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Special Features: A Deacon Chalk Short Story Collection
Deacon Chalk has hunted every monster under the sun. Now read the stories that happen when no one else is looking.
- GenresUrban FantasyAnthologies
134 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 30, 2014
4 people are currently reading
26 people want to read
About the author
James R. Tuck
51 books236 followersI am the author of the Deacon Chalk: Occult Bounty Hunter series. Book one, BLOOD AND BULLETS, will be out from Kensington Publishing February 7, 2012.
I write DARK URBAN FANTASY. It is gritty, it is violent, it is bloody, it is DARK. The monsters are monstrous and they do Very Bad Things. The good guys are Big Damn Heroes.
I write the ultimate thrill ride in the form of a book, just for you. I want you turning those pages as fast as you can while precariously balanced on the edge of your seat.
I write DARK URBAN FANTASY. It is gritty, it is violent, it is bloody, it is DARK. The monsters are monstrous and they do Very Bad Things. The good guys are Big Damn Heroes.
I write the ultimate thrill ride in the form of a book, just for you. I want you turning those pages as fast as you can while precariously balanced on the edge of your seat.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
June 17, 2014
Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales
Quick & Dirty: While there are some misses, this is largely a very entertaining collection of short stories and other snippets from the Deacon Chalk universe for fans and new readers alike.
Opening Sentence: She sat in the second-hand leather chair across from me, five foot ten with a mass of platinum blond curls and two miles of cleavage…and all I could look at were her shoes.
The Review:
I wasn’t initially looking forward to reading this because my previous experience with James R. Tuck’s work was mixed. So I went into this with a little trepidation. Luckily, I found myself largely entertained by the contents of this short book. In fact, I’m planning on buying the first book in the Deacon Chalk series soon so that I can sate the curiosity that these stories left me with. So, without further adieu, here are my thoughts on the contents of this collection:
Dolly – 4 stars
I was pleasantly surprised by this one. I went in with low expectations and ended up really enjoying myself. It helps that this story seems to be a sort of prequel to the series, so there wasn’t any chance of me being confused by characters or events. In this story, Deacon gets hired to rescue a woman’s dog from her ex-boyfriend, who happens to be an Elven prince. Deacon’s voice/personality comes through loud and clear in the narration, and it really helped me feel connected to him, which rarely happens for me in a short story. I was intrigued by the creatures that showed up, and everything that happened made me very curious about what has gone on in the series since the time period of this story. Very well done!
Blood and Bullets Trailer Script – 4 stars
This is just what it sounds like: a script for a potential book trailer. Tuck says in his intro that the purpose was to hopefully get people interested in the series. For it being only two pages, I think it definitely does what it sets out to do. It had me chuckling and made me curious about events that it mentioned. There’s not a whole lot of substance here, but it was still entertaining.
Father Mulcahy and Kat Interview – 2.5 stars
This one doesn’t work as well if you haven’t read the series. It’s an interview of two characters from the series, and not really knowing anything about them beforehand, I found it hard to be interested in what they had to say about Deacon. It doesn’t offer any insight into Deacon’s character that I couldn’t have gotten from reading the first story in this collection. All in all, I just wasn’t into it.
Meta – 3 stars
I liked the idea of this one, and I really love the title, given what it’s about. This short interlude shows a meeting between Tuck and Deacon in a coffee shop. They catch up on each other’s lives, and Tuck asks Deacon if he has any stories to share, which will obviously lead into the storyline for a book. There’s nothing really mind-blowing about their conversation, but I just really like the idea of an author talking to his character. That more than anything made me enjoy this piece.
Recipe for an Occult Bounty Hunter – 4 stars
I like this for what it is: just a recipe to create a Deacon Chalk. It’s really simple, but humorous, and I had a smile on my face the whole time I read it.
Interview with Charlotte Vale – 3 stars
This is another interview with a character from the series. I find the idea of a were-spider very interesting, so I was immediately intrigued by that. Not a whole lot of information is given, but I think the interview would be more entertaining to someone who is familiar with the series.
Tiff’s First Day – 3 stars
This was an entertaining story about Tiff’s first day working at Polecats, but again, I think it would mean more to readers who are familiar with the series. It did make me more interested in these side characters, but I felt like I was missing something.
The Man for the Job – 3 stars
This gives good insight into Deacon’s character, as it’s Tuck talking about why he wrote Deacon the way he did. The way this essay wraps up made me definitely interested in checking out the first book in the series.
OCID Interview with Charlotte Vale – 2 stars
This interview didn’t really work for me. It consists of one character interviewing another, and the contents seem to very much pertain to the series. Fans of the series may enjoy this snippet, but those who haven’t read any of the books won’t find much here.
The Ravenous – 2 stars
I just felt lost with this one. I can’t really even give an accurate description of what the story was about because I never got a clear picture of what exactly was happening and what the consequences would be if things didn’t go according to plan. I would like to know more about Phoebe’s backstory though, so I can’t completely write this short story off.
T’was the Fright before Christmas – 3.5 stars
This one felt really short, but it was definitely entertaining. Deacon had seen an Aswang at the mall earlier masquerading as Santa Clause and comes up with a plan to take care of it. What follows is a brief story involving the fight between Deacon and the Aswang. Punctuated with bits of humor, this story is a nice blend of horror and Christmas time.
Shop Til You Drop – 4 stars
From Christmas to Black Friday. Monster hunting is a job that apparently doesn’t get holidays off (not that Black Friday is a holiday, but you know what I mean). While braving the mall on the busiest day of the year, Deacon comes across the Boogeyman. What ensues is a funny chase that gives tidbits of boogeyman history along the way. I found this story extremely entertaining. The way the Boogeyman was described put a very clear image in my head, and it was very easy for me to picture the action. Stories like this make me very interested in reading this series.
Nature Trail to Hell – 4 stars
Deacon’s romping through the woods this time, trying to locate a missing pack of boy scouts. Of course, what has the scouts running for their lives is nothing natural and what follows is Deacon’s attempt to hunt it down and take care of it. This is another entertaining story even though it’s short. I really like Tuck’s ability to describe a monster in such a way that it puts a firm image in your head of what Deacon’s looking at. It really helps suck me into the story.
Blood and Magick alternate chapter – 4 stars
While I didn’t have the context of the preceding chapter to help me fully know what was going on, this alternate chapter certainly peaked my interest in reading this series. It serves as a nice way of showing the difference between Tuck’s novel writing style and his short story writing style. There’s more description here, as you would expect from a novel chapter. There’s also a ton of action, and the way it ended left me wanting to know what was going to happen next. I was sad to see it end!
Fresh Ink – 4 stars
This is another piece of meta-fiction. It’s told from Deacon’s point of view. While Tuck does make an appearance, a large part of the story involves Deacon chasing down a magic user. This story gives further insight into Deacon’s protective nature, and also shows him being haunted from events from previous books. By the time the story was finished, I felt very connected to him as a character and really wanted to know more about what’s happened to him in the past.
Notable Scene:
I HATE THE MALL.
I hate the mall because people are monsters.
Scratch that. People aren’t monsters. They’re worse. Trust me, I know monsters, and after this morning I would rather deal with them anytime.
Monsters I can shoot.
I stood at the top of the escalator outside of Bath and Bodyworks watching a mob of people who’d lost their fucking minds. Shoving and scratching, pushing and hitting, yanking and pulling they wrestled over small bottles of lotion designed to smell like a Christmas bakery which could be yours for the low price of one dollar and your sanity, but only for this very special shopping day. I love a nice Lemongrass Sage body spray as much as the next guy, but fuck that.
I’ve faced down bloodsuckers, the walking dead, voodoo goat-men, and a host of other creepy crawlies. That’s my job. Deacon Chalk, Occult Bounty Hunter at your service. Have silver bullets, will travel. Point is, if you’re dealing with a pack of Werewolves I’ll jump in without hesitation but I was not getting in the middle of a pack of crazed shoppers on Black Friday.
No. Way. In. HELL.
FTC Advisory: CreateSpace provided me with a copy of Special Features. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
Quick & Dirty: While there are some misses, this is largely a very entertaining collection of short stories and other snippets from the Deacon Chalk universe for fans and new readers alike.
Opening Sentence: She sat in the second-hand leather chair across from me, five foot ten with a mass of platinum blond curls and two miles of cleavage…and all I could look at were her shoes.
The Review:
I wasn’t initially looking forward to reading this because my previous experience with James R. Tuck’s work was mixed. So I went into this with a little trepidation. Luckily, I found myself largely entertained by the contents of this short book. In fact, I’m planning on buying the first book in the Deacon Chalk series soon so that I can sate the curiosity that these stories left me with. So, without further adieu, here are my thoughts on the contents of this collection:
Dolly – 4 stars
I was pleasantly surprised by this one. I went in with low expectations and ended up really enjoying myself. It helps that this story seems to be a sort of prequel to the series, so there wasn’t any chance of me being confused by characters or events. In this story, Deacon gets hired to rescue a woman’s dog from her ex-boyfriend, who happens to be an Elven prince. Deacon’s voice/personality comes through loud and clear in the narration, and it really helped me feel connected to him, which rarely happens for me in a short story. I was intrigued by the creatures that showed up, and everything that happened made me very curious about what has gone on in the series since the time period of this story. Very well done!
Blood and Bullets Trailer Script – 4 stars
This is just what it sounds like: a script for a potential book trailer. Tuck says in his intro that the purpose was to hopefully get people interested in the series. For it being only two pages, I think it definitely does what it sets out to do. It had me chuckling and made me curious about events that it mentioned. There’s not a whole lot of substance here, but it was still entertaining.
Father Mulcahy and Kat Interview – 2.5 stars
This one doesn’t work as well if you haven’t read the series. It’s an interview of two characters from the series, and not really knowing anything about them beforehand, I found it hard to be interested in what they had to say about Deacon. It doesn’t offer any insight into Deacon’s character that I couldn’t have gotten from reading the first story in this collection. All in all, I just wasn’t into it.
Meta – 3 stars
I liked the idea of this one, and I really love the title, given what it’s about. This short interlude shows a meeting between Tuck and Deacon in a coffee shop. They catch up on each other’s lives, and Tuck asks Deacon if he has any stories to share, which will obviously lead into the storyline for a book. There’s nothing really mind-blowing about their conversation, but I just really like the idea of an author talking to his character. That more than anything made me enjoy this piece.
Recipe for an Occult Bounty Hunter – 4 stars
I like this for what it is: just a recipe to create a Deacon Chalk. It’s really simple, but humorous, and I had a smile on my face the whole time I read it.
Interview with Charlotte Vale – 3 stars
This is another interview with a character from the series. I find the idea of a were-spider very interesting, so I was immediately intrigued by that. Not a whole lot of information is given, but I think the interview would be more entertaining to someone who is familiar with the series.
Tiff’s First Day – 3 stars
This was an entertaining story about Tiff’s first day working at Polecats, but again, I think it would mean more to readers who are familiar with the series. It did make me more interested in these side characters, but I felt like I was missing something.
The Man for the Job – 3 stars
This gives good insight into Deacon’s character, as it’s Tuck talking about why he wrote Deacon the way he did. The way this essay wraps up made me definitely interested in checking out the first book in the series.
OCID Interview with Charlotte Vale – 2 stars
This interview didn’t really work for me. It consists of one character interviewing another, and the contents seem to very much pertain to the series. Fans of the series may enjoy this snippet, but those who haven’t read any of the books won’t find much here.
The Ravenous – 2 stars
I just felt lost with this one. I can’t really even give an accurate description of what the story was about because I never got a clear picture of what exactly was happening and what the consequences would be if things didn’t go according to plan. I would like to know more about Phoebe’s backstory though, so I can’t completely write this short story off.
T’was the Fright before Christmas – 3.5 stars
This one felt really short, but it was definitely entertaining. Deacon had seen an Aswang at the mall earlier masquerading as Santa Clause and comes up with a plan to take care of it. What follows is a brief story involving the fight between Deacon and the Aswang. Punctuated with bits of humor, this story is a nice blend of horror and Christmas time.
Shop Til You Drop – 4 stars
From Christmas to Black Friday. Monster hunting is a job that apparently doesn’t get holidays off (not that Black Friday is a holiday, but you know what I mean). While braving the mall on the busiest day of the year, Deacon comes across the Boogeyman. What ensues is a funny chase that gives tidbits of boogeyman history along the way. I found this story extremely entertaining. The way the Boogeyman was described put a very clear image in my head, and it was very easy for me to picture the action. Stories like this make me very interested in reading this series.
Nature Trail to Hell – 4 stars
Deacon’s romping through the woods this time, trying to locate a missing pack of boy scouts. Of course, what has the scouts running for their lives is nothing natural and what follows is Deacon’s attempt to hunt it down and take care of it. This is another entertaining story even though it’s short. I really like Tuck’s ability to describe a monster in such a way that it puts a firm image in your head of what Deacon’s looking at. It really helps suck me into the story.
Blood and Magick alternate chapter – 4 stars
While I didn’t have the context of the preceding chapter to help me fully know what was going on, this alternate chapter certainly peaked my interest in reading this series. It serves as a nice way of showing the difference between Tuck’s novel writing style and his short story writing style. There’s more description here, as you would expect from a novel chapter. There’s also a ton of action, and the way it ended left me wanting to know what was going to happen next. I was sad to see it end!
Fresh Ink – 4 stars
This is another piece of meta-fiction. It’s told from Deacon’s point of view. While Tuck does make an appearance, a large part of the story involves Deacon chasing down a magic user. This story gives further insight into Deacon’s protective nature, and also shows him being haunted from events from previous books. By the time the story was finished, I felt very connected to him as a character and really wanted to know more about what’s happened to him in the past.
Notable Scene:
I HATE THE MALL.
I hate the mall because people are monsters.
Scratch that. People aren’t monsters. They’re worse. Trust me, I know monsters, and after this morning I would rather deal with them anytime.
Monsters I can shoot.
I stood at the top of the escalator outside of Bath and Bodyworks watching a mob of people who’d lost their fucking minds. Shoving and scratching, pushing and hitting, yanking and pulling they wrestled over small bottles of lotion designed to smell like a Christmas bakery which could be yours for the low price of one dollar and your sanity, but only for this very special shopping day. I love a nice Lemongrass Sage body spray as much as the next guy, but fuck that.
I’ve faced down bloodsuckers, the walking dead, voodoo goat-men, and a host of other creepy crawlies. That’s my job. Deacon Chalk, Occult Bounty Hunter at your service. Have silver bullets, will travel. Point is, if you’re dealing with a pack of Werewolves I’ll jump in without hesitation but I was not getting in the middle of a pack of crazed shoppers on Black Friday.
No. Way. In. HELL.
FTC Advisory: CreateSpace provided me with a copy of Special Features. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
December 15, 2016
This is the last book published by James R Tuck in the series but he has indicated that he'll get back to Deacon after fulfilling other publisher requirements so I hope it comes soon. The three short stories I've already reviewed on my blog are NOT in this anthology which is a pity. I didn't read the trailer script or character interviews as that doesn't interest me but I did read all the short stories.
Dolly: (4*)
A stripper abused by her elvish prince ex wants Deacon to rescue her dog and evict him from her home. Deacon discovers that the prince is also kidnapping girls to appear in ogre porn videos. The story behind the buying of Polecats.
Tiff's First Day: (3*)
This is an extra chapter that could be inserted into the first book, showing what happened to Tiff on her first day at Polecats before Deacon accidently almost killed her! I liked the way Tiff stands up to Kat!
The Ravenous: (2*)
I was pleased to see there was a story about Phoebe Fluffenstuff as I just love the idea of a were-pom with that name! I found this a bit dull as I wasn't sure why this story was happening or the background to it. I do hope to see more of her in future books!
Twas the fright before Christmas: (3*)
This would have been better as a longer story but I liked Deacon taking on an aswang disguised as Santa who wants to eat children.
Shop til you drop: (4*)
Deacon is having a miserable day at the Black Friday sales until he spots the Boogeyman lurking to grab an unsuspecting child. I feel Deacon's pain over mad shoppers!
Nature Trail to Hell: (4*)
When a pack leader and his troop go missing and a cop turns up dead, Deacon goes out on the trail of a deadly Wendigo.
Fresh Ink: (3*)
Deacon goes back to his old tattoo parlour now run by James R Tuck and his son, and has to stop an angry boy from placing a death curse on the business.
I don't want to go into too much detail with the short stories so you can enjoy them without spoilers. My favourites were Dolly and Shop til you drop. It is a good book for fans of the Deaconverse to get a few stories to do us until the next book comes out!
Dolly: (4*)
A stripper abused by her elvish prince ex wants Deacon to rescue her dog and evict him from her home. Deacon discovers that the prince is also kidnapping girls to appear in ogre porn videos. The story behind the buying of Polecats.
Tiff's First Day: (3*)
This is an extra chapter that could be inserted into the first book, showing what happened to Tiff on her first day at Polecats before Deacon accidently almost killed her! I liked the way Tiff stands up to Kat!
The Ravenous: (2*)
I was pleased to see there was a story about Phoebe Fluffenstuff as I just love the idea of a were-pom with that name! I found this a bit dull as I wasn't sure why this story was happening or the background to it. I do hope to see more of her in future books!
Twas the fright before Christmas: (3*)
This would have been better as a longer story but I liked Deacon taking on an aswang disguised as Santa who wants to eat children.
Shop til you drop: (4*)
Deacon is having a miserable day at the Black Friday sales until he spots the Boogeyman lurking to grab an unsuspecting child. I feel Deacon's pain over mad shoppers!
Nature Trail to Hell: (4*)
When a pack leader and his troop go missing and a cop turns up dead, Deacon goes out on the trail of a deadly Wendigo.
Fresh Ink: (3*)
Deacon goes back to his old tattoo parlour now run by James R Tuck and his son, and has to stop an angry boy from placing a death curse on the business.
I don't want to go into too much detail with the short stories so you can enjoy them without spoilers. My favourites were Dolly and Shop til you drop. It is a good book for fans of the Deaconverse to get a few stories to do us until the next book comes out!
April 26, 2014
*Book source ~ A review copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.
This is a collection of stories and things from the Deacon Chalk universe. Not all are typical short stories. Some are things that can be found on various blogs and some are just odds and ends pertaining to a series.
Dolly ~ This I love. A look at Deacon a year before Blood and Bullets and how he came to acquire Polecats. Also, why haven’t we seen more of Bicuspid? I’d love to see more of him.
Blood and Bullets trailer script ~ This isn’t something I enjoy reading. Scripts kinda bore me and while I don’t watch book trailers other people do, so this would probably be a good book trailer.
Father Mulcahy and Kat interview ~ Some blogs like to interview book characters and this is one of those types of interviews. I don’t do these and I don’t read them either though I know plenty of people who love this kind of interview.
Meta ~ The author and his character having coffee and chit chatting. It’s hard to wrap my brain around it, but it’s not bad.
Recipe for an Occult Bounty Hunter ~ Another odd creative thing that some blogs do and this wasn’t too bad.
Interview with Charlotte Vale ~ This is another blog special interview with a character.
Tiff’s First Day ~ This is a short story told from Tiff’s POV.
The Man for the Job ~ A blog question that James Tuck answers.
O.C.I.D. Interview with Charlotte Vale ~ A blog interview that has one character questioning another. Btw, I like Special Agent Heck. I hope he sticks around.
The Ravenous ~ This is a short story, kinda. It introduces a new character to the Deacon series, but it doesn’t really have a satisfactory beginning. I am looking forward to seeing more of Phoebe Fluffenstuff, Were-Pomeranian though I hope we get more of a beginning for her. I want to know how she got where she is now and how Fenrir fits into it all.
Twas the Fright Before Christmas ~ A short Christmas story that shows Deacon is always on the job, holiday or not.
Shop Til You Drop ~ Another holiday short only this one deals with Deacon. At a mall. On Black Friday. Ha!
Nature Trail to Hell ~ A decent short that puts Deacon out in the woods trying to find some missing Royal Rangers (think Boy Scouts) and their leader and figuring out what of kind of monster he’s hunting.
Blood and Magick Alternate ~ No. I prefer what ended up in the book.
Second Chapter Fresh Ink ~ Another story with the author and Deacon interacting. Not bad if weird.
First Look at Silk and Scale ~ A peek at the next book. Can’t.Wait!
This is a collection of stories and things from the Deacon Chalk universe. Not all are typical short stories. Some are things that can be found on various blogs and some are just odds and ends pertaining to a series.
Dolly ~ This I love. A look at Deacon a year before Blood and Bullets and how he came to acquire Polecats. Also, why haven’t we seen more of Bicuspid? I’d love to see more of him.
Blood and Bullets trailer script ~ This isn’t something I enjoy reading. Scripts kinda bore me and while I don’t watch book trailers other people do, so this would probably be a good book trailer.
Father Mulcahy and Kat interview ~ Some blogs like to interview book characters and this is one of those types of interviews. I don’t do these and I don’t read them either though I know plenty of people who love this kind of interview.
Meta ~ The author and his character having coffee and chit chatting. It’s hard to wrap my brain around it, but it’s not bad.
Recipe for an Occult Bounty Hunter ~ Another odd creative thing that some blogs do and this wasn’t too bad.
Interview with Charlotte Vale ~ This is another blog special interview with a character.
Tiff’s First Day ~ This is a short story told from Tiff’s POV.
The Man for the Job ~ A blog question that James Tuck answers.
O.C.I.D. Interview with Charlotte Vale ~ A blog interview that has one character questioning another. Btw, I like Special Agent Heck. I hope he sticks around.
The Ravenous ~ This is a short story, kinda. It introduces a new character to the Deacon series, but it doesn’t really have a satisfactory beginning. I am looking forward to seeing more of Phoebe Fluffenstuff, Were-Pomeranian though I hope we get more of a beginning for her. I want to know how she got where she is now and how Fenrir fits into it all.
Twas the Fright Before Christmas ~ A short Christmas story that shows Deacon is always on the job, holiday or not.
Shop Til You Drop ~ Another holiday short only this one deals with Deacon. At a mall. On Black Friday. Ha!
Nature Trail to Hell ~ A decent short that puts Deacon out in the woods trying to find some missing Royal Rangers (think Boy Scouts) and their leader and figuring out what of kind of monster he’s hunting.
Blood and Magick Alternate ~ No. I prefer what ended up in the book.
Second Chapter Fresh Ink ~ Another story with the author and Deacon interacting. Not bad if weird.
First Look at Silk and Scale ~ A peek at the next book. Can’t.Wait!
June 23, 2014
SPECIAL FEATURES is like the bonus features on a DVD series collection, but it’s for the Deaconverse. The universe of Deacon Chalk, that is – Bad-a$$ occult bounty hunter extraordinaire who is willing to go where no other can and live to tell about it. There are some short stories, a trailer script, an alternate ending, sneak peek, interviews, an interesting recipe, and interactions between Deacon and James (the author). Some of the items had been feature before on some great blogs and some are brand new to this collection. I loved the short stories, especially “Dolly” and ��The Ravenous”. After reading the sneak peek of ‘Silk and Scale’, I can’t wait for it to come out! SPECIAL FEATURES is a great “behind-the-scenes” look at the Deaconverse.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews