His entry begins:I’m currently indulging in two of my favorite obsessive reading topics, the Beat Generation, and Shakespeare.About Long Black Curl, from the publisher:
From the Beats, I’m reading Jack Kerouac’s first novel manuscript, The Sea is My Brother, written in 1943 and finally published in 2011. It’s like many first novels, including my own: probably better left in the drawer. Yet for that very reason it’s both a treat and a reassurance. Kerouac’s place in the literary firmament is already secure, so finding out that he, like me and every other writer, started with an awkward, crude first manuscript that nevertheless showed flashes of what was to come, reminds me that...[read on]
Long Black Curl: a brand-new tale in Alex Bledsoe's acclaimed urban fantasy series, where magic is hidden in plain sight and age-old rivalries simmer just beneath the surfaceLearn more about the book and author at Alex Bledsoe's website and blog.
In all the time the Tufa have existed, only two have ever been exiled: Bo-Kate Wisby and her lover, Jefferson Powell. They were cast out, stripped of their ability to make music, andcursed to never be able to find their way back to Needsville. Their crime? A love that crossed the boundary of the two Tufa tribes, resulting in the death of several people.
Somehow, Bo-Kate has found her way back. She intends to take over both tribes, which means eliminating both Rockhouse Hicks and Mandalay Harris. Bo-Kate has a secret weapon: Byron Harley, a rockabilly singer known as the "Hillbilly Hercules" for his immense size and strength, and who has passed the last sixty years trapped in a bubble of faery time. He's ready to take revenge on any Tufa he finds.
The only one who can stop Bo-Kate is Jefferson Powell. Released from the curse and summoned back to Cloud County, even he isn't sure what will happen when they finally meet. Will he fall in love with her again? Will he join her in her quest to unite the Tufa under her rule? Or will he have to sacrifice himself to save the people who once banished him?
The Page 69 Test: Wisp of a Thing.
Writers Read: Alex Bledsoe.
--Marshal Zeringue
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