GUNPOWDER BREATH by Kilroy (Again)

Recently Bob Deis (if you don't know that name, you might be in the wrong spot) posted a very lovely review of my novel (or novella or novelette) Gunpowder Breath (under my handle Kilroy) over on Amazon and on my Goodreads page. Being a self-published writer this sort of things helps immensely. I'm sure I'd have more readers if I did anything other than mentioning the books on posts here, but I'm terrible of self-promotion. I probably should get better, who knows if that'll happen. So, thanks Bob for the reviews! It's always nice (and surprising) to have someone like your work, especially when it's a weird little book told in three major gunfights. Bob also put it on a 10 Book Recommendation List on his wonderful site Menspulpmags.com, a site I frequent often. It's a good list that made me purchase a couple books. I'll take this moment to recommend two of Bob's own books that I love He-Men, Bag Men & Nymphos and Weasels Ripped My Flesh. Both are wonderful primers for the wild world of Men's Adventure Mags and beautiful books to boot.

Speaking of Men's Mags, that's where a little of the inspiration for Gunpowder Breath came from. I wanted to write a book of pure motion, something that stood up and ran to the last page. I feel that same energy when I read stories from the Men's Adventure Mags. They're stories with a fire in their belly and I really dig that. I think I accomplished that, whether it's good is reader problems. So, thanks again Bob for reprinting them! 

I was also really influenced by B-Movies, I'm talking Direct-to-Video movies, especially of the 80s and 90s. Scrappier productions that may not have had "stars" but made up for it in crazy stunt work and full-tilt action. Stuff like Fred Olen Ray's Armed Response (1986), PM Entertainment's Recoil (1998), Bloodmoon (1997), Steve Wang's Drive (1997) or Red Sun Rising (1994). Smaller pictures that had to fight (get it?) more to be entertaining. I like the idea of all of that and the underdog energy, Dick Mulligan, the washed-up and drugged-addled mercenary "hero" of Gunpowder Breath certainly has to fight for everything he does. 

And finally, where did Kilroy come from? Well, my name is Roy and I've always enjoyed the "Kilroy Was Here" graffiti from WWII. That, plus my love of author pseudonyms gave me a natural inclination to write under a penname. But more specifically when I was a James Bond obsessed teenager I read Trevanian's novels The Eiger Sanction and The Loo Sanction and they had quite the influence on my writing with their action played straight but with a winking humor sprinkle throughout. It's in the DNA of Gunpowder Breath but is perhaps more noticeable in my upcoming book (and hopeful series) called The Grill-Master. I also think it's cool to go by one name, like Cher. 

So, this is just a little break from out regularly scheduled programing. Many more book reviews on the horizon, thanks for this indulgence if you made it this far.