Earl and Duke Rule!
(Book 3 of 4) RIP
Gil's All Fright Diner by A. Lee Martinez
I've come to the conclusion that it takes a darn good writer to take a Vampire, and a Werewolf... make them comical...and make them likeable... and then stir it all up and write a story around them.
A. Lee Martinez did just that.
He took one Vampire, named Earl, who was half dead (during the day when he slept) and half alive (at night of course), and one (best friend) Werewolf, named Duke and made them both comical and likeable and then gave them a huge undertaking (pardon the pun) to accomplish at Gil's Diner.
Add in some other characters like, an overweight gal named Loretta who ran the diner, a ghost named Cathy who was "bound" to the cemetery, some zombies and ghouls, and a couple of teenagers (Tammy & Chad) who, without their knowledge, are doing Gil's bidding to become a god of the dark... and you have Gil's All Fright Diner!
I didn't think I'd like this book all that much... but I have to say it gave me a smile now and then and had some very interesting characters! How I can wind up liking a Vampire (and by the way for whatever reason each time I read his name "Earl" all I could picture was "My Name Is Earl"!) and a Werewolf (Duke's name conjured up Duke Wayne!) is beyond me.. but if you want some light reading that will give you a smile when you least expect it... this is the book you should read!
Excerpt, Upon arriving at Gil's Diner: (Earl did not want to stop at the diner)
"You could'a got a sandwich. That's your problem. You never think ahead. You're always living in the now. You've go one of them there reactive minds."
Duke cursed the day Earl had gotten his hands on a dog-eared copy of Dianetics.
The werewolf stopped to sniff the air.
"Now what?" Earl asked
"Nuthin'". He tiled his head. "Thought I smelt sumthin' for a minute there."
"What?" What d'ja think you smell?"
"Zombies."
"Jeezus, Duke, there ain't nothin' for a hundred miles. Where the hell would zombies come from?"
"Over there."
Duke jerked his thumb over his shoulder as he entered the diner. As if on cue, the dust raised by the pickup's arrival settle, revealing a small cemetery.
"Oh."
************
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posted by DesLily | 11:26 AM
7 Comments:
I'm glad you enjoyed it, I hope the other one is as enjoyable or more for you. It does indeed take talent to write comedic fiction, especially using stock characters that are often used more seriously. I'm happy this didn't disappoint.
Hi Deslily...I'm just catching up on your posts....I've been behind the eight-ball...time has slipped away on me these past few days. Love the pics of you and your mum in the earlier post.
My brother and I were raised by our mother and grandmother. Like you, we, too, never uttered the words "Daddy". Your post brought back many memories.
This sounds like such a delightful book! On to the wishlist it goes.
:D Ha! I've gotta read this one! it sounds right up my alley. I'm so glad that you liked it! Damn, you're almost done with the challenge! I should send some of mine to ya ;)
Carl: It really was done well and to have the "heroes" be a vampire and werewolf is an unconventional twist to say the least!
Lee: it still bothers me today at 63 that I never met my father. Not sure why.
Nymeth: I was very surprised at how much I enjoyed this book. The two main characters are paired off as best buddies in the likes of "Norton and Ralph" from the Honeymooners!
Chris: yeah well that's me.. when I start something I don't stop until I'm done..sigh. 1/2 way through In the Company of Ogres! But I still have Dragons of the High Lord Skies .. Lord Soth fills the bill so I can use that one too.
I was ambushed by this book: I enjoyed it so much, and had anticipated enjoying not very much at all, really. I think that "Ogres" is even better, so hopefully you're getting quite a few chuckles out of that one (Martinez stumbles a bit in his third outing, "A Nameless Witch," but we can't all be Terry Pratchett, and he;s showing his age, too...)
Good grief. Another one for the wish list. I can't believe you made a book with a vampire and a werewolf sound fun. Darn it. Quit doing that. :)
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