Author Jon Michael Kelley

For this author spotlight, I have an awesome friend from my homeland. He's a gentlemen, a brilliant scribe, and one heck of an author. His very talented daughter, Brandy Kelley, even did the artwork for his latest novel (as a father of a little girl this tickles me to no end). For a great new voice in horror, I give you, Jon Michael Kelley.


JON'S INTERVIEW:

Hi, Dale! Thanks for having me!

What inspired me to write?

Funny story, really...

My humble beginnings can be traced back twenty years to a small music publisher in New York City, DSM Producers. More a music "library" really. Their bread and butter was supplying background music for late night talk shows, stuff like that, but they managed a few up-and-coming artists, as well.

You see, I was going to be the next Bernie Taupin to someone's Elton John. Anyway, I sent them a song portfolio and they signed me, and soon after had me collaborating with an in-house musician. One day, I was on the phone to my producer and she asked me if I did any "literary" writing. I lied, and said that I wrote short stories. "Well, send me one. I'm right here on 'Publisher's Row', and would love to shop it for you!" After my palm print faded from my forehead, I quickly set to work on my first short story. That effort eventually found me in the "Featured Author" spotlight (no thanks to my producer, bless her kind heart) in a strikingly obscure magazine called Heart Attack. I've been writing ever since.

Obviously, my dreams of gracing the inside linings of album covers and hanging out backstage with a bunch of stoned, short-skirted groupies never materialized. And that's probably for the best.


Why horror?

My imagination abhors a leash. I very much appreciate a venue devoid of boundaries, and try not to piss in the same redundant spots. I just don't want anyone following behind me with a plastic bag.


What author's inspire me?

Lucious Shepard, Arthur Machen, Robert E. Howard, Thomas Ligotti... Especially Ligotti. Man's a fucking genius. So is Peter Straub. Oh, don't get me wrong. I've also read and absolutely loved just about everything Messers King and Koontz have published. I just have an affinity for the former named.

　
What inspired me to write Seraphim?

Oh, I remember it clearly: I was walking through Dillard's Department Store one sunny afternoon, and bumped into an assorted display of silver picture frames on a aisle table. My very pregnant wife was with me, and I noticed a remarkably pretty young female staring back at me from one of those frames (such things are always graced with exceptionally nice looking individuals or families, as if we all can relate, having the same good fortune). Anyway, it suddenly struck me: what if I were to buy this frame, take it home and forget about it; then, ten years later, run across it in a box of forgotten paraphernalia -- and find that the adolescent in the prop photo is the spitting image of my now ten-year-old daughter?

I just ran with it from there.


Future endeavors?

I'm presently concentrating on a most ambitious collection of short stories, each one related to the other, yet individual enough to stand alone should I feel the need to parcel it out. Which, I admit, I've already begun doing. One is forthcoming in Tales of Terror and Mayhem from Deep within the Box (Evil Jester Press), another already having seen print in Storylandia Magazine, and yet another to be released this coming November in Chiral Mad (Written Backwards Press).

Again, thanks so much for having me! It's been a real pleasure, Dale!

(looking around). You gotta a pretty nice place here. Real nice.

Jon's very talented daughter, Brandy Kelley,
Is the amazing artist!

Duncan McNeil is staring mistrustfully at a photograph of his daughter, Amy. She appears to be at or near her present age of ten, but the studio's dated stamp on the back indicates that the photo was taken nearly a year before her birth. More alarming, however, is the beautiful woman standing beside Amy, a woman with whom he had an affair in the periphery of his new marriage, during the time when Amy was conceived. And the fact that this photograph has been in his wife's possession for more than a decade is perhaps the most disturbing element of all.

Duncan's wife Rachel doesn't know about his affair with this woman, but he will soon tell her. And upon that revelation, they will begin a journey that will take them clear across the continent, from California to Massachusetts, then ultimately into the boundless, uncharted territory of the human collective. There, a devil is waiting; the penultimate personification of evil. And he goes by the name of Mr. Gamble.

BUY A COPY HERE!

Advance Praise for Seraphim

"Apocalyptic in the truest sense of the word, Jon Michael Kelley's Seraphim is a stunning thriller with the very fate of the world at stake. Beautifully written, with prose as lush as it is chilling, Kelley is part poet, part prophet, but a true master of fear, through and through. This is top notch stuff of highest caliber!"

~Joe McKinney, Bram Stoker Award-winning author of Flesh Eaters and Inheritance

"Seraphim is a beautifully wrought tale of angels and demons that starts out strong and just gets better and better. A thoroughly enjoyable read. Jon Michael Kelley proves to be a mature, intelligent new voice in horror right out of the gate."

~Craig Saunders, author of The Love of the Dead and A Stranger's Grave

"Written with the finesse of a pro, Seraphim is one hell of a frightening horror novel. With bits of dark fantasy and humor mixed in, this one has it all! Hard to believe this is Jon Michael Kelley's first novel."

~David Bernstein, author of Amongst the Dead and Tears of No Return

Jon's Bio

My fiction has appeared in various zines and anthologies, such as HEART ATTACK, HELIOCENTRIC NET, CROSSROADS, GATHERING DARKNESS, England's FICTION FURNACE, REDCAT, NEXT PHASE, BAD GUYS FINISH FIRST, YEAR 1: A TIME OF CHANGE, NIGHT TERRORS, DRAGON DREAMING, MINDMARES, DREAD, Canada's HORIZONS SCIENCE FICTION, BEST OF MILLENNIUM SCI FI & FANTASY MAGAZINE, CALLIOPE, BLACK PETALS, MAD SCIENTIST, NEW GENRE II, WIRED HARD III, TIME CAPSULE, EVIL IN FLIGHT, TALES OF SALT AND SORROW, WEIRD CITY I, IT LIVES!, SPIRIT LEGENDS: OF GHOSTS AND GODS, ALTERNATE DIMENSIONS, MONSTER BEHIND THE MASK, MIDNIGHT TRAIN, FATHER GRIM'S STORYBOOK, TALES OF TERROR AND MAYHEM FROM DEEP WITHIN THE BOX, CHIRAL MAD...and more.

　Jon's Facebook Profile

Author, David Bernstein

Young and alone against the living dead.

Riley has lived alone with her dad in an isolated cabin in New York State for as long as she can remember. It’s just safer. Her dad’s told her about the time before the zombies, but she can only imagine it. Instead of playing with friends, Riley became a crack shot with a rifle. And she’ll need that skill now that her dad’s been bitten.

She’ll be forced to leave the cabin and fight off zombies all on her own. She’s twelve years old. There’s a lot she’ll have to learn about the world she’s never really been part of. She already knows how to kill zombies. But now she’ll learn just how dangerous the living can be too.

"David Bernstein is a real craftsman, and one of the most thrilling voices to come along in a decade. He's who you should be reading now."

—Joe McKinney, author of Flesh Eaters and Apocalypse of the Dead

“David Bernstein is a rare kind of writer who really delivers the goods when it comes to horror. He'll be burning up the best seller lists soon. Count on it.”

—Eric S Brown, author of A Pack of Wolves

"David Bernstein's work resonates off the page, unforgettable in its elegant delivery, a ripple effect no doubt translating to ever bigger and vaster audiences as he continues to terrify -- and impress!"

—Gregory L. Norris, author of The Q Guide to Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and The Fierce and Unforgiving Muse

THE INTERVIEW:

What inspired you to write, Amongst The Dead?

Actually, Amongst the Dead, started out as a short story. The prologue is the original story. I wrote it for an anthology that never panned out. I wanted to write a zombie story with feeling. After writing the short, I wanted to know what would happen to the twelve-year old girl. She is left alone in the woods with no family or friends. Could she survive in a desolate world not only filled with undead, but with the lawlessness that is about. What will she do? How will she survive? Can she find “good” people? Her father taught her how to survive and she is a great shot, but she is only twelve.


You have a long list of works under your belt, what works are you most proud of?

That’s a really tough question. Each story and novel is special in some way or another. For short stories, one that stands out is, The Trojan Plushy, because it was accepted into Books of the Dead Press’ Best New Werewolf Tales. I’m truly honored to be in it. Then again, the first story I ever had published is special too. It’s called, You Are What You Eat, and is a sci-fi vampire tale that appeared in Hungur Magazine issue 8 back in 2009.

As for novels, well, they are all quite different from each other, except for the fact that they are horror related. One is a pure zombie novel, another is a horror/sci-fi novel and yet another is a zombie novel, but more of a horror-zombie novel. I really can’t pick one out. My girlfriend has her favorite, but I won’t say.


Of course I have ask a writer with as much accomplished as you, who inspires you?

My parents. I see what they’ve done in their lives and how hard they worked and all they’ve done for me. My girlfriend, Sandy, who not only works a full time job, but reads everything I write, tells me what works and what doesn’t, and picks up on all my mistakes. And when it comes to writing, I am inspired by a good book, regardless of the author. I love reading something that makes me not want to put it down, but at the same time makes me want to go write.


Your favorite author/s?

Okay, so the obvious, but true answer is Stephen King. I hated reading all throughout school until a friend lent me his copy of It. I was blown away and started reading other King books. I read a lot and have a ton of authors I enjoy. I used to pretty much read anything Leisure put out—Masterton, Simon Clark, Garton, etc. There are certain authors when I am reading them, make me want to write—Jack Ketchum, Joe McKinney, Ronald Malfi, Wrath James White, Robert McCammon, to name a few. I don’t know what it is, but there is something special about the way they write. And I love David Morrell books. I am constantly discovering new authors too. I have actually just discovered a slue of new authors whose work I love.


What new works are planning in the near future?

I have a trilogy of zombie books coming out from Severed Press. The first one entitled, Machines of the Dead, is available now. It’s a different type of zombie novel than Amongst the Dead. Machines is a strict zombie novel. The zombies are slow, Romero-like and there are plenty of guns a blazin’. Amongst the Dead is more action-horror oriented and creepy. There are many kinds of undead, like runners and sniffers, or tracker zombies, undead that can track someone by smell over long distances.

In October I have a supernatural horror/sci-fi (yes I mix two genres that are normally not mixed, but it’s mostly horror) novel called, Tears of No Return, coming from Evil Jester Press.

And finally, I am hard at work on my next horror title for Samhain.


Any advice for writers working to break into the publishing business?

Write and read as much as you can. Seriously. Read, read, read. Reading will help with your writing so much. Also, I highly recommend making it to Writer’s Conventions, Cons, like The Stoker Awards, World Horror, Necon, AnthoCon, KillerCon, etc. Go meet others like yourself, make connections, friends. Talk to people in the business. Ask questions, mingle. Have fun! And never give up. Rejection will become a word you see a lot, so get used to it and make it meaningless. Rejection isn’t about you, so don’t take it personally. Just keep writing and submitting. One of my novels was turned down numerous times and I had almost given up on it, but then one day it found a great home, other doors opened, and I couldn’t be happier. So you never know.


It was great having you here, I look forward to reading your works!


David's Bio:

I love writing, reading and watching horror or just plain old weird stuff. I have stories in a number of anthologies and have written a few novels in the horror genre. For a list of my credits please visit me at

My Blog

Find David Bernstein on Facebook

PREORDER Amongst the Dead HERE!!!

BUY Machines of the Dead HERE!!!

Tears of No Return--coming from Evil Jester Press in October 2012


And...


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