I'm Daft for Taft

While you can't exactly call William Howard Taft a zombie, his crawling out of the muck and staggering toward a press conference on the White House lawn 100 years after his disappearance is one hell of a way to make an entrance. Jason Heller's new book Taft 2012: A Novel explores the possibility of awakening a man whose presidency was known more for girth than political Goliath. Plunging the former president into the technological abyss and the new way to play politics, Heller exposes Taft to cable news television, Twitter and Twinkies. When a grass roots campaign begins in his name for himself and his great granddaughter, Congresswoman Rachel Taft, he again wants to connect to the country yet can he stomach the thought of another presidency?

Heller's book presents a nation down on its luck and looking for a hero, namely the steadfast and practical moderate found in Taft as a man of the people who is respected in the current day far more than when he held the presidency in the 20th century. Rachel Taft's nemesis is the food industry, her fight for better regulations keeps Taft involved with the very real problems facing the United States. Heller weaves this information throughout the book, so while it's not slapping you in the face -- you're getting the message.

I enjoyed the book, becoming a fan of Big Bill as I had hoped from the outset. There were a few bits I thought unnecessary and some loose ends (like how did they overlook him for 100 years) though they didn't detract much from the overall feel. A good book for this election year, give it a twirl!

::GIVEAWAY::

You may have noticed my magnificent mustache. It's okay. Gaze upon its beauty.

I am giving away a copy of Taft 2012: A Novel to a lucky winner! The rules are easy:


Photos will be displayed on Late Bloomer unless asked not to do so in the email.

Deadline: February 29, 2012. Winner announced March 1, 2012.

Giveaway available to USA residents only.

WINNER WINNER CHICKEN DINNER!
Thank you, Angie!

Yes, I have too much time on my hands.

You rang, Bloggess?

You may have noticed I can't resist a challenge so when The Bloggess threw down the Juanita meme, I had to get my rendition of her taxidermied weasel into the mix.

No Rest for the Wicked

I love being an editor. I love coaxing shy writers into trying something new, encouraging writers with more experience to give me just a little bit more or to shave off extraneous words to make a piece stronger, and I love meeting new writers and expanding my family.

When I accepted Rainstorm Press's request to compile and edit an anthology of ghost stories, I knew just what I wanted to focus on: haunted objects. I loved the thought of digging into a classic ghost story on a cold February night and seeing what submissions would have me looking over my shoulder and staring down that clown doll that gives me the creeps. That ain't easy to do, my friends, this isn't my first rodeo. Luckily, I've been able to accept some excellent pieces and I look forward to sharing them with you in the early summer.

I am still accepting submissions for this anthology and invite writers who may not have thought of this genre as within their scope. Try it. Have fun with it. If it doesn't work, wiggle it until it does. If it works right out of the gate, I'll be doing the Happy Acceptance Dance with you.

Show me what you've got. Deadline for submissions is March 1, 2012. For all the details, please visit the No Rest For The Wicked website.

I wonder if Taft can boogie without hurting a boob?

My living room is alive with the sound of Just Dance on the Wii. Good lord, I'm old. I tried to boogie with the best of them and ended up pulling a boob muscle. Now I make cupcakes, stay out of the way and hand out sage advice like, "don't whack the little person."

I'm not a gamer, I'm a reader. This weekend I'm diving into TAFT 2012: A NOVEL by Jason Heller from Quirk Books. Stay tuned for my review and giveaway! I already like this dead guy more than the jokers the GOP is tossing around.