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Blood-and-bullets

Blood and Bullets (Deacon Chalk: Occult Bounty-Hunter #1) by James R. Tuck

Deacon Chalk series—the full names is Deacon Chalk: Occult Bounty-Hunter series, written by James R. Tuck

Genres and Sub-Genres[]

Urban Fantasy / Noir Action UF

Series Description or Overview[]

Deacon hunts vampires, and pretty much everything else that goes bump in the night. Vamps murdered his family, and his mission in life is to stop the evil basty-assed-nastards from murdering as many other families as he possibly can.

He runs his monster-bounty-hunting business from the back of an expressway-exit strip-club. And every single one of the strippers is one of his assistants. Because they've all been victimized by the vamps at some point, and this is their way of getting some of their own back.

His sidekick is a Catholic priest, who also provides all the Holy Water Deacon needs for putting down the vamps. And is very handy with a rifle. Goodreads Reader

Lead's Species[]

  • Vampire-monster-bounty-hunter

Primary Supe[]

  • Vampires

What Sets it Apart[]

Narrative Type[]

  • First person narrative with Deacon Chalk narrating the story

Books in Series[]

Deacon Chalk: Occult Bounty Hunter

  1. Blood and Bullets (2012)
  2. Blood and Silver (2012)
  3. Blood and Magick (2013)

Shorts, Anthologies and Guides[]

  • 0.5. That Thing At the Zoo (2011)
  • 1.5. Spider's Lullaby (2012)
  • 2.5. Circus of Blood (2013)

~ FREE shorts: James R. Tuck Free Reads

World Building[]

Setting[]

Georgia

Places:

  • Texas
  • Vatican

Supernatural Elements[]

Monster hunters, vampires, weres, shifters, monsters, mages, witches, magical critters, angels, fairies, trolls, lycanthropes, dinosaur, magic crucifix, holy relics, lycanthropes, , ,

  • Were types: were-dog, wolves, lions, sharks, deer, snakes, spiders, T-Rex, rabbits, hippos, monkeys, were-gorilla, were-dog children, were-chickens, were-lizards, were-rhinos, were-reptiles, were-hyenas,

Glossary:[]

  • Vampires: are evil, no exceptions
  • Nesferatu: one is nesting in the Atlanta Zoo—they're as big, hairy, bat-like creatures that just live to feed. A lot of vampire lore shows Nosferatu as being the most monstrous of the vampire types. (story in "That Thing At the Zoo" short)
  • Predators and Prey: Were Hierachy
  • Wrath of Baphomet: trio of evil witches—demand “the blood” or they will kill everyone in restaurant;

Organizations:[]

  • O.C.I.D: government organization specializing in the occult; task force dealing with the unexplained;

World[]

Protagonist[]

Deacon Chalk: at one point while Deacon is out doing his thing, he rescues an angel that is in trouble. As a reward, this angel transfuses her version of blood into him. This now makes it so Deacon is faster, stronger, and immune to vampire powers.

✦ Deacon has been infused with Angel blood that gives him an amazing ability to hear and powers to fight the things that go bump in the night. Romancing the Book

✦ Deacon Chalk had a normal life 5 years ago, he was a successful tattoo artist with a family, it was more or less perfect. Until his wife and daughter were killed, after that Deacon left the tattoo life and turned monster hunter. Not too much detail is given in the first book about what happened exactly, and I'm hoping that in later books we will be told more about this.

Deacon seem to come across as a total bad-ass and could care less about those around him, but he's just the opposite. As the owner of a strip club called Polecats, he is fiercely protective of the girls that work there, most of whom are girls that he saved from demons, were creatures or vampires. He cares for the girls like a father dotes on his daughter. He looks out for them and makes sure that they are protected to the point that each girl has her own gun and cross for protection in case the club is ever under attack. Not to mention the bartender, who happens to be a priest, ready to lay the righteous smack-down on any offenders. ~ Blood And Bullets I Smell Sheep

✦ He lives to kill monsters. He keeps his city safe. And his silver hollow-points and back-from-the-dead abilities help him take out any kind of supernatural threat. Ever since a monster murdered his family, Deacon Chalk hunts any creature that preys on the innocent. ~ Susannah Sandlin

✦ Deacon and Tiff: instant attraction but they haven’t really acted on it because Deacon is haunted by the memories of his dead wife and family, which Tiff understands without knowing the details. After a year of being friends, things finally start to develop. ~ Tynga's Reviews ✦ with Tiff in the picture now, he is starting to feel the ice crack around his heart. He is smiling more, and living life instead of just letting it pass by. ~ The Book Pushers ✦

Sidekicks[]

  • Father Mulachy: Catholic priest  / sidekick to Deacon Chalk  /  provides all the Holy Water Deacon needs  /  First seen in Blood and Bullets
  • Larson:

Characters[]

Character resouces: Deacon Chalk: Occult Bounty-Hunter Series

Characters What About
Deacon Chalk Vampire, demon, monster hunter Has hunter vampires and onsters since vampires killed his wife and daughter. Angel blood as a gift from an angel he saved, makes him faster, stronger immune to vamps
Father Malachy Catholic priest; Sidekick On Deacon's team fighting vampires and monsters; provides Holy Water for putting; handy with a rifle;
Tiff love interest instantt mutual attraction; don't act on it. 
Kat Team Deacon runs Polecats for Deacon
Charlotte werespider becoming really solid in bk 2; 
Larson hunter-want-to-be kid who is trying to hunt down vampires but has no clue what kind of world he’s getting into. He has the book smarts, but not the practical experience; added to D's team
Nyteblade hunter vampire asks Deacon for protection against him, he declines;
Appollonia evil vampire adversary
Marcus Were-Lion; Bro: Leonidas turf war between the brothers; father of Sophia's pups, won't stand up for; mated to another; pacifist and is encouraging both were predators and prey weres to live peacefully
Leonidas Were-Lion; Bro: Marcus Deacon tops him beating were-dog;

turf war between the brothers; wants the mistreated were-dog to get at Marcus;

Sophia were-dog abused, pregnant, comes under Deacon's protection, Leonidas wants to hurt her to hurt Marcus: unborn pups' dad;
Heck Special Agent

To expand the table, right-press or (Control-press on a Mac)—choose add row.

James R

James R. Tuck

James R Tuck

James R Tuck

Author[]

James R. Tuck

Bio: James R Tuck is a former bouncer and has been a professional tattoo artist for over 15 years. His tattoo work has been published in national tattoo magazines and he owns Family Tradition Tattoo in Marietta, Ga. He lives near there with a wonderful wife, three wonderful children, and six dogs of varying degrees of wonderfulness. ~ James R Tuck

✦ Writing Style: flair for action sequences, quick pace, excellent action packed sequences and plot compactness, explosive climax,

Cover Artist[]

Artist: Gene Mollica

Awards[]

Publishing Information[]

  • Publisher: Kensington
  • Author Page: Kensington Publishing Corp: James R. Tuck
  • Bk-1: Paperback, 294 pages, Pub: Feb 7th 2012—ISBN: 0758271476
  • Bk-2: Paperback, 352 pages, Pub: Aug 7th 2012—ISBN: 0758271484
  • Bk-3: Paperback, 320 pages, Pub: Mar 5th 2013—ISBN: 0758271492

Book Cover Blurbs[]

BOOK ONE—Blood and Bullets (2012): Since hunting down the monster who took the lives of his wife and children five years ago, occult bounty-hunter Deacon Chalk has lived by only one rule. — He does not work for the monsters. He kills them. So why would a vampire try to hire him as protection against another monster hunter? After enforcing his only rule Deacon goes to meet the target, a vampire slayer named Nyteblade. Professional courtesy demands he tell this Nyteblade the vampires are hiring people to kill him. Deacon finds the vampire slayer waiting in an alley. — Waiting to stake him.

He discovers that Nyteblade is a bumbling, fumbling, wanna-be instead of a badass vampire hunter. Someone who needs saving from monsters instead of the other way around. This is proven when a horde of vampires descend and he has to escape while trying to keep Nyteblade alive. Someone has set Deacon up. Someone wants him dead. — Someone should have sent more vampires. Bound and determined, Deacon will find out who tried to kill him no matter how many bloodsuckers, were-spiders, cursed immortals, undead strippers, or insanely powerful hell-bitches he has to wade through. It's going to be a long night. ~ Blood and Bullets - FF

BOOK TWO—Blood and Silver (2012): Deacon Chalk normally has no trouble telling innocent victims from real monsters. So protecting an abused pregnant were-dog is a no-brainer...until a vicious lycanthrope leader and his brotherhood target Deacon, other shape-shifters, and any humans in their way. Suddenly, Deacon is outnumbered, outgunned, and unsure who - or what - to trust. The only edge he has left is a weapon hungry for his soul and his most savage impulses. And using it will exact a price even this hell-raising hunter fears to pay.  ~ Blood and Silver - FF

BOOK THREE—Blood and Magick (2013): Taking out hellish creatures - not a problem. Armed with blessed silver hollow-points and the ability to manipulate magick, he's ready for anything - except betrayal he never saw coming...Deacon Chalk knows the biggest danger in fighting monsters is becoming one. Just another day at the office for your friendly neighborhood occult bounty hunter. If keeping three helpless were-dog children safe means battling a malevolent trio of witches by any means necessary, so be it. If that means partnering with a ruthless government agent to stay one step ahead of the allies and friends he must now suspect, he's not going to cry about it. The only way Deacon can save humans and shape-shifters alike is to embrace a power beyond his imagining, putting his team at stake - and his soul on the line...Praise for Blood and Silver"This is urban fantasy as men's fiction - Sookie Stackhouse meets the Dresden Files by way of Maxim." - Publishers WeeklyMore Deacon Chalk! ~ Blood and Magick - FF

First Sentences[]

  1. Blood and Bullets — Some nights are destined to go to hell. Not literally, at least not usually. From the start of them, you know they are going to turn on you like a rabid dog. I was having one of those nights.
  2. Blood and Silver — There was a blink, a tiny fraction of a moment, with her becoming motionless like only the dead can.
  3. Blood and Magick — I should have known. There were signs. I'm supposed to be the damn expert. I should have caught the warnings. I should have. But I was completely clueless until the minute the restaurant exploded in a wave of eldritch flame and burning glass.

Quotes[]

“What if it is a pterodactyl?” I started walking again, throwing back my best Roy Scheider impression. “Then we’re gonna need a bigger gun.”

Special Quote[]

Vampires seem to inspire the most monster fighting in this world, probably because of all the books and movies about them. I have taken out my fair share of vamps, but it is not the only thing I do. There are few proclaimed vampire slayers and they range all kinds. Anita out in St. Louis, but she has a lot of stuff going on, not just vampire executions. Cat and Bones run their crew killing vampires and do a fine job of it. I hear whispers about the Blue Woman now and again, but it’s hard to pull the fact from the fiction on that one. There’s some folks in California. L.A. and a small town east of it, who do mostly vampire slaying, but I haven’t met them yet. The black guy and old man combo who roam around do nothing but vampires, but from what I hear they have a personal stake in it, so to speak. Sam and Dean will tussle with a vampire, but usually they are chasing down daemons. ~ Nocturnal

Read Alikes (similar elements)[]

See Category links at bottom of page

Awards[]

Trivia[]

Lists per Book:

Special Lists:

~ ranked #133 onBest Urban Fantasy SERIES (330 books)

Notes[]

The author admits that Deacon is a stand-in for himself, a kind of wish fulfillment. A few critics call Deacon a "Mary Sue " type character becaues of that.

See Also[]

Category links at bottom of page

External References[]

Books:

Summaries:

Freebie shorts & excerpts, books online:

World, Characters, etc:

Reviews:

1. Blood and Bullets (2012)

2. Blood and Silver (2012)

3. Blood and Magick (2013)

Shorts: 

Interviews:

Articles:

Cover Reveals:

Artist

Author—Tattoo Artist:

Author:

Community, Fan Sites

Gallery of Book Covers[]



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