Charlie Wesley is not right in the head. He’s escaped from a mental hospital up north and hitchhiked his way south, the voice of his dead brother urging him on. But when Charlie hits Memphis, the fine line between his delusions and reality shift in the form of the Reverend Phineas Childe—a hedonistic preacher bent on booze and women; a Man of God with a dark agenda. As Charlie gradually discovers his own innate supernatural power, he becomes the perfect pawn in the Reverend’s game of retribution. And the small North Mississippi town of Cuba Landing will be the setting for the Reverend’s very personal Apocalypse… What People are Saying 
“In the storied waking-up-into-a-nightmare pulp tradition, Heath Lowrance’s The Bastard Hand reads is a lurid thrill. You will finish it in one frenzied sitting, then feel as if you’re awakening from a red-misted trance.” 
—Megan Abbott, author of Bury Me Deep 
“A bastard of a good book. If you like Flannery O’Connor and Jim Thompson, you’re going to love this.” 
—Allan Guthrie, author of Slammer 
“Mean, tough, lurid, intense, and entirely engaging, this novel is a must read for all fans of the hardboiled genre.” 
—Vincent Zandri, author of the Dick Moonlight PI thrillers\n“The Bastard Hand grabs you by the lapels and drags you on a wild, wild bar crawl that leaves you battered and bruised at the gates of hell. Like Jim Thompson jamming with Robert Johnson and Nick Cave on the eve of the apocalypse.” 
—Paul D. Brazill, Pulp Metal Magazine

The Bastard Hand

Literature & Fiction

Lowrance, Heath

Genre Fiction

Shotgun Honey Books

City of Heretics

Bill is a conman with a taste for high-end cars, beautiful suits, and top-shelf liquor. But he's getting tired of the cons he needs to maintain that lifestyle-and he's sick of the violence that's sometimes part of the job. Bill's girlfriend Fiona doesn't have a problem with violence, though. She'll crush anyone who stands in her way-and some days, it seems like the whole world wants a piece of her. She loves Bill, but she's tired of cleaning up after him. When Bill decides to "borrow" a couple million from one of New York City's most vicious gangs and flee for the tropics, it puts their relationship to the test-and while they're working out their issues, they'll also need to fend off crooked cops, dimwitted bouncers, and an irate assassin in the midst of the world's weirdest midlife crisis. "Love & Bullets" is the story of a 21st century Bonnie & Clyde, a wisecracking duo who'll blast their way from Brooklyn to Cuba and back in order to stay alive. It's a wild ride.Praise for Love & Bullets: Megabomb Edition "Nick Kolakowski takes us on another incredibly visceral and vivacious ride among the lowlife and the lovers that populate his unique imagination. Love and Bullets is vintage Nick . Funny, fast paced and just tinged with just enough darkness to make you afraid for his characters. Not to be missed!"-S.A. Cosby NYT's best selling author of Razorblade Tears and Blacktop Wasteland "This one's for die-hard Kolakowski fans"-Publishers Weekly "Dark, bleak and in-your-face, take-no-prisoners prose, everything you want in crime fiction."-Frank Bill, author of Donnybrook and Crimes in Southern Indiana

Love & Bullets: Megabomb Edition (A Love & Bullets Hookup)

Humor & Entertainment

KOLAKOWSKI, NICK

Humor

If there's a bad idea in Tugalo County, chances are that Mack and Marshall Dooley are behind it. When the brothers heist a snake-handling church's money-laundering operation, things go south in a hurry. This part of the north Georgia hills ain't much, just hardscrabble folks trying to get by. It's the perfect place to wash a load of cash -- and an even better place to make your enemies disappear. When Mack goes missing, Marshall cuts a deal with a local crime boss to rescue his brother. Navigating a storm of wild women and a literal nest of vipers, the Dooleys can't trust anyone other than themselves to get out of the mess they've made. Praise for A VIOLENT GOSPEL: "A Violent Gospel is the literary equivalent of The Dukes of Hazzard driving onto the set of Elmore Leonard's Justified." -David Tromblay, author of As You Were "A Violent Gospel is a down-n-dirty and Old Testament justice is the law of the land." -Steph Post, author of Lightwood and Miraculum "A Violent Gospel is a visceral slice of existential cornbread." -S.A. Cosby, N.Y. Times bestselling author of Razorblade Tears "This book is rural crime fiction at its best. Westmoreland's ability to play in the gray area between darkness and light is spot on word candy that is perfectly suited to the title of A Violent Gospel." -Brian Panowich, author of Hard Cash Valley "A Violent Gospel is one rollicking old testament ass whoopin' of a debut. Westmoreland is an exciting new voice in southern noir, delivering 100 Proof Hellbilly Pulp and I can't wait for more." -Peter Farris, author of The Devil Himself

A Violent Gospel (Dooley Brothers)

Westmoreland, Mark

Review\nA Therapeutic Death is a series of absolute gut punching short stories. The violence is visceral, the emotions cut like knives, and the consequences are devastating. J.B. Steven's does an amazing job of sucking you in from the first word and doesn't let you go until the explosive end.\nThe difficulty in creating the attachment necessary for readers to care about the characters on the page is difficult in a full length novel, to do so (repeatedly) in short story after short story was truly impressive. I experienced a wide range of feelings and uttered a few choice words while reading. 
I cannot wait to read more stuff from Stevens. 
— J. Todd Wilkins of Best Thriller Books\nA Therapeutic Death overflows with red meat for the hardboiled and war fiction fan. But they're lean cuts, trimmed of all fat. The result is a breathless and compelling collection that will linger with the reader long after they've closed the back cover. And it announces the arrival of an exciting new voice in crime fiction.\n— C. Mathew Smith for Criminal Element\nCrammed with twisted thrills, dark secrets, and elusive grasps at redemption, this collection of short crime stories will have you turning pages deep into the night. 
In the opening story, we encounter two veterans struggling to resolve a problem that a haunting war crime started. Next, we read about a mixed-martial-arts fighter who makes a split-second decision and risks his soul in the process. This is followed by the tale of an assassin who must fight through a cabal of drug dealing circus clowns to keep her young daughter safe. Further in, we learn of two buddies who prove their friend innocent of homicide, despite being stuck in an 80s themed booze cruise. Later, in a true-crime piece, a rookie U.S. Marshal encounters the depravity of man in a dank basement. 
These stories, and numerous others, present a series of characters in impossible situations, raging against the never-ending injustices of life. These people try to carve out a piece of happiness, often with disastrous results. The search for salvation brawls against life's harsh reality and the struggle can be overwhelming, but it makes for great reading. 
Early Praise 
"J.B. Stevens writes with compassion and nuance about ex-soldiers struggling to negotiate civilian life. His lyric prose is filled with sudden shifts that explode off the page." 
—Chris Offutt, author of The Killing Hills 
"A Therapeutic Death is a gathering of hard-hitting, fast-paced stories, littered with hardworn souls grasping for grace in deep and grim places. In other words, exactly what you want to see in a collection of stories unafraid of the dark." 
—Michael Farris Smith, author of Nick and The Fighter 
"Knockout prose in a fistful of words. I'll read anything J.B. Stevens writes." 
—Marc Cameron, NYT Best Selling author of Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan thrillers 
"J.B. Stevens writes whoop ass-fiction with the real-life experience to back up every word. You're in for a gut-punch of a read." 
—Mark Westmoreland, author of A Violent Gospel

A Therapeutic Death: Violent Short Stories

Stevens, J.B.

Miller thought it was the perfect heist: Five minutes to hit the cash room of an amusement park, then another two minutes to the getaway car, then gone. As a professional thief, he'd done jobs like that dozens of times. But Miller’s partners had other ideas. When things go bad and bloody, Miller is forced to flee back to familiar territory: New York City’s West Village, where even the target of a nationwide manhunt can hide out amidst the freaks.\nBut Miller’s refuge might prove even more dangerous. Approached by an old friend about a shady protection job, Miller finds himself thrown into a bizarre world of pint-sized gangsters, aging war criminals, and shady government agents… all of whom are pursuing a prize beyond imagination.

Payback Is Forever

Mystery, Thriller & Suspense

Mystery

After Sangre Road comes to a dead-end for the love of his life along with a one-ton buffalo and his prized Pontiac Sunbird, one time Army Military Police officer turned bounty hunter Moses Kincaid, hailing from the Ho-Chunk Nation, limps and thumbs his way into the oil capital of the world where he means to set up shop for himself but embarrassingly finds himself licking his wounds and working on a motel tan envied by no one until hunger lures him back out into the living world where he rolls the dice and comes up under the employ of old west obsessed Black bail bondsman Arlo Bice, who fancies himself the Bass Reeves of the here and now, charged with taming the Indian Territory town of Tulsa.\nIn lieu of a resume, Moses takes to breaking and entering into a McMansion and relieving an absentminded man of his Dodge Viper, used for collateral, to prove his salt but ends up in a rally race with Mopar's meanest muscle car on the road to date and a Mary Kay Caddy. Unbeknownst to him, Moses must again battle the Basterd's motorcycle gang in the middle of Nowhere, Oklahoma, where pro-midget wrestler and manslaughterer, Lil Hank, is reportedly on the lamb after walking away from the Big Mac rec yards a year earlier.\nIt's feast or famine from there on out, making Moses Kincaid a bit too bold and big for his britches in the big city, meaning: Moses must stand toe-to-toe with the consequences of his actions after being found out by state police after bringing in a bounty dead rather than alive. They bait him with an offer too good to say "no" to, which gets him to smash through the looking glass and grab the rodeo bull by the horns behind the tall walls of the big house where he learns freedom really is just another word for nothing left to lose.\nSmash the dash, crank the knob, and buckle up!\nEarly Praise for Money the Hard Way 
“David Tromblay has one of the most original voices in crime fiction – wild, wicked, and always surprising. MONEY THE HARD WAY is a barnburner of a novel, a rush of unforgettable characters, rich detail, and unsparing truth.” 
—Lou Berney, author Gunshot Straight 
“With a voice and style all his own, Moses Kincaid leads the reader, by the scruff of the shirt, through his rough and tumble ride from bounty hunting into the Dantean prison system. He doesn’t meet a lot of nice people along the way, but it sure is entertaining to watch fall off the page.” 
—Paul Tremblay, author of the Pallbearers Club 
“This is one wild ride. You think it’ll go left, and it goes right. You think it’ll go up and it goes sideways. David Tromblay is a force and so is his madman hero, Moses Kincaid.” 
—Willy Vlautin, author of The Night Always Comes 
“A welcome addition to the burgeoning crime literature of Oklahoma. Moses Kincaid is the toughest guy in Tulsa.” 
—Chris Offutt, author of The Killing Hills 
“David Tromblay’s writing is like Jim Thompson hijacked a Coen Bros script.” 
—Mark Westmoreland, author of A Violent Gospel

Money the Hard Way

Tromblay, David

United States

When retired pro wrestler Alex Donovan sees his best friend, former world champion ‘The Wild Child’ Ray Wilder, gunned down in the street, he’s drawn back into a world of spandex, spangles, and spotlights in order to find the killer. As Donovan digs deeper into Ray’s life, he realizes that the list of people who wanted Ray dead seems endless.\nBattling his aging, failing body, Donovan feels honor-bound to avenge Ray’s death when no one else seems to care. His guilt over escaping the wrestling business to build a new life when Ray couldn’t — or wouldn’t — drives him to find the killer, no matter if it’s friend or foe.\nLIVING THE GIMMICK uses the backdrop of pro wrestling in the 1980s and its current climate to examine the strained bonds of a lifelong friendship and how an all-too-real abuser can exist without scrutiny in a showbiz world full of fake tough guys and choreographed fighting. Early Praise for LIVING THE GIMMICK“At times a wild and surreal trip through the subculture of old school pro wrestling and at other times a deft love letter to the passions that drive us all, LIVING THE GIMMICK is a rollicking good time. Bobby Mathews obviously loves three things: The South, pro wrestling, and a good mystery.” 
—S.A. Cosby, bestselling author of RAZORBLADE TEARS\n“Living the Gimmick is a bruising romp about pro wrestling, friendship, betrayal, and the lies we let ourselves believe. Bobby Mathews’ career as a journalist serves him well in his debut novel; the prose is punchy, the atmosphere pungent. Mathews depicts a world of scripted violence, of showmanship and pain, where the truth is hidden behind the glam and glitter.” 
—Chris Swann, USA Today Bestseller, winner of Southern Living's Best Southern Books of 2017 Award\n“Mathews has written a glorious, noir-steeped homage to pro wrestling, all the more remarkable in its ardent fidelity. LIVING THE GIMMICK rocks hard.” 
——Laird Barron, author of Blood Standard\n“Mathews’ impressive debut murder mystery is as much a gritty homage to the excessive, violent, glam rock world of professional wrestling as it is a testimony of how it’s evolved from its oftentimes ruthless heyday to the glitzy entertainment machine it is now. LIVING THE GIMMICK is a headlock wrapped in noir sensibilities as it slams down a universal question: how much do we really know the ones we love and trust?” 
—Heather Levy, author WALKING THROUGH NEEDLES\n"Bobby Mathews understands wrestling and writing. LIVING THE GIMMICK is a tale which deftly weaves a gripping murder mystery full of references and nods to the days of the wrestling territories and all its greats. Fans of wrestling, crime stories, and damn good writing will all enjoy this novel." 
—Hector Acosta, Edgar nominee and Best American Mystery Stories honoree, author of HARDWAY\n“High-class writing about hard-luck people. Timely, bold and brutal. Bobby is a writer to watch.” 
—Libby Cudmore, author of THE BIG REWIND\n"With over twenty years in the vibrant and often insane world of professional wrestling, I can say that Bobby Mathews nails the details and treats wrestling respectfully while tantalizing you with a hell of a murder mystery in his kickass book, LIVING THE GIMMICK." 
—April Hunter, pro wrestler, model, actress and writer\n“Mathews writes in smooth, almost transparent strokes that propel the narrative along with such force, you’ll read the entire novel in one sitting. The seedy world of wrestling and the badasses who populate it come alive on the page. Kayfabe? Hardly. This is as real and gritty as noir gets.” 
—Hank Early, author of HEAVEN'S CROOKED FINGER

Living the Gimmick

Mathews, Bobby

Reeling from his memories from the battlefields of Europe in World War I, Marine Corps Sergeant Hiram Tobit returns to the remote Appalachian mountains of his youth to recruit a new generation of woodsmen to serve the nation’s armed forces. His native country, however, is fraught with memories of a dead brother, a drunken father, and a mother dead by her own hand. Still, there is grace to be found in the insular mountain community, and when Hiram meets a young single mother and a daughter who is every bit the child of nature, he sees a chance to generate a new kind of family pointing toward the promise of peace. A sudden bloody act of madness ruptures this hope, however, and the small town comes together to seek justice. Hiram and his estranged father Sloane ride out to find the murderer and bring him back to stand trial. The father and son’s journey through the wilderness calls up ghosts of the past, so that each man must come to terms with his own guilt in a world searching for innocence. Both mythic and immediate, Lambs of Men explores the cost of duty and sacrifice and the ultimate desire for lasting redemption. Praise for LAMBS OF MEN 
“Charles Dodd White has written this rich novel of the mountains as though he’s been saving every word of it for a lifetime. A book full of beauty and blood and bone, a story that carries the reader through time, through lives, through dirt and fire.” 
—Crystal Wilkinson, author of THE BIRDS OF OPULENCE\n“An elegant structure for a grim psalm.” 
—Rob Neufeld, Asheville Citizen-Times

Lambs of Men

White, Charles Dodd

Following his release from prison, Mason Laws returns to the mountains of his youth where his estranged wife, Lavada, has been caring for his ailing father in Mason's absence. The marriage, however, is as damaged as his father's mind. Resentments crowd out Mason's desire to reconcile and instead of a true homecoming, Mason seeks the chance to build a new sanctuary for himself in the overall wilderness. However, the appearance of a malicious sheriff's deputy makes any hope of a better life impossible. As Mason and Lavada each set forth to recover themselves, they remain entrenched in the rural and rugged landscape that bore them and their own haunted histories. This moving story tells of the families we're born into, the families we make for ourselves, and how tightly woven are the ties that bind. 
Reviews 
"Charles Dodd White's writing is dark, gothic and steeped in a voice that is all his own. A Shelter of Others confronts what it means to be human." 
-Frank Bill, author of Donnybrook 
"Charles Dodd White is one of the best young writers at work today, and A Shelter of Others is his best book yet, a quiet masterpiece in the tradition of Ron Rash and Daniel Woodrell." 
-Kyle Minor, author of Praying Drunk

A Shelter of Others

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