tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-82777243589989796722024-03-14T02:10:04.400-07:00Kenneth James Kirsch's blogA forum to introduce my first novel, Demon Alcohol and the Monstermen.Author Kenneth James Kirschhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01233483745342690217noreply@blogger.comBlogger29125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8277724358998979672.post-79712235195708448372009-11-17T15:59:00.000-08:002009-11-17T16:07:30.100-08:00RRW Live Read ExcerptI'm finally posting the excerpt I had planned to read on RRW Live October 29, before yet another sinus infection and laryngitis turned me into a croaking, coughing frog.<br /><br />This excerpt is from Chapter 3: <em>Demon Alcohol and the Return of the Monstermen</em>. In this interlude, Leysa Henko is skulking along the seedy streets of Tallenook's alcoholic section, making her "bread deliveries," when she comes to the house of notorious drunk and child abuser Ned Tinshire. <br /><br />Readers have told me this part of the book brings a tear to their eye. Leysa is so helpless on the streets, even though she is surrounded by children and others enjoying the summer.<br /><br /><em><strong>Read on: </strong></em><br /><br /><br />"As Leysa approached the door, her knees went to jelly, her mouth tightened and dried, and she felt a stinging in her eyes as her increasing sweat made its way down to her forehead. She found herself walking slower as she approached the front door of the Tinshire residence, a miserable heap of faded reddish-brown brick that seemed to lean to the right and had numerous vertical cracks in the front door and even a few spider cracks on the windows. She quietly knocked on the door, hoping against hope that he wasn’t at home. But he was.<br /><br />“Whooo ish it!” Tinshire bellowed in a bombast that seemed to shake the bricks and aggrieve the fading door of his downtrodden house. None of the kids playing on Carmichael Street even looked up at the sound of Tinshire’s blasting voice. They only knew him as the drunk of the neighborhood; beyond that, Ned Tinshire was a ghost.<br /><br />Leysa had heard that stilted dialect before and was terrified. She knew what it meant. It meant a disheveled, unshaven pig-man with half his teeth missing, smelling of B.O., with an undershirt barely covering his protruding hairy gut, in his underwear and socks was about to stagger to the door, and yell a second time before opening. It meant Monsterman. She was right on all counts.<br /><br />“I shaid, whooo ish it! Ansher me na er go the hell away!”<br /><br />“M-M-Mr. Tinshire…” she lost her breath for a few seconds, unable to speak out of terror. He interrupted.<br /><br />“Yeah, thash me, who the hell’re you?” Still, the door remained closed.<br /><br />“It’s Leysa H-H-Henko, I have your b-b-b-bread for this week.” Bread was the codename they gave the vodka.<br />Silence on the other side of the door. Leysa hoped he would just pass out on the other side of the door so she could run away, run far, far away from this wicked place. She wanted her mommy.<br /><br />Tinshire had forgotten that they called the vodka “bread” and while Leysa kneaded her hands, setting the brown bag down on the stoop temporarily, Ned Tinshire paused for a few seconds to wonder if he had actually ordered bread. “Bread?” Then he remembered. “Oh, oh, bread, yeah, bread. Ah, my bread!”<br /><br />The door opened and there stood Ned Tinshire, a former captain of and ace pitcher for the Tallenook High baseball team, wooer and kisser of WHS’ finest beauties. His formerly blue eyes had long ago gone gray from too much hard living and booze, and his fat, swollen tongue appeared to hang perpetually from his nearly toothless mouth; he seemed to be constantly smacking his lips as if he was thirsty. He propped himself up, leaning against the doorframe for support, wobbling a bit, threatening to fall over if even a stiff breeze blew past him. <br /><br />“’Bout damn time!” he yelled, grabbing for the bottle on the stoop, and nearly losing his balance and falling down the steps on top of Leysa. Again, no reaction from the kids of summer; their minds were as much on vacation as their bodies.<br /><br />Leysa grabbed for it, too, to hand it to him, and the two bumped heads, hard.<br /><br />“Damn stupid kid!” he yelled, rubbing his head and nearly tripping over the child; he steadied himself and raised his hand as if to strike Leysa. Then he remembered his vodka and thought better of it.<br /><br />“Ah, come on, move already! Christ! Just give me the damn bottle and ged adda here!” He grabbed the bag off the stoop and was back inside and about to close the door before Leysa even got up from the collision; she was dizzy from the hit, her head was throbbing and she thought she might cry. (It’s amazing how quickly a broken-down human being like Ned Tinshire – already a decrepit old man at 48 – can move when his drug of choice is within arm’s reach.)<br /><br />Leysa fought back the tears and stared up at Tinshire just as he was starting to close the door. She still had to collect, and there was no time for crying now. “But Mr. Tinshire, please, you owe us $2.05 for this week’s delivery, and you still owe us for the last two weeks. My father said” ---<br /><br />The fear radiated out of her in waves. Ned picked up the scent of her angst like a crazed Doberman, and went for the throat with his retort.<br /> <br />“I’ll pay whenna feel lige payin’, now go away!” he slurred, his eyes fixed on the bottle, his tongue smacking his lips, while his hands fumbled for the door. With that, Ned Tinshire slammed the door in Leysa’s face and her tears finally gave way, turning the beautiful summer day into a watery, confusing maze of prisms and vague images of girls in pimlico dresses and boys in black shoes and short knickers, playing the day away with their hulahoops and baseball games, without a care in the world. Or any knowledge that a frightened 8-year-old immigrant girl stood crying and shaking on Ned Tinshire’s front stoop. To them, Leysa Henko was a ghost, too."Author Kenneth James Kirschhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01233483745342690217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8277724358998979672.post-81855538814703279262009-10-02T10:01:00.000-07:002009-10-02T10:04:02.413-07:00A New Review! Wow!Just picked up this review from flipkart.com. I'm constantly amazed at the ways in which this book is helping people understand and overcome this disease, not to mention being an enjoyable read. Read on:<br /><br /><br />An Amazing First Novel from Kenneth James Kirsch<br /><br />Review by Dr. Michael Hinson<br /><br />I picked up this novel after hearing Mr. Kirsch's appearance on Blog Talk Radio last year, and was blown away by its honesty, its no-holds-barred look at alcoholism, and its unflinching sympathy and focus on the true victims of the disease -- the children and loved ones impacted by the alcoholic. Too much of today's attention on alcoholism is focused on the alcoholic themselves, and not enough is paid to the folks at home who have to constantly pick up the pieces.<br /><br />Leysa Henko is an unforgettable character, and the reader will find themselves crying with her and rooting for her. The backdrop of Prohibition makes this story all the more stark in its contrasts to modern life, and the setting of the coal regions of Pennsylvania helps put the entire story in a very gritty, humanistic light.<br /><br />Leysa Henko is not the sexy, joking, debutante alcoholic in the mold of today's forgettable chick lit. She's a survivor of alcoholic parenting herself -- a working class, scrappy fighter who is slowly succumbing to the travesty of her disease.<br /><br />Pick up Demon Alcohol and the Monstermen today. You won't regret it. It's a great read, and one you won't soon forget.Author Kenneth James Kirschhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01233483745342690217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8277724358998979672.post-66462300977023836942009-08-30T17:25:00.000-07:002009-08-30T17:33:52.588-07:00The Promotional Tour Rolls On!Last week, I told you about a great recovery-minded writers, Marian L. Thomas, and her wonderful new book, Color Me Jazzmyne.<br /><br />This week, the promotional tour for Demon Alcohol and the Monstermen makes a stop at the premier free book promotion and information site, Authors Promoting Authors. Check out the promo blurb here: <a href="http://authorspromotingauthors.blogspot.com/2009/08/great-authors-great-reads.html">http://authorspromotingauthors.blogspot.com/2009/08/great-authors-great-reads.html</a><br /><br />After you've checked out that blurb, pencil in these two dates/timeframes on your calendar:<br /><br />Sept. 2009 (date undetermined) interview by Book Critic and Author D. Vonthaer. More details as (and if) I get them.<br /><br />October 29, 2009: Online reading of Demon Alcohol and the Monstermen on Red River Writers Christmas Exchange show on blogtalkradio. More details as I get them.<br /><br />As with all great tours, the dates are subject to change. I mean, I could pull a Steven Tyler and fall off the stage after a dizzy spell.....(lol)....<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-uXRTWuk3XM">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-uXRTWuk3XM</a>Author Kenneth James Kirschhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01233483745342690217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8277724358998979672.post-46743743398877650982009-08-24T16:56:00.000-07:002009-08-24T17:03:00.577-07:00Another Strong Recovery-Minded Author: Check out Color Me Jazzmyne by Marian L. ThomasHey Readers,<br /><br />Just wanted to take a second to pass along a book that's getting great reviews. Authors Promoting Authors, a tremendous free promotional service for authors, recommends Color Me Jazzmyne by Marian L. Thomas.<br /><br />Check out APA's Book Blitz promotion for this highly-rated author:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/event.php?eid=131431326896" target="_blank">http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/event.php?eid=131431326896</a><br /><br />Now, on to the story:<br /><br /><br />Book Description for <em>Color Me Jazzmyne</em> by Marian L. Thomas:<br /><br />Child abuse, rape, struggling to live are all things women go through at least once in their lifetime. In this tale, Naya Mona takes readers on a journey through her crayon box of life, and shows us what her true colors are as she recounts her past to her son whom she is meeting for the first time. How do you tell your son that your father is his? The spiral of events that fill Naya's life provides each reader an intimate look at the drama, romance and struggles that become her voice. On stage, she must become Jazzmyne-the jazz singer. Naya no doubt commands the attention of its readers and takes them on a rollercoaster ride that is filled with the melodious tones that makes <em>Color Me Jazzmyne</em> a true reading pleasure.<br /><br />--------------------Author Kenneth James Kirschhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01233483745342690217noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8277724358998979672.post-67705166797421729982009-08-23T18:09:00.000-07:002009-08-23T18:12:11.040-07:00Promotion Tour Rolls OnI'm potentially up for two upcoming interview shows in the near future:<br /><br /><strong>Sept. 2009</strong> (date undetermined) interview by Book Critic and Author D. Vonthaer. More details as (and if) I get them.<br /><br /><strong>October 29, 2009</strong>: Online reading of Demon Alcohol and the Monstermen on Red River Writers Christmas Exchange show on blogtalkradio. More details as I get them.<br /><br />Take care,<br /><br />Kenneth James KirschAuthor Kenneth James Kirschhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01233483745342690217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8277724358998979672.post-10718838495389920772009-08-23T18:05:00.000-07:002009-08-23T18:09:31.064-07:00September is National Alcoholism Awareness MonthJust a quick note to acknowledge National Alcoholism Awareness Month in September.<br /><br />This disease is insidious and it needs to be stopped.<br /><br />If you or someone you know, or a loved one, are affected by this disease, please get help.<br /><br />Alcoholics Anonymous, Al-Anon, Alateen, and other affiliated groups are ready to help you or your loved one on the road to recovery.<br /><br />Reach out today.<br /><br />If you are interested in reading a fictional account of what this disease does to families, check out my book, Demon Alcohol and the Monstermen. It can be purchased for $8.99 from PublishAmerica at <a href="http://www.publishamerica.com/">www.publishamerica.com</a>.<br /><br />Thanks for reading and God Bless.<br /><br />Kenneth James KirschAuthor Kenneth James Kirschhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01233483745342690217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8277724358998979672.post-37622359854169198012009-07-28T17:29:00.000-07:002009-08-04T08:53:54.477-07:00Demon Alcohol and the Monstermen Promotion Tour Kicks Off August 5, 2009To mark the first anniversary of <em><strong><span style="color:#663366;">Demon Alcohol and the Monstermen</span></strong></em>, I'm going to be a guest on <strong>Red River Writers Live Blog Talk Radio show</strong>, August 5, 3pm EST.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=128898055010">http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=128898055010</a><br /><br />Here are the details:<br /><br />=================At RRW Live Specials=================<br /><br /><strong>Wednesday, Aug 5th, 2 pm Central, April Robins hosts <u>Tell Us About You</u></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>April</strong> <strong>and Co-Host Laurie Zieber will take questions from listeners directed to the following FaceBook Group members scheduled to give a two minute elevator speech about their work:</strong> Barbara Ehrentreu, Rita Schiano, Stephanie Osborn, Christine Duncan, John Wayne Cargile, Naomi Giroux, <strong><u><span style="color:#000099;">Kenneth James Kirsch</span></u></strong>, Barry Eva, James Priest, Rosey Dow, Kathleen Heady, and Jd Glasscock.<br /><br />A varied genre of Authors, Writers, and Illustrators.<br /><br />At the end of the show, Guests will answer questions from the Chatroom and callers in a teleconference setting.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;"><u>To submit a question for me to be asked on the show, contact:</u></span></strong><br /><br />Laurie Zieber <a onmousedown="'return" href="http://www.lauriezieber.com/Home.html" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.lauriezieber.com/Home.html</a> OR<br /><br />April Robins <a onmousedown="'return" href="http://www.robinfalls.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.robinfalls.com/</a><br /><br />*************************<br /><br /><span style="color:#000099;"><u><strong>To attend and participate in April's Show at RRW Live Special:</strong></u></span><br /><br />Dial the Call-in Number: (347) 637-1731(OR)<br /><br />Log onto <a onmousedown="'return" href="http://www.blogtalkradio.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.blogtalkradio.com/</a> then search for Red River Writers Live.<br /><br />Click on the current show and you can leave a written comment at the Chatroom.(OR)<br /><br />Listen to the live or archived show online by going direct to <a onmousedown="'return" href="http://www.blogtalkradio.com/RRW-Specials" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.blogtalkradio.com/RRW-Specials</a><br /><br /><br /><br />*******************************************************************************<br />Odd, acknowledging and celebrating the first anniversary of a frank, no-holds-barred look at a dreadful disease such as alcoholism. Those of you who've read it, and reviewers, have told me the book was "poetic," "intense" and "sobering."<br /><br />Thanks again for all the kind comments and reviews.<br /><br />If you want to read the reviews, go to Amazon.com or BN.com.<br /><br />See ya in the (online) bookstore,<br /><br />Kenneth James KirschAuthor Kenneth James Kirschhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01233483745342690217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8277724358998979672.post-22896750593237061162009-07-28T16:25:00.001-07:002009-07-28T17:30:36.158-07:00A 'Sober' First Anniversary for Demon Alcohol and the Monstermen: A Sale, and an Appearance...Big Doings!<br /><br />As of Aug. 11, <em>Demon Alcohol and the Monstermen</em> turns 1!<br /><br />The book is now on sale for $8.99.<br /><br />I'm kicking off a new round of promotion as well.<br /><br /><strong>FIRST, some details on the sale and promotion</strong>. (<em>I'll post on the anniversary issue separately. It's quite a story and you'll want to take a breather before reading it, believe me.)</em><br /><br /><strong>SALE DETAILS</strong>: My publisher (PublishAmerica, or, <em>PrintAmerica </em>as I [ahem] affectionately call them), has issued <em>Demon Alcohol and the Monstermen</em> for $8.99 as of July 2009.<br /><br />The original $27.95 sale price was absurd to begin with. Further, their method of accounting for sales through the UK, where the dollar has taken a beating as of late, left me with little more than change for coffee when my first, uh, "royalty check" arrived.<br /><br />Oh well, live and learn I suppose. Iconic TV mom Carol Brady once opined: <em>"Poorer or wiser, which is more important?"</em> Hmmm, I'll get back to you all on that one....<br /><br />However, whether it's the summer heat, the anemic sales to date, or some other reason, you the reader benefit. Simply go to <a href="http://www.publishamerica.com/">http://www.publishamerica.com/</a>, search either by my name, or the title, and order the book, and you will get the reduced price.<br /><br />For some reason, the online bookstores still have it at full price.<br /><br />Details on the promo tour next....<br /><br />Cheers,<br /><br />Kenneth James KirschAuthor Kenneth James Kirschhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01233483745342690217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8277724358998979672.post-26476949806553177882009-02-28T17:28:00.001-08:002009-02-28T17:40:37.515-08:00Have You Seen Me Lately?Well, February's come and gone and nary an entry from me.<br /><br />There's been no news on the <em>Demon</em> front this month to report, that is, until now...<br /><br /><strong>It's Sequel Time: </strong>Inspiration can strike a writer anywhere. The idea for a sequel to <em>Demon Alcohol and the Monstermen </em>hit me while I was on the R6 Septa line commuting to work in Philadelphia one day last week. I scratched out a few ideas, wrote a few opening paragraphs, and now I'm off to the races.<br /><br />The working title is <em>The Ballad of JJ Henko</em>. James Joseph Henko is the son of <em>Demon </em>protagonist Leysa Henko. The next generation of Henkos takes Leysa's addictions and abusive personality to an extreme. If you read <em>Demon </em>you may have gotten the idea that the insidious disease of alcoholism can be overcome as easily as a happy ending can be written into a book. Not true in real life, my friends. At least not in JJ Henko's case.<br /><br />On the publishing front: lessons learned -- this time around, no PublishAmerica. While I appreciate them taking a flyer on this returning writer, their non-existent editorial department left my manuscript with more than a few embarrassing grammatical scars. And the royalties.... uh, anybody seen my royalties?<br /><br /><strong>A New Round of Promotion: </strong>After a serious case of the Winter Blahs, I'm revving up the old promotion engine again for <em>Demon</em>. I'm hoping to get a publisher or agent interested in the sequel early in the drafting process.<br /><br />I'll be appearing on the monthly chat schedule of <a href="http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=56738845017">The Red River Writers</a>. You can find them on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/">Facebook</a>. They do chat sessions with authors and I'm going to be appearing in March. Stay tuned. I will provide details as they become available.<br /><br />That's all for now. Come on Spring!Author Kenneth James Kirschhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01233483745342690217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8277724358998979672.post-60552545935031180162009-01-14T19:20:00.001-08:002009-01-16T16:56:10.640-08:00Excerpt II from Demon Alcohol and the MonstermenNothing like giving away the ole' store for free, eh? This excerpt is from <strong>Chapter 4, A Deep Sleep</strong>, and is one of the pivotal scenes of the story. Leysa Henko ponders death and its permanence at her mother's funeral and suffers a terrible injustice at the hand of the evil "Sauced Sisters of Tallenook. "<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div align="center"><strong><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Demon-Alcohol-Monstermen-Kenneth-Kirsch/dp/1606720759/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1232153728&sr=1-1">Demon Alcohol and the Monstermen </a>Excerpt</strong></div><div align="center"><strong>From Chapter 4: A Deep Sleep</strong></div><br />Leysa didn’t move throughout the viewing service. She sat straight upright in he chair – like a lady, as her mom had taught her – and remained absolutely silent as she kept her eyes trained on the casket and Ionna’s face. She brought her copy of “Flowers of the Field” with her and held in tightly against her chest. She felt as if she even opened her mouth, she might throw up her entire breakfast; she was afraid to move. The room had a sickening sweet smell of too many flowers and too much perfume, and it made Leysa nauseous.<br /><br />Mrs. Strengen sat next to her on her left with Devak, Jr., and Maryska – also feeling nauseous but for a different reason – sat on her right in the first pew, next to Devak. Will Lankev and Havik Kestine sat behind Devak.<br /><br />Alecia Rusmen and Abigail Tangotch sat directly behind Leysa. Alecia leaned up to Leysa, which made Leysa jump and momentarily snapped her out of her trance-like state, and caused her to gasp. Alecia, trying to console her, near-whispered in her ear: “Leysa, dear, your mother is not dead. She is only sleeping.” Abigail heard Alecia’s comments and chimed in: “That’s right, dear. She’s having the most peaceful sleep she’s ever had.”<br /><br />At this, the gullible Leysa – when it came to love for her mother anyway – suddenly saw hope. Her eyes got like saucers and she spun around to address the two apartment building busybodies, who were half-lit themselves and had no business trying to console anyone, least of all a child who has just lost her mother.<br /><br />“If she’s only sleeping, when is she going to wake up?” Leysa replied, looking back and forth at their faces, searching for an answer and actually almost smiling a bit. She was just about ready to elbow Maryska and tell her the good news – their mother wasn’t dead after all, she was just sleeping! – when she saw Alecia and Abigail withdraw in shock. The Sauced Sisters of the Wrong Side of Tallenook hadn’t expected that kind of response.<br /><br />Alecia and Abigail sat silently, desperately searching for a response, when Father Patrick Carnes of St. Jerome’s appeared at the front of the altar and started the service. Alecia told Leysa: “Hush now, child. Father is about to begin the service. Turn around now.”<br /><br />“Oh,” Leysa replied in a hushed voice, confused and more hurt than ever, and turned back around to face Father Carnes. She started to cry; Maryska reached her arm around her and Leysa leaned against her big sister’s shoulder, her head partially turned toward the back of the church. She stole a few short, inquisitive looks back at Alecia and Abigail throughout the service, but the Sauced Sisters made sure not to make eye contact with her. They ignored Leysa for the next 45 minutes. Leysa gave up trying to talk to them and instead concentrated again on Ionna.<br />“Her chest isn’t moving,” she thought silently to herself. “How can she be asleep if her chest isn’t moving? She isn’t even breathing. Maybe she’s holding her breath. Can people hold their breath as long as they want when they’re sleeping?” And with that, Leysa tried to hold her own breath for as long as she could. When Maryska saw what she was doing, she poked Leysa in her side, and Leysa let go of her breath in a loud whoosh that made Devak turn and give her a disapproving look.<br /><br />After the service, Leysa and Maryska went to view Ionna with Devak, with their friends and well-wishers in tow. Maryska went first, and Leysa stayed extra close to her, seemingly just inching her way up.<br /><br />As Leysa approached the casket, tears started to well up in her eyes, and she knew right then and there that Ionna was not sleeping. She was not waking up. She was dead, her mommy was dead. Dead and gone. Gone to God and belonging to the angels in Heaven. She let go of Maryska’s hand, which she was holding with her left hand, and was vaguely aware of a tingling feeling in her right hand – like electric fingers trying to wrap themselves around her own fingers – and felt the hair on the right side of the back of her neck stand on end. But she was so caught up in the moment that she shut out the outside world; she barely noticed the tingling, or the chilled feeling on the right side of her body.<br /><br />She took a small, folded-and-crumpled painting she had done in the studio from the small purse she carried with her. “I painted this for you, momma” she whispered, and lay it in the casket. The painting was of two white, winged, dark-haired angels, hand-in-hand, one seemingly directing the other one upward, through a rainbow toward a bright yellow sun. Off in the bottom left-hand corner in the green grass of their front yard was a stick figure of a little girl with blue drops coming from her eyes and forming a puddle on the ground.<br /><br />“Bye-bye momma,” she whispered. “Be good for God. I’ll be good for Daddy and Mrs. Strengen. I’m not mad at you for lying about the Monstermen in America. I’m not mad at you at all.” With that, she felt faint and took Maryska’s hand before Maryska got too far away from the casket. She walked away holding Maryska’s hand with her left, and rubbing her right hand against her dress, trying to warm it back up and not giving a second thought as to how to do it – and the rest of the right side of her body – had gotten so chilled.<br /><br />Alecia and Abigail were among the first to leave after the processional. Leysa gave them the same loathing look she had given the mean German man at Ellis Island. She hated them – the hate suddenly gave her clarity of thought – and she felt a vague desire for revenge, although she was not sure what revenge was. She only hoped that something bad would happen to them, that God would punish them for telling such an awful, awful lie. And that there was nothing wrong with wanting something bad to happen to them because they were bad people, and God smote bad people who deserved it. “Yes,” she thought. “God will get them. God will get them good.”<br /><br />The Sauced Sisters shuffled and stumbled quickly out of the funeral home without looking back, clutching their purses and speaking to no-one.Author Kenneth James Kirschhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01233483745342690217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8277724358998979672.post-37303286729587903832008-12-22T07:50:00.000-08:002008-12-22T08:12:52.233-08:00Lessons Learned: Don't Promote the Weekend Before ChristmasI did two promotional events this weekend and both were duds from a turnout perspective -- which only goes to show that when folks get their holiday game faces on, look out. They don't want to talk, surf, or otherwise engage in leisurely activity that any sane person would call human (or humane for that matter).<br /><br /><strong>First, I did a book signing </strong>at the <a href="http://books.barnesandnoble.com/search/results.aspx?WRD=demon+alcohol+and+the+monstermen"><span style="color:#ff0000;"><strong>Barnes and Noble</strong></span> </a>in Plymouth Meeting this weekend. I must have been an afterthought in the minds of the store managers, because I was stuck at a tiny table (it was more like a tray with legs) behind another author whose sign was so huge it made it impossible for people to see me. He wrote a book about the Philadelphia Eagles with lots of pretty pictures aimed at Joe Six-Pack, while I wrote experimental fiction aimed at a niche audience. I guess I can see why he got the sweet spot by the front door and I was, well, a few steps behind next to the Boy Scouts gift wrapping kiosk.<br /><br />A grand total of 3 people stopped by, but each was a rich experience in its own right.<br /><br />One father talked to me for about 20 minutes about his alcoholic son, who gave up drugs but has for years been unable to kick the drink. He asked me to write an inspirational note in the book to his son, and then got it gift-wrapped and left with a smile on his face and a little spring in his step (I think). To think that my book is going to be sitting under someone's tree this year and be opened on Christmas by someone who really needs to hear its message -- and includes a note of confidence from the author to boot -- is extremely gratifying. This is the type of person for whom I wrote this book, and I guess if it somehow gets this person to put down the bottle it will have all been worth it.<br /><br /><strong>Secondly, I did an online interview with</strong> <a href="http://booksbypickles.blogspot.com/2008/12/interview-with-kenneth-j-kirsch.html"><span style="color:#ff0000;"><strong>Book Talk with J&J</strong></span></a><span style="color:#ff0000;"><strong>,</strong></span> a free promotional blog site that helps authors get the word out about their books. I got another 3 hits on this blog, 2 of which came from the blog admin and one of the site's reviewers.<br /><br />Sigh. Bitten by the holiday rush bug, and stranded in cyberspace? Not exactly. Again, the audience for which my book was intended showed up, even if it was only one person. This commentor (who won the contest for a free copy) told me about a friend with a drinking problem who they thought could be helped by my book, and asked me if I thought it was appropriate for someone who was an alcoholic, rather than a child of an alcoholic. Here is my reply:<br /><br /><em>Hi C.K., Thanks for stopping by and for taking the time to comment. I definitely think my book would have meaning and insight for someone currently researching their own alcoholism. The protagonist in my book, Leysa Henko, is both a victim of alcoholism at a young age, and an adult alcoholic later in life. So, in that way, my book hits both ends of the spectrum of the disease. </em><br /><em></em><br /><em>Thanks again for coming by and feel free to post any other questions you have. </em><br /><em></em><br /><em>Best, Kenneth Kirsch</em><br /><br />In the end, it was a quiet weekend promotionally but well worth the investment of time and energy.<br /><br />Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and yours.<br /><br />Yours in cyberspace,<br /><br />Ken KirschAuthor Kenneth James Kirschhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01233483745342690217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8277724358998979672.post-86317798204483137992008-12-09T16:46:00.000-08:002008-12-09T16:49:34.490-08:00Pics from my first book signing<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5DGp5c8ZpSuVdzgwvJ14CtSkApR8Eq14Y_VynZz5jiMp0db4faB0NT05WGGOK5MSKsGEoU4ZNCdzV712wUr88DuybMugp0Z6aC-aSxsN58w1SJeyWJCLISRu7LimuFmK7pwU8celQ-Pw/s1600-h/DAMM+Book+Signing+008.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277957103099172690" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5DGp5c8ZpSuVdzgwvJ14CtSkApR8Eq14Y_VynZz5jiMp0db4faB0NT05WGGOK5MSKsGEoU4ZNCdzV712wUr88DuybMugp0Z6aC-aSxsN58w1SJeyWJCLISRu7LimuFmK7pwU8celQ-Pw/s320/DAMM+Book+Signing+008.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglFjvurHGRayY8dy_GzF0mA5UfSFvgVYn_28kvGVWcmcMkoZdXPWVBbjOuUwNEzXnVG2WFI9MgoL-aKkxmBUC9cR3GBEUGnR1lG71JHMs-Ib34kLzlJtNI7a_PaGWcFLUv2G2tgI1XHvY/s1600-h/DAMM+Book+Signing+007.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277957093589953538" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglFjvurHGRayY8dy_GzF0mA5UfSFvgVYn_28kvGVWcmcMkoZdXPWVBbjOuUwNEzXnVG2WFI9MgoL-aKkxmBUC9cR3GBEUGnR1lG71JHMs-Ib34kLzlJtNI7a_PaGWcFLUv2G2tgI1XHvY/s320/DAMM+Book+Signing+007.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj70iDfMY16BKzTd9ckyUye14Mjo6y8UOxrCredXVTPfuyVlPZXaSE9ODwA3KDoWhhAnuRjTyswTmNpkuzPcKLO-F9Gxfaz-1HKz97FEP4pyFeNvH8CBFrq7H5dRFh2mIXsEzSOrnRuqUQ/s1600-h/DAMM+Book+Signing+005.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277957088921895858" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj70iDfMY16BKzTd9ckyUye14Mjo6y8UOxrCredXVTPfuyVlPZXaSE9ODwA3KDoWhhAnuRjTyswTmNpkuzPcKLO-F9Gxfaz-1HKz97FEP4pyFeNvH8CBFrq7H5dRFh2mIXsEzSOrnRuqUQ/s320/DAMM+Book+Signing+005.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div></div>Author Kenneth James Kirschhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01233483745342690217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8277724358998979672.post-60798223243387509542008-12-09T16:43:00.001-08:002008-12-09T16:51:21.469-08:00My Second Book Signing: Same Bookstore, New Bookdate<a name="6933534539983619854"></a>The first signing for <em>Demon Alcohol and the Monstermen</em> went so well, they've invited me back!<br /><br />Here are the particulars:<br /><br />Date: Saturday, December 20, 2008<br />Time: 1:00pm - 4:00pm<br />Location: Barnes and Noble<br />Street: 2300 Chemical Road<br />City/Town: Plymouth Meeting, PA<br /><br />I will post pictures from the first one here. They are also available on my Facebook page.Author Kenneth James Kirschhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01233483745342690217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8277724358998979672.post-1324097573074605832008-11-13T16:46:00.000-08:002008-11-15T17:09:24.683-08:00Second Interview Set for Demon Alcohol and the MonstermenThe second interview for my debut novel, <em>Demon Alcohol and the Monstermen</em>, will appear on Book Talk with J&J at the link above, the weekend of Dec. 20-21. Check it out. I plan to reveal more about the often spooky, creative process behind the book. While not a horror novel <em>per se</em>, (it's meant to be a slightly paranormal story of inspiration and hope) there are just enough shivers in <em>Demon Alcohol and the Monstermen</em> to keep the casual reader up at night (at least for a few minutes past their bedtime!).<br /><br />Visit <a href="http://booksbypickles.blogspot.com/">http://booksbypickles.blogspot.com/</a> at any time that weekend and leave a comment about the interview to be entered into a contest to win a signed copy of <em>Demon Alcohol and the Monstermen.<br /></em><br />Blessings,<br /><br />Kenneth James KirschAuthor Kenneth James Kirschhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01233483745342690217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8277724358998979672.post-45177623362830829942008-10-16T16:37:00.000-07:002008-10-16T16:52:59.968-07:00The Musical Muses Behind Demon Alcohol and the Monstermen, Part III became a John Mellencamp fan late in life. As a child of the 80s, I tapped my toes to a certain little ditty about Jack and Diane, but I never took the guy seriously until a few years later when he really hit the social-awareness gas with the album <em>Scarecrow</em>. <em>Rain on the Scarecrow</em> is a mainstay on my iPod as are many more of his more socially relevant songs, including <em>Human Wheels. </em><br /><br />In 2004, I picked up Mellencamp's box set called <em>Words and Music</em> and found another gem that had escaped me, an homage to pride and grace called <em>Walk Tall.</em> One verse in particular struck me, Mellencamp singing: <em>"No drunkards are allowed in Heaven, no sinners will get in."</em><br /><br />That verse from <em>Walk Tall</em> formed the backbone of Chapter 5, Beyond Vak’s Place: Part VI, 1967-1972: The Pre-Golden Years. In Chapter 5, Leysa Henko realizes her marriage to bastard Ed Dargashian will never provide her with the love she desperately wants, and that her only grandchild is afraid of her because of her constant abusive behavior. In short, she's at the crossroads, and has to decide whether to change her alcoholic ways or risk dying alone, embittered, and in shame. For a religious woman like Leysa Henko, the afterlife was always at the forefront of her mind, even if she was in denial. In Chapter 5, that denial is stripped away in dramatic fashion, and Leysa Henko is left to ponder whether drunkards will indeed be allowed in Heaven, and if sinners will get in.<br /><br />As with the other musical citations, I had to remove this one on my publisher's "advice."<br /><br />Oh well. At least I get to share it with you all.<br /><br />Blessings,<br /><br />Kenneth James KirschAuthor Kenneth James Kirschhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01233483745342690217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8277724358998979672.post-69335345399836198542008-10-07T17:02:00.000-07:002008-10-07T17:06:40.974-07:00My First Book Signing!<strong>Hey everyone! Come check me out at my first book signing. Info below: </strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>Book Signing for Kenneth James Kirsch's <em>Demon Alcohol and the Monstermen</em></strong><br /><br />Date: Sunday, November 30, 2008<br />Time: 1:00pm - 5:00pm<br />Location: Barnes and Noble<br />Street: 2300 Chemical Road<br />City/Town: Plymouth Meeting, PA<br /><br /><a id="global_maps_link" title="View a map for this event" href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=2300+Chemical+Road%2C+Plymouth+Meeting%2C+PA" target="_map">View Map</a><a class="maps_arrow"></a><br /><a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=2300+Chemical+Road%2C+Plymouth+Meeting%2C+PA" target="_map">Google</a><br /><a href="http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?formtype=address&address=2300+Chemical+Road&city=Plymouth+Meeting&state=PA&country=US" target="_map">MapQuest</a><br /><a href="http://maps.live.com/?q=2300+Chemical+Road%2C+Plymouth+Meeting%2C+PA" target="_map">Microsoft</a><br /><a href="http://maps.yahoo.com/?q1=2300+Chemical+Road%2C+Plymouth+Meeting%2C+PA" target="_map">Yahoo</a><br />Contact Info<br />Phone: 610.567.2900<br />Email: <a href="mailto:kirsch_kenneth66@yahoo.com">kirsch_kenneth66@yahoo.com</a>Author Kenneth James Kirschhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01233483745342690217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8277724358998979672.post-62641602516504495812008-10-02T11:13:00.000-07:002008-10-02T11:16:22.992-07:00Two More Strong Reviews! Read on!5 Stars Out of 5<br /><strong>Craaack! A homerun from new author Ken Kirsch</strong><br />Art M, A reviewer, 10/01/2008<br /><br />I discovered a nice surprise once I sat back and started to turn the pages of this book from new author Kenneth James Kirsch. Mr. Kirsch does a fantastic job of drawing the reader into the story and making you feel as if you are actually in the room with the characters. His character descriptions are superb, clearly depicting the physical, mental and emotional traits of the major players in the story. His historical perspective really held my interest as I'm a native of Pennsylvania and I could relate to many of the small towns and cultural peculiarities he references. All in all this book was a truly pleasant surprise and one that I found difficult to put down. It's the perfect book for a cool Fall evening. I highly recommend this book and look forward to the next book from Mr. Kirsch.<br /><br />4 Starts Out Of 5<br /><strong>Inspiring Story</strong><br />L Basara, A reviewer, 09/30/2008<br /><br />I was really struck by this story's message, and by the poetry that Mr Kirsch is able to produce 'see p 16' when describing certain phenomena. The book is highly memorable, and not just because of the main character's “rude awakening”. Lots of folks who come from challenging family situations 'like me' constantly struggle with whether to continue bad habits and behaviors that they learned growing up, or to do what they know is right and good 'which means doing truly hard work to overcome their “programming” as kids'. Leysa, the book's main character, is certainly inspirational and reinforcing in this regard. Overall, 'Monstermen' is definitely worth the time.Author Kenneth James Kirschhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01233483745342690217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8277724358998979672.post-91795876255326725642008-09-20T18:14:00.000-07:002008-09-20T18:43:24.120-07:00The Musical Muses for Demon Alcohol and the Monstermen, Part II couldn't explain the story of this book without telling the story of the lyrical muses singing in my head during the creative phase.<br /><br />I've heard Stephen King say he listens to the loudest rock and roll and heavy metal he can get his hands on -- AC/DC is a fave of his -- while creating his scary novels. While I tended to write in silence, locked away in the upstairs office of my Audubon, Pa. home like some subdivisioned version of <em>The Shining's</em> Jack Torrance, I had 2-3 songs in particular in mind throughout the whole process.<br /><br />Growing up in the Pottsville, Pa., region and, later, Reading, Pa. in the 1970s and 1980s, my friends and I had it rough. We grew up barely middle class - a lot of us - and saw our parents going to work at the crack of dawn to go to dead-end jobs where they'd be stuck behind a desk or, in my mom's case, tending to the every day health needs of the criminally insane as a nurse's aide at Wernersville State Hospital in Wernersville, Pa for up to 16 hours a day.<br /><br />New Jersey favorite son Bruce Springsteen wrote the soundtrack to my childhood and teen years, and I wiled away many a day and night jamming to <em>Born to Run</em> and <em>Darkness on the Edge of Town. </em><br /><em></em><br /><em>Born to Run </em>was Springsteen's shot at the big time, and its nostalgic last look back at his teen years "echoed down them hallways in the night." But it was the decidedly less upbeat followup, <em>Darkness</em>, where Springsteen at last became an adult and worried out loud if his working class parents' fates might be his own, or those of his friends.<br /><br />Springsteen lashed out angrily at the workaday fates of his parents in a little-remembered song called <em>Adam Raised a Cain. </em>The lyrics of this burner of a song, more than any other, rang through my head endlessly as I wrote <em>Demon Alcohol and the Monstermen. </em>In particular, the following stanza, formed the basis of the entire underpinnings of my book: <em>"In the Bible Cain slew Abel. And East of Eden he was cast. You're born into this life paying, for the sins of somebody else's past."</em> <br /><em></em><br />In fact, the stanza actually appeared on the very first page, until my publisher, ahem, kindly advised me to remove it due to copyright infringement. (What they really were saying was they were too lazy to go through the legal hoops of getting the okay from Springsteen's people to use the lyric).<br /><br />That's enough for now. More on this subject at a later date. Thanks for reading.<br /><br />Blessings,<br /><br />Kenneth James KirschAuthor Kenneth James Kirschhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01233483745342690217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8277724358998979672.post-78078976193090872422008-09-19T18:07:00.001-07:002008-09-19T18:09:58.828-07:00The Reviews Are In! (Well, one review anyway)This from a reader on BN.com:<br /><br />"<a id="CRV" name="CRV"></a>Customer Reviews<br />Number of Reviews: 1<br />Average Rating: 5 stars out of 5<br /><a class="" href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/reviews/reviews.asp?EAN=9781606720752&TTL=Demon+Alcohol+And+The+Monstermen&TSEQ=14068399&PT=B">Write a Review</a><br />Showing 1-1<br /><strong>A tense, spooky, but loving tale of Prohibition-Era alcoholism and modern day recovery</strong><br />Michelle B. from Austin, Texas, A reviewer, 08/22/2008<br /><br />Kenneth James Kirsch has penned a winner with this debut novel. The characters are very skillfully drawn, and you feel an instant connection with and sympathy for the main character and victim, Leysa Henko.<br /><br />Leysa Henko immigrates from Russia to America in 1917 with her older sister, Maryska, father Devak, and mother Ionna. Devak, an abusive alcohlic, opens a tavern in the hard-drinking town of Tallenook, Pennsylvania. Ionna is an angelic mother who teaches her daughters independence and how to be headstrong in a time of turmoil for women fighting for suffrage in the U.S. When Prohibition threatens the family tavern, and Ionna is weakened by tuberculosis, Devak presses his daughters into service delivering vodka door to door to Tallenook's horrific alcoholic shut-ins -- the Monstermen.<br /><br />The book follows Leysa's descent from bubbly blond immigrant to embittered alcoholic adult. As a child, Leysa is visited by and supported by ancestors who've passed on. But as her view of the world turns dark, she can no longer tune into the help of her spirit friends and she is left to fend for herself. This is a true page-turner that will have you looking over your shoulder and around corners -- and leave you with a lump in your throat. Highly recommended."<br /><br />I'm floored! -- and hoping for 100 more just like it!Author Kenneth James Kirschhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01233483745342690217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8277724358998979672.post-81497337095565532722008-09-11T18:47:00.000-07:002008-09-13T07:34:55.776-07:00Upcoming AppearancesI'll be appearing as follows in the next few weeks:<br /><br />1. September 10, 2008.<br />A copy of the cover art for my novel, Demon Alcohol and the Monstermen, will appear on the Authors Promoting Authors blog site: Purchase info will be included as well.<br />http://authorspromotingauthors.blogspot.com/<br /><br />2. October 2, 2008.<br />I will be appearing on the online radio program Today's Author at 8:30 p.m.<br />To ask me questions: 1-646-200-4071<br />To Listen and Chat: The show is aired LIVE at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/Circle-Of-Seven and an active chat session is online. After the show is aired, it is available for download at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/Circle-Of-Seven<br /><br />3. October 9, 2008.<br />A copy of the cover art for Demon Alcohol and the Monstermen will appear on the Virtual Book Tour De Net blog site: Purchase info will be included as well. <a href="http://www.virtualbooktourdenet.blogspot.com/">http://www.virtualbooktourdenet.blogspot.com/</a>Author Kenneth James Kirschhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01233483745342690217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8277724358998979672.post-35921524269955162782008-09-11T18:30:00.000-07:002008-09-11T18:42:49.463-07:00Orange Clouds Blue Sky, a novel by J. Hale Turner<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCIu-A5BsX5vNnvzE8DOP2cUoKA5GqRgdNHgeJTUwDkejKaCbI9Uma1TMbAnAhBOWqnQX2rVaqMvZ7I3l7Fxgs_2kqg8kuXUTaVHZ9PZtnLa_wT8odK1rH7Hrvyf_Ydzfs9_BGS7M70to/s1600-h/cover.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244943567075500242" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCIu-A5BsX5vNnvzE8DOP2cUoKA5GqRgdNHgeJTUwDkejKaCbI9Uma1TMbAnAhBOWqnQX2rVaqMvZ7I3l7Fxgs_2kqg8kuXUTaVHZ9PZtnLa_wT8odK1rH7Hrvyf_Ydzfs9_BGS7M70to/s320/cover.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>I wanted to take a second to recommend a great writer of children's books, J. Hale Turner.<br /><br />J. Hale Turner's new book is called <em>Orange Clouds Blue Sky</em>. Check out the cover art and synopsis below, and visit J. Hale Turner at <a href="http://www.jhaleturner.com/"><strong><span style="color:#009900;">www.jhaleturner.com</span></strong></a><strong><span style="color:#009900;"> </span></strong>to learn more. </div><div> </div><div><span style="color:#3333ff;"><strong>Almost sweet sixteen Skye Patterson is in a total panic, searching frantically for her younger sister, Starr, who disappears in the mall of all places.Autism combined with curiosity and mischief can label Starr more than just a handful.To face their uptight parents is another unbearable consequence, causing Skye's teenage declaration of independence to appear more and more dismal. </strong></span></div><div><span style="color:#3333ff;"><strong></strong></span> </div><div><span style="color:#3333ff;"><strong>Time may heal old wounds, but patience is not Skye's best quality. She is bound and determined to find a solution to save her family's oncoming disaster for which she feels responsible.</strong></span></div><div><strong></strong> </div><div><a href="http://www.jhaleturner.com/"><span style="color:#009900;">Visit J. Hale Turner's Site </span></a></div><div> </div><div><a href="http://www.amazon.com/"><span style="color:#009900;">Orange Clouds Blue Sky is available at Amazon.com</span></a></div><div><span style="color:#009900;"></span> </div><div><span style="color:#3333ff;"></span> </div><div><span style="color:#3333ff;"></span> </div><div><br /> </div><br /><div></div>Author Kenneth James Kirschhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01233483745342690217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8277724358998979672.post-53180931461451237532008-09-09T17:19:00.000-07:002008-10-16T16:36:05.239-07:00Demon Alcohol and the Monstermen ExcerptHere's a brief excerpt from <em>Demon Alcohol and the Monstermen</em>:<br />Chapter 6: Baptism by Fire(water).<br /><br />There is a special place and time (an event one might call it) that alcoholics go to – those who drink alone, and most of them do at one point or another, sometimes for years at a time, despite their insistence to the contrary – called, for lack of a better term, “The Drunk’s Dark.”<br /><br />The Drunk’s Dark is where the solo drinking – the real damage drunks inflict on themselves – happens. It’s usually done in either the living room or bedroom of one’s apartment or house; sometimes the kitchen for the hardcore drunks who like to deny themselves even the comfort of a padded sofa during these periods of queerly pious self-abuse and loathing. The time is usually around 1 to 3 a.m.<br /><br />The Alone Hours, you might call them, occur after the lighted, pretty, social part of the drinking is done at the neighborhood tavern, or Elks Lodge, or dinner party – the kind you see in all those wonderful beer and liquor commercials with the beautiful people in their perfect clothes and their perfect teeth feeling perfectly content with their perfect drinks. Yes, friends and neighbors, after the back-slapping comes the back-stabbing. Nothing celebratory, or beautiful, or perfect, about it. This is where the drunk comes to do their penance, pay their fines, and rot away in their mental jail cells.<br /><br />It’s also where the drunk goes to ponder their condition, their lot in life, and recount who is responsible and why, and, goddammit, how they would exact their revenge if only they could. If only this bastard wasn’t holding them back, or if that job had turned out differently and the stupid bosses would have made them supervisor instead of that other suck-up. The drunk rarely cries during these episodes because, after all, it’s all someone else’s fault, isn’t it? And that’s not something to cry about. It’s something to get pissed off about – to drink over.<br /><br />The hour is quiet and the house is quiet. No TV, no phone, no radio. Just a drunk and their booze. There is no sound whatsoever, save for the dull landing of the hand on the metallic bottle lid, the tearing and simultaneous unscrewing sound as the metal lid scrapes against the threaded top of the bottle. Unscrewing that lid slowly, the initial resistance, then giving way, and spinning it on the tabletop is the triumph of control that every alcoholic craves. To a drunk, it’s that goood. The feeling of unfettered and guilt-free victory, the full-body tingle of discovery. The anticipation of release, of liberty, letting go of the questions without answers, letting go of the caring.<br /><br />The light clank of the bottle as it brushes against, and then settles, on top of the glass for balance before the tip. The drunker they get, the louder that clang as the bottle struggles to find pay dirt on the top of the glass. It’s not uncommon for the drunk to find chips of glass on the kitchen table, or on the floor, where it’s discovered the next morning and accompanied by a hung-over pronouncement of “Oh, shit-damn-fuck. Goddamn glass on the goddamn floor! What the fuck?!”<br />Some drunks, when they’re really wasted, will use the threads on the top of the bottle as balance on the side of the glass. Call it an insurance policy, a failsafe, just in case the damn thing slips.<br /><br />Then, another slight clink as the top of the bottle penetrates the glass for the pour. Followed by a muted glug-glug sound as the booze finds its way into the glass at last. At this point, the drunk feels their only joy in the process; they might smile even as they think: “Yes, that’s it baby, there ya go. This is victory, a victory for me. Look what I’ve created, world. I’m in control. I’m pouring my own drink in my own house, that I bought/rent with my own money, and it’s me doing it, you fuckers, it’s me. I’m in control here. I’m the boss of this one-person-booze-show. Me. No one else but me.”<br /><br />The power is in the penetration as well; don’t let anyone tell you differently. Even drunks themselves are at a loss to understand, or even recognize, the sexual overtones of The Drunk’s Dark. Men are always the bottle, women are always the glass.<br /><br />Then, the drinking. Followed by the loathing, the sorrow, and the utter aloneness of it all, the wretched rejection of life.<br /><br />This is where Leysa Henko, a tired, skinny woman 57 years old with eyelids so puffy they seemed to be holding the woes of the world inside two leathered, worn and world-weary bags, found herself the evening after Joshua, Claire and Hope visited for that dreaded lunch. A manhattan sat in front of her in a glass, a triple-strength, non-judgmental friend accompanying her into the wee hours of the night, like it had so faithfully done so many times before. A Pearl filtered cigarette sat in the between the crystal sharks’ teeth of a thick glass ashtray; smoke trailed from it in a solitary chimney – rising in three straight chimneys at first, then swirling into a kind of weak nicotine funnel as it neared the ceiling.Author Kenneth James Kirschhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01233483745342690217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8277724358998979672.post-52876843494374221532008-09-09T17:08:00.000-07:002008-09-09T17:18:24.828-07:00Demon Alcohol and the Monstermen: No Fun and GamesDowner alert. Downer alert. Downer alert.<br /><br />To answer a lot of questions about the reason for writing an intense, spooky "message novel" like Demon Alcohol and the Monstermen in these heady days of frothy Chick Lit, frothier Memoirs, froth-free Goth Horror, and Celebrity Cookbooks, read on.<br /><br />Easy. I had a message I wanted to get out. Strike that. <em>Had </em>to get out.<br /><br />Demon Alcohol and the Monstermen is about alcoholism, child abuse, endangerment and indifference. The backdrop is Prohibition. The victim is a little 5-year-old blond girl from Russia.<br /><br /><em>"But Ken, we've heard it all before. Remember the guy from Oprah who was caught with his proverbial pants down when he lied about his addictions in his own 'fictional' memoirs. And haven't we all been Dave Pelzer'd to death about this topic already?" </em><br /><em></em><br />The answer: No, and No. It hasn't all been done. It hasn't all been said.<br /><br />You haven't heard the issue of alcoholism and parental neglect worked over like this.<br /><br />I'm not saying I'll have the last word on this subject, but I will have <em>a </em>word.<br /><br />Read the next post for an excerpt. And let me know what you think.<br /><br />Blessings,<br /><br />Kenneth James KirschAuthor Kenneth James Kirschhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01233483745342690217noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8277724358998979672.post-21211439099918662362008-09-04T16:32:00.000-07:002008-09-04T16:40:17.648-07:00Great Free Blogs Promoting AuthorsI'm going to start a catalog of sorts of cost-free online ways to promote what you write. Since joining Facebook, I've come across two really great ones:<br /><br />1. <a href="http://authorspromotingauthors.blogspot.com/">http://authorspromotingauthors.blogspot.com/</a><br />Authors Promoting Authors (APA) is the brainchild of writer Tina-Sue Decross, a published author and another who is sympathetic to those of us seeking to promote online.<br /><br />This site requires a quid-pro-quo on the writer's part. The day after your book appears, you have to post the next author's book and a blurb about it on your blog. You have an active blog as well, so if you don't have one yet, get cracking! <br /><br />2. <a onmousedown="this.href='';" href="http://virtualbooktourdenet.blogspot.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://virtualbooktourdenet.blogspot.com/</a><br />This one provides book art and a blurb about the novel as well.<br /><br />The folks who run these blogs, Tina-Sue Decross and Karina Fabian, respectively, are great people doing a great service to all of us. Be sure to visit their blogs and spread the word.<br /><br /><em>Demon Alcohol and the Monstermen</em> will appear on authorspromotingauthors on Sept. 10 and on virtualbooktourdenet on Oct. 9 .<br /><br />I will be promoting an author myself as part of the agreement with APA and just to pass on the names of writers I admire and read.Author Kenneth James Kirschhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01233483745342690217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8277724358998979672.post-73578084749600788382008-09-02T18:54:00.000-07:002008-09-02T19:17:56.563-07:00What's That Smell? (An Interactive Exercise)Writers strive for vividness. Vivid descriptions, vivid colors, vivid sights, memorable items in a room or setting -- something, anything, that will catch the reader's attention and put them <em>there. In the book, in the room, in the story... </em><br /><em></em><br />More often than not, the writer will go right for the eyes and neglect the other senses. "See what I see," the writer seems to say. But what that rationale is missing is the most powerful image-evoking sense of them all: The Sense of Smell.<br /><br />We see more with our noses than our eyes when we read. Hit the subject right on the nose, so to speak, and you will paint 100 pictures with a single scent. Consider this passage:<br /><br /> "<em>See here... this writer's den has a cherry wood desk with a hint of red skin underneath the surface brown. The desk is freshly dusted so it gleams and the red is no longer hiding, it is prominent. On top. An heavy glass ashtray sits in the upper right corner, cluttered with clumps of discarded pipe tobacco. " </em><br /><em></em><br />What is this writer missing in conveying the scene of the writer's den to the reader? There are at least three olfactory clues in this passage that would convey the scene of the den much better if the writer was perceptive enough to pick up on them.<br /><br />1. First of all, we know the desk is freshly dusted. Was it dusted with a lemon wax product, or straight ammonia, or a damp (perhaps musty) cloth? And how powerful is the smell from each -- what does it contribute to the overall smell of the den?<br /><br />2. Also, we know the dusting brings out the red in the desk. But does the cherry base of the wood have any hint of the fruit scent left in it, and would it come out at all if the dusting product used was really powerful? Would the smells mingle at all, and what might that smell like?<br /><br />3. Lastly, and most obviously, we know the writer was a pipe smoker. This is one of the most distinctive and distinguishable smells around, and it gives the reader an unmistakeable image of the den's owner: bearded, mid-40s or 50s; jacket with patches on the sleeves; professorial type who may or may not have a British accent. In this case, the writer has only to describe the smell left in the den by the pipe tobacco and the reader already "sees" the character.<br /><br />Lastly, put yourself in the scene and decide which smell predominates, and which are secondary. Close your eyes, remember the scents and the character who owns the den, and breathe deeply. It should all come clear to you.<br /><br />If you're interested, rewrite the above passage about the den scene and put in the smells to go with the sights and see how much better you can make it. Post your response to this posting. Let's see how many different takes we can get.<br /><br />Bye for now.<br /><br />KennethAuthor Kenneth James Kirschhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01233483745342690217noreply@blogger.com0