Far Sector SFFH Notices, New Releases, Announcements, etc. by John T. Cullen

July 2006

ComiCon International July 2006 in San Diego—See the CCI2006website for the latest info.

The Bad Season, Clocktower Books, July-August 2006, Paperback, ISBN 0743309057. Author Dennis Latham says: "During two consecutive June nights in 1995, twenty-six people and dozens of domestic animals were slaughtered and eaten in a rural Kentucky valley. For generations, locals avoided the Owenton Hollow after dark because such uspeakable acts had happened before, during summers known as "the bad season." They buried what remained of their dead and kept the events secret so outsiders and the media would not invade their county, which had become a prime source of marijuana. By 1995, several outsiders had moved into the county and built houses on the rim of the hollow. The DEA had also decided to enforce drug laws in the area. None were aware of the danger they faced. Based on fact and myth, and partial information from an anonymous eyewitness, this novel is a fictional account of what may have happened on those two nights in June." Email Dennis at dennislatham@earthlink.net and visit his website website. Dennis is also the creator and editor of Cliffhanger Novels, looking for submissions. See guidelines at Cliffhanger Novels, an imprint of Clocktower Books.

The Bizarro Starter Kit, Eraserhead Press, 2006, 236 pages, Paperback, ISBN 1933929006. Author D. Harlan Wilson, Ph.D. tells us: "There's a new genre rising from the underground. Its name: BIZARRO. For years, readers have been asking for a category of fiction dedicated to the weird, crazy, cult side of storytelling that has become a staple in the film industry (with directors such as David Lynch, Takashi Miike, Tim Burton, and even Lloyd Kaufman) but has been largely ignored in the literary world — until now. The Bizarro Starter Kit features short novels and story collections by ten of the leading authors in the bizarro genre: D. Harlan Wilson, Carlton Mellick III, Jeremy Robert Johnson, Kevin L Donihe, Gina Ranalli, Andre Duza, VIncent W. Sakowski, Steve Beard, John Edward Lawson, and Bruce Taylor." Wilson maintains Stick Figure Incorporated. Visit dharlanwilson.com and thedreampeople.org.

Blood Tastes Lousy With Scotch by Robin Cohen Westmiller—(author site). In the beautiful Catskill Mountains village of Ellenville, New York, Cohen’s Bakery owners Ruby and Regina Cohen struggled together for over fifty years to build a lasting legacy for their grandchildren and financial security for themselves in their retirement years. No visit to Ellenville was complete without a stop in Cohen's Quality Bakery, 'Home of the World Famous Raisin Pumpernickel.' Yet it took only a handful of outsiders less than eighteen months to destroy what took generations to build. Robin says: “This is the true account of the events that lead to the near destruction of our family at the hands of my cousins, a court appointed guardian, and one of the most powerful Elder Law attorneys in South Florida. It is a story of determination, fortitude, and ultimate victory. It inspired the creation of the National Association To Stop Guardian Abuse. They say blood is thicker than water, but you can't bathe in it, you can't cook with it, and blood tastes lousy with scotch." Available in paperback and e-book editions; can be purchased at your local bookstore and at online bookstores such as Amazon.com, BN.com, and others. In addition to being an early contributor to John T. Cullen's Sharpwriter.com, Robin is also the author of Red Wine for Breakfast and First Class Male published under her pen name of Raven West.