NEW FICTION: Bourbon & Blondes has arrived!

From the bus stations of Rt. 66 to the smoky, neon-tinged jazz dives of the big cities, these wanton tales of longing introduce us to vixens on the fringe and those shifty men that drove them there.

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Watch: The 'Bourbon & Blondes' Book Trailer

Get your shot glass ready because you're about to enter a retro world of showgirls, drifters, barmaids and thieves.

The eternal question for scribes?

In this new social media landscape, the question becomes: Is blogging dead? It just may be...

Watch: The 'Front Page Palooka' Book Trailer

Read the pulp novella that one reviewer called 'A potboiler in the style of old school writers like Mickey Spillane, Dashiell Hammett or Raymond Chandler...'

Sunday, September 30, 2012

'BOARDWALK EMPIRE RECAP': YOU'RE NOT GETTIN' GLOOMY ARE YA, GUS?


'I got a gun ... HE got a gun ... He got a gun ... EVER'BODY GOT GUNS!
'BOARDWALK EMPIRE' RECAP
SEASON THREE, EPISODE TWO
'SPAGHETTI & COFFEE'


THIS WEEK: Written by Howard Korder and directed by 'Empire' first-timer Alik Sakharov, the tension in this episode progressed nicely with — shockingly — no body count which is a rarity these days on 'Empire.' As always, take heed... Massive spoilers ahead.

Here's what went down:

• Nucky meets a new 'associate' in the form of U.S. investigator Gaston Bullock Means, courtesy of Attorney General Harry Daugherty.

• At St. Theresa’s, Margaret, still trying to get a handle on playing the dutiful benefactor, clashes with both doctor and patient.

• Gyp Rosetti finds an odd solace with Tabor Heights when he realizes how strategic the town is on a map.

• Chalky White and daughter Maybelle (Christina Jackson) disagree on her future with potential husband and current med student beau Samuel.
• Eli, sprung from jail, comes to terms with his absence from home and goes to work for a most unlikely boss.

For my full scene-by-scene annotated recap, historical footnotes, episode videos, tunes from the era and other thoughts, visit NJ.com.




Tuesday, September 18, 2012

BOARDWALK EMPIRE RECAP': GANGSTER GYP MORETTI STEPS OUT

Character actor Bobby Cannavale explodes on the screen as gangster Gyp Moretti.
BOARDWALK EMPIRE RECAP
SEASON THREE, EPISODE ONE
'RESOLUTION'


THIS WEEK:  The more things change, the more they stay the same. Around a year has passed and Jimmy Darmody (Michael Pitt) is long gone. Nucky Thompson (Steve Buscemi) — no longer Atlantic County treasurer — keeps busy by playing benefactor and philanthropist by day while supplying the region with plenty of alcohol by night. Written by showrunner/executive producer Terence Winter and directed by 'Empire' veteran Tim Van Patten, the action in this third season premiere flash-forwards to the dawn of 1923 on New Year's Eve.

Here's what went down:

• We meet this season's newest loose cannon: Gyp Rosetti, a Sicilian hothead who wastes no time in becoming a fly-in-the-ointment.

• At his lavish New Year's Eve bash, Nucky declares that he will be no longer supply liquor to the masses and will be selling to only one customer.

• Margaret gets (a little too involved) at St. Theresa’s Hospital where she and Nucky are benefactors and have built a new wing.

• Gillian Darmody embarks on a new business venture while caring for Tommy, her late son Jimmy's orphaned little boy

• In Chicago, Al Capone locks horns with Irish mobster Dean O' Banion

• Stumblebum Nelson Van Alden, now on the lam in Illinois, peddles irons door-to-door by day. But will it be for long?

For my full scene-by-scene annotated recap, historical footnotes, episode videos, tunes from the era and other thoughts, visit NJ.com.




Sunday, September 16, 2012

'BOARDWALK EMPIRE' SEASON 3: FIVE QUESTIONS


Well ... It's back. It's been a long wait.

The third season of HBO's prohibition drama "Boardwalk Empire" kicks off Sunday night at 9 p.m. and we're prepping our best small batch bourbon for the return of Nucky Thompson and company.

We'd be lying, however, if we said we weren't a bit worried. After last season's shocking body count of major players, will HBO's lavish critical darling rebound from not only the loss of a main character but continue its upward momentum while maintaining it's rich period detail?

I have questions.

READ THE REST OF THE PIECE AT NJ.COM WHICH INCLUDES MY 'FIVE BURNING QUESTIONS FOR THE RETURN OF 'BOARDWALK EMPIRE.' CLICK HERE