I Could’ve Swore I Parked Right @&*#! Here
The Chop Shop series has broken the steering wheel lock, ripped off the column and hot-wired the criminal literary scene for two years now. Created and edited by Michael Bracken, this serialized anthology tells the seedy, speedy tales of a Dallas chop shop and its cast of characters through the novellas of a dozen different authors.
My humble contribution, The Hellcat, dropped in June. In The Hellcat, a down-on-his-luck former golf caddy helps steal a Dodge Challenger Hellcat—hoping for money to move out of his parents’ house. That sweet ride, however, featured more than just a supercharged HEMI, leather seats and flared fenders. It also contained Lady Mousehole, the meanest house cat in all of Texas. Meaner, almost, than her owner, Dallas Cowboys offensive lineman Braun “The Beast” Keller. Sure, he got the car. But can he get out with his life?
P.S. Glad you asked why there’s a Trans Am on the cover of a story about a Hellcat. Thing is, this is a whole volume of stories and each one has a distinctive ride on the cover. In fact, if you really want a summer joyride challenge yourself to fire up each episode:
The Cadillac Job by Stacy Woodson
A Hunka Hunka Burning Rubber by Hugh Lessig
Run and Gun by Joseph S. Walker
Baraccuda Backfire by Tom Milani
Devil in the Rearview by Stephen D. Rogers
Here Comes the Judge by James A. Hearn
Billy Dinkin’s Lincoln by John M. Floyd
Slow Ride by Mark Thielman
Coyote Run by Michael Bracken
Fast Cars and Dirty Diapers by Adam Meyer
Loose Change from a Mini Cooper by Frank Zafiro
Faster Than a Speeding Bullitt Mustang by Chuck Brownman