A Single Round: a collection of stories from a HARD PLACE White Cover Alternative - Softcover

Jacobson, R A

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1777308607 ISBN 13: 9781777308605

Publisher: Deadcat Studio, 2020

Synopsis

In the dark where two dusty back roads cross a black car sits waiting. The man inside will make a deal he has many times before and will again. He is known in these parts as The Judge.

A SINGLE ROUND, White cover Alternate is a collection of short stories from a HARD PLACE. Fully illustrated. Stories of moonshine and shotguns, obsession and transcendence, love and darkness, and the blindness of human desire. Each tale follows a painful path to one ultimate realization: the devil’s deal always ends badly, often with a single round. The head that was found on the blacktop tells a tale in Johnny Fucking Carson.
Tommy watches his dream love become a nightmare in Together Forever.
Fame has a dark side, Becoming Famous echoes the age old warning, ‘Be Careful what you wish for’.A story of realization, loss, and transformation takes flight in Redwing.
Never judge a book by its cover, even one with fangs, as a surprise awaits in Doc’s Choice.
The Grounded, sometimes the dream of escape, should remain a dream.
Phil is a detective hired to find a man. A simple job. Right? Man of Flies
A tale of a man who fell in love with a woman who forgot him in The Dog Walker.
The Ride will make you second guess what you thought you were sure of.

About this title

About the Author

After leaving the north forests and farmland of Saskatchewan,  Rick headed to Calgary and the Alberta College of Art. After 4 years of hard work, he came out confused and somewhat lost. Now what?

Rick has been a bouncer (1 week), he has been a radio switcher (1 night), he worked at the CBC (1 month), he was a stuntman (2 action movies that he never saw, but he's not alone in that) and he modelled briefly (he was the Jolly Green Giant for a time). Rick has built houses, packed groceries, cut grass and has written four and illustrated nineteen children's books. He has worked as a painter, a designer, an illustrator and a writer.

Rick has won awards for his work in advertising and publishing, including the Ruth Schwartz Award, the Amelia Frances Howard-Gibbon Award and numerous national and international awards including the Toronto Art Directors' Awards, Communication Arts Magazine's Award of Excellence, American Illustration Award of Excellence, and the New York Art Directors' Award of Excellence. He has been featured in Smithsonian magazine, Applied Arts Magazine and in The Artist's Magazine. His commissioned portraits include Robertson Davies, Margaret Atwood, Christopher Ondaatje, and David Thomson. 

Rick is currently working on his novel HARD PLACE, and a graphic novel of the same title, to be released in 2021. 

Another collection of short stories, A Lead Pill will be released early in 2021.

For Hard Place updates, sign up at deadcatstud.io.

From the Back Cover

A collection of short stories from a HARD PLACE.

Stories of moonshine and shotguns, obsession and transcendence, love and darkness, and the blindness of human desire. Each tale follows a painful path to one ultimate realization: the devil's deal always ends badly,

often with a single round.

The head that was found on the blacktop tells a tale in

Johnny F*****g Carson.

Tommy watches his dream love become a nightmare in Together Forever.

Fame has a dark side, Becoming Famous echoes the age old warning. Be Careful what you wish for.

A story of realisation, loss, and transformation in

Redwing.

Never judge a book by its cover, even one with fangs. A surprise awaits in Doc's Choice.

Sometimes the dream of escape should remain a dream.

The Grounded.

A tale of a man who fell in love with a woman who forgot him in The Dog Walker.

The Ride will make you second guess what you thought you were sure of.

Check out the podcast HARD PLACE, inspired

by the soon to be released Hard Place novel.

Both the novel and the graphic novel are scheduled for release in the fall of 2021 as well as

another collection of short stories,

A Lead Pill.

For Hard Place updates, sign up at deadcatstud.io.

From the Inside Flap

"I need to ask you about the Judge."

Jacob stopped. He shook his head and turned. He walked toward Tommy with a violent intent to his stride. He grabbed Tommy by his jacket, lifted him off his feet and walked him backward through the crowd. Men and tables were pushed out of the way. Jacob used Tommy's body like a ram. Men cursed, ready to fight, then seeing it was Jacob moved back. Frank, the owner of the Ol' Scratch looked up, wondering how much damage Jacob was going to do this time.

Jacob stopped when Tommy slammed against the bar. Jacob pressed into Tommy's face, still holding him off the ground.

"Jacob, he jus' a kid." The bartender touched Jacob's arm.

Tommy could have sworn he heard Jacob growl. Jacob dropped him.

The entire bar was watching, sure they were going to see the little shit get a whoopin'. No one f****d with Jacob unless he was looking to be put down, but instead, Jacob asked.

"What the f**k do you want with the Judge?" At the sound of the Judge's name, suddenly no one wanted to hear the rest. They all turned away and busied themselves with not listening.

"I want to make a deal." Tommy stood tall and tried to look like he knew what he was saying. Jacob looked down and smiled. It was a smile with no warmth or humour.

"In that case, you are a f*****g idiot." and he turned and walked away.

Edition details

• Publisher: Deadcat Studio
• Publication date: 2020
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1777308607
• ISBN 13: 9781777308605
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 206