This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Allison Spector will be awarding a signed copy of book with original plot outline notes (loose sheets of paper) inside and additional notes at end or in margins of story (US/Canada only) to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.
Tell us about your current book in 10 words.
Joyful madness! A farce that throws word-pies at extremist thought.
What are you reading right now?
Right now I’m reading Black Earth: The Holocaust as History and Warning. I’m big into geopolitics and social theory ‘cause I’m a huge geek and I’m intrigued by the world around me.
E-Reader or print? and why?
Print—oh definitely print! The sensory sensation of gently folding back the cover of a book; of hearing the rustle of the pages, and the smell of the dried pulp—it is an intrinsic part of the literary experience. Digital reading can’t hold a candle.
Dog-ear or bookmark? (don't worry—Librarian Judith won't hold it against you—much)
I still remember to this day my middle school science teacher in an absolute, eye-twitching tizzy because he learned that I dog-ear my books. As far as I’m concerned, a good book must be worn at the covers; spine wrinkled and flexed. There should be fades and smudges where loving fingers have touched the pages time and time again. And there must always be the faded folds of dog-ears. That is the sign of a work that is truly loved.
Favorite place to read?
Ideally, I prefer to either read in bed wrapped in a sea of blankets, or until a big, shady tree with a nice seat of moss below me.
Favorite genre?
Geopolitical non-fiction, futurism, speculative, humor, farce, dark comedy, cyberpunk, magical realism
Do you loan your books?
Absolutely! A good book is meant to be shared.
Favorite book to recommend?
Right now I strongly want to recommend Shannon Barnsley’s Beneath Blair Mountain. She is a contemporary author who participated in the Black Hills Press / 1888 / JukePop.com Summer Writing Project and was included in the Mariya Suzuki Collection. I would not in any way hesitate to say that she is one of the most talented living authors I have read in a very long time. Her words are beautiful; her style, flawless. The minute I read her entry as she posted it one chapter at a time alongside my own, I knew this was something very special. It’s not often a book feels effortlessly excellent. Beneath Blair Mountain is one of those stories. As far as I’m concerned, it should be on high-school reading lists as a new classic!
How do you keep your books organized?
My books exist in harmonious anarchy. They lurk on bookshelves, on desks, on coffee tables and nightstands. They peek out from under my bed, and in my closet. At night they throw wild parties amidst the dirty laundry and dust bunnies.
Keep books or give them away?
When I’m absolutely, positively done reading a book, I might be inclined to give it away. Usually, I’ll simply lend a book and expect it to be returned. But I’m always open to book trades where my friends and I will dump sacks of books on my living room floor and we’ll barter over tea!
Thank you so much for featuring me in your lovely blog! Please be sure to check out the other stories in the 1888 Mariya Suzuki Collection, including Dean Moses’s A Stalled Ox and Shannon Barnsley’s Beneath Blair Mountain!
Trouble’s brewing in the Evergreen Jungle. When controversial author Rex Jupiter plans a visit to a Bellingham bookstore, news of his arrival attracts the attention of the mysterious Paladin, who plans on leading a mob of rioting housewives against him. But the Paladin has competition. Sleuth-extraordinaire Marian Krause has her own bone to pick with Jupiter as she scrambles to solve the death of a woman who has stolen her identity. Rex may think he has the situation under control, but when the wrath of the local Druids is incurred, pitchforks and torches may be the least of his concerns.Marian’s lungs shuddered against the fumes of the organic, locally sourced, native-friendly tobacco as it passed from the long-stemmed cigarette holder through her lips and into her body. It was a dirty, messy habit. And it was hers. The smoke floated in the air, letting forth a wave of guilty pleasure. She carefully measured out her puffs, since theauthorityoneverything.com told her that for every cigarette she smoked she would lose 5.5 minutes of her life.
Thus, she made sure that she only sacrificed 1.375 minutes at a time. She found the pleasure-to-life-lost ratio to be acceptable as everyone knew that all detectives smoked. And they did so in darkened rooms, with shades drawn, and only the light of a low-watt desk-lamp to illuminate the wisp of airborne tobacco trailing off like a faded dream.
Also, it made her feel badass. So, there.
Of course, there were disadvantages to sitting in a darkened room, the greatest of which was that it made her extremely susceptible to her husband’s Tokens of Affection, which usually fell into three categories:
(A) Crimes Scenes: composed of stolen police tape, ketchup, and teddy bears
(B) Fan Fiction: of a most Adult variety, written about Marian, and cleverly slipped in between her meticulously organized case files and resumes
(C) Brazen Thievery: which meant that her Second-Most Favorite Fedora would be missing, and she could only retrieve it following an Elaborate Series of Clues
The very thought of his categorical attentions made her want to climb down from her attic office and pay him a Conjugal Visit that instant. She would bring the Special Trench Coat and the magnifying glass and…
She slapped herself on the cheek. Love would have to wait.
Allison Spector was born and raised in the hedonistic playground of the Jersey Shore, but finds herself oddly allergic to spray tan. She is a proud graduate of Goucher College, and started her environmentally-focused career in Washington DC in 2005. She moved to the Pacific Northwest in 2008, and fell in love with its beauty and people. Allison is currently on a Midwestern Adventure and is determined to live as much life as possible—to accomplish her dreams one at a time—and to nurture her loving family, and blaze a trail of wit, whimsy, and eccentricity wherever she goes.Twitter: https://twitter.com/inspectorallie
Website: http://www.allisonspector.com
Book available on Amazon.
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