MEET THE AUTHOR
FEATURED AUTHOR: A.B. FUNKHAUSER
Hi, it’s Jacks! Today I have a very special and extremely talented author in for a chat A.B. Funkhauser.
Hi A.B. Funkauser,
How about we get started by GETTING TO KNOW YOU? WHAT GENRE DO YOU WRITE?
I write gonzo mortuary revenge fiction, a natural offshoot given my love for things Hunter S. Thompson, Quentin Tarantino, and my day job as a funeral director/ embalmer.
Ooh, what a fun genre! (Jacks)
A.B. can you please fill us in on the TITLES OF YOUR BOOKS?
I’ve released two so far through Solstice Publishing. HEUER LOST AND FOUND released April 23, 2015, and its follow up SCOOTER NATION on March 11, 2016. Both books belong to an emerging series called UNAPOLOGETIC LIVES. Through it, a reader will spend time with some unusual characters who operate completely without filters. The third novel, SHELL GAME, is nearing completion as I write this.
WHEN DID YOU KNOW WRITING WAS YOUR CALLING?
I knew it as surely as I knew I had to become a funeral director. It is something dearly felt and then pursued without any doubt. I got my start in writing in the basement of the Ontario Legislature in the research department of one the political parties. I authored a column for the employee newsletter and that gave me my first clue that I could write humorously. Novel writing came much later, after the death of a friend. HEUER is dedicated to him.
What is ONE THING WE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT YOU A.B. Funkhauser?
I’m an unabashed optimist. I have to be. Being happy is hard work.
Outside of writing what are SOME OF YOUR OTHER INTERESTS?
I spin vinyl, but love all music delivery systems. Same goes for genres: Classical, World, Rock, AltRock, Country, Opera. I’m all over it depending on my mood and what the weather looks like outside. Fall, for example, is for Dvorak and Mahler.
I also draw, as you see…
Hi A.B. Funkauser,
How about we get started by GETTING TO KNOW YOU? WHAT GENRE DO YOU WRITE?
I write gonzo mortuary revenge fiction, a natural offshoot given my love for things Hunter S. Thompson, Quentin Tarantino, and my day job as a funeral director/ embalmer.
Ooh, what a fun genre! (Jacks)
A.B. can you please fill us in on the TITLES OF YOUR BOOKS?
I’ve released two so far through Solstice Publishing. HEUER LOST AND FOUND released April 23, 2015, and its follow up SCOOTER NATION on March 11, 2016. Both books belong to an emerging series called UNAPOLOGETIC LIVES. Through it, a reader will spend time with some unusual characters who operate completely without filters. The third novel, SHELL GAME, is nearing completion as I write this.
WHEN DID YOU KNOW WRITING WAS YOUR CALLING?
I knew it as surely as I knew I had to become a funeral director. It is something dearly felt and then pursued without any doubt. I got my start in writing in the basement of the Ontario Legislature in the research department of one the political parties. I authored a column for the employee newsletter and that gave me my first clue that I could write humorously. Novel writing came much later, after the death of a friend. HEUER is dedicated to him.
What is ONE THING WE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT YOU A.B. Funkhauser?
I’m an unabashed optimist. I have to be. Being happy is hard work.
Outside of writing what are SOME OF YOUR OTHER INTERESTS?
I spin vinyl, but love all music delivery systems. Same goes for genres: Classical, World, Rock, AltRock, Country, Opera. I’m all over it depending on my mood and what the weather looks like outside. Fall, for example, is for Dvorak and Mahler.
I also draw, as you see…
Those drawings are breathtaking! Wow! (Jacks)
Where do you DRAW YOUR INSPIRATION FROM?
Everywhere! Look around, listen closely. Our surroundings teem with stories.
Agreed, this world is magical! (Jacks)
Ok, let’s switch gears a bit. Let’s talk more ABOUT THE BOOKS.
Where do you DRAW YOUR INSPIRATION FROM?
Everywhere! Look around, listen closely. Our surroundings teem with stories.
Agreed, this world is magical! (Jacks)
Ok, let’s switch gears a bit. Let’s talk more ABOUT THE BOOKS.
What should someone EXPECT WHEN READING ANY OF YOUR TITLES?
My characters are multigenerational, multinational, multilingual and, with few exceptions, morally elastic. They will test the boundaries of what is tolerated in a civilized and ordered society, which means that readers can expect just about anything especially if it’s absurd. For me as an author, it means that I’m able to introduce themes through subtext and humor without being heavy handed. That’s something I picked up from Thompson.
Where did you draw your INSPIRATION FOR YOUR CURRENT WORK?
SHELL GAME is very much about a tabby cat with a recessive gene. Escaped from a feline fetishist sex cult, he takes shelter in the welcoming arms of a pastoral community with a lot to hide.
The inspiration Himself is parked in front of me on my dining room table. Kobe is my muse and is quite often wantonly brilliant.
My characters are multigenerational, multinational, multilingual and, with few exceptions, morally elastic. They will test the boundaries of what is tolerated in a civilized and ordered society, which means that readers can expect just about anything especially if it’s absurd. For me as an author, it means that I’m able to introduce themes through subtext and humor without being heavy handed. That’s something I picked up from Thompson.
Where did you draw your INSPIRATION FOR YOUR CURRENT WORK?
SHELL GAME is very much about a tabby cat with a recessive gene. Escaped from a feline fetishist sex cult, he takes shelter in the welcoming arms of a pastoral community with a lot to hide.
The inspiration Himself is parked in front of me on my dining room table. Kobe is my muse and is quite often wantonly brilliant.
Any traces of YOUR PERSONALITY IN YOUR MAIN CHARACTERS?
Friends and critics alike insist that I am all over them, so it would be rude to dispute that. My characters often say things that would be fun to say out loud, but of course, that could never be. I might add that the line between antagonists and protagonists often dissolves too, and it’s that blurring that’s a salute to the dual nature found in everybody.
Love it! (Jacks)
What is one of your FAVORITE THINGS ABOUT THIS SERIES?
Each book stands alone and can be read out of order. The central character (though not found in SHELL GAME) is the Weibigand Brothers Funeral Home which was founded in 1937 and continues on in various forms to 2017. Characters come and go and there is a lot of overlap. For example, a key character killed at the end of book 2 is born in book 5. Likewise, HEUER LOST AND FOUND: Heuer the lawyer is a metaphysical being throughout the novel, but in THE HEUER EFFECT (Book 4) he is very much alive. Set in the 80’s, it charts his dark relationship with the winsome Enid. Fans of book one will be amazed, I hope.
As someone who is just starting to read the series, that is quite exciting and rewarding to hear. Can’t wait to read them all! (Jacks)
Who is ONE OF YOUR FAVORITE CHARACTERS AND WHY?
The more I talk about him, the more I learn. It’s Heuer. Always Heuer. To me, he represents everything we struggle to control in ourselves: vulnerability, vulgarity, vapidity. There are good reasons for these qualities and why they are so manifest in him, but the reader has to look closely because he is cagey, disguising his true intent with random acts of charity.
A.B. for a moment now, let’s talk about SOMETHING SPECIFIC TO YOU ALONE AS AN AUTHOR.
You go to great lengths in interviews to stress the importance of confidentiality in your day job. HOW DO YOU RECONCILE YOUR CONVICTIONS WITH FICTION WRITING?
That’s a fantastic question! Thank you! First, it’s important that I clarify my work status to date. Although I maintain an active license to practice in the province of Ontario, I have taken a break from embalming/funeral directing to write full time. That doesn’t change a thing where confidentiality is concerned. Funeral directors are bound both legally and ethically to protect the privacy of the deceased and their survivors ad infinitum. I’ll never forget what my ethics professor said all those years ago in school: that the deceased are the most vulnerable people on this earth, infants included. They cannot cry out. They cannot defend themselves. Therefore, it’s on the director to protect their privacy, maintain their dignity and at all times show respect. In writing about my fictitious funeral home, the dead are sacrosanct. I focus comically on the daily lives of the directors and work colleagues they come into contact with through cross disciplines (fire, police, pathology, to name a few). And in the case of HEUER LOST AND FOUND, I took great care to give my deceased Jürgen Heuer a voice and spiritual body that not only wreaks havoc and extracts revenge but commands the grudging respect of his tormentors. In that, he is anything but defenseless.
What is one of your FAVORITE FEATURES ON YOUR WEBSITE www.abfunkhauser.com?
I love working on the Q & A sections because they give insight into what goes on BEHIND the books. The blog is enjoyable too. It’s dedicated to the publishing journey: yours, mine, everybody’s!
Every week, on Thursday, you host a WRITER EVENT on twitter called #Thurds. CAN YOU TELLS US MORE ABOUT #THURDS?
#Thurds Words is a twitter hashtag game for writers that appears on Thursday. A new theme is posted every Wednesday at 11 a.m. EST to give everyone a chance to get ready, in particular, friends across the International Date Line who may already be into their Thursday. Writers post 1 liners from works in progress and/or already published pieces. I enjoy hosting this event because it’s a great way to meet other writers and also get ourselves heard. LET’S GET READ is our motto, and to advance that, #Thurds welcomes Buy Links and Promo Art so that writers can get their message out. Not many games allow buy links, which is one of the reasons why I started #Thurds. Another reason was that once a WIP was no longer a WIP, I didn’t have a place to talk about it. And when you’re an author starting out, you need places to highlight your published work too.
It’s a very cool event! Like a book convention every week with a variety of authors! Love it! (Jacks)
YOU HAVE RECEIVED VARIOUS AWARDS, Best Horror Novel of 2015 from Preditors & Editors Readers Poll; Best Horror 2016 New Apple EBook Award, and Best Humor 2016 New Apple EBook Award from New Apple Literary; and, Nominee Summer Indie Book Award 2016 from Metamorph Publishing, First congrats, well deserved. And, HOW GOOD DOES IT FEEL, AS AN AUTHOR, THAT PEOPLE ARE ENJOYING WHAT YOU WRITE?
It’s absolutely sensational! My publisher Summer Solstice, a division of Solstice Publishing, advised that it takes between five and seven years for a new writer to pick up steam. I’m into Year 2 and I see it starting to happen. I have three unfinished manuscripts waiting to be polished and an additional three novels in concept phase. Validation from readers is the fuel that keeps me going, along with the genuine joy I derive from the writing activity. “Onward and upward,” I say, along with “keep going, keep going, keep going” as I tap away at the keyboard.
Friends and critics alike insist that I am all over them, so it would be rude to dispute that. My characters often say things that would be fun to say out loud, but of course, that could never be. I might add that the line between antagonists and protagonists often dissolves too, and it’s that blurring that’s a salute to the dual nature found in everybody.
Love it! (Jacks)
What is one of your FAVORITE THINGS ABOUT THIS SERIES?
Each book stands alone and can be read out of order. The central character (though not found in SHELL GAME) is the Weibigand Brothers Funeral Home which was founded in 1937 and continues on in various forms to 2017. Characters come and go and there is a lot of overlap. For example, a key character killed at the end of book 2 is born in book 5. Likewise, HEUER LOST AND FOUND: Heuer the lawyer is a metaphysical being throughout the novel, but in THE HEUER EFFECT (Book 4) he is very much alive. Set in the 80’s, it charts his dark relationship with the winsome Enid. Fans of book one will be amazed, I hope.
As someone who is just starting to read the series, that is quite exciting and rewarding to hear. Can’t wait to read them all! (Jacks)
Who is ONE OF YOUR FAVORITE CHARACTERS AND WHY?
The more I talk about him, the more I learn. It’s Heuer. Always Heuer. To me, he represents everything we struggle to control in ourselves: vulnerability, vulgarity, vapidity. There are good reasons for these qualities and why they are so manifest in him, but the reader has to look closely because he is cagey, disguising his true intent with random acts of charity.
A.B. for a moment now, let’s talk about SOMETHING SPECIFIC TO YOU ALONE AS AN AUTHOR.
You go to great lengths in interviews to stress the importance of confidentiality in your day job. HOW DO YOU RECONCILE YOUR CONVICTIONS WITH FICTION WRITING?
That’s a fantastic question! Thank you! First, it’s important that I clarify my work status to date. Although I maintain an active license to practice in the province of Ontario, I have taken a break from embalming/funeral directing to write full time. That doesn’t change a thing where confidentiality is concerned. Funeral directors are bound both legally and ethically to protect the privacy of the deceased and their survivors ad infinitum. I’ll never forget what my ethics professor said all those years ago in school: that the deceased are the most vulnerable people on this earth, infants included. They cannot cry out. They cannot defend themselves. Therefore, it’s on the director to protect their privacy, maintain their dignity and at all times show respect. In writing about my fictitious funeral home, the dead are sacrosanct. I focus comically on the daily lives of the directors and work colleagues they come into contact with through cross disciplines (fire, police, pathology, to name a few). And in the case of HEUER LOST AND FOUND, I took great care to give my deceased Jürgen Heuer a voice and spiritual body that not only wreaks havoc and extracts revenge but commands the grudging respect of his tormentors. In that, he is anything but defenseless.
What is one of your FAVORITE FEATURES ON YOUR WEBSITE www.abfunkhauser.com?
I love working on the Q & A sections because they give insight into what goes on BEHIND the books. The blog is enjoyable too. It’s dedicated to the publishing journey: yours, mine, everybody’s!
Every week, on Thursday, you host a WRITER EVENT on twitter called #Thurds. CAN YOU TELLS US MORE ABOUT #THURDS?
#Thurds Words is a twitter hashtag game for writers that appears on Thursday. A new theme is posted every Wednesday at 11 a.m. EST to give everyone a chance to get ready, in particular, friends across the International Date Line who may already be into their Thursday. Writers post 1 liners from works in progress and/or already published pieces. I enjoy hosting this event because it’s a great way to meet other writers and also get ourselves heard. LET’S GET READ is our motto, and to advance that, #Thurds welcomes Buy Links and Promo Art so that writers can get their message out. Not many games allow buy links, which is one of the reasons why I started #Thurds. Another reason was that once a WIP was no longer a WIP, I didn’t have a place to talk about it. And when you’re an author starting out, you need places to highlight your published work too.
It’s a very cool event! Like a book convention every week with a variety of authors! Love it! (Jacks)
YOU HAVE RECEIVED VARIOUS AWARDS, Best Horror Novel of 2015 from Preditors & Editors Readers Poll; Best Horror 2016 New Apple EBook Award, and Best Humor 2016 New Apple EBook Award from New Apple Literary; and, Nominee Summer Indie Book Award 2016 from Metamorph Publishing, First congrats, well deserved. And, HOW GOOD DOES IT FEEL, AS AN AUTHOR, THAT PEOPLE ARE ENJOYING WHAT YOU WRITE?
It’s absolutely sensational! My publisher Summer Solstice, a division of Solstice Publishing, advised that it takes between five and seven years for a new writer to pick up steam. I’m into Year 2 and I see it starting to happen. I have three unfinished manuscripts waiting to be polished and an additional three novels in concept phase. Validation from readers is the fuel that keeps me going, along with the genuine joy I derive from the writing activity. “Onward and upward,” I say, along with “keep going, keep going, keep going” as I tap away at the keyboard.
What is SOMETHING THAT THRILLS YOU ABOUT WRITING and sharing your books?
It’s the laughs. I’m getting more and more comfortable with open mic and speaking engagements and when I do the readings / answer audience questions and the response is laughter (the good kind) I really feel like I’ve accomplished something. It’s good work.
You use amazing descriptions that not only describe things, but create new perspectives that are wonderfully unique to your novels. An example of this is when talking about Heuer Lost and Found, you don’t just say his spirit haunts her but his paranormal residue haunts the living. That punches the story up to a whole new level and really makes you want to know about this book. This goes beyond just reaching for a thesaurus. That is a skill. WHAT IS YOUR THOUGHT PROCESS IN YOUR SELECTION ON HOW TO STATE THINGS FRESHLY?
I’m told that I’m a character author and I think that’s the clue. I listen and I “hear” them, and then I transcribe. Because my characters come from all over the world, I enjoy playing with colloquialisms, idiom, and malapropisms. Some characters are lyrical, some are no nonsense; others are incredibly vulgar and that’s reflected in the descriptions. Jurgen Heuer speaks and thinks the English language as a second language, which means he tends to be a little heavy on the adverbs. He also makes up words. He worries endlessly over his “differentness” and his father’s inherent “Germanity.” I just love working through the material in this way. In SHELL GAME, Poonam Khanzada Rajput’s Mommyji waxes lengthy about a woman washing clothes in the river and ties it all back to the cat, whom she decides is her daughter’s Vahana. It’s awesome!
Sounds awesome! (Jacks)
Your novels have been described as being PARANORMAL GONZO, CAN YOU PLEASE EXPLAIN THAT TERM TO THOSE READING THIS THAT MAY NOT BE FAMILIAR with it and what is the BEST PART OF WRITING IN THE GENRE of paranormal gonzo to you?
Paranormal encompasses all things unexplained. The gonzo comes from my love of the work of the late Hunter S. Thompson. Through humor and extreme exaggeration, Thompson was able to consciousness raise without the reader knowing it. Through the laughs, there was always a message. Getting the message through without being preachy was his gift, and I signed on to it very early. It’s the best part about gonzo.
Thank you for clarifying that for us! (Jacks)
You have fresh, fun, and witty banter within your novel that is a definite skill and highly rewarding for readers to read. What IS ONE RULE YOU LIVE BY AS YOU WRITE DIALOGUE, and HOW DO YOU CREATE such spot on TRUE TO LIFE CONVERSATIONS that one can literally hear walking around in daily life?
I pay attention when I’m out and about. I also listen closely when I’m watching Netflix. I follow shows from England, India, Germany and elsewhere. I note the patterns, get the rhythm and then it’s there. Speech is very much like music to me. It sings.
That’s really pretty. (Jacks)
Returning to your novel Heuer Lost and Found, it has been said that it is a thought-provoking NOVEL that is definitely open to interpretation and MEANS DIFFERENT THINGS TO DIFFERENT PEOPLE. Can you please elaborate a little more on this without giving too much away?
I blurred the lines a lot in HEUER for the very real reason that people are complicated. They can say and do terrible things one minute, and then do a 180 and be incredibly kind. HEUER behaves himself publicly and is doted on by some. In private, he is something else entirely and only those closest to him suspect. Some people like “dead Heuer” better than “live Heuer” and vice versa. It’s a matter of taste, and I would never presume to steer a reader to one conclusion or another. The reader is either “for him” or “against him,” and I’m completely okay with that.
So refreshing! (Jacks)
We noticed that you were featured ON THE TV SHOW, Telling Stories for an author spotlight on you. WHAT WAS THAT EXPERIENCE LIKE FOR YOU personally, as well as, how was it to share about Scooter Nation live on TV? And can you give us a BEHINDTHESCENES TIDBIT of one thing that happened off camera that made your experience unique?
OMG! Just when I was getting comfortable with open mic — boom — television. It’s a very different experience in that the author does the talking instead of the book. I am very lucky in that the host Jules Carlyle is an amazing author wrangler: super generous, gives cues like “don’t look at the camera, look at me” and just put me at ease with her style. To my great relief, she assured me that I did just fine once the camera was off, and then, to seal the deal, she sent me off with a yummy piece of CAKE! I LOVE CAKE! LOL.
Also, we here at SBC love the READER GALLERY ON YOUR WEBSITE, it is obvious that people are enjoying these novels. How did that originate?
I love connecting with the readers and through these connections, the gallery was born. I have so many more faces to add and will have to get cracking on that once my blog comes out of summer hiatus on September 1.
What unique thing can people expect to take away from your novels, can you tell us more about WHY READERS, in your words, WILL CONNECT WITH THE BOOKS you write?
It’s very important to me that readers connect with the day to day activities of the characters at their level. Some have told me that they felt like they were in one scene or another; that they ‘felt it.’ Others have told me that they are rereading the novels. These are incredible things for me to hear. I don’t know where my stories will wind up, but I like to think of them as legacy novels for my children to hold on to after I’m gone, and for a profession—funeral service—that I love and that is, all too often, badly misunderstood.
Let’s go behind the scenes of HOW YOU CONSTRUCT YOUR BOOKS for a moment. In what way do you write, PANTSER OR PLAN OUT with outline?
I’m a muller, which means I’m a bit of both. I’ll carry an idea around in my head for as much as a year before I sit down and tap it out. During the mulling process, I’ll get ‘pop scenes’ — my sparkling diamonds — that I write down and store in a folder. When it’s time to write, I go over them, and — bam — I’ve got it! New material is written during NaNoWriMo. Those first 50,000 words crack on! After that, I refine and polish. At that stage, I do an action synopsis to see where the holes are; then I plan and fix them.
What is ONE FUN FACT that someone might not know ABOUT YOU?
I’m shy.
A.B., who are some of YOUR FAVORITE AUTHORS?
I’ve talked a lot about Hunter, but I should also mention Kurt Vonnegut, Dr. Seuss, Saul Bellow, John Updike and, more recently, Angela D’Onofrio, Jewel E. Leonard, James Osborne, Linda Sienkiewicz, Susan Lynn Solomon, Marissa Campbell, John L. DeBoer and so many others. I do interviews on my website. Everybody’s there.
What is one of the BEST PIECES OF ADVICE that you received OR A QUOTE THAT YOU LIVE BY?
“In the end, it’s just you. Be good to yourself.” — Dad
Fantastic quote! So very true! (Jacks)
What is ONE TIP you would like to share FOR ASPIRING AUTHORS?
Jump in, boots first. Take a few classes to learn structure and arc, and then go with it. Rules abound and you’ll find the ones that work, but only after you have found your VOICE. “You can’t do that,” is absurd, and should be ignored. Lol.
So, I just have to ask, WHAT’S NEXT FOR YOU?
Prepping for NaNoWriMo. I have 89,000 words down for the HEUER prequel. I hope to finish it in November.
What is the NAME OF YOUR UPCOMING RELEASE?
SHELL GAME
What should people EXPECT TO SEE FROM YOU IN THE FUTURE?
After the HEUER prequel, I will work on POOR UNDERTAKER which gets to the heart of Jocasta Binns and Alma Wurtz from SCOOTER NATION. How did they come to be the way they are? Readers will also get to know the mighty Irmtraut Weibigand in the flesh!
ANY UPCOMING EVENTS you want to share that you will be appearing at in the near future?
I will be signing books at The Word on the Street Toronto Book and Magazine Festival at Toronto Harbour front on September 25th. (EVENT OCCURRED WHILE THIS WAS BEING EDITED) I will be there as part of the Sisters in Crime Toronto Chapter booth and will be talking about things macabre between 1 and 2 p.m. Tons of amazing writers will be there. Drop by if you are in the Toronto area.
I hope that you had an amazing time! (Jacks)
What are you MOST EXCITED ABOUT?
Creating new material.
How can we…
BUY YOUR BOOKS?
CONTACT YOU?
KEEP UP TO DATE ON NEW RELEASES?
Thank you for having me aboard!
It was a delight to have you in for an interview! Please do stop back in, in the near future just to let us know how you are doing and what your latest project is! (Jacks)
It was a delight to have you in for an interview! Please do stop back in, in the near future just to let us know how you are doing and what your latest project is! (Jacks)
Today I have a special treat. A.B. Funkhauser has left us with a taste of each of her books.
WATCH TRAILERS
READ BLURBS
HEUER LOST AND FOUND
Unrepentant cooze hound lawyer Jürgen Heuer dies suddenly and unexpectedly in his litterstrewn home. Undiscovered, he rages against God, Nazis, deep fryers and analogous women who disappoint him.
At last found, he is delivered to Weibigand Brothers Funeral Home, a ramshackle establishment peopled with above average eccentrics, including boozy Enid, a former girlfriend with serious denial issues. With her help and the help of a wise cracking spirit guide, Heuer will try to move on to the next plane. But before he can do this, he must endure an inept embalming, feral whispers, and Enid’s flawed recollections of their murky past.
SCOOTER NATION
Aging managing director Charlie Forsythe begins his work day with a phone call to Jocasta
Binns, the unacknowledged illegitimate daughter of Weibigand Funeral Home founder Karl Heinz Sr. Alma Wurtz, a scooter bound sextenarian, community activist, and neighborhood pain in the ass is emptying her urine into the flower beds, killing the petunias. Jocasta cuts him off, reminding him that a staff meeting has been called. Charlie, silenced, is taken aback: he has had no prior input into the meeting and that, on its own, makes it sinister.
The second novel in the UNAPOLOGETIC LIVES series, SCOOTER NATION takes place two years after HEUER LOST AND FOUND. This time, funeral directors Scooter Creighton and Carla Moretto Salinger Blue take center stage as they battle conflicting values, draconian city bylaws, a mendacious neighborhood gang bent on havoc, and a selfabsorbed fitness guru whose presence shines an unwanted light on their quiet Michigan neighborhood.
Unrepentant cooze hound lawyer Jürgen Heuer dies suddenly and unexpectedly in his litterstrewn home. Undiscovered, he rages against God, Nazis, deep fryers and analogous women who disappoint him.
At last found, he is delivered to Weibigand Brothers Funeral Home, a ramshackle establishment peopled with above average eccentrics, including boozy Enid, a former girlfriend with serious denial issues. With her help and the help of a wise cracking spirit guide, Heuer will try to move on to the next plane. But before he can do this, he must endure an inept embalming, feral whispers, and Enid’s flawed recollections of their murky past.
SCOOTER NATION
Aging managing director Charlie Forsythe begins his work day with a phone call to Jocasta
Binns, the unacknowledged illegitimate daughter of Weibigand Funeral Home founder Karl Heinz Sr. Alma Wurtz, a scooter bound sextenarian, community activist, and neighborhood pain in the ass is emptying her urine into the flower beds, killing the petunias. Jocasta cuts him off, reminding him that a staff meeting has been called. Charlie, silenced, is taken aback: he has had no prior input into the meeting and that, on its own, makes it sinister.
The second novel in the UNAPOLOGETIC LIVES series, SCOOTER NATION takes place two years after HEUER LOST AND FOUND. This time, funeral directors Scooter Creighton and Carla Moretto Salinger Blue take center stage as they battle conflicting values, draconian city bylaws, a mendacious neighborhood gang bent on havoc, and a selfabsorbed fitness guru whose presence shines an unwanted light on their quiet Michigan neighborhood.
Thank you to everyone who popped in to read this. That is all that I have for today.
Until next time,
Jacks, Silver Beans Reviewer and Interviewer
Posting: GONZO, HORROR, HUMOR, MORTUARY, REVENGE FICTION
Posting Date: 10/6/2016
A.B. FUNKHAUSER Book Reviews Averages: 5 STARS
HUGE THANKS AGAIN...
A.B. FUNKHAUSER for popping in for a chat!
Be sure to look for A.B. Funkhauser's new releases!
A.B. FUNKHAUSER for popping in for a chat!
Be sure to look for A.B. Funkhauser's new releases!
Additional Fun Fact:
A.B. FUNKHAUSER is a gifted artist!
A.B. FUNKHAUSER is a gifted artist!
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