energy on it—certain that she can make someone just the right kind of tea for whatever they’re facing to help them through the day. If you can make it through a chapter or two (especially in the early chapters) without needing a cup of your own, I’d like to know how.

But other than needing to take the time to boil water and steep your tea, that’s not a big deal (unless you’re inspired to go shopping for more teas, which can get expensive—and can distract you from your reading). However, Vera also spends a lot of time cooking for her new friends and suspects. And she ends up spending more time cooking than making tea.

This is where you need to be careful—if you’re not, you could find yourself putting on a few pounds before the killer is identified. Sutanto’s descriptions of Vera’s creations—and the way everyone responds to them—are so vivid, so enticing, they can send you to your pantry for a snack—or to your food delivery app of choice to order some Chinese food.

I’m not saying that you should avoid these portions of the book—just be prepared so you can fight temptation (or have a handy justification to indulge yourself, if that’s more your preference).

So, what did I think about Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers?

By the time I got halfway through the opening paragraph, I’d started coming up with a list of people to recommend this book to. There was something about the voice that just jumped off of the page (er, screen) and said, “You’re going to have fun with this.” And I absolutely did—but there was more to it than that, being around these characters felt comfortable. I just wanted to spend time in their presence—like Stars Hollow, CT; the locker room of AFC Richmond; the Parks and Rec Department of Pawnee, IN; the Jigsaw Room of Cooper’s Chase retirement village; or Knight’s Bookstore in Abbi Waxman’s L.A. I don’t remember the last time that I read a cozy mystery that was so worthy of the title “Cozy.”

Yes, I wanted to figure it out. Yes, I wanted to know what happened to the characters and wanted closure for this period in their lives. But I read as slowly as I could because I wanted to linger.

It’s not just Vera that creates that feeling—it’s the other characters’ reactions to her, as well as their relationships with each other. Yes, she is undeniably the center of this little world, but it wouldn’t work without the others.

There’s a lot of gentle humor and heart—that’s what fills this charming work. But that’s not all of it—there are laugh-out-loud moments, as well, and real emotions. There’s a budding romance, a rekindled friendship, family ties, and a lot of people finding the confidence to step out into something new—or into something they’ve tried before and have been scared to try again. The found family that’s created along the way makes all of that possible—particularly the last part—the mutual support (in various forms) and encouragement from the others enable the others to make those steps.

I don’t want to give the impression that this book is all sunshine, flowers, and good times. There are portions of this that are hard to get through, sure—there’s a suspicious death, criminal behavior—at the very least the actions of a scoundrel—heartbreak and a great deal of loneliness and despair. But Sutanto doesn’t leave us there for long—she grounds the book in it, but provides a way forward—through grit, determination, and the help of others.

The murder investigation was fine—probably more than fine, actually. It was a clever little story, with plenty of good suspects and nice twists. But the book isn’t all that interested in the murder investigation, really. It’s just an excuse for these people to come together and start interacting. Vera herself doesn’t really want any of her suspects to be guilty—she’s too busy meddling in their lives to improve them (in selfless acts of assistance only, she’d hurry to tell you). But she keeps plugging away at her little list of suspects because it’s something she’s started—and wouldn’t it be exciting to actually find a murderer? (even if it’s someone she doesn’t want to get into any kind of trouble).

I talk about mysteries more than anything else here, and the fact that I’d started wrapping up the post without addressing the mystery part of this book says a lot to me. It’s the driving force behind the plot and the instigating incident—but again—it’s secondary to the rest of the storylines. Still, most readers will have a hard time finding sympathy for the murdered man, and more than once you’ll likely wonder if it’d really be that bad if no one figures out who did it. You probably won’t feel the way you usually do when a murder is solved when the culprit is named, either.

There’s just so much to commend about this book—and so little to quibble with—I’m on the verge of repeating myself and/or overhyping this thing (but boy howdy, does it deserve a lot of hype!). So I’m just going to leave it with this—go get your hands on a copy, brew yourself a nice pot of tea (I promise you’re going to want tea), and lose yourself in this book for a few hours.

Disclaimer: I received this eARC from Berkley Publishing Group via NetGalley in exchange for this post—thanks to both for this.

4 1/2 Stars

This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase from it, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, the opinions expressed are my own.

Author: HCNewton Page 202 of 635

What’s Wonky Donkey About?

Let’s Talk about the Art for a Minute

How is it to Read Aloud?

So, what did I think about Wonky Donkey?

Book Details:

About the Book

See Also:

Book Links

About the Author

and now…

The Cover

What are you currently reading?

What did you recently finish reading?

What do you think you’ll read next?

Are you reading anything good?

What’s The Hero Interviews About?

Comic Footnotes

Audience

The Length

So, what did I think about The Hero Interviews?

What’s Good Dog, Bad Cop About?

Simon

Poor Sam

Corey as a PI

The M Word

So, what did I think about Good Dog, Bad Cop?

What’s Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers About?

Just Try…

It Publishes Today, You Need to Get Something Posted. Just Give Us the Setup

Vera

Be Careful

So, what did I think about Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers?