The first time I encountered Tod Ashley, he was zealously scraping the down-tuned e-string of his battered bass guitar against an equally distressed microphone stand, creating a serrated, amplified squeal that made my fillings ache. It was not immediately apparent, at this stage, that he harbored any serious literary ambitions.
Decades and decibels later, the former commanding officer of Cop Shoot Cop and ringleader of Klezmerfied “world punk” collective Firewater is sequestered in his adopted new homeland of Turkey, taken to expressing himself in an arguably more finessed manner, although furtive rumors abound of looming new Firewater activity.
Some of you might remember I touted Tod’s highly entertaining travelblog, Postcards from The Other Side of the World, many, many moons ago. Well, you’ll be happy to know he is, at long last, publishing his first novel, “Banging the Monkey.” Replete with Tod’s signature wit and worldview, “Banging…” is a wry and richly written journey in a faraway climate, imbued with a tropical noir sensibility. I was fortunate enough to read an earlier draft of the book, and found it thoroughly engaging.
Here's the official blurb. Check it out…
BANGING THE MONKEY, the debut novel by Tod A of Firewater, comes out May 1. Order the book now on Bookbaby, or download the ebook version on Kindle. Banging the Monkey is for anyone who has ever dreamed of chucking it all and starting over. Author Tod A injects pulp noir with a punk-prose rhythm to weave a darkly comic tale about life at the end of the American Century. "Cleverly written and populated with consistently juicy characters." — David Yow (Musician, Actor)
SYNOPSIS Disaffected writer Mark O'Kane is in a downward spiral. His last novel tanked. His wife left him. And his drinking is out of control. So when a chance meeting with enigmatic businessman Frank Fochs leads to a cushy job on the tropical island of Madu, it sounds like Mark's salvation: he can finally write his comeback novel and set his life on a brighter path. But when Frank disappears, Mark is left holding the bag for his boss's shady business dealings. And after a corpse washes up in the local lagoon, Mark may even be charged with Frank's murder. As he skirts the border between regret and desire, Mark discovers that the demons of his past are not so easily outrun, and that paradise comes with a price.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Tod A is best known as a songwriter and the leader of the 'world-punk' music group Firewater. Tod left New York City in 2003 to travel in Southeast Asia and the Indian subcontinent. Banging the Monkey was inspired by events he witnessed and stories he collected along the way. Tod A currently hangs his hat in Istanbul.
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