GENRE Bleeding

Sure you can write a horror erotica (horrorrotica), Christian horror, and so on. But I'm talking about sub genre here. Sometimes people really don't like it and prefer to stick to one or the other, while others love going against the rules.

What's best?

I love a good story, period. If it's written well, I will not care if said story followed every rule to the law in genre. This doesn't mean that it's a bad idea to write strictly genre. I say do both.

This is why I'm a dark fiction author. I'm learning the basics of each sub genre so I can write in genre, but also so I can blend them. You can't make a smoothie until you know what kind of fruit you want, and how the flavors are going to mix. Well, there's trial and error, but the point is we're talking about writing something that's ten levels of OMG, triple dipped in awesomesauce!

If I want to write a story that is equal parts, Splatterpunk, Bizarro, and Sci-fi, as long as I do it well, I can't see why this should be a problem.  

We all love what we love, there's nothing wrong with that. If you are horror only, great. But horror itself can be a multitude of sub genres. I see horror in places most people don't. Some things scare the crap out of me that most just look at as so-so. I think stories that deal with a character having dementia is terrifying. Or stories about getting old and having no one to depend on, and all you get is a few bucks from the government who wants to take away more and more medical benefits. On that note, nursing homes. Being at the mercy of future generations, when there are plenty in this one that scare me (this statement does not reflect the care-providers who earn their pay and respect, who do an amazing job day in and day, even with long hours with shit pay, and cut backs.)

The arthritis which has haunted me since childhood, or the lump on my chest that acts up whenever I have indigestion. Or how about dying, believing in God and knowing you get to go heaven, but for some reason the Big Man has a plan that you don't get the memo on until you're there? Maybe we aren't as good as we should be, and God needs us to fix something within His plan. May not sound scary until it happens.

The art of horror is terror. An overpowering fear that hits us not just between the eyes, but straight to our soul. Horror can also use comedy and still keep the fright.

It's all about how you write it and sell it.

Know your audience and make your story one hell of a punch!

Author and Press Owner, Kevin Strange

One of the best new voices in Bizarro, Kevin Strange joins me today to talk about his new book, VAMPIRE GUTS IN NUKETOWN for free. Alright mister Strange, how about telling us about your new book.

A lot of people are saying it reinvented the vampire. I don't claim to be nearly as ambitious as that. I was just trying to write a really fun, conan-esque apocalyptic bizarro book that just happens to be about giant mutated batlike dudes with psychic powers. I will say that it was an absolute blast to write, and takes inspiration from ultra violent video games like Splatter House and Nightmare Creatures. It's bloody, sexy, extreme adventure. I don't recommend it for the faint of heart or easily offended.

Pure awesomesauce! Now, you seem to be very knowledgable in the Bizarro genre, how about telling us what it is about the genre that draws you in, and your thoughts of where it's going in the horror field.

I started my artistic career as a writer and director of obscure cult movies. Bizarro fiction is often compared to Troma and John Waters movies. When I started out making movies, I was emulating those kinds of films as well. There exists a micro budget film genre that I've seen called “Porno Horror” or just horror/comedy, cult horror, or whatever. There are quite a few dudes doing it now, but back in the early 2000s, we were few and far between. Eventually I grew extremely weary of all the bullshit that goes into making movies for budgets of less than 1000 dollars, and turned my sights to fiction.

At first, I had no clue that the Bizarro genre even existed. I'd grown up in the splatterpuk era with authors like Clive Barker and Poppy Z. Brite killing and fucking their way through books, but all with a serious, dark tone. I wrote fiction like that, too, at first. But the over-the-top satirical nature of my movies was calling for me to include it in my fiction. I'd never read anything like that before around 2010, honest to god. I didn't think it existed. I thought that somehow, my kind of bizarro storytelling method just didn't translate well into fiction, or the market was so small for something that like, that I was basically on my own.

It was while scanning through books on Amazon that I came across the book “John Dies at the End” which has connected to it in the “Customers also bought” section a slew of bizarro books. I was elated as I surfed through book after book with amazingly offensive covers and titles. The descriptions of the books were essentially the same as I'd have on the back of my DVD cases. I'd been writing bizarro fiction for years and didn't even know it. I've sense written two novels and countless short stories in the bizarro genre and have never looked back. I champion bizarro anytime I can get someone to listen. I love this shit.

So, you're the man behind Strangehouse Books Press, tell us about it? 

Once I became aware of the bizarro genre and saw what I think is its limitless potential, I decided to forgo the mind numbing and years long process of trying to work my fiction into a publisher's hands by starting a publishing house of my own, featuring a mash up of my favorite genres, Lovecraftian Horror, Splatter Punk (now called Hardcore Horror for some reason), and my new found love: bizarro. Our goal is to serve up some of the best genre fiction in today's volatile, ever changing literary environment through aggressive marketing, sheer tenacity, and endless touring. So far, 14-15 months in, I think we're doing an awesome fucking job so far.

SBP seems to be picking up a steam, any hints of what's to come?

We've always got something new coming out. Our next book is an anthology mash up of Lovecraftian bizarro stories. Really whacked out stuff. I can't wait to put this book out. It's got some of the most imaginative stuff I've ever read concerning Lovecraft's Cthulhu mythos including one of my favorite stories I've ever written, called Mchumans. I just released an apocalyptic bizarro novel that I guess attempts to re-invent the vampire called, Vampire Guts in Nuke Town. That wasn't exactly my conscious intention, but I've been told my take on vampire lore is pretty unique. Beyond that, check out our website, www.strangehousebooks.com and see what we've got out and what's coming out soon. If you love weird, you won't be disappointed.

Awesome having you here, Kevin!

Guts is a bad motherfucker in a bad, bad world. The government nuked the sky ten years ago to combat a super fast spreading virus that turns humans into blood thirsty, ravenous killing machines that look more like giant, mutated bats than people. 

The new sky kills these "vampires" instantly, but at a cost. The entire planet is slammed with mega-high doses of radiation every time the sun comes up, completely changing life on earth as we know it, and completely decimating what little civilization there is left. 

In Nuke Town, Guts wakes up in a strange motel with no memory of how he got there. A brother and sister duo are the only two humans in sight, but are they friend or foe? As the paranoia sets in, and Guts begins to understand the true implications of a nest of sophisticated, mutated vampires, he must use all the cunning and skills that his years in the wasteland have taught him if he hopes to survive the horror that awaits him in ... VAMPIRE GUTS IN NUKETOWN!

THE WORLD is Our Muse

Hello readers, I love you! Those of you who sneak about reading me when you don’t know I can see you (I saw that, cute), those of you who follow me and comment, and those of you who hate my guts but like a bad train wreck you just can’t look away. I get that when I try to dance too, but I’m not going there today.

Use what you know as a muse, This isn’t just about occupation or where you live, this isn’t just about sappy feelings (yes I’ve been sappy lately, leave me alone already! I still fantasize on various torture techniques at the blah-job), I’m talking about those you disagree with, fight with, lock horns, etc.

We all have our opinions; they matter because it’s who we are. And no matter how much we might want to connect, there will always be conflict. It’s unavoidable. You’re logic verses mine, your hundred facts against my hundred facts. We could spend a week just writing enough online posts to fill a book each on our side along with a work’s cited. Sometimes it’s kept classy, sometimes it’s messy. We pull back asking ourselves why do we put ourselves out there only to draw back with a headache? There are those days where we just get so overwhelmed with what we see as stupidity, and then those on the other side come back with their version. I use to shy away from it after putting myself out there too much, not anymore. Now I just keep it contained.

You see it’s all about regulation. That seems to be everyone’s favorite new word these days next to swag (one of the times I’ll ever use that word). The key is to pick your fights, what hill do you wish to defend? And how far are you willing to go to defend it?

I get pretty worked up over some issues, but I do try to keep it classy. Not always easy, but I’m getting better at it. Remember that those you lock horns with are people with good hearts and are dedicated to their creeds just like us. Give them their due, a lot of people these days are apathetic, at least they have passion.

But use it. A lot of the times these people are writers too, and they will use you in some way or another. Who knows, maybe you’ll end up slowly tortured to death in one of their stories, again all about being a muse. I’m cool with it because I write what I know.

How does one justify the things that’s accepted by modern day society that I detest? Well start a debate and find out. People can justify anything, if you saw the world the way I do, you would know exactly what I mean. We’re some sick puppies, and not in a cute fun way (like me :^D) The world is our muse, we learn from it. Authors say we shouldn’t write what we know, but write about what we don’t, or something along those lines. Good advice, but also try knowing something that is outside your knowledge.

Think in the terms of being a FBI profiler (or as they are actually referred to as, a supervisory agent). Those guys put themselves in the mind of a killer in order to catch him/her. They start with how the UNSUB (unknown subject) looks at everything. From a pack of smokes to the way blood cascades down a window. How does a male UNSUB think of women? What is it that drives their urge crazy? Why do they want to kill? Is it just an urge? Or is there a deeper reason? How do they justify killing? When the urge is fed, what do they have to say for themselves?

People are who they are, good, bad, or most of the time gray. Everyone has a different truth, different common sense. We’re never going to understand everyone and why they believe what they do, but we can pick brains, and use it. Hell, you can make your protagonist a person who’d completely disagree with in real life. I actually suggest it. Writing outside of our comfort zone is a good thing. If we can make a believable and even loveable character from someone we’d oppose in the real world, then we are creating something amazing.

This goes back to my comment of making mince-meat out of lemons. What bothers you? What do you stand for and against? If you find my opinions stupid, ignorant, or just plain wrong, then why do you stick around? Am I like a trained ape to you? It’s okay if I am. That makes me a muse. I’m okay with it because I’m guilty of it too. The world can be beautiful, but it can be so very dark, and not in an entertaining way. We are creators making art to move or entertain each other. We may not all be rocket scientists, but everyone of us have our own evil brilliance. We contribute a piece of ourselves that non-artists can’t. We’re special, and so we feed on the world.

One more thing in honor of someone I once cared about who left me on bad terms a few years ago who recently came back to mend fences. A lot of us are hurt in a way that’s destructive to our lives and those around us. We push each other away instead of embracing each other. Even if you’re not an artist, you can inspire or be inspired. You can use your pain to help others, and you can find refuge in the arms of someone who cares. None of it’s easy; life gives us a shit sandwich heavy on the shit-sauce. And we’re not allowed to complain or take it to work. We’re supposed smile and not let it show while it tears our insides apart like a pack of hellhounds.

The world is also your muse. Use it. Thrive in it. It’s a dark world to everyone, no one has a monopoly on suffering. Not you not me. However, in pain we are united. I’m thankful I can get to know someone who mattered very much to me all over again. The person I saw that she couldn't see now thrives. She cared enough to change her life, and she didn’t do it alone. She found inspiration from caring people, and she wanted to better herself. She’s my hero.

I have known her in darkness, and now I know her in the light.

Life's a muse, you’re a muse, I’m a muse, those we love and hate are muses. Take it all in and create, in words, in paint, or just by living your life. I mentioned non-artists earlier in the post, that’s kind of an oxymoron when you think about, almost everyone is an artist. We create it by living, and if we recognize it, and accept it, we can thrive. And that’s a story worth writing about :^)

Author Mike Robinson

 

When did you first want to write for a living?

That would be when I was seven years old, just a little tyke, getting my hands dirty (or bloody?) in the likes of Bruce Coville, Stephen King, R.L. Stine, H.G. Wells, Dean Koontz and, a little later, Edgar Allen Poe and the rest of the gang. I loved the titillating thrill of not only getting sucked into a story but making my own. There was no pretense or conscious decision, really -- it was rather like a cerebral or emotional version of having to go to the bathroom.

What made you decide on horror?

I originally wrote sports stories, as at the time I was very much into baseball (I still am, but those were the days when I thought I might be a professional MLB player, before setting my sights on the far more practical dream of becoming a bestselling author :-) ). Then, once I began reading those Alvin Schwartz Scary Stories anthologies, I was attracted by the sheer creepy coolness of them (helped by the wonderful illustrations), and like a number of fairy tale protagonists I was strung further on into the darkness, succumbing to the treats of the aforementioned authors, and more. Movies and TV helped, too -- many a wonderful evening I spent with mutual-minded buddies watching such things as Creepshow and The X-Files.

How long have you been writing?

For 22 years, now that I'm 29. However, there was an unfortunate "high school lull". I started writing professionally when I was 19, when I sold a story to the Canadian magazine Storyteller.

What kind of inspirations do you have?

I get inspiration from many sources. I get story inspiration from wonderfully-crafted, tight and tense plots, usually from more commercial authors. I get language and spiritual inspiration from the Beethovens of prose, such as the Joyces or the Faulkners. Stimulating conversation, which I thankfully get on a regular basis with those I'm close to, also gets my juices flowing. New places. Nature -- I love hikes, woodsy areas, the sea (I have a very Melvillian fascination with all things marine). And, last but not least, I can sometimes find inspiration at the bottom of a good glass of vino or ale.

Favorite authors/or books?

Oh geez. I can go on and on with this one. But the "short" list would be: Ray Bradbury, James Joyce, Dante, Clive Barker, H.P. Lovecraft, Italo Calvino, Virginia Woolf, Willa Cather, Saul Bellow, Sinclair Lewis, Herman Melville, Fyodor Dostoyvesky, Miguel de Cervantes, Cormac McCarthy, Stanislaw Lem, Jules Verne, Hermann Hesse. I sometimes like to joke that my two favorite books are Neale Donald Walsch's Conversations with God and Cormac McCarthy's Blood Meridian, because, in very artful and genuine ways, they embody polar-opposite philosophies. But it'd be impossible for me to pick a favorite book. I would make special mention, though, of Stephen King's IT having wrenched me from my adolescent stupor and put the pen back in my hand.

What can we expect to see from you in the near future?

On February 9th, Curiosity Quills Press will release my new existential / survival horror novel The Prince of Earth. In the next year, my novel Negative Space, set in the same universe as The Green-Eyed Monster, will make its debut.
 

 

Martin Smith and John Becker: bestselling authors with ordinary names and extraordinary minds.

Their words have power — to heal, to kill, to change the lives of their “characters” in shocking and unexpected ways. Famous for their uncanny similarity in both physical manner and literary voice, their childhood rivalry spins out of control into adulthood.

The death of one at the hands of the other brings to light their troubling past — and a mysterious presence, watching on from the shadows— an authorial entity with roots beyond our time or dimension. An entity with far-reaching designs.

The pen is truly mightier than the deadliest sword.

Pick Up  A Copy!!!

Bio:

Mike Robinson has been writing since age 7, when his story Aliens In My Backyard! became a runaway bestseller, topping international charts (or maybe that was also just a product of his imagination).

He has since published fiction in a dozen magazines, literary anthologies and podcasts. His debut novel, Skunk Ape Semester, released by Solstice Publishing, was a Finalist in the 2012 Next Generation Indie Book Awards.

Currently he’s the managing editor of Literary Landscapes, the official magazine of the Greater Los Angeles Writers Society (glaws.org). He is also a freelance editor.

 

Helloooo Nurse!

My favorite vixen-scribe! So Rebecca, I hear you have a new book out, tell us what inspired you to write, NURSE BLOOD?

The initial inspiration for Nurse Blood came from an amazing piece of horror art by Justin T. Coons. I used that piece of art for the online serial novel. He was gracious enough to do an entirely new work of art based on the book though, for the ebook and (eventually) paperback release.

 

Any tricks of the trade you would like to share with other writers?

I’m really not that kind of woman… Oh, WAIT! Never mind. You meant something else. LOL

Write, read, and pay attention. Learn from every mistake you make and correct yourself with your next work. Overall, have fun with each story and use your voice and style to make it your own!

This is your first novel, plan on writing more in the near future?

YES! Did you think I was gonna write one and walk away? PFFT!

I have more in the works, at different stages.

Will there be anymore Nurse Bloodbooks?

Blood Trail will be the sequel to Nurse Blood.

What's your favorite kind of murder weapon?

Just one? How do I pick just one?!

Hmm… Knives are fun, because you can either go for the quick kill or torture someone for a while. There’s a lot of cutting in Nurse Blood. ;)

 

So happy to have you again, thank you for joining me! Can't wait to have you back again!

Thanks for letting me return to spread my insanity to your followers. It’s always a pleasure. I hope you’ll stop by my corner of horror (my blog) sometime!

 

Nurse Blood

Sonya Garret is a nurse at the local hospital, but she has a side job trafficking in human ‘parts’ – what she makes in blood pays more than any salary. Hearts and livers, bone marrow and brains; they all sell great on the black market.

Drunk men at bars, prowling for any willing woman, are easy pickings when she goes looking for victims to chop up and sell.

One lucky night she picks up a man with a rare blood type, and after her team cashes in on him, they decide to go for the big money and ‘harvest’ his entire family.

Will the F.B.I. – who is hot on the trail of Sonya and her team as they cross the U.S., leaving a trail in blood and death – be able to catch up with them in time to stop the ongoing slaughter? Or will Nurse Blood get her money…again?

BUY A COPY!!!

~ * ~

"There is no pretentiousness with Rebecca Besser's writing; she's got a story to tell and doesn't mess around. Nurse Blood is a hard-driving, dark, and demented book that'll make you squirm. It made me think back to all the fun I had reading Richard Laymon novels for the first time--it's got that spirit, but Besser is her own writer." ~Brady Allen, Author of Back Roads and Frontal Lobes

~ * ~

“Sonya is cold, hard, calculating, and a killer. The team have a job to do, and they’ll do what they have to, to get it done. Rebecca Besser’s ‘Nurse Blood’ is a dark exploration of twisted morals, greed and brutal violence that encapsulates society’s fears and gives us a new kind of bogeyman to be afraid of.” ~Mark Taylor, Author of The Human Condition

~ * ~

"Rebecca Besser cuts a bloody swath in her macabre story, Nurse Blood, a grisly tale filled with blood, lust, deceit, and death!" ~Kim Curley, Author of the novella, Faith

BUY A COPY!!!

Rebecca's Bio:

 

I'm the author of the zombie novella, "Undead Drive-Thru," and, "Nurse Blood." I'm also a graduate of the Institute of Children's Literature. My work has appeared in the Coshocton Tribune, Irish Story Playhouse, Spaceports and Spidersilk, joyful!, Soft Whispers, Illuminata, Common Threads, Golden Visions Magazine, Stories That Lift, Super Teacher Worksheets, Living Dead Press Presents Magazine (Iss. 1 and 2), FrightFest eMagazine, An Xmas Charity Ebook, The Stray Branch, and The Undead That Saved Christmas (Vol. 1 and 2) and the Signals From The Void charity anthologies.

I have multiple stories in anthologies by Living Dead Press, Wicked East Press, Pill Hill Press, Hidden Thoughts Press, Knight Watch Press, Coscom Entertainment, Crowded Quarantine Publications, and Collaboration of the Dead (projects), and one (each) in an anthology by Post Mortem Press, NorGus Press, Rainstorm Press, and Evil Jester Press. I also have a poem in an anthology by Naked Snake Press.
I'm also an editor and have edited: Dark Dreams: Tales of Terror, Dead Worlds 7: Undead Stories, and Book of Cannibals 2: The Hunger from Living Dead Press; Earth's End from Wicked East Press; End of Days: An Apocalyptic Anthology (Vol. 4 and 5/co-edited) from Living Dead Press; and I'm currently editing It's Weighing On You Mind from Hidden Thoughts Press, and co-editing Beneath The Pretty Lies from Wicked East Press.

When I'm not busy writing and/or editing, I'm formatting book covers, building/maintaining websites, and writing book reviews.

For more information, visit my website: www.rebeccabesser.com

Author Michael Carr

Zombie-slayer extraordinaire joins us on the Eldon blog today, Michael Carr. Michael, tell us about your current works.

First I would like to thank you Eldon for the opportunity to discuss a project that means a lot to me. I am happy to share this story with you and your readers. My first novella, "Dead Factions" is about a dark world of infection, lies, deceit and anger. This first installment to The Zombie War Narratives is a powerful mixture of shock, sci-fi and government conspiracy. It begins with the world exposed to an infection and abandoned by its leaders. During this time of unrest, small portions of the undead have found a way to maintain their intellect and plan to control the country. However, there is infighting among these undead and they break-off into "Dead Factions".

In this first novella, readers are introduced to an enraged and pissed off survivor, Corey, who plots a route to find some meaning or normalcy in this upside-down world. He finds his travels run head on with situations for which he had not bargained. Struggling to adapt, he realizes the world he once knew and the people closest to him are gone. Corey continues to fight as he is tested beyond his imagination...he fights to find peace for himself and those he learns to trust.

What is it you love about writing zombies?

Actually it was more about what zombies offered my book than a love for the genre. I needed an "evil with a purpose"...one that did not know "quit"...a malicious force that came back bigger and stronger time after time. I also needed a wickedness unlike anything else, one that is considered near perfect by its creator. Readers of Dead Factions have reported back that they enjoyed the idea of zombies breaking off into guilds/factions to war over the control of humanity. The deception and evil doesn't stop there. This is a world where the undead are minions; foot solders for a greater horror or is it horrors? I forget. Now I'm hoping others will find this to be an uncommon and rare story as the chaos unfolds in the trilogy.

Tell us about WHY you write.

I never intended to have anything in print, it was just sheer luck. A couple of years ago I had a life experience that encouraged me to find an outlet...one that was uncommon for me. It was as though the story was unfolding before me. I typed as fast as I could to keep up. Once done, I found it unique and was compelled to share it. With that, a new world opened and I began meeting other authors, as well as readers. It has been very exciting and rewarding. I have found forum conversations, the encouraging emails I have received and being able to introduce "Dead Factions" to new readers at conventions exhilarating. I am so appreciative for the fans that follow and support my work.


What kind of works are you planning for the future?

Future works...well, I am actively in production to the follow up of "Dead Factions". This is the second installment to the zombie war narratives under the working title of "City on Fire". I think it is ok to reveal here that, unlike most sequels, COF actually runs in parallel with "Dead Factions".

It is important that the reader sees what other characters were doing at the time "Dead Factions" was going on. There are of course surprises, heartaches and blood. Yes, lots of blood.

Continuity is important to me... even though I am doing it in an unorthodox way with the series. I am ok with that. Like for any author, the challenge is to provide the reader with a "Wow" moment when they reach the end.

I have to admit that comics are what got me here....sitting idle right now is 2 comic projects waiting to have their moment and they will soon.


Thank you so much for joining me, Michael!


BUY A COPY OF, DEAD FACTIONS

Michael's BIO:

A native of South Mississippi, Michael grew up in a region of the United States that was rich in culture and tradition. Family gatherings were common, offering the best food found anywhere. Usually a Saturday night social over savory delicacies would pave the way to the best rumors and gossip from both sides of the river.

Michael utilized his hometown environment that gave him creative imagery and a passion for good food to work. After attending culinary school he spent the first fourteen years of his professional life as a chef. After sometime he went on to other avenues of employment and during this period he revisited an old childhood favorite hobby of reading comics. This rediscovery of make-believe, along with real life experiences ignited a spark that led him to the world of writing.

LINKS:

Blog

CZKWorld Studios Store

Dead Factions paperbackon Amazon

Dead FactionsKindle version on Amazon
 

Dead Factions Facebook page

Author Armand Rosamilia

 

So Armand, tell us about your works.

My latest release is Tool Shed, a horror novella put out by Angelic Knight Press. It is a story I'd been working on and off for a number of years, but once I changed the POV character and really got into dissecting the plot, it took off for me. I have about 50 releases to date, including the Miami Spy Games thriller/spy series, my Dying Days zombie series, my Keyport Cthulhu series, as well as many more stand-alone tales and appearances in anthologies. I try to keep busy.

What draws you to horror?

I love it. I grew up reading my mother's Stephen King and Dean Koontz paperbacks. I've always loved to be scared, and it is such an honest emotion to me. You can fake the other ones, but fear is the coolest one.

What is your take on the modern horror?

I'm a fan of psychological horror. I was never a big fan of gore for the sake of gore. Don't show me the bloody slavering monster. Hint at him and let me make him the gorssest, craziest thing in my own head. That's why Blair Witch Project worked for me and Hostel didn't.

What's your favorite antagonist in horror stories?

The guy/girl next door. The person you see every day and think they are just your slghtly-off neighbor. Until you find they've been burying bodies down your fence line after having sex with the corpses.

What else do you have coming up that you would like to share?

I am constantly in motion. I have many projects coming up, and some will be arriving before 2012 is over: The Miami Spy Games series has five of the thirteen storeis released, so a few more of those will be out… "Cabal" is the third (of five) Keyport Cthulhu stories you'll see soon… I'm finishing up Dying Days: The Siege of European Village, a novella collaboration with author Tim Baker, and a few more things coming soon…

Thank you for guesting on my blog!
 

No, thank you for having me!

Armand

 

TOOL SHED by Armand Rosamilia (Angelic Knight Press)

When Michael Zaun takes possession of his late grandfather’s farm, he finds out he inherited more than he bargained for. Dubbed the “Tool Shed Murders,” the details of the deaths of two girls on the property and his grandfather’s, seemingly by his own hand, are a little murky. Was his grandfather a monster or a hero?

The discovery of his grandfather’s journal awakens within him a new confidence. But what about the demon his grandfather mentioned? Is it real or just the ranting of a diseased mind?

With the help of his friends, old and new, Michael will find not only the answer to that question, but a new strength within himself.

BUY A COPY!!!


ARMAND'S BIO:

Armand Rosamilia is a New Jersey boy currently living in sunny Florida, where he writes when he's not watching zombie movies, the Boston Red Sox and listening to Heavy Metal music...

"Highway To Hell" and "Dying Days" extreme zombie novellas are part of the growing Extreme Undead series of books/stories created by Armand...

He is also an editor for Rymfire Books, helping with several horror anthologies, including "Vermin" and the "State of Horror" series, as well as the creator and energy behind Carnifex Metal Books, putting out the "Metal Queens Monthly" series of non-fiction books about females into Metal...

You can find him at http://armandrosamilia.com and e-mail him to talk about zombies, baseball and Metal: armandrosamilia@gmail.com

HOLLOW SHELL, and why the Zombie Genre is Coming Back from the Dead

By: Mark C. Scioneaux

I cannot speak for all horror writers, but I think the first subject an aspiring writer tries to tackle is the zombie novel. There are a few reasons why the zombies are the popular choice, but mostly I believe it is due to the simplicity of the subject, and the way the story develops.

First, you have undead monsters. Scary, right? There is nothing more horrifying and heartbreaking than the thought of your mom, dad, sibling, child, etc. coming for you with no remembrance of who you were to them. All you are now is a meal. Second, it lets the writer craft a tale of survival, and doing what it takes to persevere during trying times of the walking dead. Third, and lastly, the aspiring writer can make a choice of where they want their novel to go. Gratuitous amounts of sex and gore? A cast of characters, ranging from your basic stereotypes to original and unlikely heroes? The writer is free to do what they want, for the world has ended and they are at the control panel. Writers are free to carve their own paths, and zombies help pave the way.

Why am I rambling about this? A few weeks ago, I received an email from a publisher. He was cancelling an anthology of which a story of mine had been submitted. His reasons were honest and understandable, but one didn’t sit well with me. He said the genre was flooded with bad zombie books. He wouldn’t make any return on his investment for the anthology he’d planned. The zombie genre was dead; a bullet put right between the eyes of the literary ghoul. To a point, I agreed. With the surge of self-publishing, it appears any and all aspiring authors, who don’t venture through traditional publishing venues for their work, have a zombie novel uploaded to Kindle. I’ve read more than my fair share. Some are great. Plenty are bad, often filled with poor editing and even worse writing. With the popularity of The Walking Dead leading the way, zombies have infiltrated every aspect of our pop culture. The public is burnt out, and who can really blame them? But I think they can be saved and restored back to the prominence and respect they deserve. It is my hope that my serial, Hollow Shell, assists in the revival of the zombie book.

When you start Hollow Shell, you’ll see I jammed my foot on the gas, and very rarely do I let up. The tale centers around one central character, Chris. He isn’t special, really; just an ordinary guy trying to do the right thing. He’s not a super soldier, or someone who can make headshots while sprinting through a field. He’s you. He’s me. I wanted to make him that way so you, the reader, would feel for him, think like him, and ultimately place yourself in his situation and contemplate over the choices you’d make if you were in his shoes. There is another character, Dawn, who joins Chris on a most epic journey. I won’t spoil it for you where they are going, or why, but it will be something pivotal that drives our main character forward, much to the dismay of the young woman accompanying him.

Chris and Dawn make a good pair, and I think they represent real people in a tragic situation. There is tension, violence, sex, and gore; all things one expects to happen when the laws and rules of society have been thrown out the window, but it’s kept in check. It’s balanced. It’s real. When I write, I try to put myself in my character’s shoes. How would I react? What would I say? How would I get out of this predicament? The result, I feel, is a story with realistic consequences to actions. I want to show the reader that yes, zombies are scary, but humans are so much worse. There will be times when you cheer for the zombies. Hopefully I’ve written enough moments that make your jaw drop and your fingers fumble your e-reader when you go to turn the page.

I plan to update the series every quarter. It will take time to not only write, but also go through the proper editing and proofreading channels. Self-publishing isn’t a bad thing. As a person who has been traditionally published and is co-owner of Nightscape Press, I feel this is what the Kindle was made for. But the key is you have to give the customer a professional product, and one you’d be happy to put your name on. I hope I have done this for you, the reader.

Hollow Shell is violent and tragic. It also has moments of humor and raw emotion. It is charged with a certain tension that I feel would exist in a situation like the one our two characters are thrust into. What I love the most about zombie literature isn’t so much the zombies, but the interaction of characters as the world falls apart. There are so many great opportunities for me as a writer to explore the human condition and psyche. That’s what draws me to post-apocalyptic books. The zombies are awesome. They give your characters a reason to act the way they do. But they’re only a part of the story. In Hollow Shell, you’ll care about the characters and realize that these are normal people trying to survive with the zombies as a backdrop. I hope you will keep up with Hollow Shell, because it’s going to be a wild ride.

In closing, I’d like to thank Dale Eldon for allowing me to share my thoughts on zombies. I hope you enjoy Hollow Shell and follow the series to the end, whenever that may be. Don’t abandon the zombie story. There are many good ones out there, and like the undead, they are going to just keep coming!

Aim for the head,
Mark C. Scioneaux

BUY A COPY OF HOLLOW SHELL HERE!

Talk about it on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HollowShellAZombieEpic

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A sample from Hollow Shell: Part 1

“What have I done?” Chris said as he slid down the living room wall.

A faint trail of gray smoke rose from the gun, slowly dissipating into the atmosphere and stinging his running nose. His hands shook uncontrollably, so bad the gun almost fell from his limp grasp.

“Why, God? Jesus…Why?” he gasped, the tears starting to roll down his stubbly face.

With each passing moment, panic at the realization of what he had just done started to settle in. It was a sickening feeling developing deep in the pit of his stomach. He felt a wave of nausea wash over him. He closed his eyes, drew in a deep breath, and let it out slowly.

Why am I calling out to God? he thought, as the idea of asking an all-mighty and benevolent creator for help had proved to be a waste of time. God didn’t seem to be present at the moment he put a bullet right between the eyes of his loving parents and once beautiful sister. Those same eyes that gazed down on him the day he was born. Eyes at one time filled with unconditional love, now glazed over in a pale aqua-blue glow. The look they once bore replaced with an insatiable hunger. Chris couldn’t let them live like that. His sister, so beautiful and caring; so young and full of dreams, had been turned into a deformed creature. There was nothing left of who she once was. The same sister Chris beat up a playground bully for. The same sister whose ice cream cone hit the floor and Chris readily gave her his. The thought of her pain made him tear up and the urge to scream rushed up through his throat like vomit.

She had come toward him with the same look as his parents, those hungry, lifeless eyes. His hand made steady by a surge of adrenalin gave him a brief moment of clarity and precision, though his vision had become blurry with tears. The sound of her moaning and shuffling feet became louder as she moved closer. He aimed, closing his eyes as he pulled the trigger, feeling the hammer kick back and the gun jolt in his hand. The abrupt discharge was followed by a soft thud. He opened his eyes and in that moment came to the sick realization that he was an only child and an orphan. All done by his own hands.

One more bullet left in the chamber, he thought to himself, and that one is going to be for me.

The searing heat of the gun singed the inside of his mouth, but he didn’t care. One squeeze and everything would be all right. Just a loud noise, maybe a little pain and his troubles would cease to exist. Or maybe there wouldn’t be any pain at all. It would be a coward’s way out, but given the current events and his decaying mentality, it felt like the right thing to do. He closed his eyes tight as his finger slowly depressed the trigger. Just a little more, he thought. Just do it!

BUY A COPY HERE!

BLOG TOUR, Author P.A. Douglas,

P.A. Douglas:

Right now, my new novella, THE DARK MAN, just came out! But before we get into that, I want to thank Dale Eldon for being so awesome as to let me commandeer his blog for a day. Thanks dude, you are freaking awesome.

In case you haven’t actually heard of the book, the following is the books short synopsis:

The human mind holds within its infinite reaches many of the greatest mysteries in the universe. Some are vast and wondrous, while others are chilling and nightmarish. Some mysteries are better left hidden in the dark corners of our minds, never breaking free of our subconscious.

Six high school students set out to explore these depths by sharing a mind altering substance on a night meant to be filled with both wild hallucinations and crazy antics. But the fun and games come to a shuddering halt when a strange man appears. This isn’t just any stranger. He is the Dark Man. Haunter of dreams and purveyor of nightmares. Dressed in a black suit and top hat, his pale skin and twisted grin promise a very deranged night of entertainment.

BUY A COPY HERE!

I originally came up with the Dark Man when I was a stupid little teenager. Bet you couldn’t ever guys how. Either way, I know of a lot of people who have actually come into contact with this person while on such substances. Needless to say it had to be written about. The fact that more than a handful of people have seen the Dark Man in real life is creepy enough for me. Whether or not the content of the Dark Man stands true in this book is another thing entirely. So, to answer that age old question: what inspired the book; well there it is. I’ve been there and done that and don’t recommend ever going back.

If splatterpunk, grindhouse action is what you crave in a good horror read, then I would definitely recommend picking this one up. It’s a fast paced death to the finish. And with that, I think that covers it for me.

Thanks again to Dale for letting me hop in and say hello.
-Pat

http://indie-inside.com

Pat, you're freaking awesome as well, I had to pick up a copy of, THE DARK MAN, on my Kindle! That cover is freaking awesome!
~Dale Eldon

The rest of the stops on the tour:

October 1st – Joslyn Corvis

October 2nd – Joe McKinney

October 3rd – Erik Gustafson

October 4th – Iain Rob Wright

October 6th – Patrick D’Orazio

October 7th – Sean Page

Author Jason D Brawn

Ray Blackstone barely survives a fatal car crash, emerging from the wreckage battered and bruised. But he has only one recollection: the police were hot on his pursuit, following a daring bank raid. Now, he has awoken in the remote woodlands, surrounded with tall trees or wreckage in sight.

Ray and his cronies find themselves battling the blistering wind and getting lost. Then, strange happenings begin to occur around Ray, ultimately leading him and his cohorts to a neglected log cabin. Heedless to danger, they decide to take refuge in this cabin for the night; and soon Ray learns the real reason they survived the crash and what’s in store for them.

Perhaps they have not escaped Death after all!

The novelette also includes a bonus story, titled, OUT OF ORDER.

August 1979. What should have been a bank holiday weekend for a group of teenagers, celebrating their A-level success, turns out to be a weekend of hell.

Four eighteen-year-olds, on their way to a music festival, are driven to an isolated lake, somewhere in the North York moors, where they are told a folktale about a demon that haunts the site.

Afterwards, the van won’t start; and feeling stranded in the middle of nowhere, the teens have no alternative, but to camp for the night. Their friend, who brought them there, however, harbours a sinister agenda that involves the lake’s legend.

No one can hear their screams!

The novelette also includes bonus short stories:

THE FIGURE IN WHITE

THE COFFIN

THE LAST TRAIN

A FIELD OF NIGHTMARES

THE INTERVIEW:

When did you first want to write for a living?

I have always wanted to be a horror writer from the age of 12, when discovering that you can make a living out of this. Stephen King was the main man, back in the early eighties, and was totally awe of his talent and wanted to be like him.


What made you decide on horror/Sci-Fi/Thriller?

Horror and science fiction have always been the genres I've been most comfortable with. Any opportunity, I was given at school, to write a story would always fall into those favourite genres of mine.


How long have you been writing?

Throughout my life, as escapism, and now I'm writing to get published. During my early twenties, I wanted to be a screenwriter, but found it too difficult to find success. Screenwriting has, in my experience, so many rules and considerations that limited your talent. Like for instance, I couldn't write a mega budget sci-fi action adventure script, because there are a lot of film companies that only catered for low budget films, and you need to have an agent, like William Morris, for representation. Also, the horror film industry in Britain is very hard to crack. So I gave up and returned to prose, since high school, finding greater success.
To give a clear answer, I would say 19 years, I've been writing.


What kind of inspirations do you have?

Stephen King, Clive Barker, Anne Rice, Robert Bloch, Charles Beaumont, Richard Matheson, Rod Sterling, John Carpenter, Hammer Films, Amicus Films, Nigel Kneale, Roald Dahl and Edgar Allan Poe. The list goes on and on.


Favorite authors/or books?

Edgar Allan Poe, Nigel Kneale, Phillip K. Dick as my favourite authors. For books, Carrie, Psycho and the Pan Books of Horrors.


What can we expect to see from you in the near future?

As well as enjoying the release of novelettes REFUGE and STRANDED, my debut novella, WITCH-HUNT will be released in time for everyone's Christmas shopping. Then, I plan to re-edit and release all my short stories, as a series of collected volumes, in the new year. I plan to make lots of releases in 2013. So excited.


Jason's Contact Deets:

Jason's Website

Jason's Blog

Jason on Goodreads

Author Russell R James

Teaser for the novel Sacrifice:

Thirty years after graduating high school in Sagebrook, New York, Bob Armstrong calls five friends home for a long overdue reunion. None have had any contact with each other since graduation and the horrible events that transpired when they took on the child-murdering entity they came to call the Woodsman.

As soon as they arrive, death stalks the six once more. They band together again, forced to relive the terrifying trials of their past while they battle resurgent dangers in the present. But thirty years have taken a physical and mental toll of them. Can they overcome their psychic scars and keep the children of Sagebrook safe? What will each of them have to sacrifice to once again keep the Woodsman at bay?

THE INTERVIEW:

When did you first want to write for a living?

I thought writing for a living would be cool ever since I got a short story published in my junior high newsletter. I just thought it was about as likely as walking on the moon. After I realized I was pretty good at writing technical manuals, I thought that writing fiction might be a reasonable possibility. Years of classes, coaching, and awful writing later, here I am.


What made you decide on horror/Sci-Fi/Thriller?

All my writing falls into those three genres. Growing up on diet of Stephen King, Twilight Zone, Star Trek and Star Wars might have made the selection inevitable. I guess I like to write what entertains me.


How long have you been writing?

I began treating fiction writing seriously in 2002.


What kind of inspirations do you have?

Each story has a different genesis. My just released novel, Sacrifice, was inspired by a thirty year reunion I had with a bunch of my friends from high school. We had a blast. But I started thinking, what if it was a grudging reunion, where no one wanted to come home? Why would they do it? What event could make them so afraid to return? That train of thought became the novel.

I have a third novel coming, Black Magic. I was walking in St. Augustine, Florida and passed a store front. In the window, individual letters on 8X10 paper pages spelled out "magic shop". The place was empty, but the sign in the door said "Back in 15 minutes". Well, that whole setup gave me the creeps. And the seeds of a book.


Favorite authors/or books?

Stephen King rules the horror roost. I'd read his shopping lists. The horror line with my publisher, Samhain, is a startup and I've been reading a lot of those. Our editor, Don D'Auria has high standards. The books there are good to the point where they make me worried that I'll be able to keep literary pace with the pack.


What can we expect to see from you in the near future?

Sacrifice is out now as an ebook. It will be available in paperback in November. My third novel, Black Magic, is slated for mid-2013. Right now I am working n a sequel to my first novel, Dark Inspiration. My spec-fic short story Touch and Go will be podcast at Tales of Old in October. I am also editing a sci-fi anthology called Out of Time which should be out as an ebook in January or February.

BIO:

Russell R. James was raised on Long Island, New York and spent too much time watching Chiller, Kolchak: The Night Stalker, and Dark Shadows, despite his parents’ warnings. Bookshelves full of Stephen King and Edgar Allan Poe didn’t make things better. He graduated from Cornell University and the University of Central Florida.

After a tour flying helicopters with the U.S. Army’s 101st Airborne Division, he became a technical writer by day and spins twisted tales by night.

His wife reads what he writes, rolls her eyes, and says “There is something seriously wrong with you.”

He has published the paranormal thriller Dark Inspiration in 2011 and Sacrifice in 2012 with Samhain. His third novel Black Magic will be published in 2013. His short stories appeared at Tales of Old, Encounters and Dark Gothic Resurrected magazines. He is a founding member of the Minnows Literary Group.

He and his wife share their home in sunny Florida with two cats.


Russell's Webpage

Email: rrj@russellrjames.com

Twitter

Facebook FanPage

TRUST, by David Moody

From the man who brought you the HATER series, and the AUTUMN series, comes the re-release of, TRUST.

The most important event in human history takes place in the middle of nowhere. Perspectives are altered. Perceptions are changed. Nothing will ever be the same again. Is this a moment of deliverance for the human race, or the beginning of its end? Tom Winter thinks he knows, but if he's right, then seven billion other people are wrong.


PRINT: http://www.amazon.com/Trust-David-Moody/dp/0955005183/

KINDLE: http://www.amazon.com/Trust-ebook/dp/B008NYD00C/


David's sites:

http://www.infectedbooks.co.uk/limited.htm


http://www.infectedbooks.co.uk/Signed.htm


David's Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/davidmoodyauthor

David's interview

Author Jason Brannon

Today, I introduce a new scribe of whom I have only recently read some of his work, and now I am a fan. Give it up for author, Jason Brannon.

JASON'S INTERVIEW:

It's great to have you here, Jason. How about you share with all the readers what made you decide to be a writer.

I would have to give partial credit to my mother for teaching me to read at an early age. She had me reading by the time I was two years old and instilled a love for books in me. I read everything I could get my hands on all through my childhood. Yet, I didn’t actually start writing until high school. An English teacher who has since become a good friend encouraged and motivated me to write. Once I sold my first short story to a small horror magazine that was all it took to convince me to keep it up. I’ve done so ever since.


What got you into writing horror?

I’ve always been interested in things that were slightly weird. I used to watch reruns of The Twilight Zone when I was a kid. I liked horror-themed comics. I used to frequent the horror section of the video store (back when they were still around). It’s just always been something that appealed to me. Like most, my first introduction to horror in book form was Stephen King. I discovered him in the ninth grade when I had surgery and was out of commission for a few days. The first book of his I read was The Tommyknockers. I tackled The Stand after that. Not long thereafter, I discovered Cemetery Dance magazine and a whole new group of authors that I’d never heard about like Richard Laymon, Jack Ketchum, Edward Lee, etc. Then, I began to seek out their works as well. When I started writing, it seemed only natural that I wrote about things that interested me, and I suppose my influences followed.


What authors inspire you?

My favorite author of all-time is Ray Bradbury. His books are always ones I can pick up and re-read and feel inspired afterward. His prose at times reads like poetry, and although I doubt I’ll ever make it to that level, I still aspire to write as well as he did. From a simple storytelling perspective, I’m a fan of Richard Laymon. One of my favorite current writers is Simon R. Green. I'm a particular fan of his Nightside series because of the way he has created this entire world that is an amalgam of genres. Horror, fantasy, and science fiction all seem to co-exist there, and it's done in a seamless way.


So Jason, what inspired you to write, THE CAGE?

Like a lot of people, I used to casually check out the covers of all the magazines in the checkout lines of the supermarket. One that always caught my eye was The Weekly World News. I always got a kick out of seeing what Bigfoot was up to next or where El Chupacabra had been sighted or what new mischief The Jersey Devil had caused lately. I thought it might be neat to write a book featuring a host of cryptids that were all part of a traveling sideshow and what might happen if all of them got loose at the same time. The Cage was born as a result.


What inspired you to write, RUSTY NAILS?

Rusty Nails has been around for a long time. It's been contracted through a couple of different publishers, one of which even got to the cover art stage before going belly up. With that said, I've always had an interest in fallen angels. Movies like The Prophecy probably shaped my perceptions and provided influence. The general idea for the novel came from the concept of flawed angels and just how flawed they could be. I imagined a street drug called Rusty Nails that had the ability to erase guilt, and it seemed like the perfect source of conflict to start a second war between angels.


What inspired you to write, THE ORDER OF THE BULL?

I live in the South, and Southern horror is a niche that I'm particularly fond of. I'm a fan of books like James Newman's Midnight Rain or Ronald Kelly's Fear that showcase the dark underbelly of the place I call home. Obviously, there are a lot of trailer parks and cattle farmers in the South. A cult of cattle-worshipping Baal acolytes who setup camp in The October County Trailer court seemed like a logical progression, and The Order of the Bull was born.


What other works do you have on the backburner?

I'm currently working on the sequel to The Cage, and a novel based on my short story, Beware the Death Angel.


Thank you for being here, Jason, it has been a pleasure.

CHECK OUT JASON'S BOOKS BELOW, CLICK ON THE PICS FOR THE LINKS!

RUSTY NAILS

Dade Gibson, supernatural investigator, becomes involved in one of the strangest cases of his career when he finds himself at the center of a second war between fallen angels. The angels feverishly search for a mystical street drug called Rusty Nails, whose side effect is the eradication of guilt. Many of the fallen angels are remorseful for the sins they have committed against God and become addicted to the drug because it lifts the weight of remorse. Principalities from all sides are scrambling to get their hands on the drug as it will give them control of legions of addicted angels, and thus, turn the tide in a battle which has spread from Heaven all the way to a small town on earth called Crowley's Point.

Following where the clues lead, Gibson's investigation takes him to a nightspot called The Zodiac Club where a fringe subculture pretends to be seraphim and real angels hide in plain sight. He realizes he's in above his head, however, when the search for the drug puts him on the hunt for the bones of a dead drug dealer and on the run from Samael, the Angel of Death. Further complicating matters, his deceased father suddenly shows up in his office with a mysterious commission to assassinate a strange twelve-year-old boy who has an affinity for healing injured angels.

With all of Heaven and Hell searching for answers, Dade's success in breaking the case is the only thing that will stop the second angelic civil war from spreading and tearing his hometown apart.

THE ORDER OF THE BULL

When desperation forces Brian Martin and his mother to move into his Uncle Jack's trailer at The October County Trailer Court, he thinks life is at its lowest point. He quickly realizes that things can get much, much worse after accidentally witnessing a ritual murder performed by a cult of cattle-worshiping locals. After some investigation, Brian realizes that he and his mother have inadvertently moved into the midst of a group calling themselves The Order of the Bull who seek to summon the ancient god Baal. When he attempts to document the cult's crimes and go to the authorities, Brian is thrown into a dangerous fight that will not only decide whether The Order of the Bull is successful in raising their god but also whether he and his mother will live through it all.

THE CAGE

Freakshow... ...A caravan proclaiming itself Captain Omaha's Cryptozoological Fair and Freak Show pulls into the town of Crowley's Point, bearing cargo that is both deadly and highly intelligent. .....A broken family embarks on a day of fun to try and repair all of the damage that adultery has wrought, unaware that there are things loose in the world that can tear a family apart which have nothing to do with infidelity. ....A storm is brewing that will pit man against beast and beast against something much, much worse. ....In the span of a few hours the zoo known as The Preserve will become a breeding ground for atrocity and bloodshed. The family trapped inside will forget all about their own inner turmoils and focus on fending off the cryptozoological monsters that a raging storm has let loose. The zoo has become much more than a zoo. It has become a cage, and humans are now the ones being held captive by Mother Nature and her bloodthirsty children. ....Will any of them survive as The Chupacabra, The Jersey Devil, and The Beast of Exmoor run wild, seeking delicate human morsels to devour? ....Will any of them escape The Cage?

Jason's Bio

Jason Brannon is the author of numerous horror and dark fantasy novels and short stories. His current titles include The Misunderstood and Other Misfit Horrors, The Cage, and The Order of the Bull. He currently lives in Amory, MS and maintains a website at http://www.jbrannon.net/