The Basement

Having worked in an office, I found I could relate to your book, so I liked it. It's on my watch list.

On my watchlist because it looks original and unique. I look forward to reading it.
Brett Cottrell

Anthony, your first chapter is an amusing, smooth read. I spotted one typo: Software was a young mans sport... You omitted the apostrophe.

Happy to back this.

Joffrey (The Silver Spoon Effect)

Wondering about the future at age 30 with a goal of "Retirement" makes the protagonist fit the norm of software workers, developers, users, or whatever is on the other side of the all night glow generated from the magic screen so capitaviting all our lives. This work is serious comedy--the very best kind. Said again (great comedy) because as reflected in the novel, none of the staff has much fear or respect for the protagonist (project manager). Comment: Locale, precise description of often pops-up in at least one reader's mind (mine). The only brief mention of "steps from the Duke Ellington bridge..." connects me to Washington, D.C. near the Zoo (about 4 blocks as an estimate) or directly connected to Connecticut Avenue for the more precise readers. Wait a minute, I just glanced-up at the ending for Ch 1, and what do I see? but the Zoo trip--that's a great plan. I'm going to continue reading past Ch 1 but without taking notes, my memory chips need to be refreshed. Thanks for sharing. Chuck (Paperboy Adventures) You really have a winner here!

This is an extremely funny book. ' "Perhaps start simpler. Why did you study business?" asked Charlotte.' Your one liners are great, and your situations, like finding the water bottle in the waste paper basket, are also very funny. Your protagonist is a very sweet, likable character, pushed around by too many people, intelligent about computers but hardly, as his friend Tom says, able to calculate a tip. Your other characters, Marco, Randall, Tom, Charlotte, and the others, are vivid, eccentric, colourful, and great fun to read about. It's always hard to know what to say about a really funny book, except to keep quoting the lines, but perhaps it's enough to say that this is at the top of the list, and is a book I've really enjoyed, and want to read all of when, I very much hope, it gets published. Backed.
Gerry McCullough,
Belfast Girls.

THE BASEMENT:

Anthony,

Your humour shines through everything you write. Your profile, your pitches, and the first few chapters I read. Clearly it comes naturally to you. A real talent. Nothing is forced. An absolute delight to read.

The writing flows at a good pace, smoothly, and with a really good blend of action, dialogue and exposition. I felt that the good old-fashioned word "said" would have made it even smoother, rather than tags like consoled, tried, laughed.

I need at least one good laugh a day (we all do), so thank you for giving it to me so entertainingly.

Backed, with pleasure and admiration.

Sheila (Pinpoint)

THE BASEMENT:

Anthony,

Your humour shines through everything you write. Your profile, your pitches, and the first few chapters I read. Clearly it comes naturally to you. A real talent. Nothing is forced. An absolute delight to read.

The writing flows at a good pace, smoothly, and with a really good blend of action, dialogue and exposition. I felt that the good old-fashioned word "said" would have made it even smoother, rather than tags like consoled, tried, laughed.

I need at least one good laugh a day (we all do), so thank you for giving it to me so entertainingly.

Backed, with pleasure and admiration.

Sheila (Pinpoint)

Dear Anthony Cimino,

Thank you for sharing your story with us. Your short pitch drew me in because I’m partial to madness, and your long pitch made me belly laugh. Congratulations! Your opening paragraphs had me grinning, and the taunting memo me chuckle. Did you want an apostrophe in “young mans sport”? I liked “the air smelled like resignation”, and the same goes for the “cluster bomb” later. You may have a word missing in the sentence “Hired five weeks before”. Your wisdom bowed me over laughing, especially “Sitting while pissing doesn’t make you a woman”. You have “was my reply” then “I replied”, and both times, a “said” would’ve worked just as well. I don’t much care for “tried Charlotte”. In my fallible opinion, “said” would be less distracting and allow me to focus on your solid dialog. You build sufficient sympathy for your protagonist, through horrible jobs and not much to look forward to.

Thank you for the laughter. Bravo! Backed.

Best wishes,
Alan Marling

Anthony,
Your brief bio was oddly what attracted me. heh.
and then the pitches which I believe are well done. I'm not sure what to get from your cover?? but it has a shiny stripey quality that is nice.
Text: Okay so...this might be one of the lowest key novels I've read the first chapter of, heheh.
In the first chapter, he goes to a job he doesn't like, goes to dinner, and then quits.
Anthony! You can write...I can tell you can...what is it in this opener that makes me want to turn to the next?
I've got it...because I want to know what he does with his life...but only sort of...and I fear I'm offending when I write all this but I want to be honest. Your mc has little in the way of flaws...he barely has anything to love or hate about him...well, I did like that he got his degree for a girl...
I need Micah by the end of chapter 1 to get me to 2. I at least need the promise of a Micah!
But I will say I found it all very realistic and that my days of temping were chock full of the basement bullshit.
I hope any of what I've just written is helpful. I seriously mean no offense by it.
Best of luck to you!
-=Bradley

Backed February 15.

Jesse - Savant

The pitch for The Basement caught my attention - very original, and it made me smile. The opening chapters likewise - they reminded me of many things from work, except you manage to make boredom funny! I think I've been in that basement, met the software vendors who got fired and had my own revelation that it's no use arguing with the insane! I loved the idea of taking an aptitude test and getting inconclusive results, and I really enjoyed the Requirements document in C3 - I've seen a few of those too. Overall I enjoyed your dry humour, slightly cynical first person narration and fluent style. I'll be happy to back this for all the poor buggers who are still stuck in their personal basement.

Backed.

Jesse - Savant

I am really enjoying this. It's very easy to read and very funny. Making fun of boredom and absurdity - a two-edged blade - humorous but a sad reflection on our society too. I think it might need a further edit but BACKED! Best wishes and good luck, Barry
(Little Krisna and the Bihar Boys)

Anthony, still sniggering over the opening line. You've a wonderful way of portraying the absurd. This is my last read tonight,and after a diet of death it's cheered me up no end. brilliant and backed. Lynn

Well written and a good amount of fresh flowing comedy. The whole needs a little work on the editing, but apart from that, it is a very good read. I wish you good luck. Backed.
Fromante. (Norman) The Witch of Hambone Bk.3. Also, Muddledydo.

Thanks for the comment. I've uploaded the next six chapters. Hope they hold your interest as well.

Well written and a good amount of fresh flowing comedy. The whole needs a little work on the editing, but apart from that, it is a very good read. I wish you good luck. Backed.
Fromante. (Norman) The Witch of Hambone Bk.3. Also, Muddledydo.

I really enjoyed this Anthony...I can relate to it. I laughed at much of it and found your writing smooth and easy to read. This is a good start to a book and I will wait to see more when and if you put more up.
Excellent

Backed

George Fripley

Agree with the previous comment. The humor is refreshing but typically I would recommend writing out numbers. You keep a swift wit with your humor. Shelved.

fancy swapping reads?

GeorgeFripley
Wurzel of Clutton

I've added your book to my shelf.

fancy swapping reads?

GeorgeFripley
Wurzel of Clutton

Backed for the writing and the humor. You might want to spell out some of the numbers in your pitch and your chapters.

Rodney