My Other Life

This is a review of my novel bang BANG which will be published by Kunati Books in April 2007.


BookList is the magazine of the American Library Association. This review was so good that I was almost embarrassed to show it to anyone. Almost.

*STAR*
Hoffman, Lynn. Bang Bang. Jan. 2007. 176p. Kunati, $19.95
(1-60164-000-5).
When her close friend is shot in the street, the vehemently anti-gun
Paula Sherman has no idea what she's in store for. Interviewed by a
reporter at the scene, Paula later discovers that her grief-stricken
words, taken out of context, are being used by a shady senator and the
gun industry to promote the pro-firearm agenda. Suddenly finding
herself the unwitting-and very public-proponent of a political stance
she abhors, Paula embarks on a decidedly offbeat, one-woman vigilante
crusade to bring the gun trade to its knees, a crusade that involves
an air pistol and an awful lot of running around (which is OK, because
Paula, a waitress whose singing voice has yet to propel her to
stardom, could stand a lose a few pounds). Written in the present
tense, to give the story additional power, the book is filled with
anger and raw urgency. The characters are tough and believable, and
the dialogue positively sings. In many ways it's the literary
equivalent of a Tarantino movie: edgy, streetwise, and a little
arrogant (don't expect a balanced look at the subject of gun control),
with a strong and determined female protagonist. Brilliant might be
too big a word for this novel but not by much. -David Pitt

A Beer Bath

Last October, in Bavaria, I went to a spa that offered a beer bath. That's right, a big tub for two in which you soak in a nice hoppy wort while drinking a dark lager. There's an article about it in this month's (December) Mid-Atlantic Brewing News.
For the revealing, frothy photos, go here.