Tag Archives: Laurel Anne Hill
Book Birthday: Horror Addicts Guide to Life – Available now!
Published by Horroraddicts.net April 3, 2015
Horror Addicts Guide to Life
Cover art by: Masloski Carmen
Editor: David Watson
Do you love the horror genre? Do you look at horror as a lifestyle? Do the “norms” not understand your love of the macabre?
Despair no longer, my friend, for within your grasp is a book written by those who look at horror as a way of life, just like you. This is your guide to living a horrifying existence. Featuring interviews with Midnight Syndicate, Valentine Wolfe, and The Gothic Tea Society.
Authors: Kristin Battestella, Mimielle, Emerian Rich, Dan Shaurette, Steven Rose Jr., Garth von Buchholz, H.E. Roulo, Sparky Lee Anderson, Mary Abshire, Chantal Boudreau, Jeff Carlson, Catt Dahman, Dean Farnell, Sandra Harris, Willo Hausman, Laurel Anne Hill, Sapphire Neal, James Newman, Loren Rhoads, Chris Ringler, Jessica Robinson, Eden Royce, Sumiko Saulson, Patricia Santos Marcantonio, J. Malcolm Stewart, Stoneslide Corrective, Mimi A.Williams, and Ron Vitale. With art by Carmen Masloski and Lnoir.
Happy Halloween Addicts! Enjoy our Tales of Horror!
May all your Halloween dreams take flight
and make this next year one in which to delight!
Come on 2021!!!
Please enjoy our Tales of Horror readings for the San Mateo Public Library.
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Happy Halloween, Horror Addicts!
Kill Switch: An Overview
During the early months of 2018, Emerian Rich and Dan Shaurette began brainstorming the theme of the next HorrorAddicts.net anthology. Dan approached Emz with an interesting idea. He wanted to create an anthology inspired by Tech Horror, something like the NETFLIX television show, Black Mirror. The prospect excited Emz. All they needed was a name.
They came up with several during the coming weeks. Everything from Glitched, to Future Dark to Kernel Panic to Digital Dread. Nothing clicked until January 19, 2018.
Dan: Kill Switch?
Emz: That’s it!
And, Kill Switch was born.
Dan chose the Vampire/Android cover and the submission call went out. Authors responded to the theme and the submissions began to roll in. Everything went smoothly until Father’s Day, 2018. That was the day Dan suffered a medical emergency. He would survive but he wouldn’t finish the anthology.
Emz was torn. She didn’t know whether to shelve the book or not. After weighing the pros and cons, a single thought came to her mind. What would Dan do? The answer was simple. He would press on.
That’s where I came into the picture. I’d joined HorrorAddicts.net as an interviewer, reviewer, and publishing assistant just a few months before. As Emz took over editing the anthology, I stepped in as Head of Publishing. We assembled a submissions team with Laura Perkins and J. Malcolm Stewart (followed later by Kate Nox and Cedar George) and went right to work.
A month passed as the team sifted through manuscripts looking for technical gems to fill the pages of the anthology. In the end, they decided on thirteen stories. The authors were notified and the anthology announced. Phase one was complete.
Several months of formatting and editing followed. We worked hard on every story, cutting and polishing the technical gems until they were perfect diamonds. At last, on May 9, Kill Switch was ready for the world.
And so, with pride and a deep sense of accomplishment, HorrorAddicts.net presents to you…
KILL SWITCH
Edited by DAN SHAURETTE and EMERIAN RICH
With stories by:
DANA HAMMER / MOW-BOT
Mike’s new Mow-Bot is the answer to his weekend chore dreams until the neighbor’s cat disappears.
TIM O’NEAL / REMS
A doctor eager for publication and fame unethically tests a wound debridement technology with disastrous results.
NACHING T. KASSA / PHANTOM CALLER
An elderly woman enlists the aid of two repairmen when her pest elimination program goes haywire and begins attracting ghosts.
EMERIAN RICH / SOULTAKER 2.0
A game programmer in the final stages of launching a new version of the MMORPG “SoulTaker,” finds a bug even he can’t fix.
DAPHNE STRASERT / IN THE EYE OF THE BEHOLDER
Daemon is willing to do whatever it takes to get the girl of his dreams and if his Iriz eye implant can help him do that, he doesn’t care what else it does.
GARTH VON BUCHHOLZ / HAÜS
A five-year-old boy is left home alone while his parents travel overseas, but his smart-house will keep him safe, right?
JERRY J. DAVIS / TRAVELS
In a near future world where viewers are addicted to a television station featuring a hypnotically seductive sphere bouncing on an endless, surreal journey through unspoiled natural environments, Dodd is the only one who is “awake” enough to fight back.
GARRETT ROWLAN / GO GENTLY
In a future world where no one except fake grandparents live past the age of 65, Enid needs to land the job that will save her life, but a trip down memory lane may prove more difficult than she expects.
CHANTAL BOUDREAU / STRANGE MUSIC
An audio-sensitive college student is the only one who can hear the difference in a mechanical birdsong that attacks her little sister.
H.E. ROULO / ANGELS DON’T FEAR HEIGHTS
A man uses technology to control his daughter from beyond the grave, will she ever be free?
BILL DAVIDSON / INTELLIGENIE
A terminally ill woman discovers a frightening secret when she issues a deadly order to her personal robot.
LAUREL ANNE HILL / 13TH MAGGOT
A scientist working with bioengineered medical maggots fails to document her obvious erroneous observation, only to later realize her horrific mistake.
PHILLIP T. STEPHENS / SUBROUTINES
A computer programmer looking for his missing children in a legendary ghost house encounters a malevolent AI.
And, though I’ve stepped in as Head of Publishing, I could never fill Dan’s shoes. With much love, we dedicate this book to you, Dan. Thank you. We hope you enjoy it.
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Kill Switch Chilling Chat: 10 Quick Questions with Laurel Anne Hill
Laurel Anne Hill has authored two award-winning novels, most recently The Engine Woman’s Light (Sand Hill Review Press), a gripping spirits-meet-steampunk tale set in an 
alternate 19th Century California. Laurel’s published short stories total over thirty. She’s a Literary Stage Manager, speaker, anthology editor, and writing contest judge.
1.) How old were you when you first discovered horror?
I was eight years old when my mom took me to see the scary science fiction movie The Thing from Another World. Afterwards, I had nightmares for weeks. Sometime between age seven and ten, Mom took me to see Dracula (starring Bela Lugosi) and Frankenstein (starring Boris Karloff). No nightmares from those two films. I became hooked on classical horror.
2.) What author has influenced you most?
Many authors have influenced me a great deal. If I can only name one, however, I’ll say Ray Bradbury.
3.) What inspired you to write your piece, “13th Maggot?”
An article in the newspaper about medical maggots caught my attention. Plus, I worked several years in the field of regulatory compliance for a biotechnology startup company.
4.) How much control do you exert over your characters? Do they have free will?
I give my characters a lot of personal space during the first manuscript draft or two. After that, we generally need to have some serious discussions inside of my brain. Often my point prevails, but not always. For example, in “13th Maggot,” ongoing drafts held complicated conflicts between my main character and the woman she works with in the lab. The complexity detracted from the main story, but it took my protagonist great effort to show me why we needed a change.
5.) Do you listen to music when you write? Who do you listen to?
I used to listen to music often when writing, or before sitting down to write. This music connected me to my protagonists’ emotions. The pattern changed during the final years of my husband’s life. David—my beloved—was the co-protagonist in my daily life, our joint story written with each sunrise and sunset. These days, I’m trying to reintroduce music to my writing experience. I concentrate on the same sort of music as before: general classical, world, baroque organ, ballet and opera favorites, 50’s favorites, bagpipes, and other music David and I used to listen to together.
6.) Where do you find inspiration?
Everywhere! Rain hitting my face. Tulips blooming. The sound of a steam locomotive’s whistle. The early morning taste of coffee. The odor of pine trees. Sunrises and sunsets. Shadows on the bedroom ceiling in the dark.
7.) What is your favorite horror novel?
Bram Stoker’s Dracula, of course, tied for first place with several others, such as The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty, and Ghost Story by Peter Straub.
8.) Favorite horror movie?
The Shining, without a doubt.
9.) Favorite horror television show?
The six o’clock news.
10.) What does the future hold for you? What do we have to look forward to?
I’m going through the process of finding a freelance fantasy/magical realism editor for my novel-in-progress: Plague of Flies. Sand Hill Review Press has expressed interest in the final product. Plague of Flies is not a horror story, but blends true horrific events with fantasy and magical realism in 1846 Mexican California, during the Bear Flag Rebellion, when the USA stole Alta California from Mexico.
Clockwork Wonderland Author Profile: Laurel Anne Hill and the The Engine Woman’s Light review
One of the authors featured in Clockwork Wonderland is Laurel Anne Hill. Laurel Anne’s story is called Gone a’ Hunting and is about a girl who goes on a rabbit hunt and gets caught in a place where she has plenty of time to think about what she has done. Laurel Anne Hill has been featured on the horroraddicts podcast a few times, being voted most wicked in 2011 for her steampunk/horror podcast: “Flight of Destiny. She has also been published in several anthologies and recently released her second novel, The Engine Woman’s Light. To learn more about her visit her website: http://laurelannehill.com/ and keep reading for my review of The Engine Woman’s Light.
Jaunita has had an interesting past, she was abandoned and left on a train going to an asylum for the poor. Luckily she was saved by her great grandma Zetta and the ghost of Zetta’s husband, Javiar. She ends up in a small village where at the age of fifteen she has a mystical vision of a dead captain in an airship. She is told that it is her mission to put a stop to trains carrying California’s unwanted masses to an asylum where they will live and work until they die. A plan is in place to murder part of the asylum’s inmates to bring the asylum’s population down and Jaunita may have to murder people to put a stop to it.
Jaunita will not be alone though, she will have the help of her ghost ancestors and will meet other characters with complicated pasts. Jaunita will learn that her family has a dark side and she herself will have to do some horrible things to fulfill her mission. Jaunita is on a path that will change history along with her life, the question being can she live with the new person she will become? Jaunita lives in an alternative nineteenth-century steampunk world where spirits communicate with the living and our loved ones never really leave our sides.
If I was to use one word to describe Laurel Anne Hill’s The Engine Woman’s Light I would use “different.” Laurel Anne has created the world that made me think of an old western with steampunk elements and spiritualism thrown in for good measure. The way the settings are described really bring everything to life and you can see yourself living in this world with its vivid descriptions. Since I haven’t read too many westerns or much steampunk, this book was like entering a new world, which was easy to get hooked on. Right away you are invested in Jaunita’s story since she was a baby she defied all odds. After being abandoned and saved, she is forced into a lifechanging mission that she has to accomplish whether she wants to or not.
One thing I like about this story is that all the characters are shades of gray. Some characters here can be considered good, but sometimes they do bad things. There is a theme of redemption that runs through this book for a couple of the characters and even Jaunita wants to be redeemed for some of the actions she is forced to suffer through. The spirits in Jaunita’s family have done bad things in the past and are looking to get redemption through Jaunita and some of their actions have a bad effect on her.
Another theme in this book I liked was the idea that the people you love or have a connection to, are never far away. Jaunita’s ancestors still talk to her, even though they are dead. Even Jaunita’s dead mother who she never met is always close to her. At one point we discover that two of the men in her life have a connection to her going way back. While reading this I felt that Laurel Anne Hill wanted to get the idea across that we are all connected whether we think it or not and even when someone is gone, they are never really gone.
One of my favorite scenes in The Engine Woman’s Light is when Juanita is starting to have feelings for the man she calls Guide. When Guide reveals who he really is and what he has done in the past, Jaunita’s heart is broken, but they stay together to continue their mission and their relationship changes. Everlasting love is also a theme in this book as well as accepting someone for the good and bad they did in life. If you like books that transport you to a different time and place, then check this one out.
Guest Blog: Engine Women’s Light by Laurel Anne Hill
Chapter 7
Blue Light and Rattling Bones
A curtain of darkness hung behind manzanita bushes and poison oak, ten or fifteen feet above me on the hillside. This had to be the opening I’d detected the day the council met. The threshold to the Cave of Light.
I edged upward, prickly brush scraping my arms through the sleeves of my ankle-length tunic. Some types of Indian spirits stayed with their bones instead of going to the Shadow World. The spirit of the Yokut shaman’s bones in the cave ought to know where that magic letter was, plus how to reach it without encountering malicious spirits or falling down a shaft. If the crumbling path didn’t give way beneath my sandals, I’d soon learn the truth.
The truth… My people had accepted the Shadow World’s mission to sabotage an asylum train by summer. Promise would continue to exist. But where? I glanced heavenward. Sunset dressed the western sky in muted pinks and grays, as the waning moon’s pale outline slipped behind multicolored clouds. Each truth had its own time of discovery.
My empty stomach gurgled. Supper time was an unavoidable truth. Papa and the others would have noticed my absence by now. The way here from Promise was too steep and treacherous to dark-walk, particularly with quarter moon only five days away. No one could do anything before dawn about my disobedience. I had until after sunrise to find the letter.
A ledge jutted from atop a granite outcrop, rather narrow and mostly cloaked by chaparral. The ledge led to a deep indentation in the hillside. One step. Two steps. My destination was almost within reach.
Still, a lonely being of bones might desire my company for eternity. Locating the shaman’s skeleton might not be the best thing. My stomach muscles tightened as I found the next foothold.
I squeezed behind scratchy bushes, then stretched my arms high. I pushed off the hillside with my feet and pulled myself onto a shelf of smooth, gray rock. An opening in the hillside waited. I snaked on my belly into a dim, rocky passage, the ceiling too low for standing. Somewhere, water dripped. So far, no spirit lights or skeletons were in sight.
Within a few feet, the passage opened into a chamber several times my height. I maneuvered into a sitting position. No blue-green light shone. Only the faint daylight from outdoors. Dusk drifted toward night. I could explore little farther until sunrise. I’d hoped for an obvious clue. Had I come to the wrong place?
My stomach rumbled, louder than before, although I’d eaten nuts, acorn bread and herbal broth for breakfast. I usually fasted longer, one full night and day, before visiting spirits. A taboo broken. My transgression could offend the shaman’s spirit. Still, I’d only eaten with the community this morning to mask my intention of coming here. I had the will-power to sacrifice comfort for duty. A serving of mashed beans, however, would have tasted wonderful right then.
I scanned the shadows of the cave, my eyes adapting to darkness. If only I’d brought a lantern. Perhaps I could explore this chamber anyway. Not a good idea. Vertical shafts to lower chambers could ensnare me. The Voice of the Light—the Virgin of Guadalupe?—could only try to help. I should invoke the spirit of the shaman’s bones.
“Dearest shaman,” I called as I faced the cave’s dim interior. “The Shadow World has bid me to come here. May I trouble you to assist me?”
I introduced myself, in case he’d forgotten the little girl who’d loved his mint and berry tea years ago. The night breeze rustled through unseen leaves outside the cavern. I repeated my request six more times, a total of seven. A strong number. An owl hooted. Not even a mysterious hoot. My chest heaved a deep sigh. All this evening’s efforts had been wasted.
A wind arose outside. A chill cut through me. I crawled several feet into the cavern and curled up on the floor. Warmer now, I yawned. Should I sleep? The shaman’s spirit might visit me in a dream and tell me what to do next.
From the darkness came a soft, repetitive high-pitched knocking. I tensed. Rattlesnakes preferred to slither about in daylight, but one of them might call this cave home. I’d better not move.
A shuffling sound led to another rattle. An eerie blue-green glow—a fist-size ball of light—swayed within the cave. The orb, maybe thirty feet away, divided into twin spheres and drifted closer to me. Glints of ivory triggered a tingling sensation in my fingertips and toes. Bones could rattle. Ivory was the color of bones.
Two clenched rows of teeth wobbled in the air. A death head gleamed. Blessed saints, the blue-green radiance came from eye sockets. Human eye sockets. In a skull, attached to a human skeleton. Oh, dear Lord of this world and the next. The being approached, rattling, arms by its sides, mouth frozen in a horrific grin. Strips of rags dangled from its hips. The beams turned deep blue. I couldn’t move, cry out, do anything but widen my eyes. I was awake and not in the Shadow World. The dead walked the earth in more than spirit form.
A spirit capable of holding a heap of dry bones together must possess great mystical powers. Powers strong enough to hold me captive for the rest of my life. Run—I needed to stand and run. I tried to rise. Two bony hands reached out and clamped my wrists. The skeleton pushed me against the ground and dragged me deeper into darkness.
“Aiyeee,” I yelled.
My cry echoed as the skeleton pulled me across the cave’s bumpy floor. I twisted my body but couldn’t break free.
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Laurel Anne Hill has authored two novels: The award-winning Heroes Arise (Komenar Publishing, 2007) and The Engine Woman’s Light (Sand Hill Review Press, 2016), a spirits-meet-steampunk tale. The Engine Woman’s Light is now available on Kindle and also scheduled for release in trade paper format by the end of January, 2017. Laurel’s published short stories and nonfiction pieces total forty and have appeared in a variety of anthologies, collections, and journalistic media. The fans of HorrorAddicts.net elected her “Most Wicked” in 2011 for her steampunk-horror podcast Flight of Destiny. For more about her go to http://www.laurelannehill.com.
Link to Laurel’s book on Amazon Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/Engine-Womans-Light-Laurel-Anne-ebook/dp/B01MG3INTH/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1480113299&sr=8-1&keywords=the+engine+woman%27s+light
Wicked Women Writer’s All Star: Laurel Anne Hill
Twenty Years in a Bathtub
(And how the Wicked Women Writers Challenge helped me climb out)
by Laurel Anne Hill
Five years ago, Dan Kois wrote an article for the New York Times: “Why Do Writers Abandon Novels?”
“Look, writing a novel is like paddling from Boston to London in a bathtub,” Kois quoted Stephen King as saying. “Sometimes the damn tub sinks. It’s a wonder that most of them don’t.”
Right on, Stephen. And sometimes one tub repeats the sinking process.
Way back when (around 1993-4) I wrote a fantasy short story: “Like Flecks of Mica.” The piece didn’t work as a short story. By 1997, I was paddling from Boston to London in my write-a-novel bathtub. The contraption deep-sixed. I raised it and salvaged the remains of my story. The tub sank again. I repeated the process several times, changed the book’s title, and even managed to acquire an agent in 2003. When my agent died, my manuscript turned into a waterlogged zombie. Coated in seaweed, my story threatened to eat my brain. Even my writing group—led by the amazing Charlotte Cook—couldn’t advise me how best to keep the vessel afloat.
Out of self-preservation, I abandoned ship and refocused on other projects. In 2007, KOMENAR Publishing released my award-winning novel, Heroes Arise (ForeWord Magazine Bronze Award, Science Fiction).
Heroes Arise changed the writing “game of zones” for me. I moved into the world of science fiction/fantasy conventions as a fledgling professional. I also encountered more opportunities for the publication of my short stories, including “Flight of Destiny,” a steampunk horror piece that won me the Horror Addicts (HA)/Wicked Women Writers Challenge title of “Most Wicked 2011.”
“Flight of Destiny” was my first attempt at steampunk. To receive a vote of approval from HA listeners meant a lot. In fact, the win thrilled me almost as much as the ForeWord Magazine award had. Best of all, I’d had so much fun creating and recording the story. Wow!
I remember my husband and me sharing a bottle of French champagne to celebrate the occasion. I also recall the warped wheels in my brain rotating, transmuting timidity into brassy nerve. If I could steampunk a short story and win a prize, could I steampunk a failed novel and at least get the blasted thing published?
I revisited my novel manuscript, which was then going by the alias: Mystic Light from the Mountain. The story was supposed to be about Juanita, a young woman on a life-saving mission—a Latina who could visit and communicate with the dead. That wasn’t always on the page. I was too hung up on the ghosts of her ancestors. The first half of the novel felt disjointed. Juanita begged me for more room to do what she had to do.
Goggles wouldn’t be enough. My bathtub needed marine-grade caulking. In other words, my write-a-novel tub would require strong forward momentum and a consistent hand on the helm to stay afloat.
A “Flight of Destiny” and Heroes Arise type of hand.
I did my best to deliver. Thus, I’m happy to announce that Sand Hill Review Press recently accepted my novel manuscript—now entitled The Engine Woman’s Light—for publication by early 2017. Hugo Award-winning professional artist, Julie Dillon, is in the process of designing the cover.
Hmmm…1997 to 2017 represents twenty years. That’s one hell of a long transit time to London. I’m glad I kept striving to reach port. Juanita tells me she’s pleased, too. We’re grateful for all the people—especially freelance editor, Derek Prior—who tossed life preservers to us (or gave us a tow) along the way.
For more about me and my writing, go to: http://www.laurelannehill.com.
Wicked Women Writers and Masters Of Macabre
For Episode 130 of the Horror Addict podcast we will be highlighting the past winners of our Wicked Women Writer’s challenge and the Masters Of Macabre contest. The Wicked Women Writer’s Challenge started in 2008 by Michele Roger as a distraction to the monotony that can be writing as a woman in a genre dominated by men. It was also meant to bring attention to female horror writers and podcasters. In 2011 Horroraddicts.net started the Master’s Of The Macabre contest to give male horror writers/podcasters a chance to compete. In each contest the participants are given a theme, a place and object with the goal of writing and reading the scariest story. In celebration of both contests here is a little information on each winner and what they are up to now:
In 2009 the first winner of WWW was Heather Roulo the theme was doing away with your spouse. Heather’s story was called Graveyard Shift and was published in The Wickeds: A Wicked Women Writers Anthology (Volume 1). Heather is a writer of science-fiction, horror, and fantasy and has a BA in English from the University of Idaho. Recently she released a new book called Plague Master: Sanctuary Dome.
Our 2010 winner was Rhonda Carpenter. The theme was seven Deadly Sins and Rhonda’s story called Barring Lilith. The Sin in question was lust and gets into what it is like if you are married to the demon of lust Asmodius. Rhonda is the author of the book Mark Of The Druid and was co-host of the podcast Podioracket.
http://www.rhondacarpenter.com/
The winner in 2011 was Laurel Anne Hill for her story Flight Of Destiny. Her story stirs steampunk, infidelity, jealously, and a radioactive poison into a delicious hot-pot of horror. Laurel Anne Hill has been published in several anthologies including How Beer Saved the World. She also has a novel available called Heroes Arise
http://www.laurelannehill.com/
In 2012 Killion Slade won the Wicked Women Writer’s Challenge. Killion was assigned a holiday: Passover, a location: A Seashore and an object: A Garden Rake, she submitted Children of Angels. Killion Slade is a loyal reader of dystopian urban fantasy and has written two books in the World Of Blood series: Exsanguinate and Obfuscate
2013’s winner was Maggie Fiske. In her story called A Quarrel for Jimmy Kills Crow, the theme was the apocalypse and she had to write about solar flares while hunting in the mountains with a crossbow. Maggie had a lot of fun doing the sound effects for her story and made it sound like a professional radio play. Maggie has also written a novella called The Last Man to Die in the Nebraska Electric Chair.
DM Slate won 2014’s contest with her story Photo Finish . Her challenge items were a Dragon, Japanese Night Club, Hairspray and Hallucinations. D.M resides in Colorado and has a business degree from the University Of Northern Colorado. She writes Horror, comedy and mystery. One of her novels is Roots Of Deceit.
http://www.dm-slate.com/
2015’s contest got a lot more difficult with each contestant having to do an audio production with more than one voice involved. Jaq Hawkins won with her story The Sun Child. Jaq is a British author in the genres of Steampunk, Fantasy and the occult. She wrote The Goblin Series along with several other books on magic.
2011 was the first year that horroraddicts.net hosted the Masters Of Macabre challenge and the first winner was Shaunessy Ashdown for his story Spectrophobia. Shaunessy is a fan of the Wicked Women Writers Challenge and was happy that he had a chance to compete in a challenge for the men and when he won he compared it to being kissed by Elvira. Shaunessy is an editor for a German school book publisher.
Philip Carroll won in 2012 , the theme was curses and Phillip’s story was The Curse Of The Lottery. Phillip likes to write urban fantasy but took a trip to the darkside with this one. Phillip is an Army trained Certified Orthotist and a master storyteller that has worked on several podcasts. He is also author of the book Flypaper Boy.
The theme for 2013 was haunted houses. Rick Kitagawa included a double wide mobile home and a black and white television for his story Uncle Neal’s House and won the challenge. Rick is a San Francisco-based fine art painter, illustrator, and storyteller who creates paintings, short stories, and illustrations in the horror genre.
http://www.rickkitagawa.com/about.html
2014’s winner was Solomon Archer for his story Surface Tension. The Theme was creature feature and Soloman’s story included New York City, a teddy bear and an Oceanic trench. Solomon is a criminal psychologist by day and writer by night. His short stories have appeared in several anthologies and he is the writer of PsyKu.
https://psykubook.wordpress.com/the-author/
In 2015 Rish Outfield won for his story Miss Fortune. Rish is a writer and a podcaster whose main goal is to scare their children into behaving, into going to sleep, or keeping their mouths shut about what they saw take place in the woodshed.
Once Upon a Scream Special Edition Pack
HorrorAddicts.net Press is proud to announce that we have special edition favor packs for our 4th anthology entitled Once Upon a Scream. This book is edited by Dan Shaurette and it takes the classic fairy tales that you grew up with and gives them a horror twist.
ORDER NOW and get:
18-PIECE FAVOR PACK
display box not included.
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Once Upon a Scream book
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18-piece special edition favor pack!
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Signatures of the authors inside including: Emerian Rich, Dan Shaurette, Laurel Anne Hill, J. Malcolm Stewart, and Shannon Lawrence
While supplies last!
$15.00 USD gets you the book, favor pack, and includes shipping and handling inside the continental US.
For foreign orders, please email for shipping costs.
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Once Upon a Scream
…there was a tradition of telling tales with elements of the fantastic along with the frightful. Adults and children alike took heed not to go into the deep, dark woods, treat a stranger poorly, or make a deal with someone-or something-without regard for the consequences. Be careful of what you wish for, you just might get it.
From wish-granting trolls, to plague curses, and evil enchantresses, these tales will have you hiding under the covers in hopes they don’t find you. So lock your doors, shutter your windows, and get ready to SCREAM.
A return to darker foreboding fairy tales not for children.
Not everyone lives happily ever after.
HorrorAddicts.net Press
Once Upon a Scream Author Spotlight: Laurel Anne Hill
Horroraddicts.net publishing has recently published our 4th anthology called Once Upon a Scream. Remember the Fairy tales that you grew up reading? Well, they are back again with a horror twist. Once Upon a Scream includes 18 tales that are fantastic and frightful. One of the authors in this anthology is Laurel Anne Hill and recently talked to us about her writing:
What is your story in Once Upon A Scream called and what is it about?
My short story is “Commanding the Stones,” about Yana, a middle-aged Russian-American woman on a business trip to Paris with her husband in 1995. In “Commanding the Stones,” a murder, Yana’s troubled marriage, her mysterious benefactor, and a Russian fairy tale—a twisted variant of “The Stone Flower”—add up to terror and redemption in the sewers of Paris.
What inspired the idea?
My love of Russian fairy tales and painted lacquer boxes sparked the initial inspiration. Then I visited Paris during the month of November in 1999. Through the rain and chill, a story line emerged.
When did you start writing?
I started writing before I could read. I created stories and my older sister wrote them down. I illustrated them with pictures from comic books and magazines. My first short story was published—in the kids’ section of a major San Francisco newspaper—when I was eleven. The piece was absolutely terrible, but I had no clue. The San Francisco News paid me $2, enough for eight double-feature movies way back then.
What are your favorite topics to write about?
Many of the stories I craft have inspirational premises. Worthiness is rewarded. The power of love, honor, faith and duty can surmount daunting obstacles and transform lives. But I also like to write about the jolting “rewards” unworthiness can bring, and the sometimes blurred line between virtue and vice. Whatever I write, I love using my imagination.
What are some of your influences?
Without a doubt, atmosphere and music influence the direction of many of my stories. Between 1999 and 2005, for example, I made three trips to Paris—all during the November time frame. When first working on “Commanding the Stones,” I took the Paris sewer tour. The unpleasant taste of the air near an underground sewer drain let me picture ominous things happening to my protagonist. My mind processed the many details of the scene. Back home in California, I listened to Russian Orthodox chants to set my mood, allowing ancient magic and mysteries to merge with modern times as I worked.
What do you find fascinating about the horror genre?
The physiological reaction a scary movie produces in me. The increase in my heart rate and breathing. The tensing of my muscles. It’s like I’m the one in danger. I’ve had a half-dozen or so close brushes with death—experiences that had nothing to do with movies. During those times, survival—and the various chemicals released into my bloodstream to secure it—exhilarated me. Not so with movies. When an empathetic character on the screen escapes death, I feel more exhaustion than elation. When I read horror, however, my brain does a better job of moderating the intensity of my physical reaction. Maybe that’s why I prefer scary books to scary movies in recent years, although I do adore both.
What are some of the works you have available?
My award-winning novel, HEROES ARISE, and many of my thirty published short stories are available through Amazon. To listen to my stories I’ve recorded (including award-winning “Flight of Destiny” and “The Grave of Mario Bandini”) go here. For my darker short stories in print, read “Wings of Revenge” (in The Wickeds), “Till Death Do Us Part” (in Horrible Disasters), “The Vengeance Garden” (in Spells and Swashbucklers) and “Fowl Consequences” (in Fault Zone: Diverge).
What are you currently working on?
My novel, The Engine Woman’s Light (a spirits-meet-steampunk, weird west tale) was accepted for 
publication by Sand Hill Review Press last month. I anticipate it will be available in 2017. I’m preparing to serve as editor for the next Fault Zone Anthology. That, too, will release in 2017. Also, I’ve started working on a short story for Horror Addicts’ next anthology. For long-term projects, I’ll either return to a novel-in-progress (magical realism) set in Mexican California, or start a new one based on my recently-published fantasy short story, “Going Revolutionary.”
Where can we find you online?
For my website, go here. My Amazon.
For Facebook here.
Once Upon a Scream now on Kindle!
HorrorAddicts.net Press is proud to announce that our 4th anthology entitled Once Upon a Scream is now on Kindle! This book is edited by Dan Shaurette and it takes the classic fairy tales that you grew up with and gives them a horror twist.
Once Upon a Scream
…there was a tradition of telling tales with elements of the fantastic along with the frightful. Adults and children alike took heed not to go into the deep, dark woods, treat a stranger poorly, or make a deal with someone-or something-without regard for the consequences. Be careful of what you wish for, you just might get it.
From wish-granting trolls, to plague curses, and evil enchantresses, these tales will have you hiding under the covers in hopes they don’t find you. So lock your doors, shutter your windows, and get ready to SCREAM.
A return to darker foreboding fairy tales not for children.
Not everyone lives happily ever after.
Stories include:
“The Black Undeath” by Shannon Lawrence: There was a plague no one speaks about, one much worse than the Black Death. “The Black Undeath” combines the ravages of the plague and leprosy with the tale of Rumpelstiltskin.
Shannon Lawrence is a fan of all things fantastical and frightening, Shannon Lawrence writes primarily horror and fantasy, You can find her at thewarriormuse.com
“Melody of Bones” by Nickie Jamison: This is a delightful mashup of the German tales of the “Singing Bone” and “The Pied Piper of Hamlin.” Death can make beautiful music.
Nickie Jamison’s erotic fiction has been published in the Coming Together Among the Stars and the Coming Together Outside the Box anthologies.
“The Godmother’s Bargain” by Alison McBain: This story is based on Cinderella but instead of relying on a fairy godmother, Cinderella makes a deal with the devil.
Alison McBain has over thirty publications in magazines and anthologies. You can read her blog at alisonmcbain.com
“Leila” by Dan Shaurette: This is a story about vampires and an old witch that lives in a haunted forest in a far away land.
Dan Shaurette is a goth-geek from Phoenix, AZ and he is the writer of Black Magic and
Black Jack, you can visit him at: MattBlackBooks.com
“Nothing to Worry About” by Charles Frierman: Nothing killed Old Smelty, don’t let it kill you too.
Charles Frierman is works as a children’s storyteller at the local library, but writing has always been
his passion.
“The Cursed Child” by C.S. Kane: Witches do what they must to save a child.
C.S. Kane’s debut horror novella, Shattered is out now. You can find out more about her at: http://www.cskane.com/
“The Healer’s Gift” by Lynn McSweeney: A pale boy with a whiff of the uncanny begs admission to a wounded healer’s cottage just before sunrise, conjuring her darkest fears of who – or what – he may be.
Lynn McSweeney writes mostly horror, fantasy, and science-fiction, or a blend of them, with an occasional foray into erotica.
“Briar” by K.L. Wallis: “Briar” is the story of a man who is lost deep in a mythical Black Forest, where he stumbles upon an abandoned fairy-tale palace with a forgotten sleeping beauty
K.L. Wallis writes gothic fiction, high fantasy, mythological fiction, and
contemporary folk-lore you can find her at: https://restrictedquill.wordpress.com
“Curse of the Elves” by Sara E. Lundberg: This story gives a horrifying spin on the old tale “The Shoemaker and the Elves.” What if the elves were grotesque murderers and you wanted them to go away.
Sara E. Lundberg writes and edits primarily fantasy and horror. She is also an editor and contributor for the Confabulator Cafe. You can find her online at SELundberg.com
“Lake Tiveden” by MD Maurice: The modern retelling of the legend of Tiveden and the epic encounter between a fisherman, his daughter and the fearsome Nokken.
MD Maurice has been writing and publishing erotic, Dark Fantasy and mainstream fiction since early 2001. She has been previously published in several print anthologies
“Wax Shadow” by Emerian Rich: Horror fairytale modern retelling of “The Shadow” by Hans Christian Andersen.
Emerian Rich is the author of the vampire book series, Night’s Knights, and Artistic License. You can find her at: http://emzbox.com/
“Without Family Ties” by Chantal Boudreau: This is a modern horror tale based on the story of Pinocchio.
Chantal Boudreau is a member of the Horror Writers Association, she writes and illustrates horror, dark fantasy and fantasy. You can find her at: http://chantellyb.wordpress.com
“Commanding the Stones” by Laurel Anne Hill: A murder, a troubled marriage, a mysterious benefactor and a Russian fairy tale add up to terror and redemption in the sewers of Paris.
Laurel Anne Hill’s award-winning novel, Heroes Arise, was published by KOMENAR in 2007. You can find her at: http://www.laurelannehill.com/
“Gollewon Ellee” by DJ Tyrer: Two young girls follow the Gollewon Ellee, Fairy Lights, and discover that not only are the Fair Folk real, they are stranger and more sinister than they imagined.
DJ Tyrer is the person behind Atlantean Publishing and has been widely published in anthologies and magazines in the UK, USA and elsewhere His website is: http://djtyrer.blogspot.co.uk/
“Mr. Shingles” by J. Malcolm Stewart: Bay Area boys meeting with a certain rhyming troll who may or may not still be living under the Carquinez Bridge.
J. Malcolm Stewart is a Northern California-based author, journalist and marketing professional. He is the author of several novels and short story collections. http://about.me/jaymal
“The Boy and His Teeth” by V. E. Battaglia: A cautionary tale against deceiving the Tooth Fairy.
V. E. Battaglia is primarily writes Science Fiction and Horror. His work can be found in the Zen of the Dead anthology from Popcorn Press and in the SNAFU: Hunters anthology.
“The Other Daughter” by Adam L. Bealby: It’s nice to see Hannah looking her old self, all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. The problem is Hannah – the real Hannah – with her black nails and even blacker attitude, she’s already upstairs…
Adam L. Bealby writes weird fiction leaning heavily into fantasy, horror and arch satire. He dabbles in stories for children too. His short stories and comic work have been published in numerous anthologies. Find him at: @adamskilad
“Old and in the Way” by Wayne Faust: Atmospheric tale about an old man who can no longer do his duty.
Wayne Faust has been a full time music and comedy performer for over 40 years. While on the road performing he also writes fiction. You can find him at: www.waynefaust.com
HorrorAddicts.net Press
Press Release: Once Upon a Scream
HorrorAddicts.net Press is proud to announce that we have just released our 4th anthology entitled Once Upon a Scream. This book is edited by Dan Shaurette and it takes the classic fairy tales that you grew up with and gives them a horror twist.
Once Upon a Scream
…there was a tradition of telling tales with elements of the fantastic along with the frightful. Adults and children alike took heed not to go into the deep, dark woods, treat a stranger poorly, or make a deal with someone-or something-without regard for the consequences. Be careful of what you wish for, you just might get it.
From wish-granting trolls, to plague curses, and evil enchantresses, these tales will have you hiding under the covers in hopes they don’t find you. So lock your doors, shutter your windows, and get ready to SCREAM.
A return to darker foreboding fairy tales not for children.
Not everyone lives happily ever after.
Stories include:
“The Black Undeath” by Shannon Lawrence: There was a plague no one speaks about, one much worse than the Black Death. “The Black Undeath” combines the ravages of the plague and leprosy with the tale of Rumpelstiltskin.
Shannon Lawrence is a fan of all things fantastical and frightening, Shannon Lawrence writes primarily horror and fantasy, You can find her at thewarriormuse.com
“Melody of Bones” by Nickie Jamison: This is a delightful mashup of the German tales of the “Singing Bone” and “The Pied Piper of Hamlin.” Death can make beautiful music.
Nickie Jamison’s erotic fiction has been published in the Coming Together Among the Stars and the Coming Together Outside the Box anthologies.
“The Godmother’s Bargain” by Alison McBain: This story is based on Cinderella but instead of relying on a fairy godmother, Cinderella makes a deal with the devil.
Alison McBain has over thirty publications in magazines and anthologies. You can read her blog at alisonmcbain.com
“Leila” by Dan Shaurette: This is a story about vampires and an old witch that lives in a haunted forest in a far away land.
Dan Shaurette is a goth-geek from Phoenix, AZ and he is the writer of Black Magic and
Black Jack, you can visit him at: MattBlackBooks.com
“Nothing to Worry About” by Charles Frierman: Nothing killed Old Smelty, don’t let it kill you too.
Charles Frierman is works as a children’s storyteller at the local library, but writing has always been
his passion.
“The Cursed Child” by C.S. Kane: Witches do what they must to save a child.
C.S. Kane’s debut horror novella, Shattered is out now. You can find out more about her at: http://www.cskane.com/
“The Healer’s Gift” by Lynn McSweeney: A pale boy with a whiff of the uncanny begs admission to a wounded healer’s cottage just before sunrise, conjuring her darkest fears of who – or what – he may be.
Lynn McSweeney writes mostly horror, fantasy, and science-fiction, or a blend of them, with an occasional foray into erotica.
“Briar” by K.L. Wallis: “Briar” is the story of a man who is lost deep in a mythical Black Forest, where he stumbles upon an abandoned fairy-tale palace with a forgotten sleeping beauty
K.L. Wallis writes gothic fiction, high fantasy, mythological fiction, and
contemporary folk-lore you can find her at: https://restrictedquill.wordpress.com
“Curse of the Elves” by Sara E. Lundberg: This story gives a horrifying spin on the old tale “The Shoemaker and the Elves.” What if the elves were grotesque murderers and you wanted them to go away.
Sara E. Lundberg writes and edits primarily fantasy and horror. She is also an editor and contributor for the Confabulator Cafe. You can find her online at SELundberg.com
“Lake Tiveden” by MD Maurice: The modern retelling of the legend of Tiveden and the epic encounter between a fisherman, his daughter and the fearsome Nokken.
MD Maurice has been writing and publishing erotic, Dark Fantasy and mainstream fiction since early 2001. She has been previously published in several print anthologies
“Wax Shadow” by Emerian Rich: Horror fairytale modern retelling of “The Shadow” by Hans Christian Andersen.
Emerian Rich is the author of the vampire book series, Night’s Knights, and Artistic License. You can find her at: http://emzbox.com/
“Without Family Ties” by Chantal Boudreau: This is a modern horror tale based on the story of Pinocchio.
Chantal Boudreau is a member of the Horror Writers Association, she writes and illustrates horror, dark fantasy and fantasy. You can find her at: http://chantellyb.wordpress.com
“Commanding the Stones” by Laurel Anne Hill: A murder, a troubled marriage, a mysterious benefactor and a Russian fairy tale add up to terror and redemption in the sewers of Paris.
Laurel Anne Hill’s award-winning novel, Heroes Arise, was published by KOMENAR in 2007. You can find her at: http://www.laurelannehill.com/
“Gollewon Ellee” by DJ Tyrer: Two young girls follow the Gollewon Ellee, Fairy Lights, and discover that not only are the Fair Folk real, they are stranger and more sinister than they imagined.
DJ Tyrer is the person behind Atlantean Publishing and has been widely published in anthologies and magazines in the UK, USA and elsewhere His website is: http://djtyrer.blogspot.co.uk/
“Mr. Shingles” by J. Malcolm Stewart: Bay Area boys meeting with a certain rhyming troll who may or may not still be living under the Carquinez Bridge.
J. Malcolm Stewart is a Northern California-based author, journalist and marketing professional. He is the author of several novels and short story collections. http://about.me/jaymal
“The Boy and His Teeth” by V. E. Battaglia: A cautionary tale against deceiving the Tooth Fairy.
V. E. Battaglia is primarily writes Science Fiction and Horror. His work can be found in the Zen of the Dead anthology from Popcorn Press and in the SNAFU: Hunters anthology.
“The Other Daughter” by Adam L. Bealby: It’s nice to see Hannah looking her old self, all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. The problem is Hannah – the real Hannah – with her black nails and even blacker attitude, she’s already upstairs…
Adam L. Bealby writes weird fiction leaning heavily into fantasy, horror and arch satire. He dabbles in stories for children too. His short stories and comic work have been published in numerous anthologies. Find him at: @adamskilad
“Old and in the Way” by Wayne Faust: Atmospheric tale about an old man who can no longer do his duty.
Wayne Faust has been a full time music and comedy performer for over 40 years. While on the road performing he also writes fiction. You can find him at: www.waynefaust.com
HorrorAddicts.net Press
Audio Flashback: Laurel Anne Hill’s take on SLOTH
Audio Flashback:
Laurel Anne Hill’s take on SLOTH
for the Wicked Women Writer’s
Challenge, 2010
Horror Addicts Bonus Episode
Hosted by H. E. Roulo and Emerian Rich
Intro Music by: James Perry
http://www.jamesperrymusic.com
—————————-
Theme: Seven Deadly Sins
Featured Author: Laurel Anne Hill
Sin: Sloth
Hosted by H. E. Roulo and Emerian Rich
Intro Music by: James Perry
http://www.jamesperrymusic.com
—————————-
Theme: Seven Deadly Sins
Featured Author: Laurel Anne Hill
Sin: Sloth
Horror Addicts Guide to Life Author Spotlight: Laurel Anne Hill
Laurel Anne Hill has had over 25 short stories published along with the award-winning novel Heroes Arise. For Horror Addicts Guide To Life Laurel Anne wrote an article called Practicing Safe Satisfaction. In her article Laurel Anne gets into how to get your horror fix no matter where you are. To read Laurel Anne’s article along with several other articles on living the horror lifestyle, pick up a copy of Horror Addicts Guide To Life. Recently Laurel Anne was nice enough to tell us what she likes about horror:
What do you like about the horror genre?
Horror stories depict the ultimate in vulnerabilities. Readers and viewers who connect with doomed characters experience the terror of such vulnerabilities, yet they emerge from the experience unharmed. Except, maybe, for a few bad dreams. Talk about a powerful win-win situation!
What are some of your favorite horror movies, books or TV shows?
The original Dracula with Bela Lugosi captivated me in the third grade and every viewing afterward. It’s a funky but wonderful movie. I loved the book even more. The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty was an amazing read. Ghost Story by Peter Straub also glued my eyes to the page. And I’ll never forget the short stories of Robert Aickman, particularly “Cicerones” and “Ringing the Changes.” I so enjoyed participating in the Robert Aickman panel at the World Fantasy Convention in 2014.
In what way do you live the horror lifestyle?
Open the utensil drawer in my kitchen and two plastic eyeballs will greet you.
Gaze at my annual Christmas tree, and you will notice the ornaments include bats, insects, mice and snakes. Look at the framed picture in my home’s entryway just the right way and a “ghost” will appear. And, naturally, being a writer, I look at ordinary experiences and ponder how to change them into horrific encounters with the unknown.
Where else can we find some of your work?
http://www.amazon.com/Laurel-Anne-Hill/e/B002XK5R5S
http://laurelannehill.libsyn.com/
https://horroraddicts.wordpress.com/tag/laurel-anne-hill/
Come meet us at BayCon 2015!
Come to the Horror Addicts Guide to Life book release party!
Friday, May 22nd
@ Baycon 2015
8:30 PM in the Stevens Creek
Hyatt Regency, Santa Clara, CA
Freebies at the door and door prizes to boot!
Plus, don’t miss getting all these signatures on your very own copy of the book.
Come meet Emerian Rich, H.E. Roulo, Laurel Anne Hill,
J. Malcolm Stewart, Loren Rhoads, Sumiko Saulson, and Lillian Csernica at
BayCon 2015
Horror Addicts Guide to Life
Don’t miss the door prizes, favors, and your chance to see all these amazing horror personalities together in one place! 🙂
Books will be on hand for signing and purchase.
Come meet us at BayCon 2015!
Come to the Horror Addicts Guide to Life book release party!
Friday, May 22nd
@ Baycon 2015
8:30 PM in the Stevens Creek
Hyatt Regency, Santa Clara, CA
Freebies at the door and door prizes to boot!
Plus, don’t miss getting all these signatures on your very own copy of the book.
Come meet Emerian Rich, H.E. Roulo, Laurel Anne Hill,
J. Malcolm Stewart, Loren Rhoads, Sumiko Saulson, and Lillian Csernica at
BayCon 2015
Horror Addicts Guide to Life
Don’t miss the door prizes, favors, and your chance to see all these amazing horror personalities together in one place! 🙂
Books will be on hand for signing and purchase.
HorrorAddicts.net 114, H.E. Roulo
Horror Addicts Episode# 114
Horror Hostess: Emerian Rich
Intro Music by: Valentine Wolfe
h.e. roulo | particle son | the walking dead
Find all articles and interviews at: http://www.horroraddicts.net
174 days till halloween
richard cheese, down with the sickness, zombies, baycon, book release party, emerian rich, h.e. roulo, j. malcolm stewart, laurel anne hill, sumiko saulson, loren rhoads, lillian csernica, seanan mcguire, earthquakes, horroraddicts on kindle, babadook, netflix, chiller, lifeforce, colin wilson, the space vampires, tobe hooper, texas chainsaw massacre, mathilda may, siren, slasher, stack.com, death note, adam wingard, the woman in black, horror addicts guide to life, sandra harris, ron vitale, david watson, books, plague master: sanctuary dome, zombie dome, slicing bones, kindle buys, morbid meals, dan shaurette, london mess, fox uk, canniburgers, the walking dead recipe, nightmare fuel, japanese fable, slit mouth woman, surgical mask, particle son, revelation, portland band, dawn wood, stephen king, clive barker, grant me serenity, jesse orr, black jack, the country road cover up, the sacred, crystal connor, dracula dead and loving it, kbatz, kristin battestella, c.a.milson, the walking dead, dead mail, candace questions, colette, bees, david, bugs, the watcher in the woods, pembroke, jaws, gremlins, craig, devil, sparkylee, the thing, dogs, kristin, alien, robert, magic, daltha, clowns, pennywise, jaq, creature from the black lagoon, jody, night of the living dead, world book day, interview with a vampire, michael, haunting of hill house, kbatz, frankenstein, dracula, anne rice, jane eyre, sumiko, the stand, lillian, jim butcher, changes, a.d., exorcist, mimielle, firestarter, bad moon rising, jonathan mayberry, edgar, alabama, alien from la, kathy ireland, ask marc, marc vale, mike, pittsburgh, driver’s test, what would norman bates do?, mother, voices, psycho, h.e. roulo, heather roulo.
Horror Addicts Guide to Life now available on Amazon!
http://www.amazon.com/Horror-Addicts-Guide-Life-Emerian/dp/1508772525/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1428730091&sr=8-1&keywords=horror+addicts+guide+to+life
HorrorAddicts.net blog Kindle syndicated
———————–
Write in re: ideas, questions, opinions, horror cartoons, favorite movies, etc…
————————
h o s t e s s
Emerian Rich
s t a f f
David Watson, Dan Shaurette, Marc Vale, KBatz (Kristin Battestella), Mimielle, Dawn Wood, Lillian Csernica, Killion Slade, D.J. Pitsiladis, Jesse Orr.
Want to be a part of the HA staff? Email horroraddicts@gmail.com
b l o g / c o n t a c t / s h o w . n o t e s
Come meet us at BayCon 2015!
Come meet Emerian Rich, H.E. Roulo, Laurel Anne Hill,
J. Malcolm Stewart, Loren Rhoads, Sumiko Saulson, and Lillian Csernica at
BayCon 2015
May 22nd-24th
Hyatt Regency
Santa Clara, CA
Program details coming soon, but don’t wait to buy your tickets.
We will be having a big HorrorAddicts.net BOF and
release party for our book:
Horror Addicts Guide to Life
Don’t miss the door prizes, favors, and your chance to see all these amazing horror personalities together in one place! 🙂
Books will be on hand for signing and purchase.
HorrorAddicts.net 112, Horror Addicts Guide to Life
Horror Addicts Episode# 112
Horror Hostess: Emerian Rich
Intro Music by: Valentine Wolfe
writer’s workshop winner | lacuna coil | frankenstein: the true story
Find all articles and interviews at: http://www.horroraddicts.net
201 days till halloween
malcolm stewart, jesse orr, kathy bates, misery, stephen king, american horror story, hotel, addict on the street, the walking dead, talking dead, salem, izombie, dan shaurette, lady gaga, poltergeist, jurassic world, mad max, fury road, unfriended, kbatz, kristin battestella, frankenstein: the true story, horror addicts guide to life, baycon, once upon a scream, laurel anne hill, j malcolm stewart, sumiko saulson, heather roulo, david watson, the undying, ethan reid, zombie, plague, top five, mimielle, makeup, vids, dj pitsiladis, nightmare fuel, werewolves, wisconsin, morbid meals, dan shaurette, berry fool, april fools, free fiction friday, emerian rich, dark soul, dawn wood, music corner, lacuna coil, swamped, jesse orr, grant me serenity, black jack, dead mail, nadine, writing, james, how to get on the show, sandra, zombie movies, scared of the dark, marc vale, advice, horror writer, inspiration, murderer, victim, jesse orr, genesis
Horror Addicts Guide to Life now available on Amazon!
http://www.amazon.com/Horror-Addicts-Guide-Life-Emerian/dp/1508772525/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1428730091&sr=8-1&keywords=horror+addicts+guide+to+life
———————–
Write in re: ideas, questions, opinions, horror cartoons, favorite movies, etc…
————————
h o s t e s s
Emerian Rich
s t a f f
David Watson, Dan Shaurette, Marc Vale, KBatz (Kristin Battestella), Mimielle, Dawn Wood, Lillian Csernica, Killion Slade, D.J. Pitsiladis, Jesse Orr.
Want to be a part of the HA staff? Email horroraddicts@gmail.com
b l o g / c o n t a c t / s h o w . n o t e s
Horror Addicts Guide to Life – Available now!
Horror Addicts Guide to Life
Cover art by: Masloski Carmen
Editor: David Watson
Do you love the horror genre? Do you look at horror as a lifestyle? Do the “norms” not understand your love of the macabre?
Despair no longer, my friend, for within your grasp is a book written by those who look at horror as a way of life, just like you. This is your guide to living a horrifying existence. Featuring interviews with Midnight Syndicate, Valentine Wolfe, and The Gothic Tea Society.
Authors: Kristin Battestella, Mimielle, Emerian Rich, Dan Shaurette, Steven Rose Jr., Garth von Buchholz, H.E. Roulo, Sparky Lee Anderson, Mary Abshire, Chantal Boudreau, Jeff Carlson, Catt Dahman, Dean Farnell, Sandra Harris, Willo Hausman, Laurel Anne Hill, Sapphire Neal, James Newman, Loren Rhoads, Chris Ringler, Jessica Robinson, Eden Royce, Sumiko Saulson, Patricia Santos Marcantonio, J. Malcolm Stewart, Stoneslide Corrective, Mimi A.Williams, and Ron Vitale. With art by Carmen Masloski and Lnoir.
HorrorAddicts.net 108, Alexander Beresford
Horror Addicts Episode# 108
Horror Hostess: Emerian Rich
Intro Music by: Cancer Killing Gemini
Click to listen:
40 days till Halloween!
alexander beresford, post rapture party, whitechapel
coolest little monster, john zacherley, halloween prep, whitechapel tv series, jack the ripper, eden lake, wolf creek, dating a zombie, c.a. milson, zombie town, pet cemetery, crystal connor, devil, m. night shyamalan, cam2cam, post rapture party, cropsey, dark wave, music, venus de vilo, queen of the pumpkin patch, a taste of murder, chocolate coconut oblivion cake, end of the world radio, zombies, 809 jacob street, marty young, christine sutton, all the little children, suffer the children, craig dilouie, apocalypse, flash fiction friday, ken macgregor, horror addicts guide to life, events, count dracula and his daughter boocula, reanimator, h. p. lovecraft, the ring, japanese novel, 30 days of night, comic, movie, clive barker, oscar wilde, bela lugosi, dracula, alexander beresford, doll face, charla, www panel audio, emerian rich, heather roulo, laurel anne hill.
http://traffic.libsyn.com/horroraddicts/HorrorAddicts108.mp3
Find all articles and interviews at: http://www.horroraddicts.net
HA FB Group:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/208379245861499/
———————–
Write in re: ideas, questions, opinions, horror cartoons, favorite movies, etc…
————————
h o s t e s s
Emerian Rich
s t a f f
David Watson, Dan Shaurette, Marc Vale, KBatz, Mimielle, Dawn Wood
Want to be a part of the HA staff? Email horroraddicts@gmail.com
b l o g / c o n t a c t / s h o w . n o t e s
HorrorAddicts.net 101, Ann Wilkes
Horror Addicts Episode# 101
Horror Hostess: Emerian Rich
Intro Music by: Cancer Killing Gemini
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138 days till Halloween!
ann wilkes, murder weapons, lee, cushing, price
vincent price, baycon, horroraddicts.net panel, laurel anne hill, j. malcolm stewart, ha facebook page, buffy the vampire slayer, christopher lee, peter cushing, vincent price, horror addicts guide to life, look back in horror, j. malcolm stewart, a treasury of recipes by mary and vincent price, fashion avatars, world goth day, hr giger, band poll, end of the world radio, murder weapons, perish, even hell has standards, chantal noordeloos, tim lichtenberg, zombie nights, 60 black women in horror fiction, sumiko saulson, camp 417, web of deceit, smothered, deep like a river, tim waggoner, ghosts of punktown, jeffery thomas, events, halloween, jamie lee curtis, michael meyers, lost boys, goonies, joel schumacher, buffy the vampire slayer, joss whedon, kate beckinsale, wesley snipes, dead mail, not for norms, writer’s block, flash fiction friday, anne wilkes.
http://traffic.libsyn.com/horroraddicts/HorrorAddicts101.mp3
Find all articles and interviews at: http://www.horroraddicts.net
Murder Weapons, “Perish”
———————–
Write in re: ideas, questions, opinions, horror cartoons, favorite movies, etc…
————————
h o s t e s s
Emerian Rich
s t a f f
Sapphire Neal, David Watson, Dan Shaurette, Marc Vale, KBatz, Mimielle, Dawn Wood
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b l o g / c o n t a c t / s h o w . n o t e s
HorrorAddicts.net #100, Top 100 of Horror
Horror Addicts Episode# 100
Horror Hostess: Emerian Rich
Intro Music by: Cancer Killing Gemini
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165 days till Halloween!
100th Episode! HorrorAddicts.net Top 100 of Horror
grasp logic, phantoms, twilight zone the movie, the annotated dracula
joshua heinrich, spekr freks, office angst, night’s knights, ed pope, band poll, phantoms, dean koontz, twilight zone movie, bram stoker’s menu, the annotated dracula, flash fiction friday, tim reynolds, horrible disasters, end of the world radio, grasp logic, black bird manga, fashion, sun protection, someone wicked, zippered flesh, broken, crime seen, michael brentcollings, mass hysteria, laurel anne hill, baycon, horroraddicts.net meetup, philip carroll, artistic logic, events, dead mail, top 100 of horror
Top 100 of Horror
Top 10 Horror Movies – As voted on by HorrorAddicts.net listeners
1. The Exorcist
2. Suspiria
3. The Shining
4. Phantasm
5. Hellraiser
6. Bram Stoker’s Dracula
7. Prince of Darkness
8. Inside
9. Night of the Living Dead (org)
10. Dracula, (Bela’s)
Top 10 Horror TV Series – presented by Kbatz
1. Buffy the Vampire Slayer
2. Dark Shadows
3. The Twilight Zone
4. Tales from the Darkside
5. The X-Files
6. Friday the 13th the Series
7. Tales from the Crypt
8. Night Gallery
9. Forever Knight
10. Elvira’s Movie Macabre (I’m cheating I don’t care!)
Humorous Honorable Mentions:
The Addams Family
The Munsters
Top 10 Horror Manga- presented by Emz
1. Death Note
2. Black Butler
3. Godchild
4. Rozen Maiden
5. Tarot Cafe’
6. Black Bird
7. Vampire Knight
8. Rosario + Vampire
9. Haunted House
10. Murder Princess
Top 10 Horror Books reviewed by HorrorAddicts.net – presented by David
10. Childhood Nightmares Under The Bed from Sirens Call publications. It’s rare that I read an anthology where I liked every story in it but I did for this one.
9.The Nightmare Project by Jo-Anne Russell. This one takes place mostly in an insane asylum which to me makes it terrifying and the main character is excellent the way she goes back and forth from crazy to being a sweet mother who wants to see her kids again.
8. NightWhere by John Everson. This is one bizarre romance that will leave you feeling sick to your stomach.
7. My Fearful Symmetry by Denise Verrico This is a different take on vampires that I really enjoyed.
6. The Weeping Woman by Patricia Santos Marcantonio Good Mexican ghost legend combined with a modern day police thriller.
5. The Last Adventure of Dr. Yngve Hogalum by D L Mackenzie. First steampunk tale I’ve read with a lot of humor. Fun read.
4. Vaudeville by Greg Chapman. I like the concept of traveling side shows so I loved this one.
3.Underwood and Flinch Chronicles volume 1 and 2 by Mike Bennett. Excellent vampire story that I couldn’t put down. Its books like this that make me love reading.
2. Ivory by Steve Merrifield. I loved this one I wasn’t sure where it was going until the end, Really good original idea for a book.
1. Charla by Alex Beresford Its been seven months since I’ve read this book, even if you take the Demon out of the story it still works as a great horror novel.
Top 10 HorrorAddicts.net Interviews – presented by Sapphire (see full blog post)
10. Kimberly Steele
9. Shaunessy Ashdown
8. Patricia Santos
7. Crystal Connor
6. Rick Kitagawa
5. Jennifer Rahn
4. Joshua Heinrich
3. Shana Abé
2. Wicked Women Writers/Masters of Macabre
1. Emerian Rich
Top 10 Horror Stories on HorrorAddicts.net – presented by David
This list proves that Emerian doesn’t like me. It’s almost impossible to go through all of the episodes of horror addicts and pick out a top 10. I’m sure I left out plenty that I liked but this is what I came up with:
10.Season 1 episode 3. The Show by Kirk Warrington. I like werewolves and I liked the concept behind this story.
9.Season 2 episode 13. Santa Claws by Michele Rogers Good Christmas tale, lots of fun
8. Season 4 episode 33. Wings of Revenge by Laurel Anne Hill. Well told story and I like the bats in it.
7. Season 3 episode 28 The Butterfly Collector by Kimberly Steele. I liked this one and that’s all I’m saying. This one got me in trouble because I was listening to it at work. Listen to it you’ll see what I mean.
6. Season 2 episode 15 Night Crossing by Mike Bennett. I liked the book this is from so much I just can’t keep it off the list.
5. Season 5 episode episode 54 Hammersmith House I like the premise, I like the use of a historic event and I like stories told in diary entries.
4.Season 7 episode 72 Mark Vale Inkubus. Great voice and great production values
3.Season 7 episode 83 Shaunessy Ashdown Commencing Slaughter. Great audio production, good story that may keep you from ever eating meat again.
2.Ronda Carpenter WWW entry season 5 Lust: Barring Lilith. Great story with lots of sex and violence what more can you ask for.
1. Season 1 Episode 6 Hunt Night by Mark Eller. Before I was on staff this was the episode that made me think of the horror addicts podcast as my favorite. Good story about demons.
Top 10 Fashion Must-Haves for Horror Addicts – presented by Mimielle
1. A GOOD Black Eyeliner for everyone! Yes Guyliner is bigger than ever! (Gel crayons double as lip liner, I’m a fan…)
2. SUNSCREEN. Even if you don’t maintain a gothic pallor, protecting your skin keeps it more beautiful.
3. A pair of staples are A) A good hair product to tame or fluff your hair and define your style and B) A BB or CC cream, with skin benefits and good coverage. For guys who don’t use makeup, a colorless but mattifying foundation primer is undetectable on the skin but has skin benefits and works some pore-vanishing magic!
4. A staple black bottom piece. Black skirt, jeans, leggings, bondage pants, cargo pants/shorts. It’s the most versatile thing in your wardrobe and the easiest to change as a seasonal trend piece!
5. Favorite fandom t-shirt(s). Whether it’s a band shirt, vintage horror movie tie-in or blackletter gym, club or coffee shop shirt, REPRESENT your alternative interests by displaying them once in a while. Extra points if it’s somehow distressed, laced or bleach-‘dyed’. Get creative!
6. A black or white button-down shirt. You can wear it so many ways! Over T’s and tanks, under vests and sweaters, tucked or untucked. I use a men’s pleated tuxedo shirt that I stole from my swain.
7. One or two unusual pieces or trademark ‘you’ looks. For example a couple of mine are ‘all white and pale with intense lips and eyes’ and ‘all black but frilly and with heavy makeup’ and I build most of my wardrobe around these kinds of looks.
8. A go-to ‘uniform’. A set of clothes and a practiced makeup look that you can throw together in very minimal time and always look fab. Mine is a black TrippNYC dress, blow drying my hair straight and a winged black liner/red lip look. Out the door in 20 (shh, don’t tell!)!
9. A great pair of boots or shoes. Docs, Demonia Buckle Boots, your trusty Converse Chucks. Keep them polished/neat even if your look is more deconstructed/grunge.
10. A fierce attitude! Confidence is ultimately the key to pulling off any look!
Top 10 Horror Music – presented by HorrorAddicts.net Staff
1. Type O Negative
2. Midnight Syndicate
3. Saints of Ruin
4. Nosferatu
5. Nine Inch Nails
6. My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult
7. The Damned
8. Tool
9. Mission UK
10. Xorcist
Top 10 Horror Soundtracks – presented by HorrorAddicts.net Staff
1. Suspiria
2. Lost Boys
3. Dracula
4. Interview with the Vampire
5. Sweeny Todd
6. Beetlejuice
7. Nightmare Before Christmas
8. The Crow
9. Scream
10. Queen of the Damned
Top 10 Episode Memories – presented by Emz (find out why by listening to the show!)
1. Season 1 Ep 8- Arlene’s Forever, we were trying to record in the Hell Hole Tavern cemetery in Second Life and Arlene kept getting her hair caught on the cemetery fence and walking around bald.
2. Season 2 Ep 15- Mike Bennett’s introduction on our show of Night Crossing, which was the intro to Underwood and Flinch.
3. Season 3 Ep 31- The first ever Wicked Women Writer’s Challenge
4. Season 4 Ep 37 – Rhonda’s Sea Serpent rising out of the water to kill us all!
5. Season 5 Ep 51 & 52 – Jez and Fang fight in GothHaus. Eyeliner Vs. Top Hat.
6. Season 6 Ep71 – Really a treat for me to interview Patterson Lundquist, the #1 Elvira Impersonator. Not only was it an honor, but we had a lot of fun chatting.
7. Season 7 Ep 84 – Interviewing one of my favorite authors, Andrew Neiderman. I wouldn’t say it was the fun-est because I was nervous as hell, but to be able to talk to an author that has changed your life is an experience I won’t forget.
8. Season 8 No Episode… I got to interview Mike Bennett live via Skype at BayCon and it was so awesome. The audio messed up and I was unable to share it with you, but those of us that were there was so thrilled. Def. something we’ll never forget. If you think Mike Bennett is cool on his podcasts, he is even more awesome live!
9. Season 1 -Horror Con in Second Life. Was so much fun. We had free reign because Mark Eller was the host and he let me do whatever I wanted. We had poetry readings in the cemetery, he killed me in the tavern and then we had a fashion show by hanging for Mimielle’s fashion label in SL where I walked the cat walk, got hung, and then dropped down to make my final lap. Was so much fun!
10. I will never forget my very first show. I was fresh off my first ever podcast called Office Angst, I wanted to do something to do with Horror and I had no idea if this show would fly or even if it would go past that first episode. Sad is I think I’ve lost it… It was deleted from the site and I can not find it in my archive… so it might be lost forever!
http://traffic.libsyn.com/horroraddicts/HorrorAddicts100.mp3
Find all articles and interviews at: http://www.horroraddicts.net
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Write in re: ideas, questions, opinions, horror cartoons, favorite movies, etc…
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h o s t e s s
Emerian Rich
s t a f f
Sapphire Neal, David Watson, Dan Shaurette, Marc Vale, KBatz, Mimielle, Dawn Wood
Want to be a part of the HA staff? Email horroraddicts@gmail.com
b l o g / c o n t a c t / s h o w . n o t e s
Happy Halloween!!!
May all your Halloween dreams take flight
and make this next year one in which to delight!
Emerian Rich
HorrorAddicts.net Hostess
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Happy Halloween, Horror Addicts!
From Laurel Anne Hill (Most Wicked 2011),
David (Laurel’s wonderfully wicked husband) and “snakey.”
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Have a spleen’did Halloween Horror Addicts. I will be making some bloody scones in your honor. “JoJo” from GothHaus – Ariel DaWintre
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Hello Darlings!
It’s me, that piece that everyone’s dying to rest in! Elvira… okay well not really. Just dropping all you Horror Addicts a seasonal message! Yep, it’s that time of year where the ghouls are out in force, the monsters are turning up everywhere and the angry mobs are looking for blood…. No, not election season! HALLOWEEN! It’s my favorite time of year! You can wear costumes and make a complete ass- er I mean… uh… FOOL out of yourselves and you don’t have to give anyone any gifts! But don’t let that stop you from sending yours cruelly a little something! After all, all you weirdo’s and weirdettes always try to sit on my lap and tell me what you want for Halloween!
(Most of you all want the same darn thing!)
Anyway darlings, I’m haulin’ my pumpkins on outta here! Make sure you have a safe INSANE Halloween and as always,
Unpleasant Dreams!
Patterson Lundquist
World Famous Elvira Impersonator
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They come to the door and a pitter patter, doorbell, or knock is heard. You open the door to find a monster, ghost, super hero, or more waiting for you. A yell of “Trick or Treat” is heard and a smile comes to the face. Meanwhile adults gather to party the night away and have some fun. It’s a night all can enjoy Happy Halloween. – Knightmist
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Since Halloween in Germany is about as exciting as laundry day, I encourage all my friends in the US to enjoy this wonderful holiday to its fullest (before the Christian fundamentalists take control of the country and outlaw it)!
~Shaunessy Ashdown
Guest Blog- Laurel Anne Hill: Shanghai Steam
Laurel Anne Hill (Most Wicked 2011) Invites you to Read
SHANGHAI STEAM: A Unique and Totally Cool Steampunk-Wuxia Mashup
To scare or not to scare: That is the question.
Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to write of
The slings and arrows of a character’s ill fortune
Or to rip away that character’s two arms in a bloody sea of troubles
And by opposing what the reader craves, end their interest. To die, to sleep–
No more the story shall be read if I choose wrong–and by such sleep careers doth end.
– Written by Laurel Anne Hill, Most Wicked 2011, even as Shakespeare groaned from his grave
Sometimes I write horror. Sometimes I don’t. My latest offering, Moon-Flame Woman is not horror, although my main character, Cho Ting-Lam, finds herself in a horrible situation. Moon-Flame Woman is steampunk, and included in SHANGHAI STEAM (Absolute XPress, November 2012), a steampunk-wuxia anthology to be launched at the upcoming World Fantasy Convention in Toronto.
The setting for Moon-Flame Woman is a North American railroad construction camp in 1866. That’s because the tremendous contribution of Chinese workers in the building of the U.S. transcontinental railroad never ceases to impress me. Yet nineteenth-century Chinese laborers in the United States didn’t receive the respect they deserved.
In Moon-Flame Woman, Ting-Lam has lost self-respect. She, a slave, has neither a husband nor sons. Disguised as a man, Ting-Lam uses explosives and crystal technology to bore railroad tunnels through the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Then a railroad superintendent endangers her and her people.
I invite you to visit the worlds within SHANGHAI STEAM. From ancient China to a future Mars, from the British Empire to the Old West, nineteen authors will show you worlds with alcohol-fueled dragons, philosophical automatons, and Qi-powered machines both wondrous and strange in tales of vengeance, paper lantern revolutions and flying monks.
Most Wicked 2011
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:
http://www.laurelannehill.com/
http://laurelannehill.com/blog/
http://www.facebook.com/people/Laurel-Anne-Hill/1171607081
13 Questions with The Wicked
This week’s Horror Addicts interview is a special one, with interviews from several wicked ladies. That’s right, it’s time for the Wicked Women Writers Challenge!
The theme for this season’s challenge is 7 Deadly Sins. The contestants had a month to prepare their short story and interpret their sin. The women participating in the challenge are ones you’re sure to recognize: Michele Roger, R.E. Chambliss, Laurel Anne Hill, Rhonda Carpenter, Kimberly Steele, and Hollie Snider.
As last year’s winner Heather Roulo (H.E. Roulo) was the one to organize the contest this time around. And of course, our very own Emerian Rich will be working with Heather on the commentary for each story.
Here’s what Emz had to say about the contest, “I’m excited to see what the ladies come up with. They are all very talented. We’ve got Michele Roger, the one who created the Wicked Women Writers and the mastermind behind making Santa a werewolf! Laurel Anne Hill, who helped judge last year is an awesome writer and very involved with helping women in the writing community. Renee has been in our group for some time, but this will be her first story for Horror Addicts so I’m excited to see her step into the horror box. Rhonda Carpenter is a veteran of Horror Addicts and the Wicked Women’s Challenge. She’s also helped host Horror Addicts and has done little cameos here and there when I need her. Last Season, Kimberly Steele was our first woman to win the Best in Blood award for 
HorrorAddicts.net. Hollie is a newcomer to our group but has been writing for years and has been involved with writing groups as a mentor. These are all awesome writing women with strong voices. This contest will be rad to hear. I am especially eager to see how the fans react. Last time it was just 4 ladies. Now it’s harder with 6.”
Heather explained to me a little about the voting process. “The voters will decide how well each of the ladies have interpreted their theme. We suggested that the entries be quicker, since we were lucky enough to have so many people participate and we want to make sure that listeners have time to hear all the stories, but really they were encouraged to try whatever they wanted. And it’s great that we get to air in the Halloween episode!” Emz, also added that, “[i]t’s really too tough to judge. That’s why I’m making the listeners do it. With such awesome women involved, the competition is steep.”
I was able to have several “mini” interviews, including one with WWW creator Michele Roger (who, as mentioned above is a contestant as well). Michele’s theme this year is “Gluttony.”
“Last year, I participated in the challenge as well, but my story was the longest. It was as if I’d forgotten how to write short fiction. I had just come off of writing my first long novel, “Dark Matter” and I think I was still stuck in the very serious mode. This year, “Gluttony” is much lighter, faster paced and tongue and cheek. I grew up attending a Catholic school in the suburbs of north Detroit as a kid. I couldn’t resist going back to those memories and basing a horror story based on a deadly sin in my old alma matre.”
Be sure to note that Roger’s new novel, “The Conservatory” is due to be released this November. For more info checkout http://www.micheleroger.com/.
R.E. (Renée) Chambliss is a writer and podcaster who lives in northern California. Her highly-rated podcast novel, Dreaming of Deliverance, can be found on itunes and at podiobooks.com. To learn more about her writing, podcasting, and voice work, visit REChambliss.com. Renée’s theme this year is “Pride.” Her inspiration, surprisingly comes from a well known tv show.
“Years ago, I watched Survivor Amazon on t.v. Each episode, the losing tribe has to vote someone out of the game. Well, this time the tribes were divided by gender: there was an all-male tribe and an all-female tribe. One thing that really interested me (and kind of horrified me, to be honest) was that in the all-female tribe a couple of the younger 
women were very proud of their youth and beauty and were also certain that the older women must be extremely threatened by them because of it. Whenever there was a negative interaction with one of the older women, the young women always assumed it was because the older women were jealous. That seemed incredibly ridiculous to me. And it popped back into my head when I learned my sin would be pride. I decided to model a character after one of those young, pretty girls, and see where the story would go!”
“[Laurel Anne Hill is] looking forward to pouring a glass of wine, curling up in [her] favorite overstuffed chair and listening to the submitted stories. Oh, and [she’ll] also dim the lights to create the appropriate spooky atmosphere.”
Her theme turned out to be “Sloth,” which she told me was “a challenge in itself. After all, exciting main characters take action and overcome obstacles. How would I write from a couch potato’s point-of-narration and still maintain forward momentum? Then I came across a true “medical horror” case and the fuzzy pieces of my story puzzle sharpened at the edges…I started writing, and the result was Beyond Her Reach, a tale of sloth.”
And just a little FYI for all you Hill fans out there: “My award-winning novel, Heroes Arise (KOMENAR Publishing, 2007), is available in hard cover, trade paper and electronically through Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Thar be Magic, my pirates and magic short story, appears in the Rum and Runestones anthology (Dragon Moon Press, 2010), also available through Amazon and Barnes & Noble. In 2010, I’ve had two additional short stories accepted for anthologies, and also had an op-ed (Support your Local Hero Rat) published by AOL News in August. To reach my blog and podcast, go to http://www.laurelannehill.com/.”
“Lust” was given to author Rhonda Carpenter, which found out some pretty interesting things while researching. “While researching the sin lust I found a very cool story about how god created Adam’s partner but that first partner was not Eve it was a woman named Lilith. She did not accept the subservient position of Adam being on top during sex. She refused to be on the bottom. I found this fascinating. She was rejected by Adam because she would not accept his dominance. God threw her out and she then had hundreds of babies in defiance. Then God created Eve she was the perfect subservient partner for Adam, Well I guess until she gave her partner an apple.”
For more information on Rhonda, go to: http://www.rhondacarpenter.com
For Kimberly Steele and her sin, “Greed,” things got off with a rough start. “I completely messed up this challenge. I was assigned to do a story on Greed, so I began to write a character who is pretty much the male archetype of everything I hate about American society: a hard-drinking, wife-cheating, money-obsessed salesman in that loathsome bland herd of executives who lunch (and golf). Then there was the demon tongue that ruins the aforementioned character’s life. The tongue was even more fun to write then the slimy salesman! The spigot flowed free and fast–only problem was that I wrote 10,000 words or roughly one hour of audio story! Only once the audio was recorded did I realize I was supposed to keep it to a pithy 10 minutes of audio. I had no choice but to write another story, so I spun a yarn that was heavily influenced by EC Comics; a Tales From the Crypt sort of thing about a doofus idiot who burns a volume of Shakespeare and gets owned for his stupidity by his recently deceased grandmother. I only entered the shorter story in the contest, but audiences will be the winners here as I will release both audio stories free from ForeverFifteen.com.”
Steele’s story for the contest is “about a greedy person has no appreciation of what he has, even though he lives a life of privilege and luxury compared to most. He abuses everyone around him, wastes every opportunity by being listless or lazy, takes everything for granted, then has the gall to blame others for his own ineffectualness.”
For more information on Kimberly check out her website at http://kimberlysteelemusic.com/.
“Good writing and lots of fun.” That’s what Hollie Snider is looking forward to for this challenge. “Since I’ve never really been part of the Wicked Women Writers, I am looking forward to getting to know everyone. That’s the big 
thing for me this year.”
Her plans for the challenge, “[t]o win, of course. Seriously, I didn’t even plan to be part of the challenge but Emz mentioned it to me and it sounded like fun. This is the first one I’ve done for Wicked Women Writers.”
Snider’s story for the challenge is titled, “Mirror, Mirror and was inspired by Snow White.”
“[It’s] definitely more toward the original Grimm’s Fairy Tales rather than Disney. The sin I wrote it for is “Envy.” It’s been called “gruesome” by those who proofed it for me. I hope it’s gruesome enough to get under people’s skin.” For more information on Hollie, go to: http://www.holliesnider.com/
To quote Michele, “It just seemed to me that the sci fi and horror genres are a bit of a “boy’s club”. There are real marketing reasons why many female writers publish under their initials or a pen name in this area of literature.” Or as Emerian put it, “[O]ur community is more about being a woman in a writing genre that is dominated by men. We support each other, share tips, and even help each other. It’s kind of like a secret society. We don’t have a strange handshake, but if another WWW asks for help, we all chip in.”
Everyone I interviewed had their own opinion of what they believe a Wicked Women Writer truly is. But, they all had one thing in common: she will “leave the listener with a satisfying chill in the bones.”
All I know is this Wicked Women Writers Challenge is going to be Horrific!
Happy Haunting Horror Addicts!
Horror Addicts Authors Spotted @ Baycon
This weekend was the annual gathering of awesome writers, readers, costumers, and enthusiasts of SciFi, Fantasy, and (some) horror people! They like to call it Baycon, I just call it – freakin’ rad.
Not only did we get to enjoy time with friends, browse a spectacular art gallery, spend money in the dealer’s room, watch belly dancing, participate in the Regency dance, view anime, listen to speakers, tour the party floor, admire costumes, act like zombies, go to the Klingon slave auction, and generally wear ourselves out on the most awesome entertainment in the San Francisco Bay Area, we also got to catch some Horror Addicts writers on film!
Dani and Eytan Kollin were back to promote their second book in the Unincorporated series, The Unincorporated War. Their playful brotherly banter is always a treat. You always wonder… who will win the argument? And you’re always left wondering… who did win the argument? Eytan also puts on what we have come to know as the best panel of the con- an unparalleled weapons demonstration.
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Laurel Anne Hill
Author Laurel Anne Hill was also in attendance, reading from two books. Her novel Heroes Arise and the newly released anthology Rum and Runestones from Dragon Moon Press. I really had a good time at her reading. She had wine and cheese and grapes. She also color coordinated her outfit with the new book cover very well. A woman must also match her accessories, you know!
Kirk Warrington
H. E. Roulo and Emz
Authors Heather Roulo and Kirk Warrington were also present.
Tony Todaro, Scott Sigler, Ann Wilkes, A Kovacs, Emerian Rich
My panels were very enjoyable. I got to talk about manga vs. comics, self-promotion, and how to use the internet (including SL) to it’s full potential.
I got to meet long time Horror Addict, A Kovacs, who was the voice behind the story in episode #19. I also met a few more of you guys at the con and I infected some new members as well. Next year I hope to meet more of you. If there is a con in your neck of the woods you’d like to see me at, tell your con organizers or email me with the info. I’d love to come!
13 Questions with Laurel Anne Hill
For my first article and to kick off the New Year, I interviewed award winning author Laurel Anne Hill.
Laurel is most noted for her debut parable,
Heroes Arise. Hill is the featured author of Horror Addicts episode 33. She was asked by our very own Horror Addicts Hostess, Emerian Rich, to submit a story for the Vampire themed episode.
When asked about the request, Hill stated, “I’m delighted that Emerian invited me to submit a story and elated that she liked the one I created for the occasion.”
The story she wrote for all the Horror Addicts out there is titled, Wings of Revenge. Here’s a sneak-peek into Hill’s thoughts and inspiration for Wings of Revenge. “…I strove to create a scary vampire tale minus most of the traditional clichés. In other words, no garlic or crucifixes. No handsome dead guys with pale skin. No fainting ladies. In fact, Carlotta, my human main character, is self-confident and used to taking risks. Additionally, I selected the “our vampires are different” trope to flavor Wings of Revenge with a measure of unpredictability.”
Hill has already written two short vampire themed stories, Eternal Poetry and Real Vampires Don’t Snore. “However, [the] vampires in Wings of Revenge aren’t sympathetic. They’re evil. [Hill] wrote Wings of Revenge to confirm that [she] could write a scary vampire tale.”
She was asked her opinion on how the “classic” Bram Stoker vampire compares to “modern day” vampires created by authors such as Anne Rice and Stephenie Meyer. Hill replied, “As I read novels by Anne Rice, I felt her vampires’ humanity and separation from humanity. Above all, I felt their sensuality and sexuality. To a far lesser degree, these types of feelings arose when I read Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight. Bram Stoker never brought me that close to Count Dracula. Stoker even distanced me from his mortal, first-person point-of-view characters. Bram Stoker’s Dracula was published in 1897, and Anne Rice’s Interview with a Vampire, over 75 years afterward. Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight was published in 2005. Writing and life styles changed during that span of time. Vampires in modern literature reflect such changes.”
Laurel Anne Hill has been on Horror Addicts before as a judge for the Wicked Women Writer’s Challenge. Mrs. Hill stated, “I loved serving as a judge for the [WWWC]. What an honor! The quality of the podcasts impressed and inspired me.”
She believes that “many factors contribute to making a good writer. Some of the most important include passion, determination, and attention to craft–breathing life into stories instead of sucking all the life out of them.”
Mrs. Hill, herself, worked in the pharmaceuticals/health care industry for 40 years. But, she has been writing stories pretty much all her life. “Actually, I first wrote stories before I learned how to read. I told my stories to my older sister and she wrote down the words. I continued to write until graduation from college, when marriage and a demanding career led me down a different path. Then, in 1991, a mysterious illness hit me. My back muscles went into near-continuous spasms for six weeks. Prescription drugs helped make the agony bearable but generated hallucinations. When the Grim Reaper appeared and taunted me for not writing, I reorganized my priorities.”
Heroes Arise, Mrs. Hill’s most notable work, was published in 2007. When asked how it felt to have her parable traditionally published, Hill replied, “Having a book published by a traditional publishing house felt different than having short pieces appear in newspapers or zines. The first time I held the hard-cover edition of Heroes Arise in my hands, all I could do was say, “Ohhhh.” The reality of being an author hit me at that point.”
Hill enjoys writing, her favorite genre happens to be fantasy. “I love world building, especially when the world I’m creating has room for magic.” Her husband, David, is usually the person to do the first read of her completed work. But “occasionally, [her] writing group does the first read.”
Mentioned on her website as her current project is Plague of Flies, a historical novel set in California 1846. When asked about it Hill replied, “[Plague of Flies], was my current project until earlier [2009]. The story wasn’t coming to life on the page. I switched to doing a rewrite of my earlier novel manuscript, A Light from the Mountain….In the meanwhile, I attended various science fiction/fantasy presentations given by publishers at conventions. I learned that a futuristic science fiction/fantasy work from a non-bestselling author probably wouldn’t be publishable in the current market. My agent (who loved A Light from the Mountain) had passed away a couple of years ago….As a result, I’ve rethought both A Light from the Mountain and Plague of Flies. I’m reworking A Light from the Mountain as steampunk/fantasy set in the late 1800s. Plague of Flies will remain set in 1846 but I’ll develop the novel as alternate history/magical realism.”
Look for Hill’s Thar be Magic; a “pirates and magic short story, [which] is scheduled to appear in the Rum and Runestones anthology (Dragon Moon Press) in 2010.”
You can learn more about Mrs. Hill at her Red Room and Vox blogs. Where you can find “announcements regarding events, podcasts, and slide shows.” Hill also started a podcast in August of 2009 titled Welcome to my Bedroom Closet. Her podcasts usually contain “readings of her work” or “advice about writing”. Look forward to many podcasts from her as she mentioned she “prepare[s] flyers about Welcome to my Bedroom Closet and distribute[s] them at conferences and other events. My podcast is a long term project to increase my platform as an author.”
You can find Laurel Anne Hill’s blogs at these links: http://www.redroom.com/author/laurel-anne-hill and http://laurelannehill.vox.com.
You can also find her postcasts and listen to Eternal Poetry and Real Vampires Don’t Snore at http://laurelannehill.libsyn.com.
Heroes Arise is available on Amazon.com in both print and Kindle format.
Episode #33 of Horror Addicts will go live January 14th, 2010 at http://www.horroraddicts.net
Horror Addicts Season 4!
Horror Addicts Season 4 starts January 14th! Stay tuned.
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