# Konrath 8-Hour Challenge - Talk About The Stories Here



## AngryGames (Jul 28, 2013)

Betsy suggested that we make a new thread now that all of the challenge stories are up, and use this to talk about the stories or link to them.

So I'll go first, and talk about:



Now, I hate vampires and werewolves and zombies. Let me clarify, I hate them now. Mostly because I'm tired of them. They became the hot new thing with Twilight and World War Z, and while I loved WWZ, and never read Twilight, they've spawned a zillion copycats. I've no doubt there are many gems within those copycats, and probably a good amount of original stories, but the entire genre of that stuff is just...not my thing anymore. Consider that I grew up with Salem's Lot, The Lost Boys, Fright Night, stuff like that.

However, I'm always down for a fun take on one of those genres. I've said it before...if anyone writes about vampires who drink milk instead of blood, I will buy that book. Huffman's take, without giving too much away, is what I would call an 'old school' vampire, not one of these pretty-boy Brad Pitt/Robert Patterson types (disclaimer: I read all of Anne Rice's books and LOVED them, but you know what I mean when I say 'pretty-boy').

It's a vampire working his 'rounds' on Halloween.

I guess that would be my one-sentence description, which might seem a bit lean, but I hate knowing what a story is all about before reading it, as my mind ends up wondering 'when it x-event going to have to y-character that was in the synopsis/review?' and that ruins it for me a lot of the time.

If you want a quick, fun, old-school vampire short story, give this one a read. It is worth the $.99, but then again, I really love short stories and novellas.

I've only got about 78 more of the Konrath Challenge stories to read that were free, so this thread, even if I'm the only one to post in it, is going to be very large


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Well done, RM!

Congratulations on to all of you on being part of the challenge! Any of you who participated in the 8-hour challenge is welcome to post in this thread. You are also welcome to have a stand-alone thread for your work, and post the work in any genre threads which are appropriate, subject to our normal promotional rules, explained below. For a list of the genre threads available, see the Book Bazaar Threadipedia & FAQ thread stickied to the top of the Book Bazaar. [br][br]As you browse KBoards, keep in mind that *self-promotion, of any sort, is ONLY allowed in the Book Bazaar*. [br][br]A brief recap of our rules follows: [br][br]*--Please bookmark this thread (using your browser's bookmark/favorite function OR our KBoards bookmark system*) so you can update it as we ask that authors have only one thread per book and add to it when there is more information.* You may start a separate thread for each book. You may also post in genre threads as appropriate. [br][br]--We invite you to use your book cover as your avatar and have links to your book and website in your signature. Instructions are posted here [br][br]--While you may respond to member posts to your thread at any time, *you may only bump your thread (back-to-back posts by you) once every seven days*. Once you've responded to a member, that resets the clock to zero and you must wait seven days to post, unless another member posts before then. You may modify the latest post to reflect new information. [br][br]If you post in the genre thread, we ask that you post once per free run.

--We ask that Amazon reviews not be repeated here as they are easy to find at your book link. Also, full reviews from other sites should not be posted here, but you may post a short blurb and a link to the full review instead. [br][br]--Although *self-promotion is limited to the Book Bazaar*, our most successful authors have found the best way to promote their books is to be as active throughout KBoards as time allows. This is your target audience--book lovers with Kindles! Please note that putting link information in the body of your posts outside the Book Bazaar constitutes self promotion; please leave your links for your profile signature that will automatically appear on each post. For information on more ways to promote here on KBoards, be sure to check out this thread: Authors: KBoards Tips & FAQ. [br][br]All this, and more, is included in our Forum Decorum: http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,36.0.html. Be sure to check it from time to time for the current guidelines and rules. [br][br]Thanks for being part of KBoards! Feel free to send us a PM if you have any questions. [br][br]Betsy & Ann [br]Book Bazaar Moderators [br][br][br][br]*When viewing a thread, you'll see an 'add Bookmark' button near the Reply button. You can use that to add the thread to your bookmarks. To see your bookmarked threads at any time, click the 'Bookmarks' button in the forum header links.


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## Al Dente (Sep 3, 2012)

I have also been reading these stories, and I must say, many of them are great! Good job everyone! My own "Konrath Challenge" book is:

*HEALED*


Pastor Jonas Weir has always been known among his people as a man of God, so why does he no longer believe in what he teaches?

One evening, while walking home, Jonas witnesses a brutal murder. When he tries to intervene, the attacker screams "The red petals wither" before turning the knife on himself.

Now faced with self-doubt and horrible memories from a murder he was unable to stop, Jonas begins to see references to "the red petals" everywhere he looks. What are they and why do they seem to show up everywhere?

Healed is a horror story with elements of a psychological thriller. It is approximately 4500 words in length.


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## Cege Smith (Dec 11, 2011)

Sweet! I can catch any KBers I missed this way. I've only managed to read one so far, but I love that I can squeeze these in on my bus ride to the office or on lunch breaks. I missed getting included in Joe's post because I didn't follow directions properly. 

Here's mine. I am a haunted house addict- although Waverly Hills was the real inspiration for this one. 
It's free through tomorrow if anyone would like to grab it..



Psychology major Grace Fox has known for eight years that she was unique and different from the people around her. A car accident when she was twelve years old opened up a new path in her mind, and Grace can see things that no one else can see.

Taken under the wing of Professor Jenkins, Grace is eager to test the boundaries of her abilities, but Professor Jenkins cautions a slow methodology to her training. Impatient with her professor's approach, Grace takes matters into her own hands.

Grace coerces her best friend to film her exploration of an abandoned building on campus that is rumored to be haunted. In the end, Grace finds out that there's a very good reason that her professor didn't want her hunting for ghosts on her own.

Forbidden is a short story of 5500 words.


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## CoraBuhlert (Aug 7, 2011)

My Konrath challenge story is _Old Mommark's Tale_










In a tavern on Tortuga, the pirate Old Mommark recalls an adventure of his youth and tells a tale of an uncharted island, a great treasure, the gruesome Captain Scarlet and the even more gruesome monster that dragged him to his doom. But is it a true story or just sailor's yarn, spun under the influence of too much rum?

Till Friday, you can download it for free at XinXii with the coupon code KONRATH08


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## emnoble (Aug 27, 2013)

I have to say, I love the cover for Sweet Tooth.

My story is:



Lights in the City: On a normal run through a big city, a runner swats a fly. The fly grows in size and becomes so big that it blocks the sun. The people in the city are under attack! Rayna, a Recovery and Reevaluation technician, must decide if the city is worth saving. Will the humans prove themselves worthy of continuing life? Or will they doom themselves to a terrible fate?


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## Gone To Croatan (Jun 24, 2011)

Konrath didn't put mine on his list for some reason; I'm guessing my email was lost somewhere in a spam bucket.










_No-one expects to find alien life in NGC 2419. But when the first probes encounter a dirty, industrial planet somewhere no human is known to have been, the race is on to be the first to welcome its inhabitants into the galactic community. Will it be two poker-playing starships, or The Future, for whom pretension is a vocation, not just a way of life?

A 5,500 word science fiction short story._

It's kind of a parody of Iain Banks' Culture going around the universe telling everyone else what to do, and was inspired by a discussion on another forum about how The Culture wasn't even close to being a no scarcity society, as people kept claiming it was.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EV43KH6?tag=kbpst-20

I've extended the free run until the end of Monday. I'm also 3,000 words into the next story in that universe.


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## AngryGames (Jul 28, 2013)

It's a good thing Cege posted her book, as it was one I hadn't downloaded yet. I've got everyone's that has posted so far, it just might be a bit before I get to each one. Trying to get 1-3 per day read. 

Edward, when I clicked on your link, Amazon says I already grabbed it the day I grabbed all the others from Joe's blog. So somewhere along the line it was lumped in with everyone else's, and hopefully I'm not the only one that did the free-for-all grab on Friday


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## Lindy Moone (Oct 19, 2012)

Just a reminder that I've challenged myself to review all you "winners." I'm posting the reviews on Amazon, and on my blog. This is my penance for being too lazy to accept the challenge.

I am reading and reviewing your books -- which are amazing! -- aiming to spend one hour on each winner's work. I am doomed to fail in most cases, because I want these to be short-but-rocking reviews, not  !

I am committed to this challenge! (No doubt, I _should _be committed. Those of you who have read _Hyperlink from Hell_ know it's only a matter of time...)

Please stop by and comment. And feel free to drop a link to ONE (1) of your --_ahem _-- serious books, but only on the post that features your book, OK? No hijacking others' spotlights.

BTW, as I said in the other thread, I'm not fishing for reviews for my book in return. That would be wrong, and would likely get both reviews removed by the powers-that-be!


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## Lindy Moone (Oct 19, 2012)

My review for Travis Hill's _Eight Hour Fiction #1_ is now live on his book page. Check out the Belly-up! blog post about it here, if you want a taste of what your book is in for!


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## Meowsers (Jun 23, 2013)

Here is my 8-hour challenge book 



Here is the book description:

In the once picture perfect world of Oor, heartbreak and greed ruined paradise for everyone. When three unlikely friends try to save their world from falling into the Darkness, they misstep and get into more trouble than they thought was possible. A mysterious narrator tells the tale and reveals his importance in the history of the fantastical world of Oor. Can good ever overcome evil once it finds its way in? Forgiveness and sacrifice become the central theme in this short story of magic and betrayal.


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## CraigInOregon (Aug 6, 2010)

Here's mine:

_*The Devohrah Initiative*_










I've read a couple challenge books so far and find myself proud to be in the company of many fine KB writers.


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## TRGoodman (Jul 9, 2012)

Here is mine:

Abigail Abernathy: All-Night Analytical Engine Analyst



All Abigail Abernathy wants is a respectable job where she can put her knowledge of analytical engines to use. The Royel Trading Company of Bristol provides her with just such an opportunity, but not everyone is pleased to have her aboard. Between incompetent management, clients helpless beyond her imagination, and a disgruntled former analytical engine analyst who will stop at nothing to take back the job she unknowingly took from him, will her credulity, not to mention her sanity, be up to the task? It's going to be a long night.


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## Martin OHearn (Feb 9, 2012)

I tagged _Tsunami of Swill: Secret of the Ebook Crapnado_ as Parody when I published it, because I couldn't find Satire in the pull-down list. When it hit #6 in Amazon's Free Parody ranking the day after Joe Konrath blogged the list of challenge winners, I decided to let well enough alone. The story is satire, but the cover is a parody; I hope that satisfies the spirit of truth in advertising.



Information for a revised edition's afterword (note: there will be no revised edition):

After Joe supplied his blog readers the inspiration, the plot took off from a Writers' Café thread-hence the tagline "based on a 7% true story." That plot hook: self-identifed traditional-publishing insider blogs about how indie ebooks suck; his blog is mysteriously taken down. The rest wrote itself. No, really, it had to, under the eight-hour deadline.

I worked from a three-sentence outline that never got committed to the laptop hard drive, let alone paper. I had an idea of the beginning, middle, and tentative ending, but had to trust to instinct in connecting them on the run.

For instance: the story opening is, believe it or not, a literary allusion. I wrote it as a teaser sequence with no connection to what followed, but further along I found it tied neatly into the plot. (If you can't sleep without tracking down the allusion, there's a Googleable clue in a proper name in that opening.)

On the technical side, I followed some Konrathian advice: put the copyright page at the end, so the Look Inside preview on the Amazon page will show as much as possible. In sheer serendipity, the Look Inside sample of _Tsunami_ cuts off just after a punchline.

Free through September 3-I used all five Kindle Select promotion days in one swoop. 99 cents after that!

And by the way, thanks to Lindy Moone and Cinisajoy for reviewing _Tsunami of Swill_ and the other Konrath Challenge books.


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## cinisajoy (Mar 10, 2013)

Maggie, 
I read your book this morning.  It was good but dang your cake is better.  I must recommend that everyone go buy Maggie Ingles Cuban Comfort Foods.  Her 4 milk cake alone is worth the $2.99.


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## JETaylor (Jan 25, 2011)

I downloaded quite a few - although I have no clue when I'll get to read them because I've got to finish writing two books by the end of October and do a full edit on another for my publishing house in the same time frame. I have a feeling these will end up being on my Christmas break reading list.


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## Isabel Dare (Nov 12, 2012)

Thanks for making a thread about the challenge! I already see some terrific looking books I missed earlier. Margaret, that cover is amazing!

This story was my contribution to the Konrath challenge, and it's still FREE and will be tomorrow (the 3rd) as well:



Sharazad was the highest-ranked courtesan at the Persian court, and the only one who could keep the King entertained, night after night after night. 
Some say that she told him stories, and so she did. But that was not all she did to keep a bored and jaded King occupied. 
Here, for adult readers only, are the confessions of Sharazad that never made it into the Thousand and One Nights...

Please note that this is a short erotic romance, and *not safe for work*!


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## AngryGames (Jul 28, 2013)

To be honest, when Betsy suggested to make a new thread, I made it with the intention of having us use it it DISCUSS the books we were reading from the challenge, not to have yet another thread where we would advertise the books (we already spent 16 pages doing it in the other Konrath thread, plus this whole forum section is a place authors can make individual threads about their stories as well as pimp them in the genre threads).

I was hoping as *readers* we would use the thread to talk everyone else's stories and why we liked or didn't like them (kind of like a peer review I guess) since there are quite a few of us who are hesitant or completely refuse to leave reviews at Amazon because of the fear that we might run afoul of their semi-unwritten 'rules' when it comes to authors leaving other authors reviews.

And I was hopeful that people would refrain from talking about their own book until someone else brought it up in a 'natural' way (i.e. refrain from talking about your own book/story until someone else mentioned it, that way we don't look like we are trying to make this thread a Twitter feed where authors are shouting their books at each other), as I did with RM Huffman's "Sweet Tooth" in my first post.

I know that non-authors will be reading this thread, and I figured that since we'd be talking about each other's books (not our own in an advertising way), non-authors would see it as maybe more of a reason to give the ones we are discussing a read (I mean, after all, if 9 out of every 10 authors think "How To Seduce A Man In One Easy Step" or "Bottling Farts" is awesome, like I do, readers will probably be drawn to it as well).

Yeah, I'm sure I sound like a whiner, and I suppose I am. I just don't see the need of this thread if we are going to do the same things we did in the thread in the Writer's Cafe (could have just had Ann or Betsy move that thread into this section).


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## cinisajoy (Mar 10, 2013)

AngryGames said:


> To be honest, when Betsy suggested to make a new thread, I made it with the intention of having us use it it DISCUSS the books we were reading from the challenge, not to have yet another thread where we would advertise the books (we already spent 16 pages doing it in the other Konrath thread, plus this whole forum section is a place authors can make individual threads about their stories as well as pimp them in the genre threads).
> 
> I was hoping as *readers* we would use the thread to talk everyone else's stories and why we liked or didn't like them (kind of like a peer review I guess) since there are quite a few of us who are hesitant or completely refuse to leave reviews at Amazon because of the fear that we might run afoul of their semi-unwritten 'rules' when it comes to authors leaving other authors reviews.
> 
> ...


I like the authors talking about their own books too.

Now everyone please go read Travis' book. Since he refuses to advertise himself.


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Well, there needed to be a place where people can post about their books, too...both can be done with this thread!  I thought it would be convenient to members to have one place where they could find the books to buy/download, too!

And, really, there shouldn't be any links to books in the WC threads about the challenge, right?


I know I removed at least a couple....here you can post AND discuss with impunity.

Betsy


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## CraigInOregon (Aug 6, 2010)

Betsy the Quilter said:


> ....here you can post AND discuss with impunity.
> 
> Betsy


What about the "never post more than once a week on this thread" rule?


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

*shakes head sadly* 

Craig, for someone who's been a member over three years and has over 6500 posts to his credit, your lack of understanding of the promotional rules is disheartening. 

The rule isn't "never post more than once a week on this thread."

The rule is "you may not make back-to-back posts within seven days of each other." If someone has posted in between your last post and the one you want to make, you are fine. Conversation is good.



Harvey said:


> The simple rule to remember for your book thread: no back-to-back posts from you that are closer than 7 days apart.


I will add, similar to the Free Book thread, you should only post a link to your book once per free run or price change.

The Indie Romance genre thread operates quite well as both a discussion thread and a promotional thread. Let's follow that model.

Betsy


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## Al Dente (Sep 3, 2012)

Betsy the Quilter said:


> Well, there needed to be a place where people can post about their books, too...both can be done with this thread! I thought it would be convenient to members to have one place where they could find the books to buy/download, too!
> 
> And, really, there shouldn't be any links to books in the WC threads about the challenge, right?
> 
> ...


Yep. I figured we could post our links and talk about other books.

I have read a few of the 8-hour books so far, and I plan to post my thoughts on them as soon as I have a few minutes to write in a little more detail. I will say that so far, I haven't read one I didn't like!


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## CraigInOregon (Aug 6, 2010)

Thanks for the clarification. I've misunderstood that rule for two years now.

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S3 using Tapatalk HD


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## Lindy Moone (Oct 19, 2012)

Hey, look up! Timing is everything, but I assure you it's just a coincidence that Craig's book is my featured review today. Please check it out, vote it up, whatever. The link to his book page is right on the blog post. Easy-peasy. Don't forget... your turn will come!:



I'd also like to assure you that, contrary to appearances, I don't intend to award 5 stars to everyone! So far, it's just happened that way. I'm enjoying your books immensely. Well done, you!  

FYI: every time I spell-check a post with a blog link in it, it wants me to change "lindymoone" to "landmine."   Just sayin'.


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## cinisajoy (Mar 10, 2013)

Lindy Moone said:


> Hey, look up! Timing is everything, but I assure you it's just a coincidence that Craig's book is my featured review today. Please check it out, vote it up, whatever. The link to his book page is right on the blog post. Easy-peasy. Don't forget... your turn will come!:
> 
> I'd also like to assure you that, contrary to appearances, I don't intend to award 5 stars to everyone! So far, it's just happened that way. I'm enjoying your books immensely. Well done, you!
> 
> FYI: every time I spell-check a post with a blog link in it, it wants me to change "lindymoone" to "landmine."  Just sayin'.


Good luck not giving 5 stars to the Kboarder authors. All but one was great.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

So, Betsy's comments notwithstanding, please understand that this thread is for discussion and promotion of BOOKS that you've written for the "Konrath Challenge".

It is NOT for promoting your OWN review sites or blogs or anything like that. 

So. . . links to YOUR book you wrote for the challenge are o.k. 

Links to a 'challenge' book you REVIEWED are o.k. 

Links to your own website or blog where you've posted said review is not. 

So.  If you're reviewing the books, and want to post here that you've done so, that's fine -- but please don't include links that take the discussion ELSEWHERE.  Go ahead and say what you think here too. . . . . 

I have removed a few links to external sites.

Thanks for understanding.


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

CraigInTwinCities said:


> Thanks for the clarification. I've misunderstood that rule for two years now.
> 
> Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S3 using Tapatalk HD


You're not alone, Craig...I just couldn't resist the urge to tease you a bit!

Thanks, Ann, for clarifying the point.

We do want the discussion here; after all, discussion is what drives the forum.

For those with blogs, you can have a link to your blog in your siggy. And, you might not know: you can have a dedicated thread for your blog, similar to a book thread. The same 7-day rule, explained below, applies to blogs, though you can edit the latest post to update with new blog entries if it's been less than seven days.

Party on!

Betsy


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## Lindy Moone (Oct 19, 2012)

Ann in Arlington said:


> So, Betsy's comments notwithstanding, please understand that this thread is for discussion and promotion of BOOKS that you've written for the "Konrath Challenge".
> 
> It is NOT for promoting your OWN review sites or blogs or anything like that.
> 
> ...


  So... no blog links. Understood.

What if I post the reviews here, to encourage discussion about the books (_without _stating the number of stars I've posted on their Amazon book page), and then a link to their page? I don't make any money off my blog, so it doesn't make any difference to me where people see the reviews. Oh, and it's not a review site. These are the first -- and likely to be the only -- books I'll review for the blog. It's exhausting!

So, let's try it:

Christopher Gordon's _How To Train Your Dinosaur_ is _Catcher in the Rye_ meets _Jurassic Park_ meets _John Dies at the End_.

'Nuff said? No? In that case:

A versatile writer, Gordon has conjured up a surprisingly badass-but-touching story, written totally in correspondence from (and to) a new "recruit" to R.A.P.T.O.R. (That's Republic Academy Predator Training Objective Rehabilitation, to you and me.)

It's like rehab boot camp, with dinosaurs. Who knew?

So, how did Neville "The Nogaliscious One" Noggins end up dodging dino dung, while his parents moved on without him? He peed on the Principal's wig, at Jurassic High. Oh, how he'll wish he hadn't done that. (Nah. Knowing "Nog," he'd just wish he hadn't gotten caught. Or he will, if he ever gets the chance&#8230; )

And that's all the spoilers you're gettin' outta me!

I haven't read any of this author's other books, but I will. Gordon makes it easy to get hooked - by including the first 5 chapters of The Dinosaur Games. Which is cool, convenient&#8230; and just a bit predatory. 

(I do have one bone to pick, and it's a big one: no dinosaurs on the cover!)

http://www.amazon.com/How-Train-Your-Dinosaur-ebook/dp/B00ESI4MTU


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## JETaylor (Jan 25, 2011)

Lindy Moone said:


> FYI: every time I spell-check a post with a blog link in it, it wants me to change "lindymoone" to "landmine."  Just sayin'.


Lindy - you just gave me the chuckle of the night. 

Happy hump day!

JET


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## Lindy Moone (Oct 19, 2012)

*Well, I've done a few more reviews of your books, and posted them on the books' Amazon pages. (If you want to catch up with them, you can see them on the blog.) Every once in awhile, I'll post another here.

So here's today's stinky little fella:*

Yay! Book reviews are back! It's The Instant Review Challenge, book 9!

_Bottling Farts_, by Donald Rump
http://www.amazon.com/Bottling-Farts-ebook/dp/B00ERBWO98/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1379330685&sr=1-1&keywords=Bottling+Farts,

*Flat-out Flatulent Frivolity!*

I must admit to being disappointed, at least at first. Despite its no-nonsense title and serious cover, Bottling Farts utterly fails as a self-help book for chemical warfare aficionados of the survivalist persuasion. Between me and you, there's just not enough "How to."

But then, maybe the world doesn't need another How to Weaponize Your Farts manual. So it's a good thing. A nasty, smelly, naughty, not-for-kids good thing. I suspect the author, Donald Rump, is all of those things, too.

So if it's not a how-to guide, what is _Bottling Farts_?

If you think a story about farts-as-mind-control is funny, it's flat-out flatulent frivolity.

If you've got the urge to see a naughty kid give an odiferous adult a whiff of his own medicine, it's the gas.

Butt&#8230; butt&#8230;
The ending stinks. Also the middle.
Stinks so good.

(5 smelly stars)


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