Up and coming novelist Thomas Shess shines with new book Cantina Psalms

 An exciting excursion/pseudo-expose into San Francisco's future

By Patti Pietschmann

Thomas Shess was the editor at a few  magazines that  I freelance for.  I loved working with him as he was one of the best editors I ever wrote for. He always kept his writer's voice, was extremely clever, astute, professional and a great headline writer. 

And now, with the publication of his first book, Cantina Psalms,  I consider him one of the best new novelists of our time. 

Cantina Psalms is entertaining, amusing, deep, sometimes troubling and engrossing as it transports the reader through the City by the Bay today and tomorrow via a series of short stories. The author captures the good and dark sides of San Francisco with a cast of well-crafted characters.

And a word from the author himself (pictured below with his lovely wife, Phyllis) 

Cantina Psalms" is a rapid-paced collection of urban noir. These tightly woven short stories are deep with crime, erotic love, and ironic social satire. It is a crowded saloon of intertwined characters—all from San Francisco's gritty North Beach neighborhood. Each story is a table set with silver spoons, forks in the road, and sharp knives. 

 "Cantina Psalms" Main Characters Include Penthouse Politicos, Icy Homegrown Drug Czars, And A Mysterious ReDhead Who Creates Havoc For Everyone. Caught In The Middle, Is The Mayor's Bodyguard, Who Has To Protect Himself From Good Trouble And Bad, Including Broken Cops, Jealous Peers, And Even His Honor's Daughters. "Cantina Psalms" Cleverly Manipulates A San Francisco Cast In The Near Future. Can This World-Famous City Of Power Brokers, Innovators, Dreamers, And Misfits Save Itself From Chaos? 

About The Author 

Award-winning journalist Thomas Shess is a former editor in chief of San Francisco Magazine and an ex-San Francisco Examiner reporter. He has also been a senior editor of national inflight magazines and other major lifestyle publications in California. Through it all, he has developed a keen eye for the powerful, the climbers and the outsiders whose lives intersect in surprising ways. 

Biohack a book of new dimensions

Patti Pietschmann's Reviews > Biohack

Biohack (The Gender Wars Series, #1) 
by 

J.D. Lasica (Goodreads Author)

 

Patti Pietschmann's review

Jun 16, 2018  ·  edit

really liked it

I've been reading pretty much the same genre and authors for you, voraciously I might add. And then Biohack came along and I was intrigued so I downloaded in from Amazon and was glad I did.

The story is about a second chance and Valerie Ramirez, a special ed teacher haunted by her toddler’s drowning accident who faces a fateful decision when she’s admitted into a secretive program run by a biotech company. Kaden Baker, an elite hacker who dabbles in covert ops, finds her life turned upside down when she discovers her parents were imposters. Where does she come from? Who’s been financing her high-stakes secret missions?

The answers lead back to the same mysterious biotech firm. As Kaden and Valerie become allies, they make one startling discovery after another about the company’s dark intentions. But each step closer to the truth puts their lives at greater risk.

The stakes couldn’t be higher—for Kaden’s freedom, for Valerie’s fate, and for the future direction of humanity itself.

It is long and you really need to like delving into biotechnology. Well written. I checked out the author and he's written a few other thrillers.

READING PROGRESS

Remembering Being There

The book and movie by Jerzy Kosinski 

Patti Pietschmann

I read this epic, satirical, somewhat sad and very prescient,  novel when it first came out and loved it. I was a huge Jerzy Kosinski fan to start. Last night we watched the movie that was made in 1979 with Peter Sellers as Chance and it was as good as the book but with a more unique ending. Chance is a simple man who relates everything to gardening and TV. Well dressed and bred but dimly lit, he is evicted from the home of a well heeled man who dies and must fend for himself, which is does by chance. People, very smart and successful ones, even a president, misunderstand him and conclude that he must be on to something. You must read it or get the movie (which was on TV recently). I am actually going to read the book again. When you do, think Donald Trump.

Being There is a satirical novel by the Polish-born writer Jerzy Kosinski, first published in 1970. Set in America, the story concerns Chance, a simple gardener who unwittingly becomes a much sought-after ...Wikipedia

Originally published: 1970

Author: Jerzy Kosiński

Page count: 141

Genre: Fiction

Publisher: Harcourt

Adaptations: Being There (1979)

A brilliant piece of writing in Chapt. 34 World of Hurt by Richard Pietschmann

Don't miss out on this electric novel of Mormins, sex, drugs, Rock 'N Roll and Vegas

                   World of Hurt

A Novel of Las Vegas

Richard J Pietschmann

Chapter 34

Arden:  Los Angeles, November 15, 1966

Arden had seen trouble brewing for months. As the crowds thronging Sunset Strip grew, sheriff’s deputies responded by hassling hippie kids for loitering, blocking traffic and smoking pot. Worried about a repeat of the terrible Watts riots a summer ago, city leaders clamped down harder with a 10 p.m. curfew intended to get underage kids off the streets and sidewalks. The cops then were bombarded with handy antiwar and prodrug slogans.

Hell no, we won’t go the kids chorused, tune in, turn on, drop out.

Read the whole thing as it unfolds at www.worldofhurtvegas.blogspot.com

Howard Hughes and Orren head to Las Vegas atomic testing grounds

In most riveting chapter ever of World of Hurt

By Patti Pietschmann

Chapter 33 of World of Hurt is one of the series' most riveting ever and a must read. If you haven't starting following the book go back to Chapter 1 and you won't be able to stop, I promise.

Oren: March 31, 1952

The peeling front door of the rented house near the Desert Inn that Howard Hughes called “the green house” was unlocked. Oren walked in and went into the kitchen that Hughes used for an office. He sat in pajamas at the littered kitchen table stacking papers and didn't look up. Oren pulled a chair up opposite Hughes and waited.

When Hughes finally spoke, he kept his eyes on the table. There was no small talk.

“Did you hear about the Comet, Oren?”

“What comet do you mean, Howard?”

“Not a comet, sheriff, the Comet—the first civilian jet airliner. Four turbojets buried in the wings and seats for about fifty passengers. It’s going into service with BOAC next month.”

CONTINUE: www.worldofhurtvegas.blogspot.com

Howard Hughes wants Oren in his movie Chapt, 32 World of Hurt

Another explosive chapter to enjoy

If you haven't been reading it, shame on you, but if you go to Chapter 32 you will be hooked, trust me.

"Hughes said, “How would you like to be in my movie, Oren?”

Oren hummed a skeptical note.

“Well, Howard, I don’t know about that. I’m no actor.”

“Acting is so easy even those imbecile pretty boys can do it. But you wouldn’t be acting. You’d be a sheriff’s captain.”

Hughes was fishing, so Oren fished back.

“What would I do?”

“Just a few scenes that won’t take any time, but you’d bring authenticity to the part. You could wear your own uniform and that hat Miss Russell seems to like so much.”

Now Oren got it. Hughes wanted him to keep an eye on the actress and report back to him. He didn’t mind Hughes being in his debt, but he sure didn’t want to be his errand boy."

 Read it here . Be sure to bookmark it.

Potty-mouth ER doc getting closer to diagnosing half-dead naked man

In explosive, exciting Chapter 30 of World of Hurt

World of Hurt, Chapter 30-a mystery in the emergency room World of Hurt A Novel of Las Vegas Richard J Pietschmann Chapter 30 Randy hung in the back of the ER cubicle trying to stay out of the way as the pit bull emergency doctor hurried over to a phone and yelled into it. “Page Martone to get his skinny ass to ER twelve fast as those spindly legs can move.” She slammed the phone back down and resumed examining the nearly dead guy inch by inch. The monitors made alarmed noises. Randy said, “What’s wrong with him?” She spoke to the nurse without looking at him. “Epinephrine, stat.” S. Weinberg, M.D., looked up at Randy. He knew what was coming. “Let’s see. His vitals are crap, he’s unconscious, his heart is barely ticking, and his organs are probably shutting down. What’s wrong with him is he’s fucking dying.” He was beginning to understand that she used hostility, vulgarity and sarcasm as a kind of armor to keep people at a distance. It seemed to work well for her. He asked another question he knew would get a reaction. “Why is he blue?” He wasn’t disappointed. “Unless he escaped from that Blue Man show, I don’t have a fucking clue.” Are you hooked yet? If so go to www.worldofhurtvegas.blogspot.com.