Song to the Siren
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Song to the Siren is a prose novel about:
–scares, drugs, and rock and roll
–true love, madness, and the supernatural
–childhood… and surviving long enough to get out of childhood…
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PRAISE FOR SONG TO THE SIREN:
“As soon as I jumped into this book it was hard to put down. When I wasn’t reading it, I couldn’t wait to pick it back up again and often found myself thinking about Reed. The authors did a wonderful job of making this a gripping tale . . . fascinating, creepy, and heartbreaking all at once. Reed has earned a spot in my [list of] favorite characters. He is broken, flawed, but still so caring. I finished this book days ago and I still think about his character. That’s how much I love the guy. Amazing character development . . . The ending was hauntingly beautiful and moving . . . A book I will not soon forget.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐”
–IndieBookAddict.com
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“As soon as I started reading Song to the Siren, I was taken away to another time and place, namely the midwest United States in the ’60s. The storytelling is so immersive, it was easy to feel that I was actually in the environment, watching the events unfold. Every character is someone that the reader cares about, the background to the main story is full of stories of its own– the tension around changing gender roles in the ’60s– teenage angst and the desire to be in control of your destiny– suburbanites labeling people who are ‘different.’ But the main story is what draws the reader in. How many will suffer due to the appetite of a malevolent, insatiable force? If you LIKE entertaining books but LOVE to think, this book is for you.”
–Reviewer Carol Seufert
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“Captivating, entertaining, and thoughtful . . . SONG TO THE SIREN is a must-read paranormal and mythological story. From the utilization of the indie-rock scene as a setting to emotional character growth and the mystery of ‘Belle’ . . . one novel readers won’t want to miss. Rating: 10/10”
–reviewer Anthony Avina
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“It’s old school, with a lot of the creepiness appearing in the shadows . . . Could we be witnessing a mental breakdown and delusion, or are we seeing something truly supernatural? Honestly, this book could appeal to the romance crowd equally as much as it could to any lovers of quiet horror. What it is, is a damn good story. It is engaging, entertaining . . . well-written . . . You really could suspend disbelief and think this was a true transcript from a real magazine or documentary. I, for one, thoroughly enjoyed it.”
–kendallreviews.com
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“One of the best books I’ve read recently, Song to the Siren deserves so much more hype than it’s getting! The storytelling completely immerses you– it feels like you’re stepping back in time, living and breathing alongside the characters. Reed and Samantha’s relationship is written so beautifully; it’s raw, heartfelt, and deeply moving. The way the plot unfolds keeps you hooked from start to finish, balancing emotion and suspense in a way that feels so unique. This book truly stands out from the usual. Highly recommend it!”
–Sriya Peruka
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“I recently read a captivating horror novel that really drew me in with its detailed storyline. The author has a remarkable writing style that kept me engaged from start to finish. What stood out the most were the characters; they felt incredibly relatable and well-developed. Their struggles and fears added depth to the story, allowing me to connect with them on a personal level. Overall, this book is a fantastic read for anyone who enjoys horror with a strong narrative and relatable characters. I highly recommend it!”
–Luka Kizika
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“You know you’ve enjoyed a book when you resonate with the characters– when they make you feel something . . . I found myself genuinely caring about Sam and Reed. They feel so real– the innocence of their childhood is captured perfectly… “
–-The Atikokan Progress
Song to the Siren Book 2: A Lovers’ Concerto
“5 out of 5 stars! A great followup for Song to the Siren! Song to the Siren told Samantha Macnamara’s coming-of-age story, as her friendship with bad boy Reed Sinclair grew into love. In A Lover’s Concerto we experience Reed’s coming of age story and his relationship with Sam, along with the ghosts who haunt him.
The ways that people remember interpret their past experiences will vary from person to person. The authors Barb-Lien and Park Cooper did an excellent job of putting the reader into the head of the main character of this book, and showing you his point of view. That was my favorite part, really, was getting to know Reed better, because his world, even at the age depicted, works much more differently than Sam thought it did. Not only do we get a deeper look into his psyche, but also, we’re given an even more intimate look into his character. Like the first book in the Song to the Siren series, A Lover’s Concerto draws the reader into the story, and left me looking forward to the next entry in this series.”
–Rakesh Malik, Winterlight Studios
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“This book will appeal to anyone… A Lover’s Concerto, just like the first book, is a page-turner. It is not necessary to have read the first book before you read this book, but if you have, you already love these characters. The supernatural is prevalent in the book, but in a completely believable way. This book has something for everyone. It is a thriller, but like the diamond that it is, it has many other facets. 5 out of 5 stars.”
–Carol Seufert, Educator
The Talking Cure
“THE DRESDEN FILES meets THE PRINCE OF TIDES. Paranormal with just the right hint of romance.”
–anonymous reader
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“I usually do not like to read fiction. But I have to tell you I enjoyed this book from the first word to the last. I love that there are facts in the book from different cultures. I love the supernatural elements. But mostly I love the way that I cared about both of the main characters and the other characters. This book is not predictable. It’s not one of those books that you know what’s going to happen as soon as you start reading it. And somehow it’s relaxing. I can’t quite explain it because there is a lot of action in the book, but it leaves you with the feeling that everything happens as intended.”
–Carol Seufert, Educator
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“[A]n engaging and exhilarating paranormal read. . . a great job of world-building and infusing humor and wit . . . Captivating, heartfelt, and entertaining . . . Rating: 10/10”
–reviewer Anthony Avina
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“5/5 stars . . . I really enjoyed this story . . . [Zach and Cynthia] have been through the dark . . . and perhaps they can help each other get to the other side. The cases . . . were very interesting indeed . . . And I absolutely love his car! (It is magical and so fantastic, though its story is so sad, I want to adopt it!) The humour is excellent, I had . . . times where I laughed out loud. . . . The two authors are husband and wife, and . . . they did well writing together.”
Amyah MapleBell, MapleBell Reviews
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BUY IT HERE
HUNGRY GHOSTS (the graphic novel)
“Call me crazy, but I like my Westerns a little Eastern. HUNGRY GHOSTS has it all if you’re looking for action, adventure, and skillful sword fights. It’s also built over a nice, healthy skeleton of supernatural horror drawn from Japanese mythology (Buddhist and otherwise). Taketsura, a 15th century samurai-turned monk, roves a countryside beset by monsters and immoral mortals, cleaning things up. The artwork is gorgeous, reminiscent of 28 DAYS OF NIGHT and the moody, noir-ish images of Kurosawa, the writing is perfectly paced, and the mythology is so well researched and finely crafted that it doesn’t get in the way of the marvelous story. I found delightful surprises on every page.”
–Jai Sen, author of The Malay Mysteries
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“Before I get into Hungry Ghosts, I would like to point out two challenges when it comes to writing about Japanese topics, specifically its myths and lore. Here in the U.S., readers have been exposed to a lot of Japanese culture through video games, anime, and manga. But since each of those exaggerate Japanese culture to a point, we over in the west have also latched onto stereotypes and repeated them a lot. So, when doing a book set in and inspired by Japanese lore, you have a lot of work ahead of you, because we’re more aware of said tones and styles, and there are many clichés to fall into.
With all that said, Barb-Lien Cooper & Park Cooper are quite deft at adapting their source material and expanding it with flourish. There is a book called Kwaidan (also a great movie), which is a collection of Japanese legends and folklore. You could say it’s early Japanese CreepyPasta. In Kwaidan, there is one story of a former samurai named Isogai Heidazaemon Taketsura, who left his old life of bloodshed and became a wandering monk.
The Coopers take that one story and expand on Takakura’s journey, and add new stories and elements that would fit right in with the source material. It’s a haunting tale of lonely souls drifting about the landscape after a horrible war where ultimately no one really won. The air of despair is as thick as the fog of war that is still left floating about. Also drifting are not only the unfilled ghosts of the dead but the living, whose purpose and honor are all but tatters fluttering in the wind.
Also, the art fits the ethereal tone. It’s a rough, sketchy style where all things aren’t clearly defined or in focus. The colors are washes of muted sepia and blues and greys to help convey the feeling of being lost in a gloom that is as heavy as the characters’ spirits.
Overall, Hungry Ghosts fits well with its counterparts of darker anime and manga like Dororo, Blade of the Immortal, Claymore, or Berserk, where honor, duty, and obligation weigh heavy on the populace and are sometimes greater than the physical danger all around them.”
–David Doub, Creator of Dusk
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“Hungry Ghosts is a beautifully crafted graphic novel with a deep, emotional story and breathtaking artwork. The vibrant, fiery colors bring the supernatural elements to life, and the characters are complex and layered, making you feel every part of their journey. Highly recommend—5 stars!”
–Stephanie Rowe
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“Written like an Akira Kurosawa samurai epic by husband-and-wife writing team Barb Lien-Cooper and Park Cooper, with haunting imagery by artist Jeremy Dumouchel that mines the depths of Stephen King’s creepiest tales, HUNGRY GHOSTS is sweeping in the breadth of its storytelling about a fallen samurai’s quest for redemption through war-ravaged 15th century Japan, all the while fueling the horrors of your next nightmare with its dark, brooding artwork!”
–Darryl Hughes, author of “The LookyLoo”
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“Hungry Ghosts is a powerful exploration of grief and redemption that captivates from the first page. This graphic novel’s atmospheric writing and compelling narrative draw readers into a haunting journey where the past and present collide with intense emotional force. The author skillfully delves into the complexities of human emotion and the struggle for atonement through richly-developed characters and a storyline infused with supernatural and psychological elements. A thought-provoking and gripping read, Hungry Ghosts is a standout graphic novel that leaves a lasting impression.”
–H. Ahmed
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“Once I was an avid superhero comic reader. Every Wednesday I’d line up at my local shop of choice and buy several cape-and-mask books. At the time I wasn’t interested in reading anything other than that genre. However, when I’d come across a book featuring a wandering samurai or the supernatural, I’d add it to my batch. So, if I could go back in time and tell myself that there was a graphic novel that not only features the supernatural but also a wandering samurai—12-year-old Michael would be frothing at the mouth.
HUNGRY GHOSTS hooked me with its sharp writing, haunting artwork, and visually engaging action. Together, these elements create a dreamlike quality for the reader.
Much like The Last Voyage of The Demeter is an adaptation of “The Captain’s Log” from Bram Stoker’s Dracula, HUNGRY GHOSTS is an expanded imagining of Victorian-era European writer Lafcadio Hearn’s story from KWAIDAN: STORIES AND STUDIES OF STRANGE THINGS. Hearn tells of Isogai Heidazaemon Taketsura, a samurai who relinquished his old life and became a wandering priest.
During his journey, Taketsura goes from battling men who have given up their humanity in favor of survival. To praying for their souls after he splits them in two.
HUNGRY GHOSTS pushed me to contemplate my philosophy on life, while also somehow giving me much-needed light-hearted entertainment. That’s a tremendous balancing act that Lien Cooper and Cooper have pulled off.
I highly recommend HUNGRY GHOSTS for fans of Rurouni Kenshin, Samurai Champloo, and Blade of the Immortal.”
– Michael Stinson, writer, BITEMARK
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“Five stars! What an incredible work!! First of all, the art was beautiful. I don’t read many mangas or graphic novels because I’m really picky about illustrations of faces (sometimes they can look so wonky!), but the style and colors of this novel were perfectly executed to create the right mood for every scene. The headless goblin bodies scene totally threw me off– so deliciously yucky.
The story was . . . riveting. The samurai Taketsura was the classic surly fighter with a heart of gold and I loved his relationship with . . . Kyo. Something that really stood out to me was the lore of ghosts here– how they’ve become so abundant as to almost appear human. The supernatural elements of the story are original and fantastic. Really, a great read!”
–Linae L.
GUN STREET GIRL
PRAISE FOR GUN STREET GIRL:
“Our current rave [for digital graphic novels] has to be Gun Street Girl . . . Sassy, smart, and socially subversive…”
–Diane Anderson-Minshall, Curve Magazine
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“This series puts the fun and humanity back into the genre of fantastical noir; you could see it as a more feminine and upbeat take on DC Comics’ Hellblazer . . .
…With comics stories, it’s all in the execution, and in this, GSG is outstanding. Lien has a sharp ear for dialogue, and the characters of Liz and Eddie have an instant chemistry.
Lien manages to craft a character who is neither tiresome nor artificial. Part of it may be the fact that, for a change, the character is actually being written by a woman. Liz is an appealing mix of feistiness and innocence—without being cynically ’empowered’ or bland. She’s merely of the mindset of a typical (well, ‘realistic,’ at least) college-age girl with a love for the counterculture and a sense of adventure.
The art, by Ryan Howe, is a great match with the story, featuring—yes—heavy shadows and nicely textured backgrounds; rather than rendering Liz’s world bleak and morbid, it adds just the right note of danger and excitement. He … does an excellent job of conveying character, whether it be the twinkle in Eddie’s eye or the way Liz’s attitude puffs up a relatively slender frame.
Will Eisner’s The Spirit is clearly the influence here, and like that classic strip, the pulp stylishness is never allowed to overwhelm the storytelling. But more to the point, the grit of these stories is the grit of everyday life—and it only serves to give the fanciful stories that extra bit of texture.”
–Adam Prosser, webcomix.net
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“Packed with sly socio-political observations, designed to subvert all reader expectations, and by turns savvy, sexy, and delightfully strange, Gun Street Girl does more than inject a badly needed dose of fresh blood into the sadly anemic action-adventure genre — it also heralds the arrival of a writer of real promise, invention and wit who is possessed of an original vision and voice. . . If you haven’t been reading Gun Street Girl, you’re simply missing out on one of the single best things on the web. “
–Bill Baker, comics journalist and reviewer
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“Creepy and cool. GSG fills a much-needed niche in the current world of comics. It features a strong young woman, bucking conventional wisdom and performing what is traditionally only a man’s job: hired gun. She does the job well, without showing her cleavage every third panel…”
–Jane Irwin, creator of the comic Vogelein
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“Dramatic, comedic and action-packed, GSG delivers turbocharged pacing laced with the wittiest dialogue in web comics… it recalls when DC Comics’ Vertigo books actually were cutting edge, with razor-sharp dialogue, punchy pacing, and airtight plotting… It deftly showcases a love for what the medium can do and how a comic can transcend its genre foundation and tell any kind of story… Fantastic.”
–Steve Bryant, creator of 2004 Eisner nominee Athena Voltaire
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“Gun Street Girl resembles much that has come before on TV and cinema screens, in pulp novels, comics and video games yet it doesn’t indulge in pastiche. It rather creates a new whole; wholly familiar and wholly new.”
–BrokenFrontier.com
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“Lien-Cooper’s dialogue is quick and punchy, while her plots feature a number of intriguing cliffhangers and hooks… It’s very difficult to nail down any sort of comparison for this title, but it makes me think of a lighter-toned Hellblazer, featuring elements that will appeal to fans of Fables. Whatever the case, Gun Street Girl is excellent, with storytelling exceeding that of many books you’ll find in the comic shop. I highly recommend it.”
–Fletcher Adams, ComicSkins.com
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“GSG is my favorite online comic . . . I’m a sucker for this kind of action/psycho-horror genre anyway (Witness my love of Buffy, Hellblazer, Lost Boys and even Charmed), but if Gun Street Girl retains her title for anything, it’s for Barb’s ability to pace a story.
Like many online serials, Gun Street Girl hits the ‘net one page at a time. Making the end of every page suspenseful enough to drag new readers back is a hard thing to do. Managing to do that and make the finished story flow smoothly is harder still and I have to say that Barb manages it beautifully.”
–Regie K. Rigby, Owner/Manager, Destination Venus Comics, Harrogate, England
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“[Gun Street Girl] is f—— brilliant! It’s a brilliant fusion of some of the best elements of Dr. Strange, Hellblazer, and Strangers in Paradise, which works really well . . . It’s well-written with believable dialogue, a touch of humour and a side order of great plot ideas. The characters are appealing, charismatic, 3-dimensional, believable and interesting, which only makes you want to read more of their exploits.
The artwork by Ryan Howe is very professional, yet isn’t off the production line… The artwork here is every bit as professional as the mainstream stuff yet has that important X factor that gives it bona fide soul. The artwork shows that you can be consistent and professional and have good quality artwork, but you can also be stylistic and interesting at the same time. In short, Howe’s artwork shows them how it should be done. This comic is the sort of thing that makes this all worthwhile. It’s the all-too rare diamond in a massive pile of cut glass.”
Any reader would do well to read this!”
–Glenn Carter, SilverBulletComicBooks.com
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“I have always been told by so-called experts that online comics just aren’t as good as the ones you can hold in your hands. Well, I’m happy to say that Gun Street Girl blasts that ridiculous myth to bits!
Lien-Cooper’s excellent, well-paced storytelling is complimented by the art of Ryan Howe. Howe illustrates an incredible comic that could go toe to toe with anything that you might find on the shelves today. However, Howe’s work stands out from the masses. Howe’s work doesn’t have that assembly-lined, looks-like-everyone-else look to it. Howe has a distinctive style that gives this comic book an even more gritty feel.
It’s hard to classify Gun Street Girl. It’s a smart, sexy, action-adventure comic with extremely believable and likable characters. At times Gun Street Girl feels like the movie Get Carter. Then, especially with the story “Dreams of Children,” Gun Street Girl turns into an eerie horror flick. In fact, Gun Street Girl has so far read like a really good movie. I think it’s safe to say that you won’t find anything else like Gun Street Girl – on the spinner racks or online. And that’s what I look for in a comic book!
–TheComicFanatic.com
SWIPE
Swipe is the story of Ray, a hacker who finds a one-in-a-million self-aware robot, Karina, and, well, there’s immediately some trouble between a cyborg pimp and an old friend of Karina’s, and things escalate quickly… before Ray and Karina quite know it, the whole city is one of several launch points for a nanotech invasion that turns people into zombies… corrupts machines’ programming… and eventually starts fusing the two together in very unnatural ways… all because the best show on the web has jumped the shark. It’s cyber-zombie invasion madness, all in one graphic novel: Swipe, from Angry Viking Press.
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“I won’t lie: I was expecting to hate this cyberpunk comedy, and I clicked on the preview to make sure I’d hate it. Sexy robots, chicks fighting in corsets, long black leather coats, idiot heroine/intelligent hero, Valley Girl pastiche-speak, casual danger dialogue, characters who can’t stop talking, cyborgs, zombies, cyborg zombies — I have a deep, entrenched hatred of all of these tropes. And yet! And yet! I swear I do not have a gun to my head as I type these words, and stay with me — Swipe does every one of these things exceptionally well, some of which I honest-to-god thought that nobody could do well ever again.
Ray (black leather coat hacker) and Karina (corset murderbot) are both absurdly charming characters. And moreover, they’re charming because they’re played totally straight. Karina . . . makes total sense both on and below the surface. She has a limited concept of cause and effect; she’s delighted by 90% of what she sees and mildly grossed out by the rest; she calmly narrates all her own experiences, even violent and terrifying ones; she loves Ray and she loves escrima. The archetype is Idiot Heroine, but it’s not really that. She just has a bizarre, sped-up machine consciousness that’s full of weird, infectious joy, and her joy sets the tone for the whole comic.”
–Rachel Fellman, The Geek Girl Project.com
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SOMETHING MORE THAN BLOOD
(Currently out of print, but we hope to change that soon)
Returning home from the funeral of his last, oldest friend, character actor Johannes Fassbinder falls asleep and is awakened by someone he saw at the funeral– a young woman who handcuffs him, points a gun filled with silver bullets at him, and asks him if he is guilty of murdering her great-grandfather, and if so, why he did it. His answer involves telling her his life story… which involves garlic, secrets, mist, Berlin, Yiddish, old-time radio shows, Broadway, revenge, and a lot of Hollywood B-movies… and blood. A lot of blood. But blood, by itself, is never enough…
Something More Than Blood was originally published by Black Curtain Press, operated by the late and lamented Trent Zelazny, but we hope to bring it back again soon.
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“Something More Than Blood is a well-crafted, fast-paced story of a fresh-faced young German farm boy who volunteers to serve his country in the Great War, and get a lot more – and worse – than he bargained for. In the process of going from naive young ‘soldat’ Johannes Fassbinder to becoming an undead B movie actor – stage name Lykan Fuller – we follow a man who wanders through some wild and weird places – Weimar Germany, Depression Era USA, Hollywood – and copes with his unsought fate while surrounded by people who often seem less human than he is.
The writing is tight, the dialogue crisp, the settings pitch-perfect, and the plot compelling. Park Cooper and Barbara Lien-Cooper have written a vampire tale with lot of chills, but also sad insights, and a few chuckles of recognition along the way. I enjoyed it, and you will, too. It’s a welcome addition to the horror bookshelf.”
– Lou Antonelli, Hugo Award multiple-nominee
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“Barb Lien-Cooper and Park Cooper have written a rather wonderful book called Something More Than Blood. If you’re a horror fan, a vampire fan, or just a fan of good writing, this is a book you must read. With touches of Anne Rice, a dash of Stephen King and an occasional humorous touch, it’s one of the most enjoyable reads I’ve had all year, a sprawling epic that takes in classic Hollywood lore, Broadway shows, and vampiric carnage…”
–Bruce Hallenbeck, author, Monsters of New York: Mysterious Creatures in the Empire State, The Hammer Vampire: British Cult Cinema (with Jimmy Sangster) and Hammer Fantasy & Sci Fi: British Cult Cinema (with Martine Beswick)
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