Shooting Monkeys in a Barrel

Shooting Monkeys in a Barrel
Author: S.G. Browne
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Total Pages: 157
Release: 2012-03-27
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1451687699

From the author of Breathers, Fated, and Lucky Bastard comes a collection of ten dark and humorous tales about extraterrestrial sex toys, a family of luck poachers, a group of professional guinea pigs, the immortal personifications of the Seven Deadly Sins, and a zombie gigolo. Just to name a few. “A Zombie’s Lament”—A newly reanimated corpse attends Undead Anonymous meetings with other zombies and comes to terms with the reality of his new existence. “Softland”—A family of luck poachers living in central California attempts to turn around its fortunes from a deal gone bad. “My Ego Is Bigger than Yours”—A new designer drug reinvents role-playing games by allowing its users to temporarily become dead celebrities and fictional characters. “Dream Girls”—A futuristic tale of sexual obsession, extraterrestrial intelligence, the death of Marilyn Monroe, and the assassination of JFK. “Shooting Monkeys in a Barrel”—A writer suffering from writer’s block becomes addicted to the words he purchases from a drug dealer. “Captivity” —A lonely and horrifying look at what it might be like if you were a bottle of shampoo. “The Sodom and Gomorrah Shore”—The Seven Deadly Sins star in the original reality television show, set back during the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. “Homer’s Reprise”—A modern day story of Odysseus that blends Greek mythology with Bigfoot, the Loch Ness Monster, and Herman Melville’s Moby-Dick. “Dr. Lullaby”—A panhandler and professional guinea pig discovers that the pharmaceutical drugs he’s been testing have given him unusual side effects. “Zombie Gigolo”—A day in the life of a living corpse who provides a unique service for lonely and desperate female zombies.

Big Egos

Big Egos
Author: S.G. Browne
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Total Pages: 384
Release: 2013-08-06
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1476711771

The brand-new novel from the author of Lucky Bastard and Breathers—“one of today’s very best writers” (Jonathan Maberry). Does your lifestyle not fit the person inside you? Then try someone else on for size! Call him whatever. Call him whomever. He can be any legally authorized fictional character or dead celebrity he wants for six to eight hours, simply by injecting a DNA-laced cocktail into his brain stem. It’s called Big Egos and it’s the ultimate role-playing fantasy from Engineering Genetics Organization and Systems (aka EGOS.) And, as one of the quality controllers for EGOS, he’s the ultimate ego-tripper, taking on more artificial identities than advisable—and having a hell of a time doing it. Problem is, he’s starting to lose the ability to separate fact from fiction. His every fantasy is the new reality. And the more roles he plays, the less of him remains. Sure, it’s dangerous. Yes, he’s probably losing his mind. Okay, hundreds of others could be at risk. But sometimes who you are isn’t good enough. And the truth is, reality is so overrated. . . . With his insightful wit, smart humor, and electrifying narrative, acclaimed author S. G. Browne takes readers on a satirical and provocative trip into the not-too-distant future, where, for some, pretending to be someone you’re not is just another day at the office.

Pocket Star E-Sampler

Pocket Star E-Sampler
Author: Various
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Total Pages: 167
Release: 2012-05-08
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 145169945X

A sampler of exclusive eBooks from bestselling and debut authors in genres such as romance, women’s fiction, thrillers, and urban fantasy. Featuring material from: The Dark Lady by Maire Claremont, Dangerous Sanctuary by Michelle Diener, Shooting Monkeys in a Barrel by S.G. Browne, The Devil’s Scribe by Alma Katsu, Unstoppable by Laura Griffin, The French Maid by Deborah Gonzales, The Outlaw Among Us by Nathan Dodge, Worth Dying For by Cindy Gerard, Capturing Angels by V.C. Andrews, Identity by Mark Hosack, His Very Own Girl by Carrie Lofty, Lifestyles of the Rich and Undead by Katie MacAlister, A Little More Scandal by Carrie Lofty, and Geekomancy by Michael R. Underwood.

Coming in Hot

Coming in Hot
Author: Kimberley Troutte
Publisher: Kimberley Troutte
Total Pages: 244
Release: 2014-05-22
Genre: Fiction
ISBN:

COMING IN HOT (SEAL EXtreme Team, Book 1) was also included in NY Times and USA Today Bestselling SEALs of Summer boxed set. Take control... When militant Colombian guerrillas kidnap her clients, EXtreme Adventures travel agent Jenna Collins will do anything to rescue them...including hiring the Navy SEAL she's struggled to forget. Mack may take orders from her father, but Jenna's determined to convince the sexy SEAL to work with her. And to stick around this time. Protect the girl... Navy SEAL Mack Riley will take a jungle rescue in hostile territory over close contact with the admiral's daughter who loved him and left him. But when Jenna forces her way onto the rescue team, the admiral's orders to protect Jenna at all costs has Mack sticking to her as close as body armor. In the heat of battle, love has a way of breaching the strongest of defenses... SEAL EXTREME TEAM Series Coming in Hot (Book 1) Lock and Load (Book 2) Under the Radar (Book 3) Bring the Heat (Book 4) Willy's Special (Book 5) Down and Dirty (short story) Spinoff: The Guardian

Hook, Line & Sinister: Mysteries to Reel You In

Hook, Line & Sinister: Mysteries to Reel You In
Author: T. Jefferson Parker
Publisher: The Countryman Press
Total Pages: 336
Release: 2011-09-19
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1581578474

Original short stories by best-selling mystery writers about their favorite pastime—fishing. Sixteen of America's favorite author-anglers spin tales of mystery and fishing in this collection. From the tragic to the comic with many stops in between, these stories reflect the authors' passions for both making stories and catching fish. Michael Connelly, Ridley Pearson, John Lescroart, Don Winslow, Melodie Johnson Howe, Victoria Houston, and others all share a mysterious affection for things piscatorial when not busy writing best-selling books. This collection of all-original short stories will entertain even the most discriminating mystery reader. Proceeds from this book will help support two charitable groups, Casting For Recovery, which helps women cancer survivors to heal body and soul through fly-fishing, and Project Healing Waters, which does the same for our returning veterans. Contributing authors include • Ridley Pearson • Mark T. Sullivan • Michael Connelly • John Lescoart • Andrew Winer • Dana Stabenow • Don Winslow • Melodie Johnson Howe • James W. Hall • C.J. Box • Victoria Houston • William Beall • Spring Warren • Brian M. Wiprud • William Tapply • T. Jefferson Parker

Mantrap

Mantrap
Author: F. Hanna Joseph F. Hanna
Publisher: iUniverse
Total Pages: 230
Release: 2009-10
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1440160406

A man is found dead in a secured room of a large drug manufacturer. His mistress has been called the most beautiful woman in the world. When she turns her charms on Lawton Close, he doesn't stand a chance. Still, the question remains, Who killed her last lover? How was it done? The cops think it must have been suicide but Lawton Close knows better. Everyone is at risk, especially Max, Lawton Close's chief investigator, because the world's most beautiful woman has an equally beautiful sister. Not everyone will make it. Could this be the last book in the Lawton Close series?

Psychotic Reactions and Carburetor Dung

Psychotic Reactions and Carburetor Dung
Author: Lester Bangs
Publisher: Serpent's Tail
Total Pages: 416
Release: 2013-10-24
Genre: Literary Collections
ISBN: 1847655580

Until his death aged thirty-three in 1982, Lester Bangs wrote wired, rock 'n' roll pieces on Iggy Pop, The Clash, John Lennon, Kraftwerk, Lou Reed. As a rock critic, he had an eagle-eye for distinguishing the pre-packaged imitation from the real thing; written in a conversational, wisecracking, erotically charged style, his hallucinatory hagiographies and excoriating take-downs reveal an iconoclast unafraid to tell it like it is. To his journalism he brought the talent of a great a renegade Beat poet, and his essays, reviews and scattered notes convey the electric thrill of a music junky indulging the habit of a lifetime. As Greil Marcus writes in his introduction, 'What this book demands from a reader is a willingness to accept that the best writer in America could write almost nothing but record reviews.'

In a Manner of Speaking

In a Manner of Speaking
Author: Colin McNairn
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Total Pages: 288
Release: 2015-04-28
Genre: Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN: 1632208989

What do “the whole kit and caboodle,” “the whole shebang,” “the whole megillah,” “the whole enchilada,” “the whole nine yards,” “the whole box and dice,” and “the full Monty” have in common? They’re all expressions that mean “the entire quantity,” and they’re all examples of the breadth and depth of the English-speaking world’s vocabulary. From the multitude of words and phrases in daily use, the author of this delightful exploration into what we say and why we say it zeroes in on those expressions and sayings and their variations that are funny, quirky, just plain folksy, or playfully dressed up in rhyme or alliteration. Some may have become clichés that, as it’s said with “tongue in cheek,” should be “avoided like the plague.” Others have been distorted, deemed politically incorrect, or shrouded in mystery and must bear some explanation. Among the topics the author delves into are expressions that shouldn’t be taken literally (“dressed to kill” and “kick the bucket”), foreign expressions that crept into English (“carte blanche,” “carpe diem,” and “que sera, sera”), phrases borrowed from print ads and TV commercials (“where there’s life, there’s Bud” and “where the rubber meets the road”), animal images (“a barrel of monkeys” and “chasing your tail”), and food and drink (“cast your bread upon the water,” “chew the fat,” “bottom’s up!”, and “drink as a lord”). Here’s a book for everyone who delights in the mysteries of language and the perfect gift for all the “wordies” in your life.