Tag: Cover Reveal Page 6 of 7

COVER REVEAL: The Identity Thief by Alex Bryant

On March 2, 2020

Welcome to The Irresponsible Reader’s part in the Cover Reveal for Alex Bryant’s The Identity Thief! Thanks to Time Zones and whatnot, this isn’t so much a Cover Reveal as much as it is a Cover Confirmation at this point, but that’s being a little pedantic. There’s a spiffy looking cover down below, but before that, I’ve got a few words to share about the book. Probably my favorite bit of marketing material I’ve received to date here at this blog. Hope you enjoy it half as much as I did as you scroll your way to the cover…

Book Blurb

A shapeshifting sorcerer called Cuttlefish unleashes a terrifying wave of magical carnage across London. A strange family known as the River People move into Cassandra Drake’s neighbourhood. Are the two events connected?

Spoiler alert: no.

Reasons to buy this book:
✔ Good cover.
✔ Cheap. Seriously, the Kindle version only costs as much as about 3 mangoes. What would you rather have – 10 hours of gripping urban fantasy, or 30 minutes of biting into sweet, succulent mango flesh?
✔ OK, I shouldn’t have used mango, objectively the best fruit, as a comparison. But buying this book doesn’t stop you from buying mangoes, if that’s what you insist on doing.

Public praise for the advance readers’ edition:
“I was barely even a few sentences in and I was already hooked! This is such an interesting book, I really hope it gets published so I can read more of it!” ★★★★★ – Lottie Carmichael

“This book is perfectly suitable for younger readers, but still enjoyable for older. The premise is new and intriguing, while the writing style is entertaining and fresh. I loved the heroine. She was relatable, strong, and yet imperfect. You untangle the very complicated plot-line alongside her. I also enjoyed the deeper ideas, the writer was expressing that tie-in with current events. Very thought-provoking.” ★★★★★ – Carolyn Sachs

“This was a lot of fun to read and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I’m looking forward to the published version.” ★★★★★ – Declan Tarstie

“Better value for money than three mangoes.” ★★★ – Alex Bryant

Buy Link

https://amzn.to/3aclT7I

Without further ado…

The Cover

I should know the name of that style of cover art (I assume there is one), because I really dig it. Anyway, it’s the kind of cover that would make me do a double-take at the bookstore.

You can get your hands on this cover (and the novel it goes with!) at https://amzn.to/3aclT7I. I know I will.

If you’ll excuse me, I have to stop on the way to work and buy some mangoes. I have a sudden hankering…

My thanks to Love Books Group for the invitation to participate in this reveal and the materials they provided.

(belated) COVER REVEAL: Living Candles by Teodora Matei

By HCNewton

On February 29, 2020

In Book Tour, Fiction

Welcome to The Irresponsible Reader’s part in the Cover Reveal for Teodora Matei’s Living Candles! I don’t know why my [expletive deleted] scheduled post didn’t go up yesterday like it was supposed to. I apologize to Lonescue, Corylus Books, and Love Books for not noticing that until this morning–this makes the 3rd tour I’ve ever missed (and the second in a row for Corylus Books, when I mess up, I go big), and it’s not the way I try to run around here. “Irresponsible” is supposed to refer to my reading ethos, not my approach to commitments.

Technically, this isn’t so much a Cover Reveal as much as it is, “here’s a nifty cover for a book that looks promising from a publisher that has a great idea”. Hope you enjoy!

Book Blurb

The discovery of a woman close to death in a city basement sends Bucharest police officers Anton Iordan and Sorin Matache on a complex chase through the city as they seek to identify the victim. As they try to track down the would-be murderer, they find a macabre trail of missing women and they realise that this isn’t the first time the killer has struck. Iordan and Matache hit one dead end after another, until they decide they’ll have to take a chance that could prove deadly.

Buy Link

https://amzn.to/2HT6MnD

Corylus Books

Corylus Books is a new venture aiming to publish fiction translated into English. The people behind the company have very different backgrounds, but what brings us together is a deep appreciation of crime fiction and a strong interest in books from countries that so have been under-represented in English.

It took a while before it turned out that everyone’s thoughts had been on similar lines – that we wanted to take a chance on presenting some of the great European crime fiction that wouldn’t normally make its way into English. With a mixture of language, translation and other skills between the four of us, it seemed the logical next step to take.

The first Corylus books are a pair of Romanian crime novellas, Living Candles by Teodora Matei and Zodiac by Anamaria Ionescu.

There’s more to come in 2020 – starting with Romanian novelist’s Bogdan Teodorescu’s Sword, a powerful political thriller that has already been a bestseller in Romania and in its French translation. Sword will be available in May and will be followed later in the year by the first of two books by Icelandic crime writer Sólveig Pálsdóttir. The Fox will be available in the second half of this year, followed by Shackles in 2021.

And there’s more to come, with a novel by Bogdan Hrib set partly in Romania and partly in the north-east of England, a second novel from Teodora Matei, and we’re talking to more exciting writers from across Europe about what we can do together…

Without further ado…

The Cover

That cover just promises a creepy read. I can already feel the hair on the back of my neck standing up without reading a word. Looking at that cover makes me want to dust off my hands and look out for spiders.

You can get your hands on this cover (and the unnerving novel it goes with!) at https://amzn.to/2HT6MnD and keep an eye on Corylus Books, I think it’ll be well-worth your time.

My thanks to Love Books Group for the invitation to participate in this reveal and the materials they provided.

(belated) COVER REVEAL: Zodiac by Anamaria Lonescu

By HCNewton

On February 29, 2020

In Book Tour, Fiction

Welcome to The Irresponsible Reader’s part in the Cover Reveal for Anamaria Lonescu’s Zodiac! I don’t know why my [expletive deleted] scheduled post didn’t go up on the 27th like it was supposed to. I apologize to Lonescue, Corylus Books, and Love Books for not noticing that until this morning–this makes the 2nd tour I’ve ever missed (sadly, the third was on the 28th, but more on that in a few minutes), and it’s not the way I try to run around here. “Irresponsible” is supposed to refer to my reading ethos, not my approach to commitments.

Technically, this isn’t so much a Cover Reveal as much as it is, “here’s a nifty cover for a book that looks promising from a publisher that has a great idea”. Hope you enjoy!

Book Blurb

When investigator Sergiu Manta is handed the investigation into a series of bizarre murders, he can’t sure what he’s getting involved in as he has to work with regular detective Marius Stanescu, who has his own suspicions about the biker he has been told to work with, and wants to get to the truth. The twists and turns of their investigation takes them from the city of Bucharest to the mountains of rural Romania, and back.

Buy Link

https://amzn.to/32pjB2s

Corylus Books

The first Corylus books are a pair of Romanian crime novellas, Living Candles by Teodora Matei and Zodiac by Anamaria Ionescu.

Without further ado…

The Cover

That just jumps out at you, doesn’t it? Wouldn’t it look spiffy on your Kindle screen?

You can get your hands on this cover (and the promising looking novel!) at https://amzn.to/32pjB2s and keep an eye on Corylus Books, I think it’ll be well-worth your time.

My thanks to Love Books Group for the invitation to participate in this reveal and the materials they provided.

COVER REVEAL: The Mahāsiddha Field by Dwai Lahiri

By HCNewton

On November 30, 2019

In Fiction

About the Book:

The world of Asuras and Dévas is considered mythological. Indian mythology is replete with tales of Dévas battling the Asuras constantly. The interesting thing to note is that whether it is a God or an incarnation of a deity in human form, aka an Avatār, there was also a human element involved in these stories. The teachers of the Dévas (gods) and the Asuras were human sages, known as Rishis.

Find out what happens when seemingly unconnected individuals get drawn into a world of suspense and action, as mythology collides with their world in the book ‘The Mahāsiddha Field’, the first in a new sci-fi/fantasy series!

An elderly wandering mendicant in South India, two young Indian-American men, two soldiers from the Indian Army and a mysterious sage from high up in the Himalayas are thrown together in an adventure unlike any other; as a most unlikely adversary leaps out of the world of Indian Mythology to challenge their beliefs, their sanity and their courage.

About the Author:

Dwai is a long time practitioner of the Daoist internal arts with a focus on Taijiquan. He is also an eager student and practitioner of Advaita Vedānta, Kashmir Shaivism and Yoga. He enjoys being part of the artistic process in various forms – as a writer, musician and a martial artist. The Arts are an excellent medium for spiritual practice and he has dedicated more than two decades of his life in the quest for spiritual clarity.

He started writing in the early 2000s in the public domain, under the pen name ‘Rudra’ for ‘sulekha.com’, which then was the preeminent online literary portal for the Indian Diaspora. In 2007 he started the online journal ‘The Medha Journal’ where over 1000 articles—the compiled work of 96 authors including himself are available for readers today, on various topics ranging from Indic studies, philosophy to poetry and fiction.

In the worldly domain, he is a software engineer for a Silicon Valley software company, and an engineer by training. He likes to think of himself as humble bridge between many disparate worlds– science and spirituality, art and technology, Eastern and Western cultures.

He lives in the suburbs of Chicago in Illinois, USA with his wife, daughter and two dogs.

Contact the Author:
Blog * Twitter * LinkedIn * Quora

COVER REVEAL: I Can See The Lights by Russ Litten

By HCNewton

On November 4, 2019

In Book Tour, Fiction

Welcome to The Irresponsible Reader’s part in the Cover Reveal for Russ Litten’s I Can See The Lights! Pretty pictures ahead.

But first, some words. The kind of words that you’d find in a . . .

Book Blurb

The prose poems in I Can See The Lights are earthy and raw, but also incredibly sensitive. It’s pretty much guaranteed that more than one of them will bring you to tears. Characters are vividly brought to life, and stark but warm environments evoked in a down to earth, yet almost painterly manner by Russ Litten’s uncompromising voice.

Tales of home, of un-belonging, of strife at sea—of a northern city’s beating heart. Told in a mesmeric, stripped-down tone, this collection is a work of genius.

Author Bio

Russ Litten is the author of the novels Scream If You Want To Go Faster, Swear Down, Kingdom and the short story collection We Know What We Are.

As one half of the electronic storytelling duo Cobby and Litten, he has released three spoken word/electronica albums My People Come From The Sea, Boothferry and Pound Shop Communism</b.

He has written for TV, radio and film and has worked as a writer in residence at various prisons and youth offender units. I Can See The Lights is his first poetry collection.

Without further ado…

The Cover

Now, that’s a good match between title and cover image—I honestly can’t think of a better way to evoke that title (and I’ve tried a little).

You can get your hands on this cover (and the prose poems behind it!) on the 10th of February. Keep an eye on the website for Wild Pressed Books for details (or their Twitter feed).

My thanks to Love Books Group for the invitation to participate in this reveal and the materials they provided.

COVER REVEAL: The Final Trail (The Trail Series Book 5) by AA Abbott

By HCNewton

On October 28, 2019

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

Welcome to The Irresponsible Reader’s part in the Cover Reveal for AA Abbott’s The Final Trail—the final installment in The Trail Series, which looks like a heckuva ride all things considered. And you can get the whole thing now, no waiting between entries! Pretty pictures ahead.

But first, some words.

In particular, words that you’d find in a . . .

Book Blurb

Family feuds just got bloodier… A gripping thriller, and a great story of death, revenge and vodka.

To save glamorous Kat White’s life, Ben Halloran killed his gangster father. Now his brother wants to even the score.

The gripping Trail series of British crime thrillers reaches its dramatic conclusion in this compelling page turner.

That sounds pretty good right there, but I’d need a few more details, myself—by a nice coincidence, I have a few more:

Birmingham has well and truly been put on the crime thriller map with the success of the TV series Peaky Blinders but for bookworms amongst us the popular Trail Series has long brought readers into the modern day 21^st century with its tense storylines, murder and intrigue set in and around the city.

The Trail series features a vodka business, a cancer cure and obsessive killers. Every book is a good read in its own right – each is a great crime story with terrific twists to keep the tension mounting – but together, they follow the same characters over several years.

The Trail series author AA Abbott also known as Helen Blenkinsop, has been compared with the likes of Ruth Rendell, John Grisham and Jeffrey Archer. She lived and studied in Birmingham for nearly 20 years and her passion and love for the city became the inspiration for the Trail series.

Now, after four successful editions the last storyline will be revealed in the publication of THE FINAL TRAIL which will be launched in Birmingham on 28th October.

In the last book …”Glamorous Kat White has built a successful craft vodka brand in Birmingham, but she has an uneasy relationship with her business partner, Marty Bridges. Her mother had previously supplied with poisonous vodka. Marty doesn’t trust Kat, resents having to depend on her for commercial success, and isn’t thrilled that his eldest son wants to marry her. That’s not his biggest problem, though. He’s trying to develop a cancer drug with Kat’s brother, Erik, and it’s draining money he doesn’t have. Just as he finds an investor with pockets deep enough to fund their research, Erik is lured to the former Soviet Union and thrown into jail. Meanwhile, Ben Halloran, who killed his father to save Kat’s life, is faced with the twin risks of a murder charge and his brother’s deep-seated desire for revenge. Can Ben escape with his life and liberty? And can Marty save both Erik and his business – and learn to trust Kat?”

Helen said “I’ve been writing about these amazing characters for over 5 years, so you can imagine, they have become a part of my life. It’s been a great journey and they have come through so many storylines that it feels right for them to achieve their dreams at last.”

Most of the action in THE FINAL TRAIL takes place across the city and features the famous Rose Villa Tavern and 1,000 Trades in the Jewellery Quarter; The Mailbox, home to the BBC in Birmingham, Holloway Head by the famous Pagoda Island and locations in Harborne and Edgbaston.

Helen added “It’s going to be very sad to launch the last book as the stories and characters have built up such a following but it will give me the opportunity to weave new and exciting tales – I have so many ideas buzzing in my head.”

THE FINAL TRAIL is a perfect read for those who like a fast-paced crime thriller combined with suspense, humour and plot twists. It’s ideal to take away on holiday and provides a great read during the autumn/winter nights.

THE FINAL TRAIL will be available to order from Amazon in e-book, paperback and dyslexia-friendly format from Monday 28^th October 2019.

That’s right! Not only do you get to see the Cover Revealed today, you can jump right over and order the book and start seeing what’s behind the cover right now. (and you might as well as get the other four while you’re at it).

This book weighs-in at 170 pages and is available today from Amazon UK and US (I’m not sure about other Amazons). You can pick this up in Paperback or Kindle Editions.

Without further ado…

The Cover

That’s a nice looking cover, isn’t it? I dig the colors, the cover as a whole just screams creepy crime drama to me. Which is the point, right?

Now, I’ve done my part—I’ve revealed the cover. Now it’s your turn. Knowing what the cover looks like, put it on your shelf/kindle. Go click on the link for Amazon UK and US and get this ordered.

My thanks to Love Books Group for the invitation to participate in this reveal and the materials they provided.

COVER REVEAL: The Vagabond Mother by Tracey Scott-Townsend

By HCNewton

On September 30, 2019

In Fiction, News/Misc.

Welcome to The Irresponsible Reader’s part in the Cover Reveal for Tracey Scott-Townsend’s The Vagabond Mother—although, guessing by the people taking part in this Reveal, geography/time zones, etc. at this point, it’s more of a Cover Confirmation. Still, welcome. Pretty pictures ahead.

But first, some words.

In particular, words that you’d find on the . . .

Back of the Book

Not every Vagabond is a Castaway…

Maya Galen’s oldest son, Jamie, left home eight years ago after a massive row with his parents and now Joe, her youngest child and apple of her eye, has cut off all contact with them too.

Called to Australia to identify the body of a young man, Maya is given her son’s journal. After a sleepless night she decides that the only thing she can do is follow in Joe’s footsteps and try to discover her most basic human self. Eschewing a monetary lifestyle, from now on she must rely on her physical and emotional strength to survive.

Following Joe’s hand-drawn maps and journal entries, she travels from Australia to Denmark and beyond, meeting many other travellers along the way and learning valuable lessons.

Eventually a crisis forces her to return home and confront the end of her marriage, but also a new understanding of what family, in the widest sense, really means.

Exploring the big questions at the heart of human existence, The Vagabond Mother shares territory with books and films such as Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer, The Way, starring Martin Sheen, Wild: A Journey from Lost to Found by Cheryl Strayed and Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert.

This book will weigh-in at 312 pages and will be available on Jan. 20 from Amazon UK and US (I’m not sure about other Amazons).

Without further ado…

The Cover

That’s a nice looking cover, isn’t it?

Here it is with the back cover, too:

Now, I’ve done my part—I’ve revealed and/or confirmed the cover. Now it’s your turn, knowing what the cover looks like, put it on your shelf/kindle. Go click on the link for Amazon UK and US and get this ordered.

COVER REVEAL: The Community by Joe Hakim

By HCNewton

On May 29, 2019

In News/Misc.

Welcome to The Irresponsible Reader’s part in the Cover Reveal for Joe Hakim’s The Community — although, guessing by the people taking part in this Reveal, geography/time zones, etc. at this point, it’s more of a Cover Confirmation. Still, welcome. A groovy cover is ahead.

But first, some words. In particular, words that you’d find on the . . .

Back of the Book

A northern coastal city. A sinister, extra-dimensional intelligence is taking hold…

Joe Hakim draws the reader into the heart of a disenfranchised community impacted by strange forces beyond its control. A group of friends: separated by time, choices, and circumstance are reunited by their shared encounters with an uncanny presence that looms over their lives. The seeds were sewn in their childhoods, now they must try and understand what is happening, before it is too late.

Raw and uncompromising, The Community fuses social commentary with a dose of sci-fi horror, to cast a light on an existence spent in the Void.

Publisher’s note: this book contains strong language and explicit sexual references.

About the Author

Joe Hakim lives and works in Hull.

He’s performed spoken word at venues and festivals around the UK, including Latitude, Big Chill and Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

He was co-host and organizer of Write to Speak, (Hull Truck Theatre 2009 to 2013).

He is currently working with schools in Hull as part of First Story.

In January 2017, Joe traveled to Trinidad with The Roundhouse and Wrecking Ball Press, as part of the Talking Doorsteps project. This culminated in a performance at the BBC’s Contains Strong Language festival in September 2017, which featured young people from Trinidad’s 2 Cents Movement working alongside young people from Hull’s Warren Youth Project and Goodwin Community Centre.

Theatre work includes co-writing and developing Omni-Science with Brick by Brick, performed at Assemble Fest 2017, and Come to Where I’m From, developed in association with Paines Plough and performed at Hull Truck in May 2017.

The album ‘The Science of Discontent’, his second with musician Ashley Reaks, was released in 2018.

Joe toured and performed with LIFE, a Hull-based punk band, performing on the UK leg of the Slaves European tour.

Without further ado…

The Cover

That’s just creepy, isn’t it?

I get a particularly 80’s vibe from both the graphic and the text — and the colors on both. It practically screams, “My intention is to mess with your mind.” Which is pretty much the point of a SF horror full of social commentary, right? I call that an apt cover.

The book is scheduled to be published in September — I can’t find any ordering information anywhere, so keep your eyes peeled for it. If the cover (and blurb) are any indication, it’ll be quite the creepy time.

COVER REVEAL: Death Will Find Me by Vanessa Robertson

By HCNewton

On May 28, 2019

In Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller, News/Misc.

Welcome to The Irresponsible Reader’s part in the Cover Reveal for Vanessa Robertson’s Death Will Find Me — although, guessing by the people taking part in this Reveal, geography/time zones, etc. at this point, it’s more of a Cover Confirmation. Still, welcome. Pretty pictures ahead.

But first, some words. In particular, words that you’d find on the . . .

Back of the Book

Scotland, 1920.
Meet Tessa Kilpatrick; heiress and war-time covert operations agent.

Finding her husband – the feckless James – with another woman at a 1920s country house party, she demands a divorce. But when his body is discovered in a lonely stone bothy the next morning, Inspector Hamish Rasmussen sees Tessa as his only suspect.

Back in Edinburgh, links to another murder convince Rasmussen of her innocence. He enlists her help and together they set off on a pursuit that will bring Tessa once again face to face with the brutality of war as well as revealing to her the lengths that desperate people will go to in order to protect those they love.

Will Tessa be able to prevent a final murder or will she become the killer’s latest victim?

This book will be perfect for anyone who’s enjoyed the work of Catriona McPherson, Sara Sheridan and Jessica Fellowes.

You’ve got to love a blurb that uses a word like “feckless,” don’t you? It’s such a fun word, it’s a shame you have to use it in a disparaging way. Also, I now know that “bothy” is a thing.

This book will weigh-in at 262 pages and will be available on Feb. 20 from Amazon UK and US (I’m not sure about other Amazons).

Without further ado…

The Cover

That’s pretty eye-catching, isn’t it?

I particularly like the “W” and the little dashes next to the “Me” — I’m not sure why those are the points that catch my eye, but they do. Also, Tess’ eyebrows (I’m assuming this woman is our heiress and war-time covert operations agent) look like the kind of eyebrows that should be arched when someone tells a lie or says something that the Tess objects to. Sorry, I’m blathering here, but I feel compelled to talk about the cover a little . . .

But wait, H.C., you say — I have an e-reader and a limited imagination. What will the cover look like for me? Well, I’m glad you asked. It’ll look like this:

And if you’re wondering what a few paperbacks would look like stacked up next to each other (you know, in case you wanted to set up a display in your bookstore, or, I don’t know, your living room or foyer), it’s look like this:

And if you had a couple of paperbacks and an e-reader on the back of a unicorn, it look like — nah. Just kidding… I don’t have the graphic for that.

Now, I’ve done my part — I’ve revealed and/or confirmed the cover. So it’s your turn, follow this link to sign up for Vanessa Robertson’s newsletter (you’ll also receive special offers, new release details, and a welcome gift delivered right to your inbox). Better yet, go pre-order the book at Amazon UK or Amazon US.

COVER REVEAL (and a little more): Needle Song by Russell Day

By HCNewton

On April 26, 2018

In Book Tour, Fiction, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller, Russell Day

I’m very excited to be a part of the crew revealing the cover for Russell Day’s Needle Song — after you rest your peepers on the cover, read on to learn more about this great looking book.

Is that not the textbook definition of arresting?

Book Blurb:

Spending the night with a beautiful woman would be a good alibi, if the body in the next room
wasn’t her husband.

Doc Slidesmith has a habit of knowing things he shouldn’t. He knows the woman Chris Rudjer meets online is married. He knows the adult fun she’s looking for is likely to be short lived. And when her husband’s killed, he knows Chris Rudjer didn’t do it.

Only trouble is the police disagree and no one wants to waste time investigating an open and shut case.

No one except Doc.

Using lies, blackmail and a loaded pack of Tarot cards, Doc sets about looking for the truth – but the more truth he finds, the less he thinks his friend is going to like it.

I’m sold. I’m not just saying that as part of this cover reveal, that blurb did it’s job when I read it.

Last minute addition to the post, added without nuance: Fahrenheit Press just dropped a pre-order link. Click and buy!

FREE RUSSELL DAY SHORT STORY IN EXCHANGE FOR A TWEET:

Russell Day came to Fahrenheit Presses attention when they asked for submissions for their NOIRVILLE short story competition. A panel of judges placed Day’s stories in first AND SECOND place! Only one of the stories features in the NOIRVILLE anthology which means we’re giving the second story away for FREE, you lucky people!…….(well, free in exchange for a tweet!).

To receive a copy of Russell Day’s award-winning story, make sure you’re following @damppebbles (so you can receive the DM with the download links) and then tweet the following:

NEEDLE SONG by Russell Day (@rfdaze) published by @fahrenheitpress in eBook on Monday 30th April! #NeedleSongBook | @damppebbles.
http://www.fahrenheit-press.com/books_fahrenheit.html

No retweets, it has to be a shiny new tweet otherwise it won’t count! Any problems then please contact @damppebbles.

About Russell Day:

Russell Day was born in 1966 and grew up in Harlesden, NW10 – a geographic region searching for an alibi. From an early age it was clear the only things he cared about were motorcycles, tattoos and writing. At a later stage he added family life to his list of interests and now lives with his wife and two children. He’s still in London, but has moved south of the river for the milder climate.

Although he only writes crime fiction Russ doesn’t consider his work restricted. ‘As long as there have been people there has been crime, as long as there are people there will be crime.’ That attitude leaves a lot of scope for settings and characters. One of the first short stories he had published, The Second Rat and the Automatic Nun, was a double-cross story set in a world where the church had taken over policing. In his first novel, Needle Song, an amateur detective employs logic, psychology and a loaded pack of tarot cards to investigate a death.

Russ often tells people he seldom smiles due to nerve damage, sustained when his jaw was broken. In fact, this is a total fabrication and his family will tell you he’s has always been a miserable bastard.