On June 2, Abney Park’s newest album Ancient World will go on sale.
This is a magnificent album, one of our biggest endeavors
to date, featuring 15 never before heard songs.
In total, nearly an hour of new songs!
52 minutes so far, unless we add some more solos!
Click the highlighted songs above to download those now, for free!
(I’m like a drug dealer, but for music! Getting you hooked, so you have to come back and buy it!)
ABNEY PARK WHOLESALEPRICING
Do you own your own store?
Do you travel to conventions and
sell from your merch booth?
Abney Park now offers wholesale
pricing to you so you can sell our books,
posters, and CD’s! You can even go
right now and order copies of
The Ancient World, Abney Park’s NEXT album!
ABNEY PARK PERFORMS 2 SHOWS AT WORLD STEAM EXPO
MAY 25-28
“In 2010, we presented you a show 120 years in the making, and in 2011 we produced one of the largest Steampunk experiences in the world. Now we return in 2012 to bring you an event beyond the scope of your imaginations! Join us once again this next Memorial Day Weekend for high adventure and exploration galore! From elaborate events to a vendor’s hall that is beyond compare, we will bring the wonders of the world here, all for your enjoyment and entertainment.”
Days with the Undead: Book One
Author: Julianne Snow
A journal of survival.
Five people set out to escape the Undead who have risen too close to home. Join the emotional and physical struggle as they began on the third day after the awakening of Brooks VanReit, as they are recorded from the point of view of Julie, a former pathologist and part-time survivalist.
Each entry is geared toward helping those who want to help themselves and maybe give a few that don’t a swift kick in the ass. Join our group of survivors on their journey through these Days with the Undead.
About the Author – Julianne Snow
It was while watching Romero’s Night of the Living Dead at the tender age of 6 that solidified Julianne’s respect of the Undead. Since that day, she has been preparing herself for the (inevitable) Zombie Apocalypse. While classically trained in all of the ways to defend herself, she took up writing in order to process the desire she now covets; to bestow a second and final death upon the Undead. As the only girl growing up in a family with four children in the Canadian countryside, Julianne needed some form of escape. Her choice was the imaginations of others which only fostered the vibrancy of her own.
Days with the Undead: Book One is her first full-length book, the basis of which can be found in her popular web serial of the same name. You can find Julianne’s The Living Dead of Penderghast Manor in the anthology Women of the Living Dead and stories in Sirens Call Publications anthologies Childhood Nightmares: Under the Bed along with Twisted Realities: Of Myth and Monstrosity which is to be released the end of May 2012.
Publisher: Sirens Call Publications (www.SirensCallPublications.com)
Date Released: February 29th, 2012
ISBN: 1468007998
ISBN-13: 978-1468007992
They haunt us all. Those whispered tales of monsters hiding under the bed, or of the demons lurking in the shadowy corner where we dare not glance for fear that seeing them will make them all too real. Oh, how the innocent landscape of a child’s imagination lends fertile soil to horrors ready to be sown on the slightest of sounds; the tales and the terror they wreak on our youthful minds never quite leaves us.
Reach into the forgotten recesses of your twisted mind. Share with us the tales of nightmares that can only thrive in the hidden corners of a child’s imaginings; the bogeyman under the bed, the outlandishly fiendish clown perched upon a rocker, the slight murmur of sound coming from the closet… did you close the door completely? Explore the myriad of terrors that only a child can twist from nothing into some ‘thing’ in the span of a single rapid breath.
Do you dare delve into your own memories for inspiration? Perhaps you’ll start sleeping with the lights on again… Tell us, who is Under the Bed?
With contributions from Colin F. Barnes, Nina D’Arcangela, Phil Hickes, Amber Keller, Kim Krodel, Lisamarie Lamb, John McIlveen, Kate Monroe, Brandon Scott, Joshua Skye, Julianne Snow, and Jack Wallen.
Publisher: Sirens Call Publications (www.SirensCallPublications.com)
Date Released: April 21, 2012
ISBN-11: 1470118815
ISBN-13: 978-1470118815
A Weekend of Elaborate Costumes and Entertainment
The Labyrinth Masquerade
Annual Fantasy Masquerade Ball XV
June 29th & 30th, 2012 The Labyrinth of Jareth Masquerade Ball
The LOJ Masquerade Ball is two amazing nights of acts, music, art and sculpture. Each night is a little different with elaborate performances that bind our stories within the Royal Court. Indulge your senses, enjoy the most amazing costumes and dance amongst noble dreamers as we build these realms.
masquerade tickets
Tickets available now!
Don’t miss a single night with the Grand Packages
and book your nights at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel
at an LOJ exclusive price.
Biltmore Hotel Exclusive
Complete your experience with a stay at the Millinium Biltmore, one of the finest hotels in Los Angeles. We are offering discounted room rates of $115 per night for those who wish to enjoy the comforts of this elaborate hotel near the Masquerade. Free shuttles run from the hotel to the venue, so gather with your costume and relax in a luxiourious ride to the Royal Court.
Labyrinth of Jareth Masquerade Ball XV
at the
Legendary Park Plaza
607 S Park View Street; Los Angeles, CA
Costumes or Masks with Formal Wear are Mandatory!
Imaginative costumes fitting the Court are highly recommended.
All Tickets are issued on a first come, first served basis!
Hello once again Horror Addicts, I know you are dying to find out some juicy details about this week’s featured author, James Hutchings. James, a HA first-timer, was very relaxed responding to my interview, “It (being interviewed) feels pretty normal and comfortable to me.”
Hutchings’ is what I would call a master of short stories. I was very interested to find James’ Two-Fisted Tweets, which is a collection of stories all shorter than 140 characters. According to James, “I was inspired by a website called nanoism, which runs stories of 140 characters or less. I haven’t tweeted any of them (I don’t use twitter), but a few people have told me that they’ve done so.”
Another one of James’ collection of short stories titled The New Death and Others. “It’s a collection of stories and poems, 63 pieces in all. It’s only a bit over 41,000 words in total, so most of them are quite short. Most of the stories are fantasy, but there’s some ‘general fiction’ in there as well. The style ranges from funny to very grim. [He is] much more influenced by older writers like Tolkien and Robert E Howard. In fact [he has] never read any of the Harry Potter, Twilight or Game of Thrones series, or most other popular modern fantasy authors.”
Like many other authors all around the world, currently all of Hutchings’ works are only available in e-book format. BUT that doesn’t mean James has not been thinking about publishing in print. James explained, “I went looking for print-on-demand publishers that had the option of recycled paper, but I couldn’t find any.”
So if any of our addicts know of a publishing company that fits Hutchings’ needs, please let us know!
Fans of James may have had the same question I did after visiting his website: http://www.apolitical.info/teleleli. “The name ‘Teleleli’ is inspired by ‘Tekeli-li’, which is a meaningless noise made by HP Lovecraft’s shoggoths (in turn taken from a story by Edgar Allan Poe).”
I was excited to find that Hutchings’ is “working on a Graduate Diploma in Creative Writing.” The hardest part about writing according to James is “finding the self-discipline to keep doing it, especially when it’s not your day job (as it isn’t for most writers, even for some who are published and quite well-known).” His views on self-discipline is something something I can personally agree with and I know many authors can as well.
Growing up, James was attracted to a dark British production called ‘The Woman in Black’. Which could explain his interest in the Horror genre today.
Hutchings’ is currently working on several projects, that fans can look forward to. “The main thing I’m working on right now is a poem set in the old West, called Confession of a Bounty Hunter. I’ve been encouraged to write a novel set in the fantasy city of Telelee (or Teleleli), which is the setting of a few of the stories in The New Death and others. I have a lot of background for this world, because I blog every day and most of it is setting detail. I also have a half-finished novel called All-American Detectives, which is a combination of a detective story and a story about superheroes, which I’ll probably come back to in the future.”
For more information on James Hutchings, check out some of these websites:
The Horrorfind Weekend Convention and Film Festival is now accepting submissions for the 2012 Film Fest. This is the 14th Annual Horrorfind Weekend convention and the 3rd year with the addition of the Film Festival. The dates for the event are August 31, 2012 – September 2, 2012 at the Gateway Gettysburg Complex in Gettysburg Pa. http://www.gatewaygettysburg.com
The convention attracts thousands of people and the film festival is quickly becoming popular with fans and filmmakers alike. All films selected for the film fest are shown in real movie theaters on the same property as the convention hotel and are open for viewing by all convention attendees at no additional charge
Get your films in early to take advantage of discounts and to get ahead of the flood of submissions that come in later.
For more information on the Horrorfind Weekend Convention and Film Festival log on to:
The Steampunk Chronical just announced their readers choice award winners for 2012! We won like a ton of them, look!
BEST BAND: ABNEY PARK
BEST GAME: AIRSHIP PIRATES
BEST CONVENTION FOR PERFORMANCES: WORLD STEAM EXPO
(I’ve decide to consider that a win, since we’ve headlined thisevery year they’ve been around. These guys to it right!)
STEAM-HUNK: CAPTAIN ROBERT
(…Ladies)
Victoria Steam Expo the Third.
Steampunk is the collision of history, technology, imagination, and attitude. Nineteenth-century sensibilities with impossible Jules-Verne-inspired technology. Teak-panelled computers, corsets and jetpacks, top hats and rayguns.
April 20th to 22nd, 2012, for the third year in a row, Victoria, British Columbia, will host an art-happening of steampunk art, tech, fashion, music, architecture, and story.
I’ll be talking about the world of Abney Park, The Wrath Of Fate, and Airship Pirates Saterday at 5:00.
On June 2, Abney Parks newest album Ancient World will go onsale.
This is a magnificent album, one of our biggest endeavors
to date, featuring 15 never before heard songs.
In total, nearly an hour of new songs!
52 minutes so far, unless we add some more solos!
Click the highlighted songs above to download those now, for free!
(I’m like a drug dealer, but for music! Getting you hooked, so you have to come back and buy it!)
STEAMPUNK HOLMES:
Sherlock Holmes video game, with a steampunk spin,
set to the music of ABNEY PARK!
Steampunk Holmes is a mashup of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes, characters, and stories from other 19th century works set in an alternative Steampunk universe. In the Steampunk Holmes Universe, a new, more compact and powerful steam engine has been invented, which powers everything from motorcycles to airships; computers, called Babbage Engines, are pervasive and critical to the information architecture of Victorian England; and the telegraph has evolved into a world wide network connecting Babbage Engines and people.
Noble Beast, LLC has launched a Kickstarter project to create a transmedia interactive storytelling experience featuring an adaptation of a Sherlock Holmes story set in a steampunk universe. The ebook Steampunk Holmes: Legacy of the Nautilus by P.C. Martin is now available at Smashwords.com and this funding will be used to create the web app, print and iPad app versions of the story. New innovations in digital publishing will allow readers to engage with the story on a level previously unseen.
This is an international project with talent participating from the United States, Argentina and Great Britain. Artist Daniel Cortes of Buenos Aires has created fantastic animated artwork depicting characters, scenes, and steampunk devices. Music is provided by Seattle, Washington steampunk band Abney Park.
The future of publishing has arrived with this interactive multi-channel Sherlock Holmes project. Richard Monson-Haefel discusses his project: “What happens if you combine a movie with a book? You have the intimate connection that you can have with a book and you have the exciting visuals that can be produced with film…What I’m looking forward to is telling this story in a fashion that has never been done before.”
ABNEY PARK PERFORMS 2 SHOWS AT WORLD STEAM EXPO
MAY 25-28
“In 2010, we presented you a show 120 years in the making, and in 2011 we produced one of the largest Steampunk experiences in the world. Now we return in 2012 to bring you an event beyond the scope of your imaginations! Join us once again this next Memorial Day Weekend for high adventure and exploration galore! From elaborate events to a vendor’s hall that is beyond compare, we will bring the wonders of the world here, all for your enjoyment and entertainment.”
This week for 13 Questions I had the privilege to interview author Julie Hoverson. This is Julie’s first time to be on HA, Hoverson said she is more than excited to talk about herself…or uhh her show. Julie is known for her podcast series 19 Nocturne Boulevard. “Being dramatized – that is, written entirely in script form – 19 Nocturne Boulevard isn’t as easily translatable to the written word as many story podcasts. [Hoverson has] had numerous requests for scripts, though, and several groups around the country are using them as performance pieces for drama classes. That isn’t to say that [she's] ruling out prose versions of some of [her] stories, just that at this time [she doesn't] have any spare time to do it.”
Julie then added, “I would love to have my screenplay make it to movie status, but I’m not producer material. Well, not movie producer, anyway. I prefer to have a product (the podcast) that people can listen to and tell me how awesome I am, than to have a stack of spec scripts cluttering up my house.”
Hoverson explained to me that “it is the lovely scary things inside my head” that inspire the episodes of 19 Nocturne Boulevard. “Sometimes it’s a challenge from a listener, to take on a certain “genre” or style of writing, like my recent Grand Guignol episode Puppets, or my Giallo When Yellow Casts a Crimson Shadow. Sometimes it’s a response to something I read or see in the news, though often by the time a show is completed, it may be months, even years after I wrote it. Sometimes, it’s just a poorly written horror movie that I want to fix, so I write something similar that doesn’t suck.”
You may have also heard of Julie’s other works Bingo the Birthday Clown and The Deadeye Kid. “Bingo the Birthday Clown is my cult classic serial. Right from the start I knew some people would love it and everyone else would dismiss it as insane. It was written almost as a joke – Jack Ward made a comment in a forum (not about my show, BTW) that “I’d rather listen to episode 256 of Bingo the Birthday Clown” (not an actual show, just his way of making an example of something that would be less than exciting to listen to) and I replied – “I could write that” and proceeded to write thirty 10-minute episodes over the course of about a month. And what is it about? Um… A world that is in a TV station, with each channel being its own dimension? Maybe? And things are falling apart, and Star Crunch, the sponsor of the children’s show might be a monster eating people? And there’s probably clones, and superscience, and the potential for robots. But no one is really sure.
The Deadeye Kid is much more straightforward. It’s a western, with just a teensy twist. Lemuel Roberts, the Deadeye Kid, is a gunslinger who is now trying to make amends for the wrongs he’s done in his life. Very traditional storyline, except for one thing. Lem can see and talk to ghosts. And that’s it. No other monsters, no huge supernatural stuff. I prefer to stay true to the classic western for the bulk of the story, and let the ghosts take care of themselves.
I also have another series debuting this summer – Fatal Girl. Fatal Girl is in the style of very dark anime, with a pair of tough chicks fighting nasty demons and evil spirits and serial killers and things. It is definitely an R rating, closer to Overfiend than to Sailor Moon (though it never quite goes over into the truly nasty tentacle porn horror areas…. quite).”
All of Julie’s work are only available in podcast form but that means her projects are free to download or stream. And Hoverson informed me that 19 Nocturne Boulevard even has it’s own app.The site you want to remember is http://nineteennocturne.libsyn.com which is where all of Julie’s podcasts can be found along with several other series.
“Most of the shows are mine, with three notable exceptions. First, Edwardian Entertainments is a series of stories from around 1900 that are either dramatized as is or adapted by me, but are often assembled by guest producers.
Warp’d Space is a scifi series about life on a colony ship, created and produced by Kimberly Poole, my first apprentice (now graduated and doing a lot of her own stuff).
1:18 Migration is a really dark zombie apocalypse series that actually came out a couple of years ago, written and produced by Will Ross and Loopit Productions (there’s more writers, and I can’t think of their names right now – my bad), which I offered to “re-broadcast” (so to speak), since I love the show and want to make sure it doesn’t vanish forever into the interwebs. Add to that the fact that they’re finally planning a new season, and I’ll be hosting that when it comes out.”
But this busy woman isn’t just a writer Hoverson works at a law firm in patents, trademarks and copyrights. According to Julie, “It’s great, since nerd law never makes you feel like the bad guy. Plus there’s lots of interesting inventions and stuff to fuel the imagination!” She then added that “On the other hand, working in law has taught me to be (somewhat) organized and keep track of things, so it’s all good. It also does make me pretty careful about my use of other people’s material, like music and sound effects. And one reason I don’t do any fanfic.”
Growing up, Hoverson grew to love The Brothers Grimm and Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tales; her favorite titles being, The Robber Bridegroom, and Fitch’s Bird from Grimm’s Fairy Tales and The Marsh King’s Daughter by Hans Christian Andersen. Julie has also become a fan of ghosts over the years. “Ghosts can be anything or do anything, within the context of the right story. It’s not so much that I find them 100% scary, but that they CAN run the gamut for friendly goofy ghosts (like in my episode Ghost of a Chance) to something MUCH creepier. They don’t have to follow specific rules, since ghosts HAVE so few rules.”
Currently, Julie is concentrating on working on her Fatal Girl series. She informed me that, “It’s planned to go five “seasons”, with a main story arc. Since my regular show is an anthology, this is very different and challenging, to do an ongoing series where things actually move and change and the characters evolve. We will also be performing live at Crypticon in Seattle in May, doing an on-stage reading of a brand new script with a group of my actors.”
Fans of Julie Hoverson can follow her on these websites:
Welcome back Horror Addicts for season 7 and the 3rd year of 13 Questions!
What we have in store for you this season (in the words of The Rocky Horror Picture Show) is sure to thrill you, chill you, and fulfill you! And to get this amazing season started, I had the pleasure of interviewing author Marc Vale for HA Episode 72.
This newly converted Addict has written an exclusive story that “you won’t hear anywhere else!” This dark comedy is titled, A Lid for Every Pot: The Wedding. “It’s about a loving couple that had met on a blind date (a previous story titled, A Lid for Every Pot). And now, it’s their wedding day. Everyone’s invited and the guests all share the bride’s style of… ah… appetite.”
You may recognize Marc’s name from his short stories and novellas Silhouette, The Phoenix and the Turtle, Live at Pappy’s Grill House, Irma, and Metric Modulation. For those of you not familiar with Vale or his work… all of those stories “take place in a fictional town [Marc] named, Blue Lake. Some stories have monsters, poltergeists, or situations where time travel is involved. They are all connected either by the town or by characters.
There is also an audio version of the short stories/novellas titled,All Road’s Lead to Blue Lake. Marc shared with me that All Road’s Lead to Blue Lake actually “has an added bonus story, Teacher of the Year, which features one of my characters who played a very minor part in Silhouette. Fans can listen to All Roads Lead to Blue Lake at: Podiobooks.com.”
For all you paperback lovers out there, sadly none of Vale’s works are available in print. BUT they are in fact available as very cheap e-books and free audio.
Marc’s current project which “came about through the inspiration of all the women in his life,” is Strigoaie: The Romanian Witch. Marc kindly explained to me that Strigoaie: The Romanian Witch “is the story of Marie Fatan in which she travels with her grandmother, Granna Lee, to Romania. This is her dad’s side of the family, which is very secretive. Later, Marie discovers why this side of the family is that way.”
This Gran Turismo and Batman junkie lives to write. In the interview Vale told me a little bit about his love of writing. “The dream is to be only a writer, but reality hits me every morning, say around 6:15am and then I get up and ready myself for my day job. Then, I steal as much time as I can find to plot and plan for my next project.”
As a Horror Addict Marc was excited to share his thoughts on horror. “[I enjoy] the suspense, getting scared, the open possibilities of creating any type of situation and having the freedom to muck it up the way you want to. I’m always rooting for the monsters!”
What was his favorite horror story growing up, you ask? IT by the one and only Stephen King. To quote Vale, “the movie doesn’t do it the frightening justice it deserves. Read the book, at night. Don’t worry, nothing will happen to you, clowns are your friends, aren’t they?”
For those of you aching for more of Marc’s work, fear not. He’s got plenty of projects on the way. “First I am going to finish Strigoaie: The Romanian Witch. Then I’m going to start working on a novella titled, One Summer at Camp Falcon. And after that, I’ll begin working on, The Back Roads to Blue Lake (another short story collection) and an idea struck me recently to write another Strigoaie book. The story’s been playing in my head a little bit as I wash dishes, which is where ALL my ideas come from.”
For more information about Marc Vale and his work please check out these sites!
A daring new departure from the inspired creator of The Vampire Chronicles (“unrelentingly erotic . . . unforgettable” — The Washington Post), Lives of the Mayfair Witches (“Anne Rice will live on through the ages of literature” — San Francisco Chronicle), and the angels of The Songs of the Seraphim (“remarkable” — Associated Press). A whole new world—modern, sleek, high-tech—and at its center, a story as old and compelling as history: the making of a werewolf, reimagined and reinvented as only Anne Rice, teller of mesmerizing tales, conjurer extraordinaire of other realms, could create.
Bluntface Records welcomes Virus Cycle
Greetings from Bluntface Records. We are the new home of Boston’s own Virus Cycle and Johnny Virum.
With the debut release of 2011 Post-Apocalyptic Industrial Zombie Tech album entitled Alice in Zombieland. The album has been downloaded by people all over the world via the band’s website. Since the release of Alice in Zombieland, Virus Cycle’s music has been played on stations all over the world. Virus Cycle has also been interviewed by a few publications, including Grave Concerns E-Zine and Carpe Nocturne Magazine. Bluntface Records is very excited to have Virus Cycle on its roster, and the 2012 follow up releases will be produced by Otto Kinzel.
New VC related side project to be released as well If you can’t get enough Virus Cycle to hold you over, then you’ll be excited to know that Johnny Virum and Otto Kinzel will also be teaming up on a side-project simply known as Kinzel v Virum. This collaboration will feature Johnny on vocals and samples, and Otto on guitars, programming and synth. We have two mixed demos already uploaded to the Bluntface website, check them out HERE
This newsletter also contains a free download link at the bottom for the song Creatures Of The Divine, from Kinzel v Virum. We hope you enjoy!
To download the track “Creatures Of The Divine (demo)” for free, go to http://ottokinzel.com/dl and enter the code j6wg-8gid
February 25th, at 6pm “Captain” Robert Brown will be reading from his novel
The Wrath Of Fate
at
Ada’s Techincal Books
713 Broadway East, Seattle
This is a FREE EVENT
We’ve got a bunch of super cool vests added to the market for men and women. They come in three styles:
Airship Captain Tailcoat Vest: $95
Airship Captain Vest (no tails): $95
Cropped, Detachable Hooded Vest: $45
If you’ve shopped in boutique fashion stores lately, you’ll know these are amazingly low prices. Especially for something this cool.
These designs were all taken directly from the patterns made for my stage vest.
We’ve been hard in the studio working on a new album for over a year and a half. We hope to release it in the next few months!
We actually started writing this before we started recording Off The Grid!
Here is a partial song list for the new album:
Steampunk Revolution
Automaton
The Story That Never Starts
Waiting For You
Terrible Affliction
Ancient World
Things Could Be Worse
Fix The Boat Or Swim
Tricked The Machine
Can’t talk About It
Jealousy
…and more!
Wanna hear one of the songs from it? Just click here:
The Story That Never Starts This is an early mix of this song. Its unfinished, but I thought you’d enjoy this anyway.
I am selling out all the Noise Park Activities stuff (my old DIY label, which stopped 2 years ago) to save some money for future releases on my new label Epileptic Media!
All the stuff is extra cheap (2$) and you can get it here: http://epilepticmedia.storenvy.com/
I just released some new tapes on epileptic media, covers silkscreened and all very limited – you can check it out here: Epileptic Media
All will stay DIY and non-profit and I planned some fine releases for the coming weeks… if you have any questions please contact me on Facebook/Blogspot.
Next out on Epileptic Media:
Shed For You – discography
Se Mustard Terrorists/ Amaget – Split
More than anything we want to thank everyone for their support, their interest, and their trust in us as we put the convention together. It was a really rough road to go but with everyone’s support we managed to pull everything together. The convention was truly a dream come true for all of us involved and we were honored to be able to work with all the filmmakers, artists, actors, and vendors.
For one day in Flint horror movies were king and we were able to show over ten hours of indie horror shorts and features, bring this region actors and filmmakers that had never been in this area, and were able to surprise Hal Delrich of THE EVIL DEAD with a Book of the Dead birthday cake and had the convention singing ‘happy birthday’ to him, something none of us will soon forget.
As for the future we are actively discussing what comes next.
We have a few things we are working on will announce them as soon as possible but for now all we can say is there is more to come.
Much more.
“Fu Man Chu’s Vampire” Marks The Latest Installment
In The Supernatural Mystery Series Featuring
Victorian-era Occult Detective Jason Dark
Thunder Peak Publishing, a division of international content developer G3 Studios, is currently in the process or preparing the release of “Fu Man Chu’s Vampire,” the eleventh, and latest installment in the Jason Dark: Ghost Hunter series of books (www.jasondarkseries.com), scheduled to arrive on February 21.
Jason Dark, a fearless and resourceful occult detective, faces supernatural adventures in the vein of the old classic monster movies and detective stories. While using familiar themes and visuals, the series also continues to put a spin on various myths and genre stereotypes. Filled with plot twist and furious action, as well as handfuls of historic and literary references, it features somewhat sensational mysteries, just the way classic dime novels used to be, and are a perfect read for fans of fast-paced entertainment on-the-go.
In his review, Fangoria editor Chris Alexander called the series ”a briskly paced pulp fiction throwback full of gothic dread and shivery intrigue” and “a cult of sophisticated fiends who like their terror full of elegant dread and Victorian charm.” High praise indeed, coming from the leading horror magazine in America!
What’s more “Ghosts Templar,” the third installment in the series won the 2010 Occult Detective Award on www.occultdetective.com!
Synopsis: When ordinary measures are no longer enough, criminal mastermind Fu Man Chu makes use of a supernatural henchman to get his way. Soon, Scotland Yard is confronted with a series of unexplainable deaths that unsettle Victorian London, and Inspector Lestrade turns to occult detective Jason Dark and Siu Lin for help.
But as they look into the case, little do the ghost hunters suspect that the evil crime lord has already made them the vampire’s next target!
Filled with enough mystery, drama and suspenseful action to transport you to the sinister streets of gaslit London, your encounter with the extraordinary awaits as a new nightmare emerges and an old nemesis returns.
When one thinks of Flint, the images of a Michael Moore film, or General Motors or homelessness on Christmas may all come to mind, And in a way, those images would be correct; much like most of the country imagined when the world “Detroit” was uttered.
While the state of Michigan is fighting its way out of a recession bigger than it has ever seen, it has some creative “come back” left in it. The west side of the state has boomed with eco tourism, Detroit has its big three car makers back in black as well as a large green movement helping it along. But Flint has taken on a reinvention of itself that is far more creative.
Flint just hosted its first ever Horror Convention and it was a successful one at that. While I am not suggesting that Horror, on its own, is what’s saving this town, its the stuff that horror is made of that seems to be giving Flint a much needed financial shot in the arm and the folks hosting the Horror Con took every scrap of it and made it work in their favor.
Horror is about theatrics. This year’s Flint Horror Con kicked off with a horror film festival that ran simultaneously with the convention throughout the day. Independent, often Michigan based film makers specializing in horror films showed their work for a film fest lasting over ten hours. Further more, many of the directors, film makers and screen writers came to Flint Horror Con to give presentations, lectures and short workshops personally. Students, horror enthusiasts, film nerds and the general public kept the theater filled. It was a fantastic element to the Con itself.
Local celebrities like Wolfman Mac from Detroit television came to the Con and MC’d while those hosting haunted forests and haunted houses advertised their local events. They gave away free posters. They had a costume contest for all ages. They put the fun back into the same old routine and highlighted new attractions for horror fans all through the state of Michigan.
Michigan’s unemployment rate is at 9% and the city of Flint in particular as somewhere near 12 or 14%. The Flint Horror Con offered vendors, store owners, writers and artists booths for rock bottom prices for the entire day (under $50 including free meals). Those who collect horror memorabilia were in heaven as vintage posters, films on DVD, grave photography, vintage comics and goth and steam punk jewelry abounded. Writers talked to film makers and artists. T-shirt stores traded information with cartoonists. And the public supported their local vendors with cash purchases; a rarity in so much of the art market.
Film makers gave away door prizes and haunted house reps gave away tickets to keep the public interested in staying. Kids ran through the building dressed as zombies in the old Masonic temple located in the heart of downtown, where the Horror Con took place. In addition, a few ghost hunters hung out in the stair wells as the old Masonic of Flint is said to be haunted. These same ghost hunters interviewed staff of the building. Both patron and vendor alike listened to the modern day ghost stories with a keen sense of enthusiasm. They passed the stories on to their neighbors. It added to the ambiance of the evening, making a trip up to the top floor for a bottle of water far more adventurous. Fewer and fewer people waited for the elevator and instead, became first time ghost hunters, hoping to have an encounter as they approached the famous second floor.
All in all, it was wildly successful. The parking was full, the local bars and taverns benefited as Horror Con patrons slipped from the warmth of the Masonic Temple to that of the pub just a few doors down; dodging the cold, half frozen rain as evening turned to night. It is the sincere hope of this horror writer and Michigan native that the folks at the Horror Con keep up the good work and keep the creative ideas coming. They are on to something uniquely Michigan…..and that’s a very good thing.
I from eleven am to ten pm I was at the front desk selling tickets. Saw no movies. Heard no lectures. Talked to a number of attendees and some vendors, and I did take thirty minutes walking the vendor section, but that’s it. The vendors I spoke to loved it. They said Chris Ringler took real good care of them and that the number of attendees were way above what they expected. My best guess from tickets sold…around three fifty, perhaps a few more. Several vendors told me that they had been to conventions that were older, better advertised, and slicker, that did not have half so many people. One fellow had been at one the week before, a weekend event, that only had thirty people. The vendors also liked the table prices, sixty bucks for a table when they often paid two fifty or more.
Several attendees arrived in costume and some were horrificly good. One woman screamed and gave me a hug after she won a raffle ticket drawing. She got red carpet tickets to The Thirteenth Deciple. One of the vendors/speakers had been involved in making The Evil Dead. He brought along a bunch of original Evil Dead movie props.
TV twenty five showed up and did some filming, the Flint Journal wrote it up, and some people were there who were working on some type of documentary.
The Masters of Macabre group is a recent addition to HorrorAddicts.net. After years of our Wicked Women Writers battling against each other to become the “Most Wicked”, our men wanted a stab at it! This year was our first Masters of Macabre Contest! Our first Master of Macabre is Shaunessy Ashdown. There will be more on him to come, but first, meet some of our Masters of Macabre with these encore interview excerpts.
First up, a name Horror Addicts are sure to recognize is Season 4′s Best In Blood, Chris Ringler!
Ringler’s phobia for the challenge is Agyrophobia (which is the fear of crossing roads), his place – Graduation and his item – Golf Clubs.
Born in Flint Michigan, Chris was raised in nearby Linden where he lived and attended school. He fell in love with writing as a teenager when he started writing short stories and began working on fanzines with friends. In 1999 Back From Nothing, a short story collection, was published by University Editions. Since that time Chris has finished writing a novel, a children’s series and has been published in Bare Bone and Cthulhu Sex Magazine. He has also received Honorable Mention in THE YEAR’S BEST FANTASY AND HORROR twice.
His latest book is Noches De Corazones De Negros. Along with writing, Chris is also an artist and photographer and he currently resides in Flint and battles invisible space beasts in his free time. In October he and some friends will be bringing Flint their first horror convention.
Also by Chris Ringler: Back From Nothing, This Beautiful Darkness, The Meep Sheep, Red Dreams, and The Kreep Sheep.
Our next spotlighted author is Don Pitsiladis whose phobia Astraphobia (the fear of lightning & storms). His place and boy toy are a Sporting Event and Riding Mower.
Don Pitsiladis is a married 35 year old with 4 boys, 2 dogs, and 2cats. He has been writing off and on since the 7th grade, but only seriously started looking at trying to make it a career, even a small one, within the past two years. “The Problem With Neighbors” will be his very first story ever presented to a large audience.
In Don’s words, “What better way to debut than sharing one’s own fear with the world?”
Next up is author Jerry Davis. Jerry was given the fear of technology, Technophobia, as his phobia. With Y2K being his place (or in this case time period) and his toy, surprise, surprise…a Computer.
Jerry J. Davis is a writer and photographer in the Chicago area. During the day he’s a mild-mannered webmaster and digital marketing specialist who works for a large international corporation. At night, however, he lives in a small cottage at the edge of an enchanted forest preserve, and spends time dodging mosquitos and searching for the fabled Stonehenge made of old refrigerators which is rumored to be somewhere behind his porch. For more info on Jerry check out this site: http://jerryjdavis.com/
Failed writer, failed actor, and failed human being, Rish Outfield can be found hosting The Dunesteef Audio Fiction Magazine (www.dunesteef.com), a podcast presenting genre stories performed with a
full cast, followed by lengthy geekcentric chatter. When he’s not working on that, he can often be found thinking of you and feeling sorry for himself.
Rish’s phobia for the MMM Challenge is Entomophobia (the fear of insects). His story will take place during a Luau, and his boy toy…a Hang Glider!
Our next Master of Macabre contestant hails from Germany.
Shaunessy Ashdownlives in Berlin, where morbidity is mother’s milk and horror lurks round every corner. His job is fashioning insidious instruments of torture known as schoolbooks. These are deployed in institutions throughout Germany and Austria for the purpose of traumatising and corrupting the youth there.
Ashdown has the challege of writing about Spectrophobia, which is the fear of mirrors and one’s own reflection. Take that and mix it in with a Bachelor Party and a motocycle and you can expects crazy things to happen!
Next on out list of MMM contestants is R. Michael Burns. His challenge was to create a horrifing tale center around Ailurophobia, the fear of cats, as well as a Stereo or Sound System, and a Parade.
R. Michael Burns is an October child with a background in philosophy, theater and other occult arts. He is a member of the Horror Writers Association, the Colorado Springs Fiction Writers Group, and the Gainesville Fiction Writers Group.
His fiction has appeared in various magazines and e-zines, including Dreams of Decadence, City Slab, Dark Regions, Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine, Dark Recesses, Lovecraft’s Weird Mysteries, The Shroud, and Arkham Tales, as well as in the anthologies Orphans of the Storm, Bell, Book & Beyond, Cthulhu Express, Extremes 5, Goodbye, Darwin, Bound for Evil, and Horror Library III. He has other fiction forthcoming in the e-zine Heroic Fantasy Quarterly. His article “Creative Writing 301″ was picked in a Predators and Editors poll as the second-best non-fiction article of 2006.
A Colorado native, he lived for the better part of five years in Japan, where he taught English to Japanese students from 1 to 70. He currently resides in the dark swamps of Gainesville, Florida, where he teaches high school English, runs the Creative Writing Workshop an the Japanese Pop Culture Club, and coaches speech and debate.
For more informations about R. Burns, be sure to check out these sites:
Colin F Barnes herds words in an often random order; not unlike a room of monkeys battering away at typewriters with their poop covered paws. (Do monkeys have paws or hands?). The usualoutcome of this seemingly random plucking of words is a glimpse into a dark world of psychological malopropisms, dystopian nightmares, and fluffy children’s stories. *one of those is a lie.
The basics of Colin’s story reminds me of the movie/game Clue. At the Gallery Opening with the Hunting Knife, throw in Necrophobia (fear of death & dead) and you’ve got one twisted story coming your way!
And last but certainly not least is author Tom Andry who was given the task of basing his story around Osmophobia (fear of smells). His short story takes place at a picnic and involves a telescope.
Tom Andry is the Associate Editor of Audioholics.com and host of the AV Rant podcast. He’s been writing mostly reviews but has lately returned to his prose roots. He has written many unpublished short stories, poems, and a few screenplays that may still be produced. Tom the father of three boys, is happily married, and currently resides in Perth, Australia. His background is in drama, creative writing, and research psychology which basically means his kids are in for a pretty rough time. His wife, Tanel, doesn’t have it so easy either. His first work for public consumption is an eBook titled Bob Moore: No Hero. The followup, Bob Moore: Desperate Times, is scheduled for release October 2011.
Meet our three Most Wicked with these encore interview excerpts.
H. E. Roulo – Most Wicked 2009
I asked Roulo what got her into horror and how she became a Horror Addict. Heather said that, “Rhonda R Carpenter and I were releasing our books at the same time on Podiobooks.com and became friends. She released a short story through Horror Addicts and ended up introducing me to the show and the host, Emerian Rich.”
Heather “was thrilled to win” the title Most Wicked which, “comes with the responsibility to organize the next year’s contest. The weight of the crown (Robe? Cauldron?) is heavy indeed.”
H.E. moved from one Podcast to another, her very own. She explained to me that, “[o]nce Rhonda and [her] finished releasing [their] books, [they] created Podioracket.com to support the authors and give fans somewhere to turn for more information. [They've] settled into a nice pace where [they] release a 20 minute show every two weeks, with two interviews and a little news and contest information. Through Podioracket [they have] also added a live Blog Talk Radio show and released an anthology, Podioracket Presents-Visionaries.”
What got the website started was Roulo’s uncertainty of what to do after she released her book, Fractured Horizon. “I wasn’t sure what the next step was for promoting it and I wanted to hear other author’s approaches. All the writers were so interesting. I realized they just needed a way to connect immediately with their audience and a central place that listeners could go. Podioracket caught on instantly because it had that ready-made audience.”
Heather gave us a little more detail about her novel. “Fractured Horizon is about Kay Downs, a contemporary woman who discovers that her absent father guarded a rift in time, but her accidental conception broke all the rules. Kay must travel through time by living through it, correct the changes her existence has caused, and ultimately heal the rift and save her father. Much of the book is spent in the near future, where a divided world teeters between bio-engineered warriors and mystical rulers who sense the future. In a world built on utter predictability, Kay’s misplacement in time makes her a dangerous wildcard. As if traveling forward through time weren’t hard enough, she is pursued by an enemy with a simpler way to protect the sanctity of the timeline—her destruction.”
Not only is Carpenter an author and Clinical Hypnotherapist, she is also a Dream Analyst, Professional Psychic, and Reiki Master. With such an interesting background I had to find out how she was able to make the transition to author.
Rhonda was happy to share her story, “Author was a natural progression of a love of writing, teaching and helping others. Honestly, my first novel The Mark of a Druid was an experiment in what can I do as a writer instead of a continuation of writing for myself. I would always have written the challenge was putting it out there for others to consume. I am exceptionally pleased with the outcome. Writing is something I need to do to be happy.”
She was also kind enough to share her secrets that inspire her to write. “I am inspired by many things to write. Music is a big part of my writing experience. But the funniest thing that inspires me are my sleeping dreams. I often put a thought about my writing out before sleep and see what happens in my dreams.”
Having such an intensive background in psychology it’s easy to see why Serial Killers are Rhonda’s favorite horror monster. She told me, “I think I am most fascinated by the serial killer. I tend toward the philological and spiritual needs of the human condition. Why one person would perceive one thing and someone else perceive something completely different in the same situation is fascinating. How the mind works and what will break one person and not another makes my mind spin with stories.” Then she asked her own question, “Serial killers are often the most brilliant and demented individuals don’t you think?”
I was interested as to how Carpenter’s experience as a Clinical Hypnotherapist, Dream Analyst, Professional Psychic, and Reiki Master has helped with her writing. Rhonda stated, “I believe all my life experience has added to and helped my writing. Hypnosis gave a vehicle for the story of The Mark of a Druid as did my love of all things Celtic. Dream Analysis even made an appearance in the first book. My belief system certainly has effected my writing and I think the things I do as a day job will always be a part of my writing in one way or another. Funny now that I think of it horror is so far away from what I do in my day job maybe that is way it is a stretch for me. But Scotland Burns has that one question I always asked myself about the one god religious belief. How could the one great and powerful god be so merciless?”
The Mark of a Druid, Carpenter’s first fiction publication and the first of what’s sure to be a great trilogy, “is about reincarnation and the idea that energy never dies it simply changes. It is also about honor and revenge and how those qualities can follow a soul from life time to life time.”
Book two of The Mark of a Druid, titled When Ethers Descend, “is about what the knowledge of past lives can do to a person in this lifetime and it is the continuation of Aileann and Adaham’s (sic) connection to a prophecy.” You can listen to the prologue for the book in Podcast episode 34 on Podiobooks.com.
Look froward to Rhonda Carpenter’s future works. “Besides the sequel When Ethers Descend [she] am working on a novel that takes place between 1890 and 1914 about a murder called Truth Slithers and [Rhonda has] a 3rd called From Mother to Daughter about a family of female psychics and the struggles of having the gift.”
Laurel was excited when she heard the news, “I feel both honored and amazed. With all the great WWW podcasts submitted, I never expected my story, Flight of Destiny to win.” She then added, “I have to admit, though, a bit of worry has crept into my mind. Rhonda Carpenter did such an amazing job organizing this year’s WWW Challenge. Talk about a difficult act to follow!”
The idea for Flight of Destiny came easy for this steam train fan. “I’ve served on several steampunk panels at science fiction/fantasy conventions. Some authors of steampunk ignore the laws of physics when they craft their stories. For over a year, I’ve wanted to see if I could write an engaging short story in that genre and include a few scientific details at the same time. My WWW assignment presented a perfect opportunity.”
Hill’s steampunk knowledge didn’t cover everything though. “I needed to research the physical characteristics of polonium-210, as well as details about its discovery and purification.” She also did “some fact checking about the operation of steam-powered vessels in the Nineteenth Century was necessary, too. And spent several hours reading about women’s Victorian-era clothing.”
For this year’s competition, each Wicked was given a poison, a place, and an object to base their story around. Laurel was given: Radio Active Polonium-210, Aircraft Carrier on the Pacific, and Cuban cigars.
“My prior employment involved working with radioactive materials and one previous boss of mine smoked cigars. My assigned poison and place presented no unusual problems. But an aircraft carrier in the Pacific Ocean? I knew little about Naval operations aboard such a vessel. That part of the assignment generated an internal “oh, no.” Then the steampunk idea hit me and my racing heart slowed to normal rhythm.”
Curious, I had to ask how her writing and podcasting processes came together. “I tend to mull over ideas in my head before I start writing. I select a main character, give him or her a problem, and try to climb inside of his or her mind. Then I write and revise over and over, finally reading the piece out loud for rhythm. My story goes to my writing group for feedback. Additional revisions follow. During this process, I write in time blocks as short as thirty minutes or as long as eight hours. [When I start a podcast] I read the manuscript a couple times to prepare, then set up my computer, microphone and pop-filter (a knee-high nylon stocking stretched over a diamond-shaped metal hanger) inside of my bedroom closet. After recording the entire selection twice using Audacity, I sound edit the better version. Sound editing takes me the longest, often several hours.”
One thing is for certain if she can combine radio active materials, aircraft carriers, and cigars to make one killer story; then there is nothing this Wicked Women Writer can’t write! I’m sure next year’s WWW challenge will be just as deadly, if not more so, than this year!
Hill fans, be on the look out for Laurel’s up and coming projects: “My new fantasy/horror short story, “The Vengeance Garden,” is scheduled for publication in December 2011, in the “Spells and Swashbucklers” anthology (Dragon Moon Press). I’m also working on several other short stories and a steampunk novel.”
A couple of weeks ago, I introduced you to our Masters of Macabre and now I’m glad to introduce one of those men as our featured author. For Horror Addicts episode 70: the Future, we have Don Pitsiladis and his short story, Into the Deep.
Don explained to me that, “[being on Horror Addicts] feels great. [He is] a little nervous since this is only [his] second story released to a wide audience, but [he] thinks you’ll like it.”
Into the Deep is “a space story about a woman named Wilma who is travelling for the first time. She wakes up from a hibernation sleep to find that the man who assaulted her at her recent academy graduation is the lead doctor on her ship and has plans to finish what he started. Add to the mix an alien attack, and you have the makings of a very traumatic first trip into deep space.”
“The only other short story [Pitsiladis has] released so far is [his] entry in the Masters of Macabre short story competition, titled The Problem With Neighbors. [He is currently] working on more short stories that [he plans] on e-publishing early next year.”
Sadly, neither of Don’s short stories are available for readers…yet. “I am actually editing a novel now that I’m hoping to start sending out to agents and publishers soon. I am looking at January 2012 for the release of my first short story in e-book format with more to follow every two weeks.”
Pitsiladis was kind enough to give us a little look into his business life. “I work for a life insurance company as an inforce life illustrations specialist. I basically run illustrations showing different scenarios involving life insurance policies and the various ways to finance it. It hasn’t come into play in any of my stories yet, but I’m sure there will come a time when it will.”
As an illustrations specialist, I was curious as to what got Don into writing. “The Fear Street book series and paranormal books (Bigfoot, Bermuda Triangle, ghost sightings, etc.) got me started on horror books, but Stephen King was the one to cement it. I like the way a good horror story will not only scare you, but also get your imagination running and play with more of your emotions than just fear.”
He also shared with me that he had been writing off and on since the 7th grade, but had just started looking at getting his work published in the last two years. He also mentioned to me that he is a “discovery writer.” Meaning, he usually does his research during the first edit on a story.
Don’s goals for the future are simple: “I ultimately would love to have my work published, hit the NY Times Best Selling list, and be able to write for a living. [But] I’m starting small now by publishing the short stories myself, but hope to build off of that.” One thing I’m certain Pitsiladis would enjoy while writing for a living, would be to sleep in. Having a 9 to 5 job, Don finds it hard to “find consistent time to write to fit around work and family life. Working from home actually gives [him] less time to write than working in an office. But [he makes] up for it by waking up around 5:30 every morning!”
Addicts, be sure to keep an eye out on this up and coming author, he’s got some big plans in the works. Along with the e-release of his short story, [he is] also editing the first full novel [he’s] completed. “I will either be sending it off to an agent and/or publisher, but haven’t ruled out publishing it myself in e-book format next year also. It is about a man who can see people’s emotional auras by touching them and events by holding the objects used. He is asked by his former boss on the police force to find the people involved in an attack on his son, but finds that the people he is chasing have abilities of their own.”
For more information on Don Pitsiladis, check out any of these websites:
Not only is author Peter Giglio our featured author for the up coming episode, he is also a member of the Masters of Macabre!
The story he has written for episode 69: Future, is titled Trust; and as Peter stated, “The story will appear later this year in Tales of Terror and Mayhem from Deep within the Box, edited by Charles Day and Jessica A. Weiss (Wicked East Press). With this story I explored the notion of friendship gone awry and the deterioration of the Good Samaritan in modern culture. I also wanted to write a horror story with a cat that didn’t die. I’m tired of felines coming to bad ends in horror. I love cats!”
Though, Peter only has one novel and one novella published, all of his work is available in both print and e-book form. Giglio was kind enough to share some information about his novels Anon, A Spark in the Darkness, and Balance. “Scott Bradley said that Anon is, “Richard Yates meets Bentley Little.” I think that’s a fitting description, and also my intent. I wanted to explore how anxiety seeps into the culture and allows people to turn blind eyes to institutional evil. It’s, in part, a novel of possession, but not demonic possession. Here are the first notes I made on the novel: We are the demons. We are the monsters. We bring sentience to good and evil. And the more evil we allow, the more evil we become. I should also remind everyone that Anon is available from all online booksellers in print and e-book format.”
“A Spark in the Darkness is my new release. Joe McKinney, the acclaimed, Bram Stoker Award nominated author of Apocalypse of the Dead, said that it, “Puts the bite back in the vampire tale.” I’ll say this, no sparkly vampires here! But there is a spark, and that spark is humanity. This is the work I’m most proud of. Here’s the summary: On the final day of her second life, Edie returns to the family she abandoned five years earlier. Edie is not merely a vampire, she’s a Goddess…one of the vanishing race of beings the vampires need to keep their kind alive. But being dead has taught her much about life, and Edie’s determined to destroy the evil thing she’s become. For something has changed within her, something almost alive in her dead soul. But can a single spark in the darkness be enough to save all she holds dear? I worked with an extremely talented editor this time out, Annetta Ribken. And the publisher, Etopia Press, was wonderful to work with. A Spark in the Darkness is available from all major online booksellers and it’s only $3.99.”
“I don’t have a release date for Balance yet, but it’s coming soon. It’s a kick-ass zombie novella that will take you places other zombie stories don’t. Eric Shapiro (author of Stories for the End of the World ) and his talented wife Rhoda Jordan (screenwriter and star of the motion picture Rule of Three) were my first readers, and they were so helpful! A large chunk of the story is written from the POV of zombies! That’s an idea that will cause some to bristle. Good. I like challenges and Balance was definitely a big one. It’s also a terrific story and I hope everyone will read it. Here’s what I randomly wrote on a post-it that seeded the idea: Zombies—What’s Inside?!?! I just had to answer the question, and I think everyone will be entertained by my conclusions.”
With such a wide range of horror creatures, I was curious as to what Peter’s research was like for each story. “Most of my research is done online, but I’m very careful to cross-reference sources to ensure the facts are accurate. I also reach out to people with specific knowledge based professions and/or studies. But a lot of my writing doesn’t require copious research. The best research, as always, is to live a full life and write what you know. At the beginning of a project, I figure out what I don’t know and I learn it. My process changes all the time, but one thing always stays the same: Cut out everything that drags the story down! I abhor predictability and filler, so when I edit, I take out the bits that don’t delight me and rework the stuff that seems too obvious. Lately, I’ve been writing longer outlines, step-by-step beat sheets. Discoveries still occur through composition, but I find this gives me a chance to think the details through before I hit the page. At the end of the day, the right process is the one that works, and every project is a little different, so I don’t know if I’ll ever land on any one way of doing things.”
Not only is he an autor but Giglio is an Executive Editor for Evil Jester Press. Before that, however, he “worked in Corporate America for 15 years. His previous jobs have inspired some of his work, but he will admit that he didn’t have bad jobs with mean, angry bosses. Peter does love to explore evil in the workplace, feeding his fascination with institutional horror. His new anthology, which was previously mentioned, is centered on workplace terror, and he is very proud of it.”
He also added that, “through my job I’m bringing a few classic horror novels back into print and working with authors to publish their novels. My goal here is to improve the quality of horror fiction available, giving equal consideration to authors and readers. EJP’s first anthology, which I edited, is called HELP! WANTED: Tales of On-the-Job Terror, and features Stephen Volk, Jeff Strand, Joe McKinney, Gary Brandner, David Dunwoody, Lisa Morton, Amy Wallace, Vince A. Liaguno, Scott Bradley, and many more terrific authors. My goal here was to bring a new kind of anthology into the horror realm. I will continue to do that. Regarding my writing, my short term goal is to crack a New York house. My long term goal is to become a Bestselling novelist and working screenwriter. With Scott Bradley, I’ve written a screenplay that’s generated some buzz in certain circles. Fingers crossed that it becomes a film, but I’m realistic. These things take time. And I need more than patience; I have to work hard and smart. I think I’m doing that. At least I hope so.
Having the past carreer that he has, I wondered what had gotten Peter into the horror genre in the first place. This is what he had to say, “I read Stephen King as a kid (still do, by the way) and immediately fell in love. Growing up, 50% of my theater-going experiences were horror related. I like that horror is generally honest, willing to look at the underbelly of humanity and not just the pretty stuff on the surface. I think we learn more about ourselves if we explore tragedy, pain, and evil. Ignoring these aspects of our nature allows them, in many cases, to fester and thrive. I’ve noted that horror fans and writers are some of the most generous and decent people in the world. There, in my humble opinion, is a reason for this. I don’t like horror that only seeks to injure; for instance, straight-up torture porn is not my bag! But I do love—and I mean LOVE!—splatterpunk! Innovators like John Skipp remind us that horror hurts. That’s good. But Skipp, who is my favorite author from the splatterpunk movement, also writes about hope and love and courage and redemption. Characters we care for go through hell, and it makes The Light at the End (fittingly, the tile of Skipp’s first novel) all the sweeter.”
Giglio fans, be sure to keep an eye out for Peter’s current projects. “I’m writing a novel with Scott Bradley under contract. It’s called The Dark and it’s really scary and exciting! As I mentioned earlier, I’m trying to get a film made, another collaborative project with Mr. Bradley. My zombie satire, “The Power of Words,” will soon be released in Hollie Snider’s terrific anthology, Live and Let Undead. And my zombie novella, Balance, is coming soon. I have several planned novels and anthologies, so 2012 should be an exciting year for me.”
Peter also had some parting words for all you readers out there!! “Yes! If you love books, support authors by buying them. I hear so much whining about the death of print. Yet, when I question folks further, I find they don’t routinely buy books. “I can’t afford them. Times are tough,” they say. I understand. But we hold the power, folks. If you want supply, you must demand with your dollars. Starbucks is not going to stop making coffee, because people mindlessly shell out $4-$5 for a 20 oz. latte. Immediate gratification, right? Wait…I thought you were broke? Think about where you put your dollars, as limited as they might be in the current economy. Feed your brain with a book and make coffee at home for a fraction of the cost. We determine the world in which we live! Sure, reading won’t cure all of society’s ills, but it sure doesn’t hurt. In short, buy more books!”
For more information on Peter Giglio, check out his website:
Have I got a treat for all you Horror Addicts out there… today marks the begining of the end. That’s right, it’s finally time for the Masters of Macabre and Phobia Phollies!
I’ve got a little information here for you about the contestants for the first ever MMM Challenge and the basics of their stories. Each one of the contestants was given a phobia, a place, and a boy toy as the building blocks of their stories.
First up, a name Horror Addicts are sure to recognize is Season 4′s Best In Blood, Chris Ringler!
Ringler’s phobia for the challenge is Agyrophobia (which is the fear of crossing roads), his place – Graduation and his item – Golf Clubs.
Born in Flint Michigan, Chris was raised in nearby Linden where he lived and attended school. He fell in love with writing as a teenager when he started writing short stories and began working on fanzines with friends. In 1999 Back From Nothing, a short story collection, was published by University Editions. Since that time Chris has finished writing a novel, a children’s series and has been published in Bare Bone and Cthulhu Sex Magazine. He has also received Honorable Mention in THE YEAR’S BEST FANTASY AND HORROR twice.
His latest book is Noches De Corazones De Negros. Along with writing, Chris is also an artist and photographer and he currently resides in Flint and battles invisible space beasts in his free time. In October he and some friends will be bringing Flint their first horror convention.
Also by Chris Ringler: Back From Nothing, This Beautiful Darkness, The Meep Sheep, Red Dreams, and The Kreep Sheep.
For more information about Chris check out these websites:
Our next spotlighted author is Don Pitsiladis whose phobia Astraphobia (the fear of lightning & storms). His place and boy toy are a Sporting Event and Riding Mower.
Don Pitsiladis is a married 35 year old with 4 boys, 2 dogs, and 2cats. He has been writing off and on since the 7th grade, but only seriously started looking at trying to make it a career, even a small one, within the past two years. “The Problem With Neighbors” will be his very first story ever presented to a large audience.
In Don’s words, “What better way to debut than sharing one’s own fear with the world?”
For more information on Don, check out his myspace and twitter pages:
Next up is author Jerry Davis. Jerry was given the fear of technology, Technophobia, as his phobia. With Y2K being his place (or in this case time period) and his toy, surprise, surprise…a Computer.
Jerry J. Davis is a writer and photographer in the Chicago area. During the day he’s a mild-mannered webmaster and digital marketing specialist who works for a large international corporation. At night, however, he lives in a small cottage at the edge of an enchanted forest preserve, and spends time dodging mosquitos and searching for the fabled Stonehenge made of old refrigerators which is rumored to be somewhere behind his porch.
Failed writer, failed actor, and failed human being, Rish Outfield can be found hosting The Dunesteef Audio Fiction Magazine (www.dunesteef.com), a podcast presenting genre stories performed with a
full cast, followed by lengthy geekcentric chatter. When he’s not working on that, he can often be found thinking of you and feeling sorry for himself.
Rish’s phobia for the MMM Challenge is Entomophobia (the fear of insects). His story will take place during a Luau, and his boy toy…a Hang Glider!
Our next Master of Macabre contestant hails from Germany.
Shaunessy Ashdownlives in Berlin, where morbidity is mother’s milk and horror lurks round every corner. His job is fashioning insidious instruments of torture known as schoolbooks. These are deployed in institutions throughout Germany and Austria for the purpose of traumatising and corrupting the youth there.
Ashdown has the challege of writing about Spectrophobia, which is the fear of mirrors and one’s own reflection. Take that and mix it in with a Bachelor Party and a motocycle and you can expects crazy things to happen!
FInd out more about Shaunessy Ashdown by checking out his Facebook page:
Next on out list of MMM contestants is R. Michael Burns. His challenge was to create a horrifing tale center around Ailurophobia, the fear of cats, as well as a Stereo or Sound System, and a Parade.
R. Michael Burns is an October child with a background in philosophy, theater and other occult arts. He is a member of the Horror Writers Association, the Colorado Springs Fiction Writers Group, and the Gainesville Fiction Writers Group.
His fiction has appeared in various magazines and e-zines, including Dreams of Decadence, City Slab, Dark Regions, Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine, Dark Recesses, Lovecraft’s Weird Mysteries, The Shroud, and Arkham Tales, as well as in the anthologies Orphans of the Storm, Bell, Book & Beyond, Cthulhu Express, Extremes 5, Goodbye, Darwin, Bound for Evil, and Horror Library III. He has other fiction forthcoming in the e-zine Heroic Fantasy Quarterly. His article “Creative Writing 301″ was picked in a Predators and Editors poll as the second-best non-fiction article of 2006.
A Colorado native, he lived for the better part of five years in Japan, where he taught English to Japanese students from 1 to 70. He currently resides in the dark swamps of Gainesville, Florida, where he teaches high school English, runs the Creative Writing Workshop an the Japanese Pop Culture Club, and coaches speech and debate.
For more informations about R. Burns, be sure to check out these sites:
Colin F Barnes herds words in an often random order; not unlike a room of monkeys battering away at typewriters with their poop covered paws. (Do monkeys have paws or hands?). The usual outcome of this seemingly random plucking of words is a glimpse into a dark world of psychological malopropisms, dystopian nightmares, and fluffy children’s stories. *one of those is a lie.
The basics of Colin’s story reminds me of the movie/game Clue. At the Gallery Opening with the Hunting Knife, throw in Necrophobia (fear of death & dead) and you’ve got one twisted story coming your way!
And last but certainly not least is author Tom Andry who was given the task of basing his story around Osmophobia (fear of smells). His short story takes place at a picnic and involves a telescope.
Tom Andry is the Associate Editor of Audioholics.com and host of the AV Rant podcast. He’s been writing mostly reviews but has lately returned to his prose roots. He has written many unpublished short stories, poems, and a few screenplays that may still be produced. Tom the father of three boys, is happily married, and currently resides in Perth, Australia. His background is in drama, creative writing, and research psychology which basically means his kids are in for a pretty rough time. His wife, Tanel, doesn’t have it so easy either. His first work for public consumption is an eBook titled Bob Moore: No Hero. The followup, Bob Moore: Desperate Times, is scheduled for release October 2011.
“The next generation in killer car movies.” –Hubpages.com
“A fun monster movie” –Blueprint Review
Most Cars Run on Fuel. This One Runs on Blood.
Late one night, a mysterious car is brought into the Chicago police impound
garage after a deadly traffic accident. Soon the on-call mechanics discover the
car has a mind of its own. It’s a killing machine that is capable of outrunning
and outwitting humans.
Directed by ERIC VALETTE (One Missed Call).
Starring:
ODED FEHR (The Mummy, The Mummy Returns, Resident Evil: Extinction, Resident Evil: Apocalypse, “V”)
SHANNON BECKNER (You Are Here, American Pie Presents Beta House)
RYAN KENNEDY (The Invisible, “Hellcats”)
“A stunning achievement… The new gold standard in the ‘Psycho Killer’ genre.
An amazing movie with an amazing cast & a nearly perfect script.”
–Horrornews.net
“What indie horror should be all about…An unsettling and boundary-testing ride.
Once again, Stevan Mena proves that he has what it takes to become a horror
great.” –Arrow in the Head
In 1989, a 6-year-old boy is lured into the vehicle of a stranger. The child has
a medical condition that makes him unable to feel physical pain. The man enjoys
butchering teenage girls. In the basement of a rural Pennsylvania
slaughterhouse, he will teach the boy everything he knows.
Five years later, teen Allison (Alexandria Daddario of Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief) comes to live with her uncle (Michael Biehn of The Terminator)
following her parents’ death. In time, she will discover the boy and his madman
mentor. And they will all be plunged into an unimaginable evil from which there
may be no escape. Nolan Gerard Funk (Deadgirl), Brett Rickaby (The Crazies),
Valentina de Angelis (“Gossip Girl“) and John Savage (“Carnivale“) co-star in
this graphic and acclaimed shocker from writer/director Stevan Mena about
family, torment, and the nightmare absolution that is Bereavement.
Highly-anticipated prequel to Anchor Bay’s 2005 hit Malevolence.
Starring:
MICHAEL BIEHN (Terminator, Aliens, The Abyss, The Rock, Tombstone)
JOHN SAVAGE (Deer Hunter, The Godfather III, Hair, The Thin Red Line, Do The Right Thing)
ALEXANDRA DADDARIO (Hall Pass, Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief, “White Collar“)
BRETT RICKABY (The Crazies, The Assassination Of Richard Nixon)
Horror Addicts everywhere have been wondering, ‘Who will be 2011′s Most Wicked?’ The wait is over, put your hands together (or on the keyboard to type ‘congrats’) for our newest Wicked Women Writer Challenge winner…
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Laurel Anne Hill!
Laurel was excited when she heard the news, “I feel both honored and amazed. With all the great WWW podcasts submitted, I never expected my story, Flight of Destiny to win.” She then added, “I have to admit, though, a bit of worry has crept into my mind. Rhonda Carpenter did such an amazing job organizing this year’s WWW Challenge. Talk about a difficult act to follow!”
The idea for Flight of Destiny came easy for this steam train fan. “I’ve served on several steampunk panels at science fiction/fantasy conventions. Some authors of steampunk ignore the laws of physics when they craft their stories. For over a year, I’ve wanted to see if I could write an engaging short story in that genre and include a few scientific details at the same time. My WWW assignment presented a perfect opportunity.”
Hill’s steampunk knowledge didn’t cover everything though. “I needed to research the physical characteristics of polonium-210, as well as details about its discovery and purification.” She also did “some fact checking about the operation of steam-powered vessels in the Nineteenth Century was necessary, too. And spent several hours reading about women’s Victorian-era clothing.”
For this year’s competition, each Wicked was given a poison, a place, and an object to base their story around. Laurel was given: Radio Active Polonium-210, Aircraft Carrier on the Pacific, and Cuban cigars.
“My prior employment involved working with radioactive materials and one previous boss of mine smoked cigars. My assigned poison and place presented no unusual problems. But an aircraft carrier in the Pacific Ocean? I knew little about Naval operations aboard such a vessel. That part of the assignment generated an internal “oh, no.” Then the steampunk idea hit me and my racing heart slowed to normal rhythm.”
Curious, I had to ask how her writing and podcasting processes came together. “I tend to mull over ideas in my head before I start writing. I select a main character, give him or her a problem, and try to climb inside of his or her mind. Then I write and revise over and over, finally reading the piece out loud for rhythm. My story goes to my writing group for feedback. Additional revisions follow. During this process, I write in time blocks as short as thirty minutes or as long as eight hours. [When I start a podcast] I read the manuscript a couple times to prepare, then set up my computer, microphone and pop-filter (a knee-high nylon stocking stretched over a diamond-shaped metal hanger) inside of my bedroom closet. After recording the entire selection twice using Audacity, I sound edit the better version. Sound editing takes me the longest, often several hours.”
One thing is for certain if she can combine radio active materials, aircraft carriers, and cigars to make one killer story; then there is nothing this Wicked Women Writer can’t write! I’m sure next year’s WWW challenge will be just as deadly, if not more so, than this year!
Hill fans, be on the look out for Laurel’s up and coming projects: “My new fantasy/horror short story, “The Vengeance Garden,” is scheduled for publication in December 2011, in the “Spells and Swashbucklers” anthology (Dragon Moon Press). I’m also working on several other short stories and a steampunk novel.”
For more information on Laurel Anne Hill check out these websites:
Stylist by day and word slinger night, M.J. Hahn is back again! And, it’s almost like he never left “[w]hat with being on GothHaus Season 1 and all. But it’s always fun for him to get a story together for Emz and all [you] Horror Addicts.”
Hahn’s story for HA episode 66: 1970′s is titled Sunset Tunnel. “Naturally,” M.J. stated, “like everything else I write, it’s set in San Francisco. It’s a true story from my 7th grade summer vacation waaaay back in ’78. In a nutshell, it’s about 3 D&D geeks who take dungeon exploring to a whole new level! Seriously — it’s a miracle we all didn’t end up on the backs of milk cartons!”
Now all you Horror Addicts out there are familiar with GothHaus. The show that M.J., Rhonda, Emz, Kirk and everyone else on the GH team work hard to bring to you every episode. Hahn was kind enough to let me in on the inner workings of GothHaus. “Emz was gracious enough to let me take the reigns for GothHaus this season. Wooho! Thanks Emz! After we worked out the general theme of Haunted Reno Casino, I loosely outlined where the season needed to end up. The scripts usually come together pretty easily. 5 pages of snappy dialog later, we record our parts separately a week or so before the show airs. After a fevered exchange of emails and MP3′s, and then a few hours on GarageBand, the show ends up sounding like we’re all hanging out together, even though we’re from all over the map. This season we went international! Welcoming the wondrous Mike Bennett into the GothHaus family.”
Wondering what’s in store for the “gothy, gothy house,” or aching for some sneak peeks? Look no further Addicts… “How about a new love interest for Fang, and then the return of a very pregnant Raven and Darkblood at the end of this season! There are definite plans to continue and expand the world of GothHaus. But you’ll have to talk to Emz about that! She’s officially in charge of season 3! Hahn would also love to take it into animation form if any body’s buying!” *Hint Hint*
Another well known M.J. project is The Bellefaire Podcast, which we talked about in our last 13 Questions interview. Bellefaire was just the first book in the newly named series, The Latchkey Tales. “Book two, The Isis Heart is now finished! All 13 episodes are available now at IsisHeartPodcast.com & iTunes. Book 3: The Tear Catcher, is now outlined, with a few rough chapters. The story picks up a year after Isis Heart with the principal characters, Crowley & Yuki, returning for more supernatural high jinks.”
If podcasts just aren’t for you (which is just silly if you’re a Horror Addicts fan) or you’re wanting a physical copy of Hahn’s work then you’re in luck! “Both The Bellefaire and The Isis Heart print novel versions each have at least 5 additional chapters, which delve into the back-stories of the villains in each tale.” Currently, Hahn is working hard, “formatting them to perfection for kindle and nook.”
As I mentioned earlier, M.J. is continuing his career as a hairstylist. Business has “been okay. I’m getting by. I love all my long-term gals! But everybody’s broke in SF! And it costs a BUTTLOAD of money to live here! So, this year I picked up some commercial work for a certain hair product line (which shall go nameless!) This involves going to LA every so often. Generally, I can last 72 hours before I start to climb the walls and crave the fog!”
What’s in store in the future for M.J.? “Well,” he said, “I’m grateful to still be able to pay the bills! Other than that, definitely completing the Latchkey series. We’ll have to wait and see what the next presidential election holds! If it gets any crazier, I’m moving to Budapest!!”
Be on the look out for future projects from M.J. Hahn. “Once he has GothHaus Season 2 wrapped up, he’s going to release a three part production of E.M. Forster’s: The Machine Stops. This will be featuring the fabulous Mike Bennett. Forster’s only Sci-Fi short story from 1909 eerily predicts a dystopian future where face to face communication is not only out of fashion, it’s practically barbaric! It will make you want to stop using Facebook!”
For more more information on M.J. Hahn be sure to check out these websites:
East Side of the Hawthorne Bridge at SE Salmon St. & Water Ave.
ROLL UP, ONE AND ALL, and dip yourself for a day or two into an immersive circus like no other, all under a big top on the east side of the Hawthorne Bridge!
Combining the best of the San Francisco and Portland indie circus and music scenes with special, crazy-talented guests from Australia and Montreal, Lagunitas Beer Circus will treat you to a mind- and belly-boggling, once-in-a-lifetime experience. Along with several hours of non-stop whimsy, spectacle, and performances, indulge in a carnival midway with fun games and tasty food, an intimate Hoochie Koochie tent for the grown-ups, and a schedule of circus workshops (Sunday only) to lead you by the hand into our madcap nation of absolute revelry and attendant temptations.
Well Horror Addicts, it’s time to welcome back author Rhonda Carpenter for episode 65: 1960′s. Rhonda mentioned to me that “It is always a pleasure to be featured on Horroraddicts.net I love the HA fans. [For the upcoming episode,] I have written a psychological horror short called Daisies From a Stranger. This is a twisted tale connected to some actual events that took place in the beginning of the 1960′s. The story is ripped from the headlines of the Concord Journal newspaper. We follow the case of a missing Concord Massachusetts high school prom queen who has gone missing. Think of this story as Law and Order meets Criminal Minds on LSD.”
For those of you new to the Rhonda fan club, you may not have know that not only is she an author but also a Clinical Hypnotherapist, Dream Analyst, Professional Psychic, and Reiki Master. I was curious as to what Carpenter had been up to lately in these fields. She shared with me that she is “always working on something in the hypnosis realm and her clients for the rest are by referral only.”
Rhonda has also been hard at work with Heather Roulo on Podioracket. Which, is currently on summer hiatus but don’t worry content is still flowing! She wanted to mention that, “We just went live with our second anthology Podioracket Presents Glimpses on Podiobooks.com. We are releasing one story a week until the whole anthology is out there and the ebook version will be coming soon. Also this summer we have a 7 week series from Brain Rathbone you won’t want to miss if you are an aspiring author/podcaster. He covers everything from how to record to tracking your success. He shares his story and his experiences both good and bad. It is a wealth of information and will start airing in a few weeks. So you don’t miss a thing you should subscribe to the rss feed on www.podioracket.com.”
As last year’s Wicked Women Writer, Carpenter had the honor of taking the reins from H.E. Roulo as the head of this year’s WWW Challenge. Now, in the “Wicked” sense of things she has been busy “running the new WWW challenge. There are 10 fabulous authors this year. The WWW private facebook group is growing all the time and this year we are giving you all 10 stories to vote on.”
“[She is also] working on the sequel of the Mark of a Druid titled When Ethers Descend and a new novel titled Truth Slithers that is a murder mystery unrequited love story straight from my own families history. These two novels are in full blown write mode and [Rhonda] will be doing nothing but working on them the rest of the year. [She is] hoping for book two of The Mark of a Druid to be out early next year.”
Readers, be on the look out for Rhonda’s up coming projects, When Ethers Descend and Truth Slithers. Truth Slithers will be “hitting around” March 2012. “It is a family story about murder and love that took place between 1890 and 1914. This story has a great plot and all the research is done. I just need to write it and now that WWW is wrapping up I will have the time to devote to this novel,” Carpenter added.
For more information about Rhonda Carpenter, check out these websites:
Gothic horror soundtrack musicians MIDNIGHT SYNDICATE will be releasing their fourteenth studio album, entitled CARNIVAL ARCANE, on August 2nd. “The theme of the new disc surrounds the Lancaster-Rigby Carnival, a shadowy, turn-of-the-century traveling circus with more than a few skeletons in its closet,” said Edward Douglas.
“The Victorian and Edwardian eras are a big source of inspiration for us. They also marked the beginning of the heyday for traveling carnivals, so that’s the time period we chose to set the disc in. We spent a lot of time researching early-20th century circuses and carnivals to ensure that the sounds and music work together to really immerse you in this world and the time period.
There’s also a big tip of the top hat to Mr. Bradbury whose work inspired many of the more horrific elements that appear in the latter half of the disc.” CARNIVAL ARCANE also features the vocal talents of Jason Carter (LORD OF THE RINGS: BATTLE FOR MIDDLE EARTH, BABYLON 5, THE DEAD MATTER) and fellow THE DEAD MATTER cast members Brian Van Camp, and Dennis Carter, Jr.
The CD will be available through the Midnight Syndicate website, Amazon, iTunes, as well as at Halloween retailers nationwide. It will also be available at select Hot Topic stores starting August 8th. Preview tracks will be made available on the band’s Facebook page and website shortly.
From the CD insert:The train smoke drifting through the pale moon light signals the arrival of the Lancaster-Rigby Carnival. In a forest clearing, these mesonoxian visitors await your arrival. Stroll along the midway and behold wonders both fantastic and macabre from every corner of the globe. And be sure to ride their one of a kind carousel for an experience you’ll never, ever forget.
— 7/14/11
About Midnight Syndicate:
Midnight Syndicate has been creating instrumental Halloween music and gothic horror fantasy soundtrack CDs for the past fourteen years. The group’s music has become a staple of the Halloween season worldwide as well as a favorite in the haunted house, amusement park, role-playing game, and gothic music industries. Whether it’s being featured at Universal Orlando’s Halloween Horror Nights, on Monday Night Football, in an X-Box game, or being used as background music for writers like Brian Keene or Tamora Pierce, their CDs are designed to take listeners on journeys into the darkest, most fantastic corners of their imagination.
AFTER DARK FILMS CELEBRATES ITS 5TH YEAR AT SAN DIEGO COMIC-CON
In celebration of After Dark Films 5th year at San Diego Comic-Con, ADF is pleased to announce several promotions and signings in anticipation for the high volume turnout of its loyal fans. Visitors of the After Dark Films booth, #4035, will have the opportunity to treat themselves to:
Signings from Major Cast Members of Our Upcoming Films
James Frain (Tron: LEGACY, TV: True Blood) of Transit:
Thursday, July 21 @ 2 PM
Roger Cross (X2, The Chronicles of Riddick, TV: 24) of Re-Kill:
SEGA will be showcasing Rise of Nightmares™ debut gameplay trailers and distributing promotional materials in preparation for the game’s September 6, 2011 release date. Rise of Nightmares on Kinect™ for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft features over-the-top horror themes, buckets of blood, and copious amounts of gore. Players will immerse themselves in a unique videogame that allows them to perform a variety of intuitive motions in order to guide their character through one night of terror. Along the way players will be able to use weapons such as: chainsaws, scythes, and brass knuckles to decimate the undead – sure to be one of the most talked about horror games to date. http://www.sega.com/riseofnightmares
After Dark Films’ upcoming Action film titles will be announced and exclusive never before seen trailers will be shown at the After Dark booth #4035. After Dark Films has teamed up with Silver Pictures and Joel Silver himself, the top name in action films worldwide, to launch a new cutting edge brand of 5 action films with the next generation of Action stars (including Wes Chatham, Sean Faris, Michael Jai White, Scott Adkins, James Frain, Cung Lee) and cameos from some of the classic stars of the genre (Jim Caveizel, John Claude Van Damme, Dolph Lundgren, Neal McDonough). 4 of the 5 films are in post production now and will hit theatres next year.
After Dark Films is also pleased to announce the launch of their Dragon Eyes Facebook page, dedicated specifically to the upcoming action packed film. Go to http://www.facebook.com/dragoneyesthemovie to follow the latest developments.
Win an iPad 2 Contest
Click ‘Like’ on our Facebook page www.facebook.com/afterdarkfilms and enter to win! After Dark Films will give one lucky winner an iPad 2.
Promotional Item Giveaways
ADF will be handing out thousands of FREE promotional items, including zombie masks, temporary tattoos, DVDs & many other prizes each day.
Alright Horror Addicts, let’s welcome back HA veteran Henry Snider. This returning Addict has a message for all you readers out there. “It’s fantastic [to be back]. Horror Addicts is a great place for authors to get their work recognized and, hopefully, build a fan base. Besides, with bands I’d otherwise not hear, movie and book news – what’s not to love? Then there’s the fiction in every podcast. Nightmares become flesh straight through my speakers . . . it’s a cornucopia of insanity! And let’s face it folks, I’m all about the crazies. For episode 61 1920′s I’ve been lucky enough to secure the vocal talents of the delightfully devilish Melanie Skipp to read, Someone to Watch Over Me.”
Now, I’ll do my best not to give anything away but this week’s story, Someone to Watch Over Me, is based off of many real life people and places. The story takes place in “McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania, hometown of the original flapper and famous silent movie actress, Olive Thomas. [Who] had a long-running battle with alcoholism. It ultimately took its toll in 1920 when in a drunken stupor she drank her husband’s medication for chronic syphilis, not knowing it was to be administered directly and not ingested. When she was found, the poor gal had already expired.”
“The Mound” which is referenced in the story is an actual location, “a portion of which still exists and can be visited. It was excavated in the 1890s, uncovering thirty-three burials as well as stone and bone tools, marine shell beads and pottery. Rev. Mark Gruber, a former professor of anthropology stated that he agrees with the 1896 address by archaeologist Frederick Putnam that estimated as many as 500-1,000 human remains at the site.” And for all you military buffs out there “The Mound was actually scouted by George Washington as a potential location for a fort, as it sits alongside the river and high on a ridge.”
Fans, you can check out Henry’s now up and running website http://henrysnider.com. There you can find information on his past, present, and future projects. The site includes both his writing and photography, though, as of late Henry has had to put a bit of a hold on both. As mentioned in the previous interview with Henry he was in two car wrecks in 2008 and 2009. “I’m still suffering from blinding headaches due to a car wreck that crushed some nerves in my head. However, the docs are severing them again in a few days which means I’ll be a numbskull once again (the humor of which my wife will never let me live down) and hopefully back behind the camera. As for horror based projects, I’m currently working on two. The first is a different view of anatomy and the second is a erotic horror project based on my short story, The Vessel. Both will be on my website once complete.”
Just curious, I had to ask how many publications Snider currently has. He replied with, “Whoof. Unfair question for the moment. Remember, I just actually started writing for publication in 2010 and lost a good portion of that year to the healing process. How about I answer that one this way – since 2010 I have six acceptances, two rejections, a dozen pieces currently under consideration and am two-thirds done with a novel. Not too bad considering the circumstances.” No, not bad at all!
Now if you’re wondering how to get your hands or well eyes on some of those acceptances, let me give you some details. “To date there’s only one work that will be available on e-book and that’s Last Call. It’s part of the Rapid Decomposition anthology due out later this year. All other acceptances to date are for print publication only. However, one of the stories, A Murder of Crows made the cover of the forthcoming Fearology 2: Beware All Animals Great and Small. Olden’s Wood is in the sequel anthology, Fearology 3: Planting the Seeds of Horror.” More information about his publications is available on the Henry Snider website.
Having already asked what frightened Snider in the first interview; I decided to shake things up and find out what actually got him into the Horror genre in the first place. “Can I blame Mommy and Daddy? They took me to see Jaws in the theater when I was five and I’ve never been the same. No? Well then how about I discovered the adrenaline rush that came with being scared out of my wits addictive. Much like people who go crazy for roller coasters. I like to share what makes me keep the light on at bedtime. Let’s see – I know I read Ayn Rand’s Anthem as a kid and I stayed awake nights thinking about not having an identity all my own, but I’d have to say the two front runners are Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House and Matheson’s Hell House. Both of those are terrifying (the latter of which caused a few questions and my parents to start monitoring my reading a little more closely).”
Snider’s goals for 2011 are simple enough:
World domination.
Hunting licenses for tourist season.
Making “Naked Mondays” mandatory.
“Seriously, though, my immediate goals between now and the end of August, 2011, are to finish the 8 stories I’ve committed to (and submit them – no slacking here, folks) and finish my novel. Beyond that, rewrite the novel and have it ready for submission by December 31st.”
Keep an eye out for future projects from Henry. “I’ll toss a few bones out there for coming attractions . . . my novel, Drive-In Feature takes place at, of all places, an abandoned drive in theater whose land is cursed and has a dark history. I’ve had a good time with it, though juggling three concurrent time lines has been a real challenge. As for upcoming shorter works, they include demonic children . . . angels . . . killer birds . . . plants that crave human flesh . . . zombies during the Civil War . . . crazed circus performers . . . flappers gone wild (oh, wait, that one’s in Horror Addicts episode 61) . . . religious fanatics . . . cannibalism . . . gateways to other dimensions . . . and vampiric crack whores – gotta have your perforated-hickey-making vampiric crack whores.”
For more information on Henry Snider be sure to check out these websites:
Rounding out an incredible series of Edwardian Ball 2011 Videos, videographer
extraordinaire Mark Day has just released a whimsical collection of “behind the
scenes” shorts featuring Vau de Vire Society and friends rehearsing and
preparing for The Ball!
This video features music by Rosin Coven, including a preview track of “Stay”
from their forthcoming album, due out this Fall!
ROSIN COVEN, MARK GROWDEN & SQUID INC.
This Fri May 27 @ The Starry Plough, Berkeley – 9pm Please join Rosin Coven,
Mark Growden and Squid Inc. for an East Bay edition of the world-infamous Pagan
Lounge, at the legendary Starry Plough in Berkeley.
Their first live performance since this year’s spectacular Edwardian Ball
season, Rosin Coven performs early, onstage for the middle set at 9:45pm!
“A spellbinding blend of macabre cabaret with offbeat elements of jazz, ch
amber music, and dark ages gloom.” -East Bay Express
SQUID Inc. opens the night at 9pm – a string quartet playing amazingly
non-traditional, original arrangements by Darcy Rindt (viola) and featuring Beth
Vandervennet (aka Gingerbread Candy of Rosin Coven) on cello.
Longtime friend and musical co-conspirator Mark Growden closes out the night,
introducing new material from his upcoming album to be recorded in New Orleans.
Featuring Mark upfront on vocals and baritone sax, Myles Boisen on guitar, Chris
Grady on trumpet, Justin Katz (Rosin Coven) on bass, and more!
Starry Plough Pub
3101 Shattuck Ave, Berkeley (map)
Doors 8pm, Show 9pm
Rosin Coven onstage 9:45pm
21+ w/ID, $15 at the door
Well Horror Addicts, here we are at episode 60: 1800′s and we have the honor of having Steve Merrifield as our featured author. Now not only is this Steve’s first time to be on HA, it is also his first time to be interviewed. He mentioned to me that, “It’s flattering that someone has shown an interest in me and my work, but equally it feels a little strange too in the sense that for me the experience of writing and self-publishing on-line is pretty much a one man activity, so there is little discussion about my writing and writing in general barring a couple of emails or Facebook comments that I have engaged with. It’s nice.”
The story written for episode 60 is titled, The Darkwood Mysteries: The Peacock Cabal. “The main character, Emily Darkwood, is a student of medicine and she is intrigued by a mysterious ailment that has killed a young man. She finds out that other young men have died in similar ways and her investigation reveals a conspiracy and a sinister threat…”
The upcoming series, The Darkwood Mysteries has come to life thanks to our very own Emerian and Horror Addicts. Merrifield explained to me the birth of The Darkwood Mysteries. “I hadn’t written anything so short before being given the chance to do a story for season 6. While I initially found it tough to tell a story within the limitations of a short story I realized it was actually a great format for an idea that had been knocking about in my head for a while; a female investigator and adventurer battling the supernatural and the criminal in Victorian London. Emily Darkwood is a young woman putting herself through medical school despite it being a male led profession at that time. Her parents were killed in mysterious circumstances as a child, and one of the items she inherited from her parents estate is an amber stone that has the power to draw it’s user and the forces of darkness together. This causes her to be drawn into lots of different adventures, which she hopes will eventually lead her to find out the circumstances of her parents deaths, and her tales are narrated by her young servant Jack Hobbs.”
As I’m sure you’ve heard, Steve currently has three books out: Harvest, Ivory, and The Pack. “Harvest was his first book. Written to see if [he was] able to commit to a long haul project as [he] used to have a habit of starting projects but not finishing them. [He] ended up with a novel [he] was pleased with and it encouraged [him] to write more. Harvest is about an ancient force of destruction unleashed in a tower block, and a group of very different people who are all thrown together by their experiences with it, and have to come to terms with what is going on which ultimately leaves them the only ones that can challenge the growing danger.”
Merrifield’s short novel Ivory is centered around a young girl with the same name. Who has an unusual appearance (white skin and hair with black eyes) and a mysteriously undeniable allure, and Martin an artist who is drawn to her despite the dangers that surround her. It was influenced by one of my favourite novels; Oscar Wildes The Picture of Dorian Gray, with it’s themes around the corruption of beauty and the dangers it can pose.”
While The Pack “was quite a different book for [Steve], although it is essentially a ‘when animals attack’ storyline with dogs going wild in London, [he has] written it as a crime novel. It’s the first of a series of stories [in which he plans to use the same main character], although each can be read as a stand alone story.”
**Horror Addicts Exclusive**
Steve was kind enough to create a HA special, a coupon for Horror Addicts readers to get his e-book The Pack for 99 cents instead of $4.99 at smashwords.com! Just enter the information below:
Promotional Price: $0.99 Coupon Code: WW44Q Expires: June 30, 2011
**Horror Addicts Exclusive**
Curious, I asked what inspires his work. “The three that are completed and those I desperately want to get out of my head and onto my pc are all very different, and have their sources in different places. Harvest was inspired by tower blocks local to me as I have often found myself thinking that although they are much maligned in the UK, the way they are built could make them very secure desirable places – raised off the ground with a view, but if there is danger in the building it could be a very scary place as the environment itself traps you. Ivory was inspired by The Picture of Dorian Gray as I mentioned earlier, and The Pack was inspired by ‘when animals attack’ stories that I have enjoyed like The Rats, The Slugs, The Birds, except I went for animals I have always been uneasy around – dogs. The Room that I am working on now came about because I wanted to write a haunted house story with a different spin and I wanted to make our every day surroundings scary – opening doors is going to be a frightening thing to do for my characters in my next book.”
Currently, all of Merrifield’s books are only available as ebooks. “Harvest and Ivory are available for free and can be downloaded in lots of places, but mainly through manybooks.net and smashwords.com. The Pack is the only commercial release at the moment and can be bought through smashwords and they also distribute to most of the big online retailers including iBooks.”
Steve isn’t out for fame or anything like that, he would rather be successful which for him means writing stories that people enjoy. While still earning some money from it so that writing could be a job and not just a hobby. Though he may love writing, being an author can be challenging. According to Steve, the hardest part about writing is…. “Finding the time! I moan about it so much, but having a full time job doesn’t leave me much time to write let alone all the added work of being self-published and self-promoting. I have no shortage of ideas, just not enough time to get them out of my head!”
Still, he loves horror which is “kind of an odd [choice] because [he is] a goody two shoes that doesn’t like getting scared by much – [Merrifield likes] an easy life, [he's] not a big risk taker and hates roller coasters – so horror is [his] way of getting an adrenaline rush and being taken out of my comfort zone in a controlled way! [He] grew up on Hammer Horror and Doctor Who which had lots of Gothic horror style stories. Both series might have been low budget and considered a little cheesy now, but [Steve thins] it was sometimes the need for [him] as the viewer to fill in the blanks in the plots or to cover the poor effects with imagination that got [him] thinking about [his] own story lines. It’s the escapism side of it most of all though.”
Frequenters of Steve’s website will recognize the names of his up and coming books: The Room, Mable’s Grave, Projections, Wychaven, Nocebo. Keep an eye out for the release of these projects and many more! “This list of future titles is on my site in the hope that people will see me as someone to keep an eye on; knowing that there will be one or two titles coming out every year for a couple of years. I am champing at the bit to write The Room as it’s going to be set partly in my home town, and I can’t wait to get back into writing for DI Carter in Projections and Nocebo, as they connect with The Pack to make a loose trilogy. I will be very proud to have my own trilogy. The Darkwood Mysteries have really caught my imagination and I already have about twenty ideas and I have written and completed four already. I have plans for an initial run of fifteen and am going to release them in batches of three as audio readings through my site. The episodes will only be available for short periods and when they have run their course I will release them as an ebook and I might have a go at doing some art to go with each story for the book.”
For more information on Steve Merrifield or his work, check out these sites:
The Dead Sea Surfers, the ghoulish synthpop band where industrial goth meets rock n roll. The band got its start when Dead Sea Surfers’ mastermind Aleister Hobbs “had been playing around with a few songs that [he] had written.”
In his own words… “Words and music for what seems like years but naturally when you run into some like minded souls the art becomes a collaboration and a little bit of give and take. But being a solo artist for so long, along with doing the vocals, certainly puts you in the driver’s seat when deciding arrangements and such. It seemed like every band I had played for every other person was a mute so it then became a platform for whatever I wanted to say.”
Curious of how the name Dead Sea Surfers came to be? The birth of the Dead Sea Surfers is a rather unusual one, Aleister shared the story with me. “At the time the band I was playing with was doing a mixture of material from 60s Surf Standards to “Rockability” to original punk and goth style music. To basic rock ( I think we were using the Sylvesters or Distant Suns as the name at that time) Anyway we were meshing styles together just sorta felt right, I had grown up in NY so playing all the clubs downtown including CBGB’s R.I.P. during the 1980s is a given. Anyway we had a fan named Stan and he just blurted out the name the “Dead Sea Surfers” and it stuck with me and I figured no matter how many personal changes I would make that since I was still writing the music and keyboard melodies and singing that the sound would grow rather than sound different. I figured once I started to establish the name the worst thing I could do would be to change the name. I have always had the rights to the dot com name www.deadseasurfers.com”
Inspiration for DSS surprisingly comes from “Very positive people, people who tend to see things with a twisted side and the music and vocals speak to both elements. We have a really organized environment filled with other musicians like my friend who played keys on the debut Dead Sea Surfers album, Ian Briscoe who is like a wiz kid to me. He’s into electronics and repairing old synths and he plays around with a Roland MC 808 and he got me into buying a Roland MC 909 because he likes to build sounds from scratch or samples. And, Mikey Stephenson who played drums on 90 % of the songs on the debut cd had samples of all his drum pieces which works out great for me to build up a demo around the house as I now have my second bedroom setup as a studio.”
Not only do people inspire Hobbs but also his dreams. “I had a bunch of songs inspired by morphine dreams that I had while in a 3 month drug induced coma in 1999. I am sure the at least one of the dreams was dream from the Manson family cave.”
As a horror blog the always classic, “What’s your favorite scary movie?” question is a must. And the favorite film of the band is …Dawn of the Dead. According to Hobbs, “there is nothing quite like the black and white version, it’s so ghoulish. A newer film would probably have to include Rob Zombie’s House of 1000 Corpses, pretty intense. Another favorite of [Aleister’s] would be 30 Days of Night the original even though the confusion between zombie and vampires is blurred.”
Continuing the horror theme, if the Dead Sea Surfers were a monster band they would be zombies. “A bunch a zombies seems the easiest route to go and probably the most fun, seems like you could do the most theatrical live sets dressed ghoulish.” And, if the Dead Sea Surfers could play with any dead or in this case and zombiefied legend, it would have to be Misfit or Johnny, Joey and Dee Dee of the Ramones and the legend Jim Morrison.”
The Dead Sea Surfers’ goals for 2011 are simple: to record more music and get a few more compilations. As well as having Hobbs’ getting the operation, he needs to rid him of the cancer that is in his tongue and neck.
Welcome back Horror Addicts! To kick off our 6th season we have Nathanael Munn as our featured author for episode 59: 1500′s. This is Nathanael’s first time to be on HA and according to him, he is “honored to be here.”
While Munn wouldn’t tell me the name of his short story for the episode he did, however, give a short description. “Well I decided to do something different for Horror Addicts. Lets just say I hope to put the fear of god in you. I have written a Historical Horror fiction based around John Dee and Edward Kelly (who claimed to have the ability to transmute base metals into gold).”
Nathanael’s life revolves around writing. “[He] left the corporate life style, founded his website A.A. (Arcanum Axiom) and has never looked back.” Inspiration for Nathanael comes from anything and everything. To quote him, “I would guess that 80-90% of the horror you read is based off of something in real life and the rest is just embellishment.” Nathanael then added this little known fact about himself. “I look forward to having nightmares when I sleep. They serve as ideas.”
Back to Arcanum Axiom, I had to ask, “Why start the site in the first place?” Munn explained to me that [ A.A. is an ever] changing thing… At first I wanted a place that was just a strange mix of things to from Magic, Myths, to real world Science. Mix in some stories, good horror stories, along with some cool pictures. But this is all going to change as Arcanum dives deeper in the Indie Publishing World. I currently have someone behind the scenes redesigning the site. I think the new look and feel will be awesome.”
And for those of you wondering, the name Arcanum Axiom “just popped in my head one day. I don’t really know why but it just stuck with me. Plus I like saying A.A., people don’t forget that.”
As Horror Addicts you’ve most likely heard of the Horror Zine that Arcanum publishes. The two issues currently out are Vampires and Angels & Demons. “The Horror Zine is [Nathanael's] concept. Right now [they] are doing about 1 zine per quarter each with its own theme i.e. Angels & Demons.”
Interested in learning more about his work, I asked if he has any short stories or novels we could check out. Sadly, there isn’t…yet. “This is a sore subject for me. My first book has been delayed so many times that I have begun getting sick… I have now found what I hope to be my last editor so I expect it to be out really anytime in the next couple of months.”
When asked why he chose horror out of all the genres out there, Munn responded with “It just comes to me naturally – like it was somehow hard coded in my brain.”
Be sure to be on the look out for these up and coming projects: “the latest issue of the Horror Zine titled Ghosts & Haunts. Our lead writer for this issue Dan Dillard that just released another book. It is filled with great interviews, great art and great writers you can get a copy at the Arcanum Axiom website. Coming soon A.A.’s very first Horror Anthology: Paranoid Delusions – Webs of the Mind. Also in the fall, Arcanum Axiom will be releasing it’s first novel Lord Enoch.”
For more information on Nathanael Munn or Arcanum Axiom check out these sites:
For those of you not familiar with or new to the band fan base. You may not have known that Abney Park’s name comes from a cemetery in London. Or that they started out as a goth band and since then have become the steampunk band we know them as today. Their current members or shipmates include Captain Robert Brown, Daniel Cederman, Jody Ellen, Kristina Erickson, and Nathaniel Johnstone.
Recently, Abney Park began sales of their newest poster Abney Park In The Clouds (as seen on the right). Each poster is numbered and autographed by the band members. You can also purchase past posters (autographed or not) at their online store Abney Park Market. You most likely have heard that Abney Park also has a RPG based on their songs titled Airship Pirates. You can find out additional information here.
They also have a new Christmas album in the works. I’ll let Captain Robert give you all the details, “Years ago Kristina and I wrote a Christmas Album in about two weeks. It was kind of a joke, and it forever haunted us, because people loved it so much we could never get rid of it (even though it was not very good). As the years went by, fans continuously begged for more, but we never really had time to do it justice, since we were always working on new Abney Park albums. Well, this year we are making time! We’ve started recording, and arranging songs, and I have to say the result is coming out awesome. With any luck, we’ll have this done in time for Christmas this year!”
May 7th, Abney Park will perform main stage at Blackbeard’s Ball in Oakland, California. The ball will be held in The Oakland Metro Opera House from 8pm to 2 am. All ages are welcome and tickets start at $20 for Early Bird, $22 for Advanced and $25 At the Door. For more information and to purchase tickets head over to Brown Paper Tickets.
And Pirates be ready for Dragon Con 2011! Abney Park will be performing along side many other amazing artists.
For more information on Abney Park check out these sites:
Be sure to check out this week’s Incoming Fire Podcast! You can listen in on Psy’Aviah answering fan questions and hear their track Sweet Hard Revenge. Also on the show you’ll hear All Living Fear, Ninja Pirate Mafia, Axis, Damaged Gods, Shultz, Witness the Apotheosis, Mary and The Black Lamb, and Ghost In The Static.
The link to the podcast can be found here @ The Grave
For more information on the Grave Concerns E-zine check out these sites:
Everyone has a weakness. The Schizophrenic serial killer known as Purge made it his mission to eliminate the weak and build a perfect society. But news of his demise has been exaggerated, as a group of college bound friends on one last adventure, quickly discover. Each of their weaknesses exposed, only the strongest will survive.
Filth To Ashes Flesh To Dust, will be released by horror masters BRAIN DAMAGE FILMS through their theatrical arm NOCTURNAL FEATURES for a limited theatrical release, 2011.
Filmed in early 2010, Filth To Ashes was quickly acquired by Darin Ramage, President of Brain Damage films. Ramage was impressed with the independent horror film’s quality, he added the much sought after theatrical run.
The Critically Acclaimed 2010 Remake -
A beautiful woman from the city, Jennifer Hills (Sarah Butler), rents an isolated cabin in the country to write her latest novel. Soon, a group of local lowlifes subject Jennifer to a nightmare of degradation, rape and violence. Left for dead, she returns for vengeance. Trapping her male attackers one-by-one, she inflicts acts of physical torment upon them with a ferocity that surpasses her own ordeal. When the carnage clears, victim has become victor. Jeff Branson (“All My Children”), Daniel Franzese (Bully), Rodney Eastman (A Nightmare On Elm Street 3 & 4), Chad Lindberg (“Supernatural”), Tracey Walter (The Silence of The Lambs) and Andrew Howard (Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen) co-star in this shocker that Scott Collura of IGN calls “Appalling. In a good way!”
Zwaremachine arrived in an evil analog-powered spaceship, haunted by the ghost of a robot and responsible for reprehensible crimes throughout the galaxy. Inspired by industrial music such as Throbbing Gristle, Front 242 and mid-period Ministry. Zwaremachine comes armed with technology from the future.
The Haunting debut EP by this duo is assembled from the original source recordings “The Nightmare” released by Satan Starship as exclusive download and is available here.
With an eerie and nostalgic hum on the new EP, the duo wanted to shed some skin, rename the project and embark into new modern electro industrial soundscapes while keeping their persistent dark experimental approach.
This EP is being released worldwide by ZWAREMACHINE as single track free-download. The Raumschiff EP will also be released by Ionium Records in FEB. 2011 as 5 track version EP.
For more information on Zwaremachine check out these sites:
Starwave Records & Darkest Labyrinth will contribute a part of income from label online shop to “SHOW YOUR HEART” foundation between March 13 to April 30. As the artist, as the label, our power may be small. But we want to help something for earthquake victims.
Don’t forget about When The Earth Shook, our Horror Addicts disaster anthology. The Anthology will be available in print, as well as an e-book, and possibly in podcast form. All proceeds from the book will be going to charity.
The deadline for submissions is May 1st. For an example of what we’re looking for check out Horror Addicts episode 54: Classic. Which can be found at our website HorrorAddicts.net
Those of you interested in being apart of the Anthology or just wanting to know more information, you can find it here @ Horror Disaster Anthology.
Tell us what you’ve done to help out. Also if you know of any other disaster charities let us know!
Half-Shark. Half-Octopus. All Killer.
The 2010 Syfy Channel hit film and pop culture phenomenon is now available! It is known as S-11, a diabolical hybrid of shark and octopus created by genetic scientist as the U.S. Navy’s next super-weapon. But when its control implants are damaged during a training experiment, the beast escapes to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico for a taste of sun, sand, bikini babes, jet-skiers, spring breakers and beyond. Now a hotshot mercenary, an investigative reporter, and a biomechanical engineer daughter must stop a creature like none ever witnessed before: It has superior intelligence, attacks without warning and it likes to snack on bungee jumpers!
On March 26th Second Life’s virtual community Bookstacks will be hosting Horror Fest 4. Our very own Horror Hostess Emerian Rich will be reading her story Hammersmith House. A short story which is told in letters, set in 1906 and the San Francisco Earthquake and Fire incident. Catch her at 8 am PST.
Along with Emz there will be Horror Addicts Arlene Radasky and Jeri Unselt.
Check it out and get a sneak peek at the story that inspired the Horror Disaster Anthology. Speaking of which submissions are still open here: Horror Disaster Anthology
A complete schedule of events can be found at Horror Fest 4
PROWL CREEPS CENTER STAGE AS ONE OF EIGHT FILMS IN THE NEW
“AFTER DARK ORIGINALS” SLATE
Los Angeles, CA (March 30, 2010) — After Dark Films CEO Courtney Solomon
announced the first of eight movies in the AFTER DARK ORIGINALS series in
partnership with Lionsgate & Syfy, and in association with Dobre Films. A new take on
a classic creature, PROWL is written by Tim Tori (Hysteria, Trespassers) and directed
by Patrik Syversen (Manhunt). Bruce Payne (Bernard), Courtney Hope (Amber), and
Saxon Trainor (Veronica) star.
“Amber dreams of escaping her small town and persuades her friends to accompany
her apartment-hunting in the big city. When their transportation breaks down, Amber
and friends gratefully accept a ride in the back of a semi. But when the driver refuses to
stop and they discover the cargo is cartons of blood, they panic. Soon, panic turns to
terror when the truck disgorges into a dark, abandoned warehouse where blood-thirsty
creatures learn to hunt human prey, which the friends realize is what they have now
become…”
Prowl was Executive Produced by Courtney Solomon and produced by Chris Milburn,
Borislav Ranghelov, Lucy Mukerjee, Michael Klein, Christopher D’Elia & Zachary Bryan
as a United Kingdom/Bulgarian co-production.
Let’s give a horrific welcome to PRODUKT. Which, “is the solo endeavor of Sean “Satyr” Tracy.” This is the first time for Sean to be on Horror Addicts. “[Horror Addicts] is awesome, I came across the site a few months ago and I dig it!” Satyr stated. Sean came up with the name PRODUKT in 2004. He had just started his “venture into the solo project realm and was looking’ at the music industry more like a packaging plant/business. They seem to make people into products… hence the name.”
One man bands have always been very interesting to me. That a single person can be in control of so many different instruments and still churn out some great music…that’s incredible. So, curiosity got the best of me and I had to ask, “What is it like being a one man band?” “It’s been very interesting to say the least. It’s nice to be able to have full control over your creativity and work at your own pace, but it’s also a give and take, because you lose that “vibe” that you form with other musicians when writing. When writing with others, you can feed of each other and hear things you never would’ve thought of… it throws you in crazy directions sometimes. I enjoy both processes immensely. And as of recently, after almost 7 years of working on this recording project alone, I started putting a live band together with some old friends… they’re helping me make my vision a reality… so PRODUKT is now becoming a living, breathing entity. And in the future, we’ll be writing new material together.”
PRODUKT’s first CD, Revolt.Conquer.Consume, is currently available for download or their physical CD is available (you can find the link at the end of the interview). “Originally, I was gonna call the 1st release The Simple Art Of Self Destruction… but with the way the world seems to be crashing down around us lately, Revolt.Conquer.Consume seemed a little more appropriate to me. It seems that when we stand up for ourselves and fight back for what we believe in, when all is said and done, we end up swallowing everything that’s fed to us. We revolt against authority, we conquer our fears, and then we consume more bullshit… and the whole process begins anew.”
Revolt.Conquer.Consume was inspired by one thing…life. Satyr explained, “everything I write lyrically comes from my own experiences and/or what I see in the world around me. For example, Cyanide + Candy is about one who feeds off of others, promising bliss, but in the end they’re just poison. Decay is about how hard one can fight and yet still watch their world crumble down around themselves. Machine is about the coldness some people possess.”
Tracy’s writing process usually begins with him programming beats and then he writes “guitar riffs or synth lines.” From there he begins the “structuring, building layers and textures. Once the music is completed, [he listens] to it to see where it takes [him]…which starts the lyric process. The music makes [him] feel things and the words [start to] flow.”
Sean mentioned, “[He's] pretty excited about this now becoming a “live” project.” “I’ve been asked by people for a few years now when they can “see” PRODUKT, and it’s always been a tough process to find musicians to perform something they had no part in writing. So hopefully, there will be lots of shows in the upcoming future and a new release before the end of this year… still with a machine rock sound, but more band oriented.”
Now Horror Addicts, you know I had to ask, I always do…”What is your favorite horror monster and why?” “I dig serial killers because of the “reality” of them… the whole “it can really happen” thing. And of course, I’ve always been partial to zombies and vampires! But in the end, my favorite movies are done by Takashi Miike. I find him to be a master of finding the horror in humanity and putting a fun, yet gruesome twist on it.”
And Sean’s favorite scary story growing up? “When I was a kid, probably around the age of 12, I watched Night Of The Living Dead. I thought it was amazing and scary… it looked so real back then… made me sleep with my head under the covers for a few nights! Thank you George A. Romero!”
PRODUKT fans be on the look out for Satyr’s new products. “Well, there’s lots of new music on it’s way… I’m currently working on a cover of SKINNY PUPPY’s Candle for an SP tribute comp, a remix of Betty X’s Aurora. I just finished recording vocals on a track called Worthless for Microwaved, my remix of Blacklist was just released on Experimental Haywire’s Blacklist 23 CD, my remix of Nausea ad Nauseam is on Society Burning’s new CD Internal Combustion, there’s a few new PRODUKT tracks floating around out there and more in the works, and just lots of studio time with the new line-up so we can start rocking’ out some sick live shows!”
Before you go and start visiting those PRODUKT sites, Tracy had some final words for all you fans out there. “A HUGE thanks goes out to all the fans! Your support over the years has been amazing, heartfelt, and beyond appreciated… without you, I’m nothing.”
For more information on PRODUKT, check out these websites:
For our final episode of the season, I was lucky enough to get to interview the members of the band Unveil. This is Unveil’s first time to be on Horror Addicts. Their song featured on episode 58 is titled The Fall. “The lyrics are from a close collaborator called Erich. He wrote half of our upcoming album. The song tells the story of an angel loosing its wings of the love of an earthly woman.”
Those of you wondering where the name Unveil came from, let me share a little information with you. “[Lead singer Alain] can’t remember who had the original idea. The band members just dropped a few names and Unveil came out as a clear winner. It totally describes what [they] wanted to do. Of course, music is at the core of the Unveil-project. But if you take the time to read the lyrics, you’ll discover a story line. And if you see the concert-movie, you’ll find a dark tale. The more you give-in, the more you…Unveil.”
The members of Unveil began their music career in their teens. “At one point, Pom and Mr.Lee were playing in a band called: Empyr. Then, a few years later, Alain and Pom were in: You Learn. When that project ended, I said to Pom: “Wanna play music?” He said: “Yeah. Let’s call Mr.Lee, he’s writing some music”. That was six years ago and it never stopped.”
Wanna know more? “Mr.Lee can make a microphone stand using only broken drum sticks and gaffer-tape. Pom likes driving very fast. Alain never leaves home without his ankh. And can you guess what scared him during his childhood? The Wicked Witch of the West from The Wizard of Oz. “That woman scarred me to death. To this day, she still gives me goose bumps.”
You have heard songs from Unveil’s CD Tales From The Nightly Sessions, which is actually a collection of songs for their MySpace. “At that time, [they] were still look for [their] “sound”. So each of the four songs on the CD features a different musicians line-up. Mr.Lee, now bass player, actually plays lead guitars on three of the tracks. At first, [Unveil] had no plans to release it as a CD. But [they] had more and more demands. So [they] said, OK. Let’s do it.”
Unveil will soon be releasing a “multimedia show, combining a rock concert and a movie.”
“We held our first public screening on Halloween night 2010 in a local high school. We are now recording “studio versions” of all the songs used in the show. We still have not set a release date. But we are hoping for a release on Halloween 2011. One year after the first show.”
To quote Alain, “every song starts with lyrics. They are the foundation. They tell the story, they carry the initial emotion. From there, I usually write music and bring it to the band. Then we jam. We jam and turn the song inside out until it feels just right for everyone. And even now, as we play the songs, they keep evolving…”
In the near future, they plan to finish the album. “Then [they] want to get out and present The Story of Sarah everywhere [they] can. They will be playing The Story of Sarah on April the 21st in Sherbrooke, QC, Canada. Be sure to stop by if you’re in the area and for fans that can’t make it; you can expect a few live videos for YouTube from that show. Eventually, we’ll be making a new “conceptual” video with our good friends at “Disturbed Squad”. Then maybe a book. Or an audiobook…”
The members of Unveil had some parting words for all you fans out there. “Keep sending e-mails, messages, comments. We read each and every one of them. Thanks for the support. Hope we get the chance to meet you in person one day.”
Madison County is about a group of college students that travel to a remote, mountain town called Madison County to interview the author of a tell-all book on the accounts of the grisly murders that happened in the town over two decades ago. Upon their arrival, the author is no where to be found and the townspeople state that they’ve “not seen him in years.” They also deny that Damien Ewell, the notorious murderer, ever existed and that the murders never happened. As the kids start to dig around to get their own answers, they come to find that the stories, and Damien, maybe more real than the townspeople are letting on.
Best In Blood for season 4 is none other than Chris Ringler.
“I am really excited and utterly surprised to be voted Best In Blood. It was such a strong season and there were such good stories and I am just thrilled that the readers really connected to the story so it feels great. Sorta speechless, actually,” Chris told me.
He then added, “This really is a great honor for me. While I have been writing for some twenty years now it is always great when a story connects with the audience. As much as I am a writer, too, I am a huge nerd, and I find when I read things I know what I want from that story and I know whether or not it delivers and it is great to get an honor like this because it means you did something right. It’s not often that a self published author gets much acclaim or acknowledgment and that your readers dug the story means the world to me. Sometimes you never know if people are getting into what you are writing and winning Best In Blood is a great boost to my confidence.”
This is the second time I’ve have the honor of interviewing Chris. The first time being for the 13 Questions series. I did my best to get new information for all you Ringler fans out there.
Did you know: “I started really early with horror movies, seeing Friday The 13th at a drive in when I was six so I have always loved horror. I was into horror movies, seriously into them when I was around ten and that built the base of my movie nerd status. As a writer it was Stephen King, Clive Barker, and H.P. Lovecraft that got me into horror stories. It seems like everyone cuts their teeth on King these days and I am no different – that is probably why I am drawn to the occasional grim ending to a story. The three big books for me when I was a teenager though were At the Mountains of Madness, The Shining, and The Damnation Game. Great, great stuff.”
Also, “when [Chris] was eighteen some friends and [him] were making a horror movie. [He] was scouting a cemetery location with [a friend] and little did [they] know but a local serial killer had hidden two bodies near where [they] were scouting. [The bodies] and him were discovered not long after [they] had shot our scenes there.
Ringler’s goals for the future are “oddly enough, split between [his] local artistic endeavors and [his] writing. [Chris] will always write, and [he intends] to keep getting the work out there one way or another, but [he is] also active in the arts scene here in Flint, Michigan and [is] getting art shows and other funky events going here. [Ringler] definitely wants to be able to do more conventions and get [his] books out to more people and to get all of [his] books fully converted for e-books. Beyond that it is just about writing and art for [him] and working to get better at both. Oh, and [he wants] battle some manner of cryptozoological creature in a cage fight. [He needs] to train but [he] can do it.”
Fans, be sure to keep an eye open for Chris’ upcoming projects. “I just finished work on a couple new stories that are foran anniversary issue of a ‘zine some friends and I did in the 1990s. I am also working to finish a couple stories that will be part of a collection coming out in Spring of this year. It will be called The Kreep Sheep and is another collection of stories connected to my book The Meep Sheep. I have several art shows happening here in the Mid-Michigan area. Putting together a top secret show for late in the year around here that will be fun. I have my novel A Shadow Over Ever in a friend’s hands for editing and will release that in 2012. I am going to try to do a couple conventions in my area. And finally I am supporting my previous books as well as Red Dreams, which came out the first of 2011 and which has Pyramids and Butterscotch in it (under the title From Distant Temples).”
Chris had some parting words for everyone, “I am just so honored to receive the Best In Blood, it’s hard to tell you how great it feels. And honestly, what people need to remember is that whatever their passion is they need to pursue it. Even if you don’t make a living at it, if it makes you happy then you have to find time to pursue it. If you follow your passion you will find people that will appreciate it because people will always connect to things done with passion. Oh, and floss, which I hear is very good for you, despite my not doing it myself.”
For more information on Chris Ringler check out these sites:
www.meepsheep.com (You can order his books here, as well as view his art)
Are you ready for the 2011 WWW and MMM challenges? This year’s themes will be Pick Your Poison for the women and Phobia Phollies for the men.
Here’s a little info about the Pick Your Poison challenge:
Participates will be given three guidelines for their story, a poison, a place and an object. Entries must include all three elements and of course be in the horror genre. The fan voted winner will receive the title of Most Wicked 2011.
The final day to sign up for the challenge is March 13th, 2011.
Now on to the Phobia Phollies challenge:
For those of you who don’t know this is the first year of the MMM challenge. The competition is based off of the WWW challenge. Meaning participates will be given three guidelines that must be included in their story. The elements for the men’s challenge are a phobia, an occasion and a boy toy (such as a boat or car). Again, like the women’s challenge the fan voted winner will receive the title of Master of Macabre.
Sign ups are open until April 10th, 2011.
Don’t worry fans…we’re not forgetting about you! Two lucky voters (one for the WWW challenge and another for the MMM challenge) will receive prizes from the entrants of their choosing. Prizes can range from a book, an e-book, promotional gifts, to a simple letter thanking them for participation.
If you are interested in being apart of the Wicked Women Writer’s Challenge or just wanting to know more information, you can find it @ Wicked Women Writers.
For more information about the Masters of Macabre Challenge, you can find it here @ Masters of Macabre.
Failed writer, failed actor, and failed human being, Rish Outfield can be found hosting The Dunesteef Audio Fiction Magazine (www.dunesteef.com), a podcast presenting genre stories performed with a
I asked Roulo what got her into horror and how she became a Horror Addict. Heather said that, “Rhonda R Carpenter and I were releasing our books at the same time on Podiobooks.com and became friends. She released a short story through Horror Addicts and ended up introducing me to the show and the host, Emerian Rich.”
