All posts by Axel Howerton

Axel Howerton is a former entertainment journalist, and the author of the Arthur Ellis Award nominated detective caper "Hot Sinatra", the modern gothic fairytale "Furr", and the forthcoming "Wolf & Devil" urban fantasy series. His work, including short stories, columns, poetry and essays, have appeared the world over, in no fewer than five languages. Axel is the Prairies director of the Crime Writers of Canada, and a member of the Canadian Science Fiction and Fantasy Association, the Calgary Crime Writers, and the Kintsugi Poets. He is also the editor of the books "Death by Drive-In", "AB Negative", and "Tall Tales of the Weird West", and is the organizer behind one of Canada's first recurring "Noir At The Bar" events, #NoirBarYYC. Visit Axel online at www.axelhow.com to sign up for the GotHow? email list and receive free exclusive ebook collections, sneak peeks, and more.#AxelHow #GotHow

Writing

“Spun through the eyes of a gonzo journalist…”

March 26, 2011 Axel Howerton Leave a comment

The first review of A Career Guide To Your Job In Hell appeared on amazon.com today and it even singled out my story “Hum” with what I think is fairly high praise! Check it out, mofos!

5.0 out of 5 stars Grand Paternal Order of @#$% Job Havers…, March 22, 2011

This review is from: A Career Guide To Your Job In Hell (Paperback)

This is a great short story collection focused on the depths people sink to while working day jobs (that is, jobs you never intend to have for more than a few months, but wind up clocking years in). You’ll find dark, smart and edgy tales about taxi drivers, office drones, soldiers, garbage-men and everything in between. Axel Howerton’s “Hum” is spun through the eyes of a gonzo journalist hopped up on a cocktail of Bret Easton Ellis, Adult Swim, and a medical journal. Nathan Long’s “Fernando and Yaya” is a hilarious account of an L.A. taxi driver’s struggle with a drunk, prostitute yearning, and hungry passenger. Though not for the faint of heart, these stories all have an undercurrent of dark humor that I really enjoyed.

Don’t forget to go to Amazon or check the ‘Store‘ tab on the top left of your screen to find out the myriad places you can get your eyeballs on this fantastic collection of stories from the likes of Scott Phillips (The Ice Harvest), Wild Cards authors Victor Milan and John Jos. Miller, Robert E. Vardeman (Cenotaph Road, God Of War) and the inimitable Scott S. Phillips, writer of Squirrel Eyes and the forthcoming Pete, Drinker Of Blood, as well as the writer/director of cult flicks Gimme Skelter and Stink Of Flesh.

Dark Moon Digest, Writing

DMD #3 available now!

March 10, 2011 Axel Howerton Leave a comment

Yerps. You can pick up DARK MOON DIGEST #3 on Amazon.com! Barnes & Noble!

Features my Zombiepocalypse tale Blood On The Strip, formerly known as Living Dead At Sigfried & Roy…

This issue also features part deux of Kevin McClintock’s awesome serial-killer yarn Tenants, as well as stories from the likes of Araminta Mathews, Chris Thorndycroft, Heather Durkin and my pal Jennifer Word (you should check out her site Fiction Spook in the blaaarghroll on the right), and as always, be sure to keep up-to-date on all the horrorific goings on at DARK MOON DIGEST, where you should be able to get the PDF version of DMD #3, or find other retailers in a cyber-space near you.

Writing

Squirrel Eyes

March 8, 2011 Axel Howerton Leave a comment

You can now pick up the deadwood version of our BFF Scott S. Phillips’ epic tale of soul-searching and redemption, Squirrel Eyes.

As a few intrepid fellow authors remarked:

“If you somehow cloned the perfect science bastard love-child of Cameron Crowe, J.D. Salinger and The Kinks, it couldn’t build a better story of underdog charm than Squirrel Eyes. Scott S. Phillips creates fascinating and endearing characters, then drops them in the hot zone of their own mangled lives, with nothing but their wits and pop culture to protect themselves.”

– Axel Howerton, editor, Dark Moon Digest, author of Hot Sinatra

“Squirrel Eyes is a crazy journey through Scott S. Phillips’ twisted, pop culture cluttered mind. He touches on universal emotions in this insightful, often laugh-out-loud journey through Alvin Bandy’s – and the reader’s – most denied memories of love lost.”

– Robert E. Vardeman, author of Burn the Sky

“The F@%ker can write!”

– Elwood Reid, author of D.B. and If I Don’t Six

“With his goofball characters, ear for quirky dialogue, and always-colorful turns of phrase, Scott S. Phillips is like a modern beat writer – tempered with postmodern sensibilities and a generous dash of observational comedy… But that’s just an erudite, flashy way of saying that no one makes me laugh louder or harder than Scott S. Phillips.”

– Brian Jay Jones, author of Washington Irving

“Scott’s narrative blasts and rattles down the road, chasing rabbits and stray chickens out of its path, while his dialogue sprays the countryside like full-automatic fire.”

– Victor Milan, author of The Wild Cards Series and CLD: Collective Landing Detachment

“Triangulate funny, creepy and melancholy, and you’ll find Scott S. Phillips, waiting for a bus.”

– Nathan Long, author of The Blackhearts Series