Tagged: Howard Hopkins

Vengeance is a dish best served bloody!

New Pulp Author Howard Hopkins (The Lone Ranger, The Avenger, The Spider) has announced that his novel, Blood Creek is now available exclusively for Amazon Kindle. Blood Creek is a Western novel of vicious revenge upon those who committed a heinous crime long ago and thought they got away with it, Blood Creek was originally published in hardcover under the Black Horse Western line and in large print Linford Library paperback edition under Howard’s Lance Howard penname. With a completely redesigned cover, this is its first electronic imprint, published under Howard’s own name, and will remain an exclusive Kindle release through arrangement with Amazon.com.

From the Blurb:

Fifteen years ago five unruly sons of rich parents committed a heinous crime against a young Ute woman, only to walk away unpunished.

Now a ruthless killer bent on revenge is stalking them, murdering their wives, and destroying their lives piece by piece.

After manhunter Calin Travers is mysteriously attacked, then lured under false pretenses to Sundown, Colorado, a town to which he swore he’d never return, he discovers himself face to face with old guilts and a brutal killer who has marked him for death.

“This author does miracles with the written word. He takes the reader to the heart of the story and holds them glued to the pages with passion to the very end…”
–Romance and Friends Reviews

“…believable characters and settings will have you breathing 1800s dust and seeing by the flickering light of an oil lamp as you turn every tension-filled page.”
–Tim Greaton, Maine’s Other Author (TM)

Vengeance is a dish best served bloody…Blood Creek by Howard Hopkins
Now available exclusively for Kindle.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B006QD6VK8

You can learn more about Howard Hopkins at http://howardhopkins.blogspot.com/

Howard Hopkins Brings Hell On Hoofs!

New Pulp Author Howard Hopkins (writing as Lance Howard) has a new novel coming from UK publisher Hale Book’s Black Horse Western line. Hell On Hoofs is set to debut in January 2012.

About Black Horse Westerns:
Black Horse Westerns can be requested at public libraries or ordered at bookstores. They can be bought online from the publisher at http://www.halebooks.com/, or from other retailers including  Amazon, Amazon UK, WH Smith, Blackwells and The Book Depository (“free delivery worldwide”).

Also, Howard’s Lone Ranger novel, “Vendetta” debuts in February 2012 from Moonstone Books.

For more on Howard Hopkins, visit http://www.howardhopkins.com/

The Lone Ranger and Kolchak: The Night Stalker Novels Debut February 2012

Moonstone Books has announced that the Lone Ranger novel, “Vendetta” and the Kolchak: The Night Stalker novel, “The Lost City” will arrive in book stores and comic shops in February 2012.

KOLCHAK AND THE LOST CITY

Written by CJ Henderson, cover by Doug Klauba.

New thriller-novels from Moonstone! From the author of the Brooklyn Knights novels! After getting a serial killer to confess, Kolchak is offered an international assignment with massive coverage around the world. With fame and fortune finally within reach, Kolchak is ready to cover the story, when he’s confronted by a mysterious monk who warns him that “the seventy-two must always be.” What this means is not explained. But, before he knows it, Kolchak’s dreams are invaded by unexplainable images that let him know every step he takes toward this story is bringing him closer to death.

130 pages, $4.99.

THE LONE RANGER: VENDETTA

Written by Howard Hopkins, cover by Doug Klauba.

New thriller-novels from Moonstone! From out of the past comes a mysterious killer systematically murdering anyone with a connection to the Masked Rider of the Plains former identity. When all signs point to Butch Cavendish, a man long dead, The Ranger finds himself trapped in a deadly game of cat and mouse with the life of his faithful Indian companion hanging in the balance.

130 pages, $4.99.

All Pulp Interviews Author Howard Hopkins

Cover art: Douglas Klauba

Howard Hopkins is a prolific writer of novels, comic books, and short stories as well as an editor and musician. It was recently announced that Howard would be writing the first new Lone Ranger novel of the 21st Century, which will certainly be a future Trivial Pursuit question. All Pulp sat down to discuss the new novel, Lone Ranger: Vendetta as well as Howard’s other writing and editing projects.

AP: Tell us a little about yourself and your pulp interests.

HH: I’m a horror, western, kids’ horror, pulp, comics writer who lives in Maine, in a small seaside community haunted by sea captains’ ghosts and tourists. It’s a very mysterious place of snaking mist and strange happenings, most of which occur on beer night, which is basically every night in these parts! I’m not sure I can really label myself a “pulp” fan, but I am a huge fan of certain pulp characters, such as Doc Savage, The Avenger and The Shadow, maybe a handful of others to a lesser degree. I grew up on the Doc Savage paperback reprints with their gorgeous Bama covers, as well as The Avenger with their Caras and Gross covers. As a kid I didn’t know what a pulp was, only that there was the occasional odd reference in the books to running boards and wire recorders. It was only in my 20s I got my hands on an actual, honest-to-goodness-crumble-my-hands-as-tried-to-read-it pulp and learned of some of the other characters, like The Spider, Captain Future and The Moon Man.

AP: It was recently announced that your next novel will be The Lone Ranger: Vendetta from Moonstone Books. With your history writing western novels, this seems like a perfect fit. What can we expect from the first Lone Ranger novel of the 21st century?
HH: You can expect the true Lone Ranger, no re-imaging and political correctness. Set in a more realistic and gritty West, dealing with authentic issues and vicious villains. The original Lone Ranger series on the radio and TV—which, make no mistake, I love dearly—was largely intended for a younger audience. Moonstone’s series is not aimed at kids, but it is aimed at Lone Ranger fans and Western readers, as well as adventure readers and folks who just enjoy a thrilling story. The Lone Ranger and Tonto—I don’t like to use the term Blood Brothers because it was a term not used by the Native Americans, but that’s what they really are—are equal parts of a whole, dealing with a West full of prejudice, sudden death and human corruption. Yet The Ranger also stands above that. He is The Lone Ranger and I have taken great pains to keep the soul and spirit of the character intact. I have a great love and respect for this character and have done my best to make sure to respect Rangers fans in writing the book. There’s nothing I hate more than seeing a cherished character so totally redone as to be not only unrecognizable but alienating. These are great, iconic characters. They were popular and loved for a reason. I see no need to screw with that. At the same time, the Old West is a violent, vast and even lonely place, and The Lone Ranger and Tonto are operating within it. Basically I have done my durndest to preserve everything that makes The Ranger The Ranger, and set it against a backdrop of a Deadwood styled West (without the cussing). I believe fans as well as many non-Western readers will like it. I am hoping there will be a few of those goosebump moments we all look for in our favorite characters when they appear in new books or movies.

You can also expect a pretty vicious villain seeking revenge. The story is called Vendetta and the lead villain has a hell of a score to settle. Unfortunately this means bad news for some of the Masked Rider of the Plains’ acquaintances.

AP: In addition to writing, you also have a couple of anthologies coming up that you’ve edited as well. Tell us a bit about the upcoming Sherlock Holmes and The Avenger collections.

HH: Yes, indeed. A Honey West anthology too, in fact. The Sherlock Holmes antho is called Sherlock Holmes: The Crossovers Casebook, and involves the Great Detective working with some of history’s fictional and real characters, solving a crime. My own story, called The Haunted Manor, teams Sherlock with Calamity Jane. He teams with Arsene Lupin, The Great and Powerful OZ, Lawrence of Arabia and many others. We have some truly excellent writers involved with the project and an awesome cover. I believe Holmes fans will enjoy it and if I may say so myself it’s going to be one kick ass anthology. I have also been co-editor with Joe Gentile on three Avenger anthologies, the first two of which are out now and available from comic shops and Amazon.com. These are labors of love for me, since The Avenger is one of my all time favorite characters, second (or perhaps even tied with) Doc Savage. I’ve done stories for all three volumes, and the second volume, titled The Justice, Inc. Files, includes, in the special hardcover edition, the first three of six vignettes focusing on the original Man of Steel’s aides. In this case, Nellie, Mac and Cole Wilson. The next will spotlight Smitty, Josh and Rosabel. And of course this is THE Richard Benson, not somebody named Benny or a drastic updating of characters.

AP: What is The Chloe Files?

HH: The Chloe Files is my paranormal horror series focusing on Chloe Everson, a dancer at The Red Lagoon who gets herself into all sorts of supernatural problems. She’s not a wizard like Harry Dresden, but she does take on others’ ghostly problems and something quite special about her will be revealed as the series progresses. Two books are now available on Kindle, Nook and in paperback. The action takes place in the cursed seaside town of New Salem, Maine, and this is not your sparkly vampire lovefest. The monsters Chloe faces are classic style and mean as hell. She’s Kolchak with boobs. She’s also going to find out some rather dark and startling revelations about her past and the reasons the supernatural is after her. In the meantime, she’s kicking Evil’s ass—one demon at a time.

AP: Your books have spanned multiple genres including westerns, horror, mystery, pulp adventure, and more. Do you have a favorite genre to write? What appeals to you about switching genres?

HH: The spooky genes are probably my favorite. I love things that go bump in the night and I love to scare readers. But I enjoy all genres I write in because it all boils down to the same thing–I read to escape…I write to help others escape. I like working in genres that take folks away from their worries and day to day problems, at least for a couple hours. I do not strive to be literary, though I do strive to make my characters live and drive the story. I am an entertainer and that’s just fine with me. It’s all about the escape. When I was a kid, I went through some tough times—and if not for some of the heroes and books I love, honestly, I might not have made it. They saved me from at least some addictions that might have proved destructive. I owe the writers of those stories more than I can repay and I owe my readers what I was given.

AP: Is there a genre you’ve not written that you would like to try your hand at some point?

HH: Well, actually there’s one I am just now getting a chance to write in I haven’t done much with before and that’s 50s noir. I will be writing a 15,000 word novella (novelette?) for a brand new anthology based on the old radio show Nightbeat, about a reporter who stumbles into serious crime. And the best part is I am getting to be in it with some super talents. What more can a writer ask? It will be a lot of fun slipping into that noir world.

AP: There seem to be many different opinions about what can be defined as pulp. How do you define pulp and what do you look for in a pulp story as a writer and a reader?

HH: Oh, man, this may get me into some trouble, but I don’t define pulp. Pulp was a type of paper novels and stories were printed on, in magazine format. In every genre. Now stories are printed in paperbacks and in ebooks. It was cheap fiction, but still just fiction, often written hastily and for the specific reason of entertaining its audience. Escapism, again. I don’t write pulp, because pulp does not really exist as a genre, in my opinion. I write about some characters who appeared in pulp magazines, but I make no deliberate attempt to write in the same style or emulate the technical mistakes they made. I believe the authors, had they been paid better and given the opportunity, would have polished their stories more. But they weren’t and didn’t have time. When I write about those characters, I do my best to flesh them out and present as highly a polished story as my ability allows. Some are hero stories, some horror, some adventure. I think the modern audience expects more from authors now. While I think it’s a huge mistake to reinvent the wheel with these characters—I do my damnedest to maintain the core and soul of the characters and let’s face it, these characters have cult followings because there was something special that didn’t need changing—I do feel writers handling them have to give them more depth, along with slicker writing and better plot. I love reading these characters’ original adventures, but I accept them for what they are and when they were written. I won’t accept that from modern writers who have the time and talent to avoid the things the original writers would have avoided had they gotten the time for rewrites. If you look at The Avenger Chronicles and Justice, Inc. Files, you won’t see “pulp” stories; you’ll see very talented authors telling great stories. I don’t label anything “pulp.” I label them good stories using pulp characters. They are adventure, hero stories in genre. They cross into mystery, horror, western, etc.

Not Actual Cover

That said, anyone who wants to call it pulp or call me a pulp writer is certainly free to do so and it bothers me not in the least. I just don’t feel it’s even an argument and worth the time debating, to be honest. I’d rather read and write the stories!

AP: Where can readers find information on you and your books?

HH: They can visit my website at http://www.howardhopkins.com/ and my blog at http://howardhopkins.blogspot.com/ Or follow me on Twitter at @yingko2

AP: What upcoming projects do you have coming up that you can tell us about at this time?

HH: Well, The Lone Ranger novel, of course, and a Lone Ranger short story for an anthology, along with another story for The Green Hornet 3, the novella for Nightbeat, a new Chloe Files novel in the works, an Avenger story, Honey West story, a new Western novel, a comic book called Threesome that involves my own—dare I now say “pulp”?—heroine called The Veil and the return of the Golden Amazon (with The Domino Lady and co-written with NY Times bestselling author, the lovely and talented Nancy Holder), A Golden Amazon novel called Ripper, Burning Bright, three Spider widescreen graphic novels from Moonstone, new Golden Amazon short stories, a YA series novel, and some other stuff. Two upcoming Westerns called Hell of Hoofs and Twilight Trail. Then a kidnapping of myself by Jennifer Love Hewitt, but shhhh on that…

AP: Do you have any shows, signings, or conventions coming up where your fans can meet you?

HH: Nothing scheduled at present. I haven’t done many shows, but I’m hoping to change that soon.

AP: And finally, what does Howard Hopkins do when he’s not writing?

HH: Um, what do you mean by that? What is this not writing thing of which you speak? My ass is superglued to the office chair. Well, ok, I am a musician—mandolin, keyboards, guitar, singing—so when I have time I do that, read, of course, collect comic books and DVDs of old TV shows such as UFO, Hulk, Dark Shadows, etc. Sometimes I sleep, but try not to let that get in the way.

AP: Thanks, Howard.

HH: Thank you, All Pulp Potentates!s

About The Lone Ranger – Vendetta:

The Masked Man in a brand-new adventure! From out of the past comes a mysterious killer systematically murdering anyone with a connection to the Masked Rider of the Pains former identity. When all signs point to Butch Cavendish, a man long dead, The Lone Ranger finds himself trapped in a deadly game of cat and mouse with the life of his faithful Indian companion hanging in the balance!

For more on Howard Hopkins, visit http://www.howardhopkins.com/.
For more on Moonstone Books, visit http://www.moonstonebooks.com/.

The Lone Ranger Returns With A Vendetta

Cover Art: Douglas Klauba

New Pulp Author Howard Hopkins confirmed the announcement on Amazon today that he has written a new The Lone Ranger novel for Moonstone Books. The Masked Rider of the Plains rides again in a gritty tale of the vengeance from out of his past. The paperback preorder price is $4.99 with a great cover by Artist Doug Klauba.

http://www.amazon.com/Lone-Ranger-Vedetta-Howard-Hopkins/dp/1936814153/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1317752878&sr=1-1

The novel is Black Horse Western length, the first in a new line from Moonstone books. Look for Howard’s novel The Golden Amazon: Ripper, Burning Bright coming from Moonstone as well.

About The Lone Ranger – Vendetta:

The Masked Man in a brand-new adventure! From out of the past comes a mysterious killer systematically murdering anyone with a connection to the Masked Rider of the Pains former identity. When all signs point to Butch Cavendish, a man long dead, The Lone Ranger finds himself trapped in a deadly game of cat and mouse with the life of his faithful Indian companion hanging in the balance!

For more on Howard Hopkins, visit http://www.howardhopkins.com/.
For more on Moonstone Books, visit http://www.moonstonebooks.com/.

Moonstone Pulp Coming in November.

Moonstone Pulp Coming in November.

Cover: Franchesco!

DOMINO LADY’s THREESOME


Cover: Mark Sparacio


Brought to you by New York Times best selling author Nancy Holder and novelist Howard Hopkins!
When young women vanish at a sleazy burlesque club, three beautiful heroines slip undercover and out of their clothes to investigate–and wind up comforting a kidnapper who just might be out of this world. Featuring the delicious Domino Lady, the first appearance of the deadly Golden Amazon in 70 years and introducing the voluptuous new pulp crime-fighter, The Veil!
**Franchesco variant cover can be purchased separately at retail of $5.50
 
Story: Gary Phillips
Art: Manuel Martin, Ben Hansen
Tones: Jason Jensen
Cover: Mark Maddox
72pgs, grayscale, $6.99

Cover: Mark Maddox

HONEY WEST, CAPTAIN ACTION, & FLINT

Vertigo’s crime writer Gary Phillips (Angel Town, Cowboys) presents this oversize comic one time event!
For the first time ever Zen freelance spy Derek Flint, the cool curvaceous private eye Honey West, and the mysterious secret agent super-hero Captain Action team up in a story in swingin’ sixties L.A. to battle hippie robots, mobbed-up, ray gun totting gangsters, a wigged out mad scientist, brainwashed GIs and an alien menace we could only called DANGER A-GO-GO. Dig it!

Cover: Paul Gulacy

COMPLETE CAPTAIN ACTION

This is the BIG ONE!
EVERY Captain Action Moonstone appearance ever printed…as well as Lady Action, Action Boy, Captain Action Classified, and Khem!
One BIG TOME-O-READING!
A one-time printing only!

Learn more about Moonstone Books at http://www.moonstonebooks.com/.
Story: Fabian Nicieza, Steven Grant
Art: Mark Sparacio, etc.
Cover: Paul Gulacy
432pgs, b/w, 7″ x 10″ squarebound, $28.95
ISBN: 978-1-936814-18-3

***RETAILERS INCENTIVE: buy 3 copies and receive one variant incentive Franchesco cover, FREE!

Story: Nancy Holder & Howard Hopkins
Art: Silvestre Szilagyi
Colors: James Brown
Cover: Mark Sparacio
40pgs, color, 7″x10″, $4.50
A Return of the Originals oversize Event!

The Avenger: The Justice Inc Files Now Available From Moonstone Books

The Avenger: The Justice Inc Files Now Available From Moonstone Books

The Avenger: The Justice Inc. Files from Moonstone Books is now available at http://moonstonebooks.com/shop/category.aspx?catid=35.

You can learn more about The Avenger: The Justice Inc. Files at http://moonstonebooks.com/.
Look for them in your favorite bookstore and on-line retailer as well in a few days.

The Avenger: The Justice Inc Files SC
Item #: avj
Price/ea: $18.95

The Avenger: The Justice Inc Files HC
Item #: AvCf
Price/ea: $45.95

The Avenger: The Justice Inc. Files

Written by: Robin Wayne Bailey, Will Murray, David Michelinie, Win Scott Eckert, Mark Ellis, Matthew Baugh, Ron Fortier, Howard Hopkins, Barry Reese, Eric Fein, Frank Schlidiner, Chris Paul Carey, Chris Bell…
Cover Art: Tom Gianni
Edited by: Joe Gentile & Howard Hopkins
336pgs, b/w, Squarebound, 6″x9″

The Avenger…All-New Stories for the Next Generation! Moonstone Books is proud to present this original anthology featuring never before seen tales of The Avenger.

**See it here…for the first and ONLY time anywhere…these two pulp titans collide… The AVENGER meets the uncompromising relentless justice of The SPIDER!

**See the never before told origin of The Avenger’s personal weapons “Mike” and “Ike”!

**The AVENGER meets up with the DOMINO LADY!
**HC includes bonus stories of the Avenger’s aides!

From the Flames of Tragedy, a Hero Rises In the roaring heart of the crucible, steel is made. In the raging flame of personal tragedy, men are sometimes forged into something more than human.
Life was bliss for millionaire adventurer Richard Henry Benson until the fateful day crime and greed took away his wife and younger daughter and turned him into something more than human.

Driven by loss, compelled by grief, he becomes a chilled impersonal force of justice, more machine than man, dedicated to the destruction of evildoers everywhere. A figure of ice and steel, more pitiless than both, Benson has been forged into an avatar of vengeance, possessed of superhuman genius and supernormal power. His frozen face and pale eyes, like ice in a polar dawn, only hint at the terrible force the underworld heedlessly invoked upon itself the day they created… The Avenger!

Now, the greatest crime-fighter of the 40s returns in a stunning collection of original action-packed tales of adventure, intrigue and revenge and even a chilling showdown with the Lord of Vampires himself!

Green Hornet Casefiles Now Available

Green Hornet Casefiles Now Available

The Green Hornet Casefiles from Moonstone Books is now available at http://moonstonebooks.com/shop/category.aspx?catid=29.

You can learn more about The Green Hornet Casefiles and view cover art at http://moonstonebooks.com/.

Look for them in your favorite bookstore and on-line retailer as well in a few days.

Procopio Cover

The Green Hornet Casefiles SC

Item #: gh2s

Price/ea: $18.95

336pgs, b/w, Squarebound, 6″x9″, sc $18.95

The Green Hornet Casefiles HC

Item #: GH2hc

Price/ea: $43.95

336pgs, b/w, Squarebound, 6″x9″, Ltd Ed HC $43.95

The Green Hornet Casefiles

Edited by Joe Gentile and Win Scott Eckert

Written by: Joe McKinney, Jim Mullaney, John Everson, Paul D. Storrie, Eric Fein, Vito Delsante, Win Scott Eckert, Dan Wickline, Paul Kupperberg, Howard Hopkins, Bobby Nash, Arthur A. Lyon, Bradley Sinor, Matthew Baugh, F.J. Desanto, David Boop, Barry Reese, Micheal Uslan, Joe Gentile, Tim Lasiuta, Rafael Nieves

Covers by Ruben Procopio and Michael Kaluta

Kaluta Cover

The long-awaited return of the Green Hornet & Kato and their rolling arsenal the Black Beauty!

Back again with all-new stories!

Moonstone is proud to present The Green Hornet Casefiles, our second anthology featuring all-new, original crime fiction tales of the man who hunts the biggest of all game, public enemies that even the FBI can’t reach!

It’s the mid 1960’s, the political climate is shaky, there’s civil unrest, freedom and equality issues erupt everywhere from film to music to out in the streets.

On police records, the Green Hornet is actually a wanted criminal, a master manipulator, a crime boss who has his fingers in every pie. In reality, The Green Hornet is actually Britt Reid, owner-publisher of the Daily Sentinel. Alongside him rides his partner Kato, who is not only is a martial artist of unsurpassed prowess, but a skilled driver, and educated engineer as well. Their goal is to destroy crime from within by posing as criminals themselves!

The Matthew Baugh story, the Win Scott Eckert story, and the Howard Hopkins stories are sequels to their stories in the first volume!

You can learn more about The Green Hornet Casefiles and view cover art at http://moonstonebooks.com/.