W. D. FRANK
Reviews
"A very enjoyable read from beginning to end. A fantastic twisted take on the classical romance story. A must read for those with a wicked sense of humor."
TASOULA HOGAN, AUTHOR , 5/3/2015
"I don't know if William will approve of me saying this - chances are, he'll send an army of flying, mutated beavers my way - but this book is much like the author himself. At first glance, it's loud, insane and ranting, but if you look closer, you'll find an unparalleled depth of understanding.
When I heard that William was writing a romance involving a psychopathic killer, I volunteered as a beta reader. I mean, hey, who wouldn't have been more than a little curious as to how he was planning to pull that off?
I went through the first few pages thinking, well, that's not exactly what I like to read. Too much insanity. Let's face it, it's much easier and more comfortable to read about sane people. Or at least about predictable people.
Or maybe it isn't.
Maybe, all we need is to understand the reasons behind the insanity, the past of the person we so quickly judge, the events that made that person what, or who, they are. You see, after a few pages, I began to feel hooked. And by the end of the book, I was awed, because William had achieved what I never would have thought possible - he made me care about a ruthless psychopath. He made me sympathize with the devil. He made me see the tortured soul beneath the layer of madness.
Showing glimpses of the main character's past, of neglect, systematic abuse, crushed hopes and shattered dreams, William lets the reader understand the anger, the need to crush in return, to avenge all the pain by inflicting more of the same. Don't get me wrong - this is not a character you will relate to, and he's definitely beyond saving. Nevertheless, in reading this story, you might realize that way too often, we discard people because we do not understand them, and by trying to listen to their tale, by trying to let our thoughts and emotions travel along their paths, we might gain something special.
As to the romance aspect of this story, William does not write about love. Without resorting to corny clichés, he writes about the rare recognition of a kindred spirit, but more than that, he writes about mutual dependency, about the need to cling to someone, someone we can either control and appear powerful next to, or someone to use as a shield against the rest of the world."
ANGELIKA RUST, AUTHOR, 5/18/2015
"This was a book that I really REALLY enjoyed reading. And I'm not usually a reader of romance. But this book contains everything that all other romance stories lacked for me and that is something more than simply romance.
The main character Klaus is a very interesting read. Not your typical guy in the slightest which makes a good change from other male MCs. His psychotic tendencies and dark humour would at first make you think that he is a character incapable of feeling love. Until the moment he meets Rosemary (his perfect other half) and you realise that there is more to him than may initially meet the eye, especially when he grows to genuinely care for her.
The good thing about this book was that it wasn't all about the mush. Given that they both work in the criminal underworld, it had a kind of Bonnie and Clyde feel to it. Except these guys skip the burglary and go straight to beating the hell outta people, which is way more fun to read.
This book has pretty much everything.
There's love, violence, backstabbing, ladder climbing, back-story, insanity, murder and mayhem. All the sort of interesting stuff you generally want in a book.
5* from me and I think everyone should read it."
KAREN DILLON, AUTHOR, 5/23/2015
"Mother....wow. This short novella is insane! I mean, I'm all for the simple romance and erotic sex, but this is completely different to what I'm used to. Klaus Elric is a sadistic mofo with schizophrenic tendencies and insane view points. When he is paired with a sexually depraved, psychotic woman called Rosemary.... Bonnie and Clyde have been reborn and blossomed into equally deadly human creatures. Sympathy, guilt and hearts don't belong in this book. It's refreshing to read something so different to sex and love. Absolutely fantastic and highly recommended."
LUCII GRUBB, READER, 5/25/2015
"This isn't your conventional love story, so if you're looking for sappy romance novel full of cheesy one liners, this one isn't for you. If you're looking for a love story that is completely outside of the box, then give this a go. It offers a unique story which follows the coming together of Klaus and Rosemary, who both work in a violent industry. They are quite literally mad. But, as the story progresses, the author does well to show us a troubled past, and so the sympathy builds. I don't want to give too much of the story away, so I won't go into too much detail. But I will say, I couldn't stop reading this once I started. I felt a instant connection to the characters. William does a great job of bringing the reader into the story, and showing them why the characters are the way they are. There was some great humor in the book, too. I found myself laughing out loud on a few occasions. I also found myself blushing and smirking, too! A very enjoyable read. It's one that will stick in my mind for long to come."
STACEY SHIELDS, AUTHOR, 5/24/2015
"This is not your run of the mill read – this is a book that will serious have you doubting your sanity!
Klaus is completely deranged – I honestly don’t think the man has a screw in his head that isn’t loose and rattling around. He is barking mad and all kinds of screwed up! Add Rosemary into his own special band of lunacy and you have an explosive read that will take time for you to recover from.
Rosemary has her own issues, and I say that as an attempt to being polite – because she is almost as potty as Klaus – but throw in the fact that she is what I can only be described as a sexual deviant and the story that ensues is one that is far from normal. So the demented duo take not only the book but the reader by the scruff of the neck and control what I can only say is a crazy ride.
They were characters that required empathy and understanding or at least a willingness to try and remain open minded. Their insanity was evident but I fought hard to remember that they weren’t born that way and through the words the author elected to use, I was amazed that he was able to show me a couple of completely damaged and broken individuals who knew nothing of how to either understand or care about the ways of society.
I saw beneath the surface of two people that normal convention would have condemned and bore witness to the pain and suffering that their minds experienced on not only a day by day but an hour by hour basis.
Klaus was not a man that you would ever wish to come into contact with, he was beyond damaged but through the words of the author I was able to bear witness to the events in his past that had forged his madness, had driven him to the edge of insanity and allowed him to teeter for far too long.
Klaus was a psychopath in the truest sense of the word but it was as a result of the immeasurable cruelty he had endured in his past, not that that condoned what he had become but it did in some measure allow me to see that had life been a little more accepting of him, things might have been different.
The relationship between Klaus and Rosemary wasn’t like anything you would read in any other novel, they were completely unique not only on their compatibility but also in the way that they related to each other, they were a force field upon which each other could depend, they were uniquely connected, at a level that few ever experience and even fewer would ever understand.
An astonishing but creatively brilliant book. Superbly written, the author made sure every single word counted."
BOOKS LAID BARE, READER, 8/29/2015
"Romance isn't my usual reading choice, but Love, Guns and Rosemary is not your average romance story. I read this in one sitting – it’s fun and dark with a compelling storyline and characters.
Klaus is a charismatic killer with a complicated past that won’t give him any peace, especially once he’s paired with Rosemary, a woman who challenges him the way most of his past lovers never did. As their relationship develops we learn about Rosemary’s own restless past. I enjoyed the way they challenged each other’s patience and wits, acting like a real couple learning the boundaries of their new relationship. Their interactions were always intriguing, had me wondering how things were going to play out thanks to the intricacies of their characters.
I greatly enjoyed the dark, somewhat surreal setting of this love story, making it a far more compelling read. The writing is consistently engaging and visual, making it a breeze to read over one afternoon.
Highly recommended for a new take on the love story. This one will surprise you."
CHARLOTTE WYATT, AUTHOR, 8/10/2015
"This was the first book I have read by WD Frank and I loved. This story had so many twists and turns it was like being on a roller coaster. In the beginning I didn't know how to feel about Klaus. I loved that he was honest about who he was and how he got there. That he lived his life, although as twisted as it was unapologetically. He was an unlikely hero just like Rosemary was an unlikely heroine. But those two things helped to make this story work.
For being only 88 pages, WD did a great job of guiding the reader through the story so you didn't feel like you were missing something. It was neat and complete. A definite read."
LENA ~ SMUT AND BONBONS, BLOGGER, 9/7/2015
"Love can be what it is; lovely and magical. But of course it can be like everything else; not perfect. Why? Because we as humans are not perfect. Therefore; love isn’t perfect. Fortunately though, many people realize this and they know that they can resolve their problems with each other through talking and sometimes by arguing. Now arguing may seem like an ugly scene but to be honest, it’s actually quite healthy to argue because you’re letting your feelings out rather than holding them in. Once the argument is over, the desire to reconcile is much stronger. Unfortunately, that’s not how it is with every couple. Now every couple has a reason why their relationship won’t work out in the end or why they can’t talk to each other about their problems. In the case of Klaus Elric and Rosemary Spencer, they can’t speak or argue with each other about their problems because they are far from being human. No, they’re not animals, aliens or something supernatural. Within their mindsets, they are deranged monsters they are way beyond saving. Within their mindsets, they’re problems are not problems.
After Klaus comes back to his hometown after almost a decade in the mob, he doesn’t necessarily turn over a new leaf. He meets up with Rosemary and they soon begin to learn about one another. They soon realize that they are not that different when it comes to psychopaths. Despite Klaus being charming on the surface, he’s had a horrible and violent past that basically was the preparation for his craving for murder and the enjoyment of giving others pain. It seems as if him lashing out on others is his way to deal with his past. Rosemary on the other hand is just as evil or probably even more evil that Klaus. In my opinion any type of violence combined with an act of sex is much more vicious than just a murder itself. To me, when you add sex with murder, it makes the murder or act of violence much more personal; meaning more tragic. As the two talk more and challenge each other by not really setting themselves up for a challenge, they decide to take a bloody path of violence together. But where will this actually lead them to?
To be perfectly honest, I did not find Klaus and Rosemary to be sympathetic. I know the purpose of a tragic back story in a story is to provide a motive for why someone commits murder or acts of violence. I’m not saying that the author W.D Frank didn’t do a good job at creating this story. I actually loved how much detailed he was in the characters and their feelings. Despite it being a short story, he was still able to include a lot of necessary material and great entertainment and scares. My favorite quality about Klaus and Rosemary is that their reward is simply the violence they create. They’re not killing people to steal money or expensive items from them. They just simply love to kill and cause pain to people. That in my opinion is a true monster and someone that is clearly not human. On the other hand, I just didn’t sympathize with these “people”. Here’s why; my heart bleeds for them while they were experiencing their back stories but that shouldn’t provide an excuse for murder. Once again; just my opinion and just nit picking. Still a great read and check it out, especially for the ending!"
Erik Nelson, READER, May 3, 2016
"I wasn't sure what to expect from this novella having read a little of WD's unpublished work on a web site some time ago. What we get with Love, Guns and Rosemary is an explosive, dark and amazingly written love story mixed with angst and drama. It had everything I love in a story. Klaus is a man on a mission - that mission is to deal with his demons and his past by rising up the ranks in a bloody and murderous way. He's a damaged man, a dangerous man. The more I learnt about Klaus, the more I could empathise and like him. I felt for him. WD has a wonderful style of writing, mixing humour and drama to give this reader just the right balance to understand the madness that is Klaus and Rosemary. The story does hop about in time on occasions, but it was done well without any disruption to the flow of the plot. I thoroughly enjoyed this novella and look forward to more from WD - Highly recommended, a read with a twist at the end."
TRACIE PODGER, AUTHOR, 6/13/2015
"Love, Guns and Rosemary by W.D. Frank is a crime romance that will surprise you. The crime and erotic scenes are well balanced so I think that lovers of both genres will enjoy reading it.
W.D. Frank has done an excellent job weaving the characters' background into the present narrative in a way that explains and justifies the characters' extreme behaviour. Considering that the MC is an insane murderer, you will be surprised to find yourselves sympathising with him and at a point even find him likeable. It was also delightful to see such a character falling in love and how he behaves around his love interest, even though she is equally mad.
Love, Guns and Rosemary is an extremely well-written novella and since this is the author's debut, I am looking forward to his next project."
CAT NICOLAOU, AUTHOR, 5/30/2015
"A truly captivating story that I read from beginning to end without a break. I'm not usually one for sex and violence, but it isn't as mindless as it first seems. The author takes us into the troubled pasts of the characters in a way that almost justifies their actions and personality traits. I couldn't help but feel real emotion for them; partly due to empathy and also the annoyance I felt with myself for understanding their motivations. This is a thought provoking book and not merely due to the story, but to the reader's own thoughts on how they react through the highs and lows of Klaus' honest and revealing tale. Incredibly well-written too. I hung on every word."
JESAMINE JAMES, AUTHOR, 5/29/2015