REVIEW: Stuart Keane & Matt Hickman - Gemini

Genre: Horror / Extreme

Publisher: Stuart Keane

Publication Date: 12^th August 2016

Pages: 193

REVIEWED BY NEV

A copy of Gemini: A Psychological Horror was sent to Confessions of a Reviewer by the authors, Stuart Keane and Matt Hickman, in exchange for an honest review. This is said review. This book is published by Stuart Keane.

So, Stuart Keane is a proven extremely talented author. Matt Hickman is really on the opening part of his journey as an author but from what I have seen, and from what others are saying, will shortly be a proven extremely talented author.

What happens when they collaborate on something though? Will it do either of them harm or will it fit together like an expertly cut jigsaw puzzle? Gemini is our chance to find out. Collaborations, from my experience, can be a hit or miss thing. I have read a few that have been superb but I have also read a few that, quite frankly, should never have been produced. I always get a bit nervous about reading them purely from the point of view that if the authors have two very distinct styles of writing, they may not gel. To me, reading a story where the styles are very prominent, and it is not too difficult to tell them apart, just ruins it for me.

So how do these two fare? Let’s find out.

Odette has managed to bag one of those all too rare afternoons off. Not through choice either which makes it even better. Time to go surprise her fella, Gavin, with a bottle of wine and some new lingerie.

As it turns out though, Gavin is the one who is going to be doing the surprising. Especially when he awkwardly introduces his new friend, Shay.

What looks like being the Battle Royale between two newly sworn enemies turns into a mutual respect and love of all things brutal.

A challenge has been set. There can be only one winner.

SHOW-OFF AND TELL #34 - Matt Hickman - Jeremy: Evil Has One Name

#34 in the Show-Off and Tell is one of the first books I actually picked up in person.

It’s Jeremy: Evil Has One Name by Matt Hickman.

I recently met Matt at Emcon in Nottingham. This was my first con and to be honest the event itself fell a bit flat to me but grabbing some lovely books and getting the opportunity to meet some people for the first time and get them to sign their stuff was, for me, the highlight of the weekend.

I had a bit of a surprise for Matt that weekend as well in the form of a gift for him from my wife Jo. It was a rather fetching T-Shirt featuring the cover of Matt’s favourite book, with the touching slogan on the back which read: I Love The Horse Cock.

He was a good sport about it even though I didn’t see him wear it and he still signed the book for me!

This is my copy:

REVIEW: Matt Hickman - Jeremy: Evil Has One Name

Genre: Horror

Publisher: Self Published

Publication Date: 12^th Dec 2015

Pages: 103

REVIEWED BY NEV

This is one of those rare occasions when this book was not directly submitted for review. I picked up a copy of Jeremy: Evil Has One Name direct from the author, Matt Hickman at a convention earlier in the year. I have spoken with Matt for about a year now but never met the fella before. I had heard good things about his writing.

The only story I have read of his prior to this was the short story, Anna in the Dark Chapter Press anthology, Kids. I was quite impressed with that one but really wanted to read something a bit longer to see how he coped with that. Again, even though I sort of know the fella (he has weird taste in T-shirts), this does not gain any favours when I review.

This is what I thought.

Jeremy is a troubled eleven-year-old boy. He is an only child and may as well not even exist as far as his parents are concerned. He wants for nothing material, but never gets the emotional love a child deserves.

Along with his friends, Sam and Cole, he suffers at the hands of two school bullies when he moves to secondary school. They just will not let up with the name calling and general nastiness.

When the bullies cause Jeremy and his friends to make a mess of a science experiment and get suspended from school, things take an even nastier turn when a chance meeting outside school leads to a disaster.

GUEST POST: Confessions of my Past, Present and Future #32 - Matt Hickman

Confessions of my Past, Present and Future

by

Matt Hickman

The Past

I think the reason that most people take to writing is that they all have that creative streak inside of them, frustrated - desperate to be unleashed. It could be one single idea; it could be an entire series of novels, which they have meticulously planned over many years before finally residing to task. Sentencing themselves to endless, torturous hours at a computer screen with endless re-writes and edits. I wish that I could say that writing has always been in my blood. Something that I have nurtured and developed into a fine art over many years but that’s simply not the case. For me, writing is a new process. Despite my English teacher telling me in my final years of school that I had some capability, I chose to ignore his advice, and many years later, here I am, still learning the technical aspects of the craft. Writing is a creative outlet. Constructing the various elements of a story can be an intimidating assignment; however, it can also be very rewarding.

Reading on the other hand, is something that is very much in my blood. From an age as early as I can remember, I have always enjoyed reading books. Whilst many children pursued other pastimes such as football or rugby, I was the geek that sat in the corner of the playground with my nose planted firmly in a book. In primary school, classes often had reading projects involving books. Stig of the Dump by Clive King or The Iron Man by Ted Hughes are two that immediately spring to mind.  Most of the other kids in the class would roll their eyes at the prospect of reading a book and having to pull apart its innards, I would crack my knuckles and prepare to get started. This was the point where my parents noticed that I had a partiality for literature. Not coming from a wealthy enough background to support my love of books, they did the next best thing; they took me to join the local library. I was about eight years old; one of my earliest and fondest memories. Thirty years on and I can still recall the experience with clarity. Talk about a kid in a sweet shop.