Blog Archives
Potential to Grow and Change
Afterward follows a woman who finds her boyfriend unconscious in their apartment and is thrust into an emotional maze, forcing her to question love, responsibility, and belonging. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
Unfortunately, the story, or something like it, is something you hear more often than one would hope. I heard a version of it had happened to an acquaintance of mine in school (many years ago, and it had happened years before I met her), and it was just something I couldn’t get out of my head. I thought the normal things, such as how bad I felt for what she and the rest of the people affected must have gone through. But then my mind kind of wandered with new questions–about how one becomes equipped to deal with things like that, and what if you weren’t? How would that go? It was really in the course of thinking about those tangential questions that I came up with the story.
Are there any emotions or memories from your own life that you put into your character’s life?
Lauren as a character really didn’t inherit anything from me, but in the course of writing this, I did break my leg and end up in the hospital. I remember being tired and hurt in the ER, and hearing the staff talk about a bad date one of them had had. I remember thinking it was such an odd thing to overhear such an everyday conversation during a day that was so unusual for me. But of course, this was their every day, it wasn’t odd for them, and they should be able to talk with coworkers like anyone else. It just stood out to me in that experience, so I included that moment in the book.
What themes were important for you to explore in this book?
Understanding was a big one. I really don’t even like Lauren in the beginning, but it’s easy to be critical, right? My hope was that by the end, the reader would find a little empathy for a flawed person in a truly horrible situation that wasn’t doing a great job with it. And, I guess, hope for the potential to grow and change. But there are other issues in there that different readers have picked up on as being big to them–friendship/bullying, race, alcohol, insecurity, mental health–and I’m glad different people are finding issues that mean a lot to them, and I hope I handled them okay.
What next book are you working on, and when will it be available?
Actually, I’m very excited to say I am sending my newest book to my publisher tomorrow. It is about a young man whose life events put him in the position to pursue his dream of living in a cabin in Alaska, and what that reality looks like. And I know what that reality is because I spent a lot of time growing up at my family’s homestead, which was not only “off the grid,” but also off the road system. It’s a love letter to, and a cautionary tale about, Alaska.
Author Links: GoodReads | BlueSky | Website | Amazon
Torn from her normal routines—coffee, sex, barhopping, and disc golf—she finds herself in an unfamiliar world of hospital visits and doctor’s appointments, all while navigating an unexpected move to a new apartment and enduring the disapproval of her boyfriend’s mother, as well as the gossip of her friends and coworkers. (Plus the suspicious looks of strangers, and the unbearable strain on her credit card…and did we mention the gossip of her friends and coworkers?) Along the way, she meets every obstacle with…well, not grace, exactly. In fact, pretty much the opposite of grace. Maybe more like bitchiness, truth be told. And all the while, the aftereffects of the tragedy cast a pall over everything she does—and threaten to destroy everything she has.
Bristol Vaudrin’s fascinating debut novel is an engrossing and darkly comedic read with an unforgettable narrator/protagonist. Watching her struggles—real, imagined, and in-between—we too must choose between kindness and judgment, between condescension towards someone who simply doesn’t have a clue, and empathy with a person struggling to deal with something we all must face: the desire to hold on to the things we enjoy when the world around us changes in ways we didn’t expect.
There’s Humor Within the Pain
Buffer Zone follows a hapless food service worker enduring the daily grind in a demeaming position. Where did the idea for this book come from?
This book is largely autobiographical. I’ve spent 20 years working in the food service industry, mostly as a waiter. I wanted to incorporate those experiences into this book because as difficult as customer service can be, there’s humor within the pain. In many ways humor is the way I process pain. I believe humor helps us cope with the hardships of life.
Are there any emotions or memories from your own life that you put into your main character’s life?
The concept for this book really started in 2008 when I had an experience in a cafe that I describe in chapter 1. A woman was sitting next to me and getting a little too invasive of my personal space. I had a flashback memory of when I was a kid and I used to build a wall of cereal boxes around me when I ate breakfast. This prompted the first 12 page black & white comic, which later became chapter 1. A couple of years later I created issue 2 about people on the bus, which became chapter 2. A year or so later I released issue 3 about how I wanted to be a ninja as a kid, which became chapter 3. The original title for this comic series was, “White Male Neurosis”, poking fun at the stereotype of the neurotic white guy. Around 2015 I had the idea to combine the stories into a larger book and transform the issues into chapters. I changed the title to “Buffer Zone” because I feel it represents more of the overall theme and tone of the book.
What draws you to the graphic novel genre and makes it ripe for you to write such a great dark comedy in it?
I’ve always enjoyed comic books and graphic novels. I was drawn to the idea that I could tell a story visually any way I choose. There are standards and norms, but really you can frame, compose and pace a story any way you want. The first version of “Buffer Zone” was more like a picture book, but I wanted it to have more movement and action, so I kept revising. I also do stand up comedy occasionally and I used this book as a vehicle for illustrating my stand up material instead of performing it.
Can we look forward to more work from you soon? What are you currently working on?
I’ve been creating a series of surreal digital paintings for an art exhibition, and I’m currently working on a prequel story to “A Nightmare On Elm St” which I’ve titled “Springwood 1972” about Freddy Krueger living a double life as a serial killer and mild mannered member of the community. This story is a thriller about a town in disarray, a cop in pursuit, and a killer with an insatiable lust. You can view the cover and pages 1-6 on my patreon. This is fan fiction. I have not been commissioned and I don’t have any legal permission to use the characters from these movies, so I’m not sure if I’ll be able to publish it. However, I’d love to. I’ve always been a horror fan, and after spending so much time on a project so personal it is refreshing to create something totally fictional and separate from my life story.
Author Links: Goodreads | Instagram | Facebaook | Patreon | Website
Told through colorful pen & ink illustrations and narrated through the protagonist’s thoughts and memories, “Buffer Zone” is a hilarious journey inside the mind of a waiter on the verge of a breakthrough or a breakdown. This 130 page graphic memoir is a character study of social anxiety, a darkly comical look at food service and an examination of growing up in Midwest America in the 80’s and 90’s.
Buffer Zone
Buffer Zone, by James Michael Williams, takes readers on a darkly comedic journey through the trials of food service, exploring the absurdities of modern work and the existential dread that comes with it. This graphic novel begins by tracing humanity’s evolutionary path from single-celled organisms to the intricate, sentient beings we are today. Then it drops us into the life of one such character—a hapless worker trapped in the food service industry. With biting humor, the story examines what it means to be alive and aware, only to spend that awareness grinding away at a menial, demeaning job.
The protagonist’s plight resonates deeply, particularly for anyone who has ever felt overqualified for their work. Much like the early Ryan Reynolds film Waiting, this graphic novel captures the sharp wit and biting sarcasm needed to endure such a soul-crushing reality. Self-deprecating humor becomes a lifeline, a way for the brain to protect itself from the realization that precious time is slipping away while slogging through dead-end shifts for slightly above minimum wage. Williams masterfully balances this humor with poignant reflections on the absurdity of it all, making for a narrative that is as thought-provoking as it is hilarious. The protagonist knows he doesn’t belong in this world of food service drudgery. He believes he was destined for greater things, yet some cruel cosmic joke has placed him here, in the trenches of the customer service industry.
The mantra “the customer is always right” becomes a cruel punchline when logic and evidence repeatedly say otherwise. It’s this keen awareness of his situation that gives the story its edge, transforming what could have been a straightforward workplace satire into a sharp commentary on modern existence. Beneath the humor lies a subtle, sobering truth. The monotony of the protagonist’s work, combined with his existential musings, drives him to the brink of madness. Yet, in a cruel twist, even if he loses his mind in some quiet, unremarkable way, it’s likely no one would notice. This adds a layer of dark poignancy to the story, elevating it beyond mere comedy into something more profound.
Buffer Zone, by James Michael Williams, is a wildly entertaining black comedy that will strike a chord with anyone who has ever endured a job that feels beneath them. It’s a clever, irreverent look at the disconnect between our aspirations and the realities we face, brought to life through sharp writing and striking illustrations. Williams delivers a graphic novel that’s equal parts humor and heartbreak, a must-read for those who’ve ever questioned the price of a paycheck.
Pages: 127 | ASIN : B0CPTP69B7
Childproof
Childproof by Michael Noonan is a dark comedy about Rose and Will, a couple who love to throw parties; in fact, their lives revolve around them. They have, in fact, constructed the perfect party group composed of three other couples who fit their strict requirements. Life is a whirlwind being the center of attention, being praised for their parties, but one day that all ends when one of the couples announces their pregnancy. One by one, the other couples follow suit, leaving Rose and Will alone in their childless lives. Over time the pair comes to miss their old lives so much that they decide to go to great lengths to get their friends back, even if it involves murder.
The first thing I liked about this book was that it gave a definition of dark comedy, which I feel also serves as your warning that this book is a dark comedy, which is an excellent thing it did. Said comedy starts at the very beginning, as the couple contemplates ending their lives in a spectacular newsworthy fashion. Please don’t consider following in their footsteps. The book did contain a couple of memorable lines that’ll stick with me, which I always find a plus. It’s hilarious how Noonan also gives us the thoughts of animals and babies in this book; it’s great getting their input on each situation.
I found the backstories, and while informative and funny, they made me forget their original point. Then there are the backstories within the backstories that made for a disorienting reading experience. A couple of characters featured throughout the book were annoying, and while that was their point, I found they were so much so that their scenes grated on my nerves.
Childproof is a full-on dark comedy that will entertain and shock readers. It pulls no punches and leaves no insult unused. You’ll constantly be saying: “Did they really make a joke about that?” If you like your comedy extremely dark, then this is your book. While the darkness of the comedy could be a bit much for readers, it was a well-penned book.
Pages: 266 | ASIN : B0BF4PCBTW
Giant Banana Over Texas
Giant Banana Over Texas by Mark Nutter is a collection of short stories that will make you stop in your track and reread it. With straightforward and short stories, the author has tried to capture the absurdity of human life in weird circumstances. All these instances that are mentioned in the book are plausible situations. They have the full potential to be true, but this is something that is generally not heard of. It might sound confusing, but this is exactly what the stories are: confusing and chaotic.
The author’s writing style is the common thread that binds these 31 stories together in this book. All of them are weirdly thought-provoking and will leave you with a deep sense of discomfort. Of course, I knew that stories are simply stories, but there is something in those stories that make them very near to reality despite being in the vein of impossibility.
The stories have sensible beginnings, a possible flow of action, but an unsettling end. These endings are connected to the problems at the beginning. The weird endings suddenly turn the flow of the stories and take them away from the realistic relatability that we feel with the stories. It is weird, but curiosity makes it interesting. I thoroughly enjoyed being stumped by this Giant Banana over Texas.
The author uses absurdity to bring out the problems of the contemporary world. Even though the endings are not what lies in the wake of realistic action, it brings out discomfort in the readers. The readers feel relatable yet away from the characters. The discomfort of the stories seeps within the reader’s conscience and itches at the mind.
Giant Banana Over Texas is a collection of short dark-humor stories. The language used is very easy to read and understand. Anyone will enjoy the Absurd twists and turns that the stories take while the characters are left hanging on the edge of uncertainty.
Pages: 237 | ASIN : B09S6T5FM4
The Modern Aztec’s Guide to Dating and Time Travel
Quality Jones possesses more unique qualities than just her name. She is, by all rights, a time-traveling phenomenon and an exceptionally strong and resourceful young woman. The target of regular biases and racism, she bounces back quickly and never allows society’s ills to affect her. She is, quite literally, one in a million. When a chance meeting with a ridiculously unsuccessful bank robber places Quality in front of law enforcement and accused of the crime herself, everything she believed she knew about the battle of good versus evil is put to the test. Quality might be an experienced time-traveler, but she is about to face her biggest challenge to date.
The Modern Aztec’s Guide to Dating and Time Travel: A Quality Jones Book, by Ulises Silva, is a real rollercoaster ride of science fiction-meets-comedic timing. The story’s main character is, by and large, the straight man in this unique blend of time travel and satire. Quality Jones is always ready with a retort that cuts deep. Her frustration with the Sevastian’s inadequacies is beyond obvious and the eye-rolling responses she gives to his ridiculous decisions are palpable to readers.
If I had to place Silva’s work in a genre, I am not too sure I would choose science fiction as its primary category. Cover to cover, Silva provides readers with satirical elements that keep readers on their toes. The author addresses current events in a way readers in 2020 easily recognize and with which they will quickly relate. From the names of stores and banks to the references regarding the lack of social distancing, Silva hits on every conceivable social convention.
Each and every character Quality Jones encounters brings to mind those of comic books. They are bigger than life, have dialogue that is a fantastic blend of humor, satire, and science fiction terms and offer stunning visuals for readers. Quality Jones herself is a stand-out main character who begs to be recognized for the way she calmly handles the chaos surrounding her.
I am giving The Modern Aztec’s Guide to Dating and Time Travel: A Quality Jones Book, by Ulises Silva, 4 out of 5 stars. Readers who relish humor in conjunction with their science fiction plots will be able to instantly sink their teeth into Silva’s work. For those who seek satire and an occasional break from overly-technical science fiction work, Silva’s work will be a wonderful treat.
Pages: 527 | ASIN: B08N5BSZBJ
To End One’s Own Life
Dave Matthes Author Interview
Sleepeth Not, the Bastard is a fascinating and thought-provoking look at suicide and how it affects the people around the tragedy. Why was this an important book for you to write?
While I myself have had no direct experiences with suicide, I’ve been around many people who have, and have also been stuck in situations surrounded by people who literally teetered on the edge of themselves with staying alive being on one side of that edge, and ending it all being on the other. It’s a sticky subject to talk about because so many people have a fixed concept in their minds that suicide is always, always, ALWAYS a bad thing. I’ve often questioned it myself, the idea of what it would be like to kill myself (albeit not seriously, just what the scenario would be and why and what would happen after the fact). I suppose it may be strange to think that yes, there can be reasons for one to want to end themselves. After all, we aren’t asked to be born, why can’t we have the freedom to decide when enough is enough? Then again, that’s not exactly the motive behind the suicide factor in this book. It’s become a wonder to me why so many people see victims of suicide as being selfish or even cowardly when it feels as though those left behind couldn’t possibly make that call themselves. To end one’s own life, depending on the circumstances of course, may be the most brave thing someone can do. I wanted to explore that with this book, because when Josh does take the leap, he puts into motion a train wreck that can’t, but also SHOULDN’T be stopped.
Your characters are always well thought out and often go through dramatic transformations throughout the story. What is your writing process like in developing your characters?
Generally, especially as of late, I can’t plan out from the start where my characters will end up by the end of the story. Most of the time I just start writing, and sometimes something in the background or from my memories will inspire me to expand upon said idea. The characters, as with all if not most writers out there, all have a little part of me in them. Sometimes characters turn into what I wish I could be. Sometimes they exist in a world in which I wish I existed, and so on. With “Sleepeth Not, the Bastard”, the characters just sort of came out of me; the dialogue, the exposition, the plot surrounding their actions and influencing their motives. I can’t describe it as well as I’d like. Maybe, if anything, I take the worst of me and put it into the story hoping the characters can figure out for themselves what would be the best course of action.
I understand that you work in the service industry and often travel from state to state. How has your work helped you write your books?
Travel has had a huge influence on my writing. Constantly being in a state of motion is more or less the cheapest drug I’ve ever been able to get my hands on, but with it also comes a slew of emotions. Being away from the people I love, not being able to feel the comfort of my own bed, things like that have a heavy effect on what goes on the page. Meeting people everywhere I go aids significantly in fueling the personalities and behaviors of my characters. As nasty as my job can get, even with the worst days I’ve had while on the clock, being on the road is more than enough to make up for it.
Your stories often cover a wide range of themes in many different genres. What is one genre or theme that you haven’t yet touched but want to write about?
I’ve dabbled in science fiction and fantasy in the way WAY past but don’t think I’ll ever go back, but that could change. I’ve considered tackling psychological horror, sort of in the vein of Edgar Allen Poe and Eli Roth, but there’s very little in the works in that department. Sometimes I’ll watch a horror movie and think, wow… I could definitely write something like that, and it’d be fun and terrifying. But then I get stuck on my other writing, my contemporary fiction kick that I’ve been on for a while. Who knows? After the book I’m currently working on, I might make a go at something completely different.
Author Links: GoodReads | Facebook | Twitter
“The gravity of fate is nothing in comparison to the fleeting warmth of a loved one’s last kiss…”
….thus reads the final words of High School Senior Joshua Feranna.
Several years later, Lew, his father, currently working for a faceless loan shark, has dipped into a drug and lust-filled method of cope. Separated but not divorced, his wife Autumn finally tracks Lew down, begging him to come home to help take care of their identity-in-crisis daughter Zoey.
But when Lew’s friend from high school, Sarah Fox, having lived the life of a drummer in the all-but extinct rock band “The Bastards” returns to town stalked by a rumored “Resurrection Tour”, Lew’s world truly becomes a thing of legend….and doubt.
What transpires from then on is a continuing snowball effect that will inevitably lead to the cataclysmic destruction of one family and others as the world continues to busy itself around them in seamless melancholy.
“Sleepeth Not, the Bastard” is a story about people, each one steadily climbing towards a foreseeable yet undeniable end. Each person influencing the other in one massive string of events escalating and culminating at the end of their respective worlds whether those worlds be of mental, emotional, psychological, or delusional origin.
Part drama, part dark comedy, part rock ‘n roll epic, with a copious and perhaps endless helping of sex, drugs, and infamy… “Sleepeth Not, the Bastard” is a romp for this generation, an homage to those that came before, and a warning for those that follow.
Shackled Scribes
Shackled Scribes is a fantasy piece that takes place in a world powered by runes and those that carve them for the worm rulers in power. The story opens with Cyesko, an interesting character. He strives to be a respected rune scribe, partly due to his addiction to Ichor, a golden liquid that he receives as payment for his runes. He is a bird-like creature who has spent most of his life being a weak rune scribe, but that all changes when he runs into Tialina, a female bird creature who is naturally gifted in rune scribing. When he takes part of a rune she created, it sends him on a new path of stronger rune creation. However, those new runes bring new problems.
Soon, he begins to wonder who this woman was and how she became so powerful, as well as some truths that change how he sees the world around him. Meanwhile, Tialina has discovered the consequences of using rune power so often, and begins to look for a solution that might change the world.
The strength of this story lies in its world. It is unique in almost every respect, and the characters respond and react as one would expect under those circumstances. It is also a world that is well-defined. There were not many times when this reader ever felt lost or confused by the introduction of a new mechanic or function in the world. The details are revealed in such a fashion that makes the reader desire more, and gives enough of those details in a timely pace that also keeps the reader satisfied.
The plot is entertaining and straightforward. There is not a lot hiding in the details of the story, and some readers might find the actual conflicts to be a bit generic, despite the rich and unique setting. Regardless, the story moves quickly and the reader will be anxious to find out how these characters progress through the troubles where they find themselves.
Overall, the story is well worth the read. Some of the ideas are very far-fetched, but that creativity makes the reading interesting. If you can deal with ideas that aren’t much like any of the traditional magic we find in contemporary fantasy, then this will be a book for you. It is a unique setting with interesting characters. I hope that there will be more adventures in this realm.
Pages: 195 | ASIN: B01KDG6OKA
LITERARY TITAN 