Jerry W. McKinney

Greetings, Fire Enthusiasts. I've been reading again; at least trying, anyway.

Last year I raved about a short story that I had read from Author Jerry W. McKinney. It was entitled Feed, and although I am pretty terrible about recalling plots long after finishing a story, I do recall the surprise ending on that one being quite good. I won’t reveal it, but I swear I do remember. I had this to say at the time: "I just read the short story 'Feed' by Author Jerry W. McKinney that restores my faith in horror's potential when it comes to the subject of vampires... With an unexpected twist and writing that reminded me of the best of Clive Barker, McKinney surprised me and made me an instant convert. Beware reader, 'Feed' might mean more than you think it means."

I have had the privilege recently of reading two more of McKinney’s works that I think are worth your time.

The first one is Lie Canthropy. The synopsis reads: "What mystical force is released by the twirls and undulations of a dancing girl? And what power does she exert over a captive audience in a town built on secrets? Is it worth the soul of a child?"

Show More

Show Less

As I have mentioned before I don’t have much time for reading, so very often I find myself rushing through stories. With that in mind, I found myself not quite catching on with the pacing of this one, but it being so short, I went back a second time and it made more sense. It was probably me. I can tell you that I thought the title was very interesting. I had to look it up, although many of you may already know that Lycanthropy means. According to Wikipedia: "It is the professed ability or power of a human being to transform into a wolf, or to gain wolf-like characteristics." Now that you are armed with that knowledge, you can take another look at this title and see the prominent use of the word "lie" as part of the twist on this one.

I made sure that I gave myself time to properly enjoy Flesh & Blood, and I'm so glad I did. The synopsis reads: “Gotta take care of your own, boy.” Those words from his Pa didn't dampen the sting of having to put down his rabid dog. A loyal friend that was suffering from a disease that turned him into an unrecognizable monster. Jessie had no idea that there would be a lot of 'taking care' in the next few months. When neighbors show up on the farm dazed and bloody, Jessie and his Pa do their best to help their friends, but soon find that there is no way to help those that are already dead. Jessie must make the transition from boy to man in an instant as the dead rise and try to take over the farm that was to be passed from father to son when the time was right. As Jessie and his Pa make their way through this new and frightening reality, one phrase rings as true as ever.
'...life goes on, remember that.'”

Once you see how the story begins you will probably figure out what the eventual outcome will be, considering the title. I know I did. I should tell you that although I am more vampires and serial killers than I am the particular antagonists in this piece, and the fact that I had my suspicions how the story would end, I thought it was a brilliant story. It held my attention throughout and I think it will yours as well.

If I may, I really would like to convince the horror enthusiasts among you to make some time to check out Mr. McKinney’s writing. He has not failed me in three attempts. I may have guessed one outcome, but I can tell you that he often surprises, amazes and even shocks me at other times.

He’s worth the time, my friends. I’m just sorry that it took me so long to come back to him. You can find out more information or purchase his work at his author's page on Amazon.


We’ll talk soon.

A Couple of Reviews

Happy New Year, Fire Enthusiasts!

I'm currently on a two week vacation from work, as some of you may know. It came at a good time, since I ended up catching that cold that many of you were sweet enough to offer well-wishes for. I particularly enjoyed reading your medicinal concoctions from the top shelf which promised to get me back on my feet. Bless all of you for both, my dear friends.

You'll be happy to know that I did, indeed, sleep a lot and spend couch time watching dvds. I typically get 6 hours a night and maybe 7.5 on Friday night (Saturday is my one day to sleep in). When the cold hit, I slept 12 hrs. The second night I slept 11. I'm rarely cold, so when I started feeling chills on Christmas Day evening, I knew I was in trouble. Advil finally helped, but I spent a lot of time wrapped up.

Since Santa had brought me my traditional stack of movies, I caught up on both old and new films. I watched the classic Guess Who's Coming to Dinner. Still love that one. I saw X-Men: First Class and came away impressed. I finally saw Cowboys & Aliens. It was a bit long, and obviously unsettling because it is so genre-bending, but otherwise good. I finally saw Spielberg's Artificial Intelligence. Still don't get that one. I love Spielberg, but there was probably a good reason why I avoided that one for so many years.

Since I didn't feel much like trying to write, seated on a stiff chair at the dining room table, when all I really wanted to do was bundle up on the couch, I did try to catch up on some reading, too. However, trying to read with itchy and watery eyes wasn't easy. I do want to thank everyone who held a contest this past fall/winter. It seems as if I won nearly every one of them. Not really, of course, but what I did win caused my TBR pile to fall over. Literally! Lol!

With that in mind, I would like to share with you a couple of recent books that I read.

The first one is from Author Red Tash and entitled This Brilliant Darkness. I found it to be a wholly captivating and imaginative short novel that incorporates elements of science fiction and horror; mixed with great pacing; gripping suspense; and smart, witty and believable dialogue. Interestingly, it is often told in short, quick paragraphs, as if reading long-form poetry.

The story revolves around a mysterious star that suddenly shows up over Bloomington, Indiana. Its appearance seems to be causing some people to hear and see things that are quite out of this world and draws them all together for some wonderful revealing. Soon, a monster shows up who watches the main characters and bides his time before he acts out some preconceived plan. The main characters begin to be given visions and manipulated as if pawns between the forces of light and darkness; of good and evil, to be more precise.

The novel was full of moments of beautiful description and nice touches that brought me fully into the story, and had me walking right beside the rich and fully developed characters. As I alluded to previously, reading these short impact paragraphs with their rapid fire poetic-like versus had me discombobulated initially; however, I soon learned to accept and even appreciate the artistic style.

The second piece that I have recently read is by Author Jerry McKinney. It is entitled Feed, and completely restores my faith in horror’s potential when it comes to the subject of vampires. I write vampires, too, so the subject is near and dear to me. My series is an attempt at crafting something new for the subgenre. McKinney’s short story does this in spades.

The story begins with the main character finding himself bitten by the woman that he followed home. She feeds him her blood and he finds himself unable to stop drinking. Soon he needs more and there things begin to move very quickly and spiral out of his control. Soon, he finds himself alone to figure it all out. He struggles with the position of being half man and half monster, and must learn to control himself and to operate safely out of the watchful eyes of society, prowling the seedy back alleys, shady parts of town and the fringe characters that he finds there.

I could say more, but really do not want to unintentially give any of the surprises away. The beauty of this tale is the fact that for the beginning I fancied it being the same old-same old. The only thing that made it different was the writing. I was totally immersed as the character struggled through his new existence. I could see the sights and smell the foul stench, of not only his haunts, but his actions. The pacing was also very well done.

The pay-off came with a twist, and man was it good! What we thought we knew was suddenly tossed out of a second-storey window where we, along with McKinney’s main character, had been peeking through. We were all duped, let me tell you.

With an unexpected twist and writing that reminded me of the best of Clive Barker, McKinney surprised me and made me an instant convert. Beware reader, Feed might mean more than you think it means.

I hope you had a very Happy New Year. If not, have one! It only just started anyway. Happy writing. Happy reading. *sniffle* I've got to get back to that couch.

We'll talk soon.