Tag Archives: Dagda Publishing

Dennis Villelmi on Philippe Blenkiron’s “The Pustoy”

I harbor a resentment against Dennis because his book reviews read better than my prose.  

Nevertheless, I’ll put that aside and share his review here of Philippe Blenkiron’s “The Pustoy.”

It sounds like an incredible book — and a real treat for science fiction fans.

Here is Dennis’ review at Amazon.com.  Click the link just below it for “The Pustoy” on Amazon, and consider picking up a copy for yourself:

“From across the pond, and stepping out of the prosaic and into, rather masterfully, the poetic is a work that is horrific, hermetic, Stalinistically reminiscent and…disturbingly quite possible. In Philippe Blenkiron’s, “The Pustoy,” (the latest offering from UK’s Dagda Publishing) we have before us world where metaphysics is no more immune to the malevolent policies of totalitarianism than has been the study of physics. Enter Lev Solokov, the new Prime Minister of a Britain that clearly has lost whatever Arthurian hope it may have had left; so much so that it has elected a man with a Russian name in which “Solo” foreshadows the terrifying autocracy to come. When first he mounts the rostrum of history it is to report to the public that Science has proven, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that a.) the human soul does exist, but b.) some have soul and some don’t. Those falling into the latter category are “pustoy.” a Russian word for ’empty.” And therein lies the horror, as Solokov casts his own soulless shadow over the Isles, drawing the same dividing line that we have seen in the former Soviet Union, Hitler’s Germany, Pol Pot’s Cambodia and so forth.

“Brilliantly written in a poetic form that pulls the reader along and into the darkness of this narrative, “The Pustoy” is a book that should be on the shelf or on the Kindle carousel of everyone who lends ample thought to the most important “what if” questions.
Certainly, what Mr. Blenkiron has given us is a window into the future that, unless we heed the warning signs given us by history and philosophy, will surely open and through which will come the chilled draft of dystopia such as only autocrats can offer. When reading this at the cafe, library or city park, do well to look around you and imagine your surroundings suddenly awash in the colors of incarceration and despair; do that and you will have gotten to the heart of “The Pustoy.” This is a book that can and should be read looking through the lenses of past and present, thinking both of Stalin, or Himmler, as well as Putin and, maybe, some as of yet unseen leader who will arise here…in the democratic West. Accolades, and nothing but, to both Philippe Blenkiron and to Dagda Publishing UK for this truly bewitching work.”

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My November 19th, 2013 Interview with BlogTalkRadio’s “Journal Jabber.”

If you’re on the fence about whether to download “The Dogs Don’t Bark In Brooklyn Any More,” that … makes little sense if you’re a Kindle user, because it’s free for a limited time at Amazon right here:

But if you’re still on the fence, you can hear me chat it up with the wonderful Angela Yuriko Smith on BlogTalkRadio’s “Journal Jabber” Internet radio show:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/journaljabber/2013/11/20/novel-debut-eric-robert-nolan-with-the-dogs-dont-bark

“It’s the end of the world as we know it, and I feel fine.” BECAUSE I HAVE A FREE SCIENCE FICTION-HORROR E-BOOK!!!

And you can too.  Dagda Publishing is giving away its dystopian shorty story collection, “All Hail The New Flesh,” to anyone who has a Kindle.  It’s part of the independent publisher’s first anniversary celebration, and its various fiction titles are all downloadable for free until Wednesday.  “All Hail The New Flesh” can be found right here:

For more information on all the other great free titles for Kindle, see Dagda’s website here:

http://dagdapublishing.co.uk/2014/06/02/happy-birthday-us-details-free-kindle-fiction-sale/

“All Hail The New Flesh” includes an entry of my own, entitled “At The End of The World, My Daughter Wept Metal.”  Here’s a synopsis: “An astonishing medical breakthrough spells the end of humanity.  And its first victim is the object of a father’s love.”

Yes, it’s another end-of-the-world tale — you know, the happy-ending bedtime stories that I’m known for. (Read it to your kids!!!) But  this time out, our plot-driving world-killer isn’t super-intelligent wolves or zombies, it’s … well … go read for yourself.  (Hey, it’s not like we’re charging you anything, are we?)

A friend and reader here in new York commented just this morning, “Man, E., it’s always the end of the world with you!  YOU’RE A POST-APOCALYPTIC MOTHERF****R.”

I … love that. I might just take those last two words and rename this website.

Have fun with the book — maybe if you can get sufficiently absorbed in it, you can succeed in getting that R.E.M. song out of your head.

“THAT’S GREAT — IT STARTS WITH EARTHQUAKES, BIRDS, SNAKES AND AEROPLANES!  LENNY BRUCE IS NOT AFRAID!”

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Happy Birthday, Dagda Publishing!

Just a quick note to say “Happy Birthday” to a outstanding literary community across the pond — Dagda Publishing celebrates its first anniversary today.

Dagda is a terrific independent publisher in the United Kingdom, and it extends wonderful opportunities to new and emerging writers.  Its staff and editorial board are a pleasure to engage with, and it’s great fun being able to join the lively community of readers and writers connected with it.

Check out its website here:  www.dagdapublishing.co.uk

Thanks for all of the fun, inspiration and opportunities you’ve shared over the past year with so many people, Dagda!

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Kindle users — get your FREE copy of “The Dogs Don’t Bark In Brooklyn Any More!”

That’s right — for free.  Over the next several days, right here: http://www.amazon.com/Dogs-Dont-Bark-Brooklyn-More-ebook/dp/B00GR4FUU8

As part if its first birthday celebration, Dagda Publishing is offering its fiction titles for free for the next several days!  From Dagda Publishing:

“Happy birthday to us! We made ourselves a cake (disclaimer: the cake is a lie). As a little celebration, and giving something back to everyone that has supported us in our endeavours over the last year, we have decided to offer our fiction titles for free for the next few days on Kindle. So, follow the links below to pick up some fantastic new fiction for your virtual bookshelf. Have a glorious weekend, everyone!

http://www.amazon.com/Touch-The-Sun-Laura-Enright-ebook/dp/B00IMSSFDG

http://www.amazon.com/Dogs-Dont-Bark-Brooklyn-More-ebook/dp/B00GR4FUU8

http://www.amazon.com/All-Hail-Flesh-Various-Authors-ebook/dp/B00I12PZH2

www.amazon.com/Tuned-Dead-Channel-R-Davey-ebook/dp/B00FARIMP8

“And, if you have enjoyed our books, please leave a review on Amazon – it all helps future sales and getting these authors the recognition they deserve. Bye for now!  🙂 “

Here is Dagda’s summary for my novel:

“There was a time, Rebecca’s father had told her, when wolves could not speak. She wished for that time.”

Rebecca O’Conner is the daughter of a hero, a veteran soldier of The Wolf War. Now, she herself is a Captain in the Special Animal Warfare Service (SAWS), fighting,as her father did against the armies of super-intelligent wolves that have taken over most of the continental United States.

The Dogs Don’t Bark In Brooklyn Any More spans two periods of Rebecca’s life: the tumultuous Brooklyn childhood that shapes her future, preparing her for the soldier she must become, and her struggle to keep herself and her squad alive as she prepares to meet her destiny. Her empirical mind rebels against the chaotic dreams that haunt her, suggesting a greater path than she can yet comprehend as she seeks to find an end to the war.

The enemy is smart, strong and fearless; the odds are stacked against the human race. Is there hope for us in the war with the wolves? Will humanity prevail and reclaim its place as the dominant species on Earth? Or will the great demonic wolf that stalks Rebecca in her dreams close its jaws over the world and drive us to extinction?

Themes of loyalty and friendship run strongly throughout a compelling tale of hardship and struggle in a war unlike any other. However, even in a world where the enemy is of another species, The Dogs Don’t Bark In Brooklyn Any More shows how resentment, distrust, and man’s inhumanity to man can persist at a time when putting our differences aside is crucial to the survival of mankind. Above all, the men and women of SAWS and the US Army strive to demonstrate the indomitable spirit of humanity, and re-establish our place at the top of the food chain.

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“A Guilt-Free Solution to the Economic Crisis.” (Dagda Publishing releases “The Pustoy” today!)

“A Guilt-Free Solution to the Economic Crisis.
“Feed the Soul, not the Soulless!
“Kill The Pustoy!”

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Phillipe Blenkiron’s “The Pustoy,” the dystopian science fiction poetry collection released today by Dagda Publishing, sounds amazing.  I can’t wait to read it.

From Dagda Publsihing:  [Well, it’s here. The Pustoy has been released on Amazon for kindle and paperback. Follow the links below to purchase this highly original (and a little bit topical) collection of poetry by Philippe Blenkiron. We are very, very pleased to present this to you.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Pustoy-Philippe-Blenkiron/dp/1499238665

http://www.amazon.com/Pustoy-Philippe-Blenkiron-ebook/dp/B00KO44EGI

(Also find it on your local Amazon store)

Also, add it to your Goodreads shelf here, suggest it for group reads, share this status, and help us get the word out about this very, very special collection of poetry.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22353105-the-pustoy

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Laura Enright’s “To Touch The Sun” receives a great review over at “What I Am Reading!”

Congrats on the glowing review, Laura!  🙂

http://thebookmarketingnetwork.com/profiles/blogs/what-i-am-reading-16

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That really weird writer thing …

… when a new character pops into your head and you keep seeing her and imagining her thoughts.

And she’s just so sad.

Cheer up, Marybeth.  None of what is happening is your fault.  He’s the one who is culpable.  It’s a failure of leadership, but not your own.

“Promise,” by J.S. Collyer

A friend and colleague across the pond, J.S. Collyer, is Dagda Publishing’s featured writer for this week’s Flash Fiction Friday.

Enjoy “Promise,” which is a standalone short story that also serves as a tie-in for her upcoming debut novel, “Zero.”

From Dagda Publishing: “Whilst standing alone, this is also a side-story to one of the pivotal scenes of “Zero”, her debut novel which comes out in August through us, told from the perspective of one of the important characters, Colonel Marcus Luscombe. We thought it would be a nice “first look” at the story and world created by the author.”

Here’s the link:  http://dagdapublishing.co.uk/2014/05/09/flash-fiction-friday-promise-js-collyer/

 

All Hail the Great Review!

Head on over to “What I am Reading,” where 4-LAN the Friendly Book-Bot shared a very nice review for Dagda Publishing’s dystopian science fiction short story collection, “All Hail the New Flesh.”    He was also kind enough to specifically mention my story in the anthology, “At the End of the World, My Daughter Wept Metal.”

The reviews at “What I Am Reading” are always fun to read, and it’s great being able to interact with other people via the blog who have so much enthusiasm for books.  4-LAN is rather affable for a machine — he is hell of a lot nicer than the Cylons who gave Starbuck and Adama so much trouble (especially that Leoben guy — it’s years later and I STILL get creeped out by the way he insisted on “playing house” with Starbuck).

Thanks for sharing, 4-LAN, and, once again, it’s terrific engaging with you and your friends at “What I Am Reading!”

http://thebookmarketingnetwork.com/profiles/blogs/what-i-am-reading-13

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