#TheHat

Review for Viral Blues by C S Boyack #HumourousDarkComedy @virgilante

/ Jaye Marie and Anita Dawes / 44 Comments

Someone knows about the hat. The creature from another dimension that helps Lizzie fight against the creatures of darkness.
They are summoned to a cryptic meeting with a secret society, where they meet other people with enhanced skills. It turns out someone, or something, has been tampering with the world’s vaccine supply. The goal doesn’t appear to be political or financial, but biblical pestilence.
Can this group of loners come together in time to make a difference when even the proper authorities are obstacles?
Check out Viral Blues, for your dose of paranormal adventure, with a strong sample of dark humor. And in recent superhero style, don’t miss the secret last chapter after the back material.

Our Review

I wasn’t sure about the premise for Viral Blues, considering the state of the planet right now. I thought it might be just a little too close for comfort, but the cast of characters soon grabbed me by my coat tails and pulled me into the story with wonderful enthusiasm!

Such an interesting idea, bringing all your favourite characters together in one book. They all fit together well, apart from the Hat, who, lets face it, has never been a team player but did his level best to rule the roost!

That extra chapter at the end was worthy of being compared to some of Hollywood’s best (and cringe-making) finales. It is extremely well written but nasty in the extreme, but villains should always get their comeuppance, shouldn’t they? And what happened to Danny O’Malley was poetic!

#TuesdayBookBlog ~ The Hat by Craig Boyack #Novella #Fantasy @Virgilante

/ Jaye Marie and Anita Dawes / 7 Comments

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Lizzie St. Laurent is dealing with many of the struggles of young life. She lost her grandmother and her living arrangements. Her new roommate abandoned her, and she’s working multiple jobs just to keep her head above water.

She inherits an old hat from her grandmother’s estate, but it belonged to her grandfather. This is no ordinary hat, but a being from an alternate dimension. One with special powers.

Lizzie and the hat don’t exactly hit it off right away, but when her best friend’s newborn is kidnapped by a ring of baby traffickers, Lizzie turns to the hat for help. This leads her deep into her family history and a world she’s never known.

Lizzie gives up everything to rescue the babies. She loses her jobs and may wind up in jail before it’s over. Along the way, she and the hat may have a new way of making ends meet.

Our Review

Short, snappy and very funny, Craig Boyack’s new novella is a magical and engaging read.

The main character is a charming and versatile talking hat, brilliantly crafted, instantly likeable and more importantly, believable.

The chemistry between the Hat and Lizzie (the hapless and stubborn human in the story) fairly sizzles, as they argue non- stop as they try to solve the mystery of the missing babies. The speed of the dialogue will leave you gasping for breath!

The idea of a talking hat busy surfing the internet had me in stitches.

I liked the novel addition of the graphics and the bass clef section dividers. I wonder how many readers made the connection?

You will remember this story and the Hat long after you put the book down… and more from this iconic pair would not go amiss.

( Just heard that the wait is over, we will soon be able to read more from The Hat…)

 

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I was born in a town called Elko, Nevada. I like to tell everyone I was born in a small town in the 1940s. I’m not quite that old, but Elko has always been a little behind the times. This gives me a unique perspective of earlier times, and other ways of getting by. Some of this bleeds through into my fiction.

I moved to Idaho right after the turn of the century, and never looked back. My writing career was born here, with access to other writers and critique groups I jumped in with both feet.

I like to write about things that have something unusual. My works are in the realm of science fiction, paranormal, and fantasy. The goal is to entertain you for a few hours. I hope you enjoy the ride.

Craig