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.

http://www.heroulo.com/

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

http://www.killionslade.com/

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.

http://jaqdhawkins.co.uk/

 

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.

http://norvaljoe.com/

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.

https://www.amazon.com/Into-the-Furnace/dp/B01FXVT6VO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1468068806&sr=8-1&keywords=rish+outfield

http://rishoutfield.blogspot.com/

HorrorAddicts.net 119, Jaq D. Hawkins

Horror Addicts Episode# 119

Horror Hostess: Emerian Rich

Intro Music by: Valentine Wolfe

jaq d. hawkins | more machine than man | slasher movies

Find all articles and interviews at: http://www.horroraddicts.net

68 days till halloween

la guns, over the edge, anne rice, vampires, glam metal, halloween shopping, scarela, richard carradine, ghoula.org, wickedlit.org, crossroadsescapegames.com, lisa lestrange, living dead, box of dread, bill rude, 7hells.com, horror art, krampus, terry m. west, turning face, wrestling, demon, andy alexander, grimwrether.com, queenie, pocket full of posez, brit austin, edward allen, haunted memories, holographic creepy pics, books, serena toxicat, ghost in bones, david, dance of the goblins, jaq d. hawkins, dreamweavers, kerry alan denney, morbid meals, haggis burgers, the world, tarot, wicked women writers, challengers: jaq d. hawkins, sharmica richardson, master of macabre, challengers: sean t. young, rish outfield, winners announced, judges, evo terra, willo clare hausman, dan shaurette, dario ciriello, lucy blue, sandra saidak, voter winner announced, more machine than man, rob zilla, tasha, music, dawn wood, jesse orr, grant me serenity, black jack, the herd, ed pope, dead kansas, aaron k. carter, slasher movies, kbatz, maniac, the hitcher, j. malcolm stewart, dead mail, swim cap, mimielle, karen, make fun of goths, marc vale, advice, jim, poison, mimi williams, join the staff, social media, jaq d. hawkins, chantal noordeloos

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

http://www.amazon.com/HorrorAddicts-net/dp/B004IEA48W/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1431022701&sr=8-1&keywords=horroraddicts.net

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Write in re: ideas, questions, opinions, horror cartoons, favorite movies, etc…

horroraddicts@gmail.com

————————

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, A.D. Vick, Mimi Williams

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

http://www.horroraddicts.net

 

 

Wicked Women Writers Challenge & Masters of Macabre Contest – VOTE NOW!

Up a little early for all you voters! We present, our Wicked Women Writers Challenge and Master of Macabre Contest for your approval.
Horror Addicts Episode# 115

Hosted by: Killion Slade & Rhonda Carpenter

Who will win? YOU DECIDE! Vote for one woman and one man. Don’t miss your chance at a the HorrorAddicts.net PRIZE PACK!

VOTE by emailing: horroraddicts@gmail.com SUBJECT LINE: WWW

VOTE by emailing: horroraddicts@gmail.com SUBJECT LINE: MMM

HorrorAddicts.net 105, Masters of Macabre Contest

Horror Addicts Episode# 105
Intro Music by: Cancer Killing Gemini
Co-Hosted by Rick Kitagawa and Eve Skylar
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83 days till Halloween!
masters of macabre contest

stephen kozeniewski, ricky cooper, rish outfield, d.j. pitsiladis, solomon archer, creature feature, writing contest

To vote, send an email to horroraddicts@gmail.com
Subject line: MMM
Tell us who you think wrote the best story and why.
One lucky winner will win the HorrorAddicts.net PRIZE PACK!

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…
horroraddicts@gmail.com
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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

HorrorAddicts.net 090, Rish Outfield

Horror Addicts Episode# 090

Horror Hostess: Emerian Rich

Intro Music by: Cancer Killing Gemini

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rish outfield | lo

Find all articles and interviews at: http://www.horroraddicts.net

| give me brains | goths in hot weather | lo | movie contest |

| the wickeds | horrible disasters | seven slightly sadistic stories |

| blood feud | matters of the blood | a method of madness |

| black magic | the innocents | goth summer fashion |

| events | dead mail | nyx | night’s knights storycasting |

| ghirardelli | rish outfield |

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Give Me Brains ~ Billy and Mandy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXh_sbWURbg

Goths in Hot Weather

http://gothsinhotweather.blogspot.com/

The Wickeds

http://www.amazon.com/The-Wickeds-Wicked-Writers-Anthology/dp/1463612702/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1336698794&sr=8-6

Horrible Disasters

http://www.amazon.com/Horrible-Disasters-Emerian-Rich/dp/1463669445/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1362361562&sr=8-5&keywords=emerian+rich

Seven Slightly Sadistic Stories

http://www.amazon.com/Seven-Slightly-Sadistic-Stories-ebook/dp/B00B2AYY22/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1373762346&sr=1-1&keywords=7+sadistic+stories

Night’s Knights Storycasting

http://storycasting.com/work.aspx?id=7d9d66a6-e3fa-4a37-a9f9-a93a863a711b

Rish Outfield

http://rishoutfield.blogspot.com/

Write in re: ideas, questions, opinions, horror cartoons, favorite movies, etc…

horroraddicts@gmail.com

————————

h o s t e s s

Emerian Rich

s t a f f

Sapphire Neal, David Watson, Dan Shaurette, Marc Vale, KBatz, Mimielle

Want to be a part of the HA staff? Email horroraddicts@gmail.com

c o n t a c t / s h o w . n o t e s

http://www.horroraddicts.net

m u s i c

http://www.graveconcernsezine.com

13 Questions with Rish Outfield

This week, I find myself in a familiar predicament when it comes to interviewing. What to do when I can’t break down the interview into 13 questions. Now, the reason why I’ve been having so much trouble with this episode’s featured author is because Rish Outfield’s answers are…just plain brilliant. With that being said, today’s interview will be a little different than usual, to allow you a deeper look into the dark mind of Rish. Continue, if you dare…

Sapphire: How do you feel being on Horror Addicts for the first time (as the Featured Author)?

Rish: “I don’t know if others have found it an honor (or if it even technically qualifies), but it’s really an honor.  I’ve never been a featured author before, though I was once a featured attraction in the Blokes No One Will Sleep With Sideshow, which traveled extensively through the Southland.  Wait, are we supposed to make jokes with these questions?  Do I have to answer them honestly?  Am I under oath?  I did swear, but it was on a copy of “I Am Legend” rather than a Bible.  But I took it as the same thing.  Sorry if I’m confused. Thank you for giving me this spot, and for trusting me not to chase away your audience for a month.”

S: Have you written a new story for Horror Addicts episode 90 or are you sharing a pre-written one?

Rish: “I considered sharing an older story, then thought this would be a good opportunity to write something new.  I always wanted to write about a group of college students who perform some kind of rite or ritual in the forest, and unleash something beyond their control.  I figured I’d make a go of it with this one.  It ended up being a much longer piece than I intended, and certainly longer than was permitted for the show.  I had to decide what to keep and what to lose, of course, but I hope the best parts remain.”

S: Can you give us a little sneak-peek into your story?

Rish: “Unreleased tells of Trevor Vanllewyn, who is a man at the end of his life.  Years ago, he and his college friends summoned a qarin, like a genie in a bottle, and he never quite escaped the events of that night.  So now, at the end of his life, he chooses to summon it again, wanting one last glimpse at otherworldly beauty.”

S: What inspired you to write Unreleased?

Rish: “I had two images in my head when I came up with this tale.  The first was an old man, walking through the desert, and the other was a beautiful girl, shivering beside a fire.  Originally, I thought the old man would be the retired professor the main character goes to for help, but for some reason, the old man ended up as the main character of the story.  I intended him to be pretty bitter and amoral, but I ended up relating to him way more than I probably should have.”

S: What have you been up to since the last MMM Challenge?

Rish: “I have started narrating audio books on Audible.com, hoping to combine my love for storytelling and for podcasting into something with a paycheck at the end.  So far, it’s been a bit less fun than writing about frontier werewolves, cursed objects, and witches living next door, but I still enjoy narration, and hope that check is in the mail, or soon will be.

S: What can we find on your website, Dunesteef.com?

Rish: “In 2009, my friend Big Anklevich and I had way more ambition than we do today, and we started a fiction podcast (the Dunesteef Audio Fiction Magazine) where we’d not only present short stories people submitted us, but we’d do it with music, sound effects, and a full cast of voices.  We’ve produced more than a hundred Sci-Fi, Horror, Comedy, Fantasy, and Western stories, followed by our hopefully-amusing discussion.  We’ve slowed down in recent years, but we still manage the Herculean task of storytelling in that elaborate fashion.  From time to time.”

S: Do you currently have any stories published in either e-book format or traditionally?

Rish: “For some reason, I have always been terrified to share my work with others.  Rejection is a natural part of life, but I still fear it the way other folks fear spiders or bats or cannibals or melons (people still fear cantalopes, don’t they?).  So, I submit my work very infrequently.  Despite that, my stories have been heard on the Drabblecast, Journey Into…, The Way of the Buffalo, and this very podcast.”

S: What would you say is the hardest thing about being a writer?

Rish: “Two things.  Obviously, the fear of sharing my work as I’ve just mentioned.  But also, I have so many ideas for stories, books, and screenplays that I know are good ones, but sometimes I lack the ability to convert those ideas to actual text, or the wherewithall to write the damn things out to their conclusion.  Everybody struggles with their own writing demons, but those are the two biggest, most horned, hunched, and winged demons in my personality.”

S: What do you enjoy about the horror genre?

Rish: “The other night, I went to my uncle’s house to watch a movie on his couch.  I decided to walk there, since it was such a nice evening.  We chose to watch a Horror movie, and when it came time to walk home, I scrutinized every shadow, every empty space where something could be crouching.  As I walked in front of a house that had its porch light on, the light suddenly went out, and I took off like a shot.  I ran the entire way home as fast as I could, adrenaline somehow keeping me from any fatigue.

When I got to my door, fumbling with my keys, certain that something would grab me before I got in, I had to laugh.  There were no crones or feral children or hobo clowns out there lurking, but my hindbrain was convinced there was.  My heart was hammering and my legs were sore the next morning, but it was actually a FUN experience.  I enjoyed being scared, and will fondly remember that movie (and outing) because of it.

Some people hate being scared, and I understand that.  But to be scared when you know you’re not in any actual danger, that’s a pleasure, in a way, and probably psychologically healthy.”

S: What is your favorite horror monster and why? Vampires, Werewolves, Mummies, Sea Creatures, Serial Killers, Frankenstein Monsters, Zombies, or anything else you can think of…

Rish: “While I am obsessed with shapeshifting demons and sinister children, the werewolf is my favorite.  I love the idea of a person, good or bad, becoming a monster that doesn’t care about human problems, but simply runs free, causing destruction and terror, whenever the moon is full.  As a little boy, I checked out a book on Universal’s “The Wolf Man,” and was surprised to not be scared of poor Larry Talbot, but to feel sorry for him.  At the back of the book, I discovered that Lon Chaney Junior, who played the Wolf Man, died when I was born.  For some reason, that’s always stayed with me.”

S: What was your favorite horror/scary story growing up?

Rish: “Like many of my generation, the writing of Stephen King thrilled and intoxicated me.  Nothing speaks to me the way his early writing did/does.  Before that, there was a writer named Daniel Cohen who would publish collections of urban legends and creepy campfire tales, such as the one about ghostly hitchhiker, the one about the hook in the door handle.

Before that, though, I was a very young boy sent over to keep my grandmother company for the weekend.  I told my parents that I was afraid to sleep in the same room as her, because her snoring was so loud and spooky.  My dad responded, “It’s good that she snores like that, son.  It keeps away the ghosts.”  Apparently, that was the opposite of the right thing to say to me, but I’ve never forgotten the story, all these years later.”

S: Could you share with us a little known fact about you?

Rish: “When I was a child, I not only had an overactive imagination, but would sometimes have hallucinations when I was sick.  My poor mother would struggle in vain to explain to me that there weren’t creatures crawling across the ceiling toward me . . . because I saw them.

I doubt my fragile adult mind would withstand such visions today, but I’ll admit that there are nights, usually only one or two a year, where I will awaken from a nightmare and open my eyes to find someone standing at the foot of my bed, watching me.  I’ll close my eyes tightly, like the child I was, and think, “Not there, not there,” and when I open my eyes again, they will be gone.

Does that ever happen to you?  If so, hey, feel free to disregard this answer.”

S: What are some additional projects that you’re currently working on or planning that your fans can look forward to?

Rish: “We’ll be presenting a couple of my own stories soon on my podcast, and I’ve just recorded the audio for the first installment in a series of–count ’em–thirty-three books, which will be for sale at Audible (if I live that long).

If I actually HAVE fans, I can all but guarantee to lose them when people hear my entry into this year’s “Masters of the Macabre” contest.  It has something in common with Count Dracula, a mosquito, and that first book by Stephenie Meyer.”

That concludes this week’s 13 Questions interview with Rish Outfield. For all you fans out there you can keep an eye on all things Rish at these following websites:

http://rishoutfield.blogspot.com

http://www.dunesteef.blogspot.com

13 Questions with the Masters 2012

Are you ready Horror Addicts?! It’s time for the second ever Masters of Macabre Challenge! We have 5 horrifyingly devilish authors this season and they are ready to scare you back into your momma’s arms. This season’s theme is surrounded by dark rumors and terrifying ends. That’s right…CURSES! But that’s enough chit-chat; let’s get to the meat and bones of this contest, the authors!

First up we have Philip “Norvaljoe” Carroll who was plagued with “The Curse of Winning the Lottery.” This is Philip’s first time to be featured on HA and he is excited to be here. “There are a lot of great authors who present their work here. Horror isn’t my normal genre, so it’s fun to try out something new. Besides, Emerian Rich is one of my BayCon friends and it’s fun to wander the dark halls with her.” For this challenge Carroll stepped out of his urban fantasy style and has joined us on the dark side. Though Philip was hesitant to share part of his story for fear of giving something away he kindly shared with me a little background about the story. “I’d hate to give anything away. I did want to place the setting in California, so it begins in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains in Northern California, though, I don’t think that ever really comes out. One of my all-time favorite authors is James P. Blaylock. He has set some of his stories on the coast of California. Specifically, ‘The Digging Leviathan’ is set on the northern coast. Reminiscing about that story I thought the foggy, wet, forest above Mendocino could provide an eerie atmosphere.”

For those of you new to the Carroll fan club, Philip is not just an author. “I’m an Army trained Certified Orthotist in the Central Valley of California. I’m a husband of 30 years. I have three children, two still at home who joined our family by adoption. I’ve been actively learning to write for the last four years and have focused on prompt-based short fiction to hone my skills. As of this week I’ve submitted 192 consecutive entries in the 100 Word Weekly Challenge at www.podcasting.isfullofcrap.com. I submitted almost 75 stories to The Great Hites Podcast and have had short stories in several benefit anthologies. I’m a staff editor at www.FlyingIslandPress.com where I slush read, edit and record stories for our, ‘kind-of’, monthly science fiction and fantasy short story magazine. I have one YA, urban fantasy, novel at www.podiobooks.com, The Price of Friendship, and hope to have my second up and running by the end of July.”

Next up is a man known to all Horror Addicts as Knightmist. That’s right addicts our very own KM is participating in this year’s MMM Challenge! I asked Knightmist (aka Shawn Micallef ) how it felt to be on the other side of HA, “Well I cannot said it’s a new feeling as I did share my writing back when Horror Addicts was using an actual forum site.  It was in the day of our Ning days.  This story is different however as it’s been put to voice and people are actually going to be voting for it.  I have to say that as I try to get some short stories published this is a huge step as I hope what I get back on the story will help me go further with the writing.”

The theme of Shawn’s story is the Otzi’s Curse, for those of you unfamiliar with the curse “it is a modern day Mummy Curse.  Otzi is a mummy that was found in the Alps near Austria and Italy.  They are saying that some people have died who have come in contact with the mummy. We’ll leave the how they died to [KM’s] story.” Speaking of Micallef’s curse he explained to me the roots of his inspiration for the story. “Often it seems that the press will get a hold of a story and give it wings. They’ll have the story go on and on and gain worldwide fame if it’s at all possible.  So I felt in the case of the Otzi’s Curse I wondered what it would be like to have a member of the press come in touch with a “supposed” curse.”

Knightmist is an “eclectic person as [he] has a multitude of likes from everything and this shows in [his] movie and book collections.  The movies cover the classics of the 1930’s to modern day and have so many genres. There is War, History, Sci-fi, Fantasy, Comedy, Drama, Animation and Anime.  [His] reading is much the same as it covers much of the same genres.” Shawn then added, “I’m married with no kids, well I take that back. There are two cats of which are as unique as one can see.  One cat will play fetch with his cat toys and the other is the weight of a good bowling ball.  🙂  If anything I’d just say in a way I may sound very open but I’m a bit guarded and like to use my writing as a way to escape the struggles that life can bring and to just keep my mind active.”

This next name is one you will remember from last year’s MMM Challenge, Rish Outfield, and his story on Entomophobia (the fear of insects). “It’s good to be back,” were the first words from Rish. “I consider myself a writer, but I don’t do enough of it.  I need pushes like your writing contest to make me do the work instead of shirk it, and last year’s experience was a good one, so I thought I’d try it again.  This year was harder, though, as I somehow confused the deadline and found myself needing to finish the story, get it to a reader to record, edit the audio file, and send it [out], all in the same week.  That made for a lot more work this year than last, but it was pleasant work, like planting a garden or having a rival killed, where you know it will be worth it after a while.”

This year though Rish is taking on the challenge of the Curse of Macbeth. Outfield’s story titled The Scottish Scene is set in an everyday high school. “[Having] primarily female characters, made for difficulty when I realized I not only needed three female readers, but had only two days to find them.  Ultimately, I had my friend Renee Chambliss record all the female characters, and she’s talented enough that they all sound different.” While researching his curse, [Rish] read that there were several possible origins for the idea that Shakespeare’s play was cursed, and one of them was that he stole the witches’ dialogue from a real coven, and they cursed his play as revenge.  That idea seemed really fascinating to [him], and [he] thought it would be fun to have it be the true origin of the curse.”

Rish claims to be “not much to write home about, unless you’re one of those cruel people who like to write about the creeps they see on the subway or bus stop, making fun of what losers they are. [I’ll try my best ;)] I majored in Film (Screenwriting) at college, and tried my hand at acting for a while there.  One of my dreams was to someday be a radio DJ, and when I had to leave California with my tail between my legs, I managed to get together with a friend with similar interests and we started a fiction podcast together.  At the Dunesteef Audio Fiction Magazine, I get to fulfill my writing, acting, and radio DJ aspirations, all for no paycheck!  But it has been a pleasure to perform other peoples’ stories and try and make audiences laugh for the past couple of years.”

Our next two Masters are Horror Addicts regulars, Don Pitsiladis and Dan Shaurette.

Don’s story this year “is titled Friends, Lovers, and Enemies.  It’s a love triangle story of sorts involving a man named Steven, his ex-girlfriend Renee, and his former best friend and Renee’s current boyfriend Jean Phillipe. When her boyfriend, Jean Phillipe, disappears under mysterious circumstances and the police unwilling to help, Renee goes looking for Steven’s help to find him.  She has her ideas on who possibly took him, but things don’t go as planned when it comes to the rescue.  It’s a much darker story compared to last year’s.”

“With a rather large family (wife, 4 boys, 4 dogs, 1 cat, and 4 kittens) and full time work, it isn’t always easiest to get free time.” To make up for this, Don usually works in about ½ an hour to an hour of writing in the mornings before work and a little at the end of the day. He also mentioned to me that he has started a review blog. “I started [the] review blog back in January to help me stick to a schedule, and for the most part it has helped.  Casa de Pitsiladis offers a Podcast Spotlight and Book Review every week with occasional movie reviews.  I hope to have some stories of my own to post starting this autumn.”

And last of our chilling authors but certainly not the least, HA Music Interviewer, Dan Shaurette! Get ready for the Curse of the Pharaohs and Dead Man’s Book. Dan was kind enough to clarify the meaning of his book title, “Dead Man’s Book, which is another name for the scrolls left behind with mummies in their sarcophagi.” His story is set in Egypt of course but “without spoiling too much, the story is about an archaeological dig in 1860 excavated by Abigaëlle Charest (voiced by the wonderful Lucie Le Blanc for the podcast), and the tragic consequences her team faces after taking a cursed scroll from the tomb.”

Writer, goth-geek, and Horror Addict this native Arizonian is a fan of all things Ancient Egypt. “So,” according to Shaurette, “I don’t think I was terribly cursed at all by drawing the “Curse of the Pharaohs” as my story prompt.” Even with his luck of the draw Dan suffers from the same ailment of most authors, staying on schedule and working writing into everyday life. “My fellow writers espouse the virtues of hitting a word count and keeping to a schedule. These things I also do, but I’ll admit let my personal deadlines slip when they must. My day job and my family come first. So, I sneak in writing whenever I can. For example, this very story will also become a prequel short story to the novel I am working on right now and has helped steer a direction with that.”

Well one thing is for sure with the horrors sure to come this MMM Challenge; I’ll be sleeping with the lights on soon. All these dark twisted minds are gunning for the coveted title of “Master of Macabre 2012.” But one thing is for sure, no matter what happens the boys can’t wait until next year’s challenge! Fans, don’t forget to check below for links to your favorite authors profiles and sites! 😉

Philip Carroll:  http://norvalsoutlook.blogspot.com

Knightmist aka Shawn Micallef: https://www.facebook.com/Knightmist

Rish Outfield: http://rishoutfield.blogspot.com/  http://dunesteef.com/category/rish-outfield/

Don Pitsiladis: http://www.myspace.com/dpitsiladis  http://twitter.com/#!/dlpitsiladis

Dan Shaurette: http://dan.shaurette.com/

13 Questions with the Masters

Have I got a treat for all you Horror Addicts out there… today marks the begining of the end. That’s right, it’s finally time for the Masters of Macabre and Phobia Phollies!

I’ve got a little information here for you about the contestants for the first ever MMM Challenge and the basics of their stories. Each one of the contestants was given a phobia, a place, and a boy toy as the building blocks of their stories.

First up, a name Horror Addicts are sure to recognize is Season 4’s Best In Blood, Chris Ringler!

Ringler’s phobia for the challenge is Agyrophobia (which is the fear of crossing roads), his place – Graduation and his item – Golf Clubs.

Born in Flint Michigan, Chris was raised in nearby Linden where he lived and attended school. He fell in love with writing as a teenager when he started writing short stories and began working on fanzines with friends. In 1999 Back From Nothing, a short story collection, was published by University Editions. Since that time Chris has finished writing a novel, a children’s series and has been published in Bare Bone and Cthulhu Sex Magazine. He has also received Honorable Mention in THE YEAR’S BEST FANTASY AND HORROR twice.

His latest book is Noches De Corazones De Negros. Along with writing, Chris is also an artist and photographer and he currently resides in Flint and battles invisible space beasts in his free time. In October he and some friends will be bringing Flint their first horror convention.

Also by Chris Ringler: Back From Nothing, This Beautiful Darkness, The Meep Sheep, Red Dreams, and The Kreep Sheep.

For more information about Chris check out these websites:

www.meepsheep.com

www.flinthorrorcon.com

Our next spotlighted author is Don Pitsiladis whose phobia Astraphobia (the fear of lightning & storms). His place and boy toy are a Sporting Event and Riding Mower.

Don Pitsiladis is a married 35 year old with 4 boys, 2 dogs, and 2cats.  He has been writing off and on since the 7th grade, but only seriously started looking at trying to make it a career, even a small one, within the past two years.  “The Problem With Neighbors” will be his very first story ever presented to a large audience.

In Don’s words, “What better way to debut than sharing one’s own fear with the world?”

For more information on Don, check out his myspace and twitter pages:

http://www.myspace.com/dpitsiladis

http://twitter.com/#!/dlpitsiladis

Next up is author Jerry Davis. Jerry was given the fear of technology, Technophobia, as his phobia. With Y2K being his place (or in this case time period) and his toy, surprise, surprise…a Computer.
Jerry J. Davis is a writer and photographer in the Chicago area. During the day he’s a mild-mannered webmaster and digital marketing specialist who works for a large international corporation. At night, however, he lives in a small cottage at the edge of an enchanted forest preserve, and spends time dodging mosquitos and searching for the fabled Stonehenge made of old refrigerators which is rumored to be somewhere behind his porch.

For more info on Jerry check out this site:

http://jerryjdavis.com/

Failed writer, failed actor, and failed human being, Rish Outfield can be found hosting The Dunesteef Audio Fiction Magazine (www.dunesteef.com), a podcast presenting genre stories performed with a

full cast, followed by lengthy geekcentric chatter.  When he’s not working on that, he can often be found thinking of you and feeling sorry for himself.

Rish’s phobia for the MMM Challenge is Entomophobia (the fear of insects). His story will take place during a Luau, and his boy toy…a Hang Glider!

Check him out at:

http://rishoutfield.blogspot.com/

http://dunesteef.com/category/rish-outfield/

Our next Master of Macabre contestant hails from Germany.

Shaunessy Ashdownlives in Berlin, where morbidity is mother’s milk and horror lurks round every corner. His job is fashioning insidious instruments of torture known as schoolbooks. These are deployed in institutions throughout Germany and Austria for the purpose of traumatising and corrupting the youth there.

Ashdown has the challege of writing about Spectrophobia, which is the fear of mirrors and one’s own reflection. Take that and mix it in with a Bachelor Party and a motocycle and you can expects crazy things to happen!

FInd out more about Shaunessy Ashdown by checking out his Facebook page:

http://www.facebook.com/people/Shaunessy-Ashdown/587653885

Next on out list of MMM contestants is R. Michael Burns. His challenge was to create a horrifing tale center around Ailurophobia, the fear of cats, as well as a Stereo or Sound System, and a Parade.

R. Michael Burns is an October child with a background in philosophy, theater and other occult arts. He is a member of the Horror Writers Association, the Colorado Springs Fiction Writers Group, and the Gainesville Fiction Writers Group.

His fiction has appeared in various magazines and e-zines, including Dreams of Decadence, City Slab, Dark Regions, Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine, Dark Recesses, Lovecraft’s Weird Mysteries, The Shroud, and Arkham Tales, as well as in the anthologies Orphans of the Storm, Bell, Book & Beyond, Cthulhu Express, Extremes 5, Goodbye, Darwin, Bound for Evil, and Horror Library III. He has other fiction forthcoming in the e-zine Heroic Fantasy Quarterly. His article “Creative Writing 301” was picked in a Predators and Editors poll as the second-best non-fiction article of 2006.

A Colorado native, he lived for the better part of five years in Japan, where he taught English to Japanese students from 1 to 70. He currently resides in the dark swamps of Gainesville, Florida, where he teaches high school English, runs the Creative Writing Workshop an the Japanese Pop Culture Club, and coaches speech and debate.

For more informations about R. Burns, be sure to check out these sites:

http://www.coloradospringsfictionwritersgroup.org/members/r-michael-burns/index.php

https://sites.google.com/a/newmyths.com/nmwebsite/contributors/r-michael-burns

Colin F Barnes herds words in  an often random order; not unlike a room of monkeys battering away at typewriters with their poop covered paws. (Do monkeys have paws or hands?). The usual outcome of this seemingly random plucking of words is a glimpse into a dark world of psychological malopropisms, dystopian nightmares, and fluffy children’s stories. *one of those is a lie.

The basics of Colin’s story reminds me of the movie/game Clue. At the Gallery Opening with the Hunting Knife, throw in Necrophobia (fear of death & dead) and you’ve got one twisted story coming your way!

Find out more about Colin at:

http://www.colinfbarnes.com/

http://twitter.com/#!/Colin_Barnes

And last but certainly not least is author Tom Andry who was given the task of basing his story around Osmophobia (fear of smells). His short story takes place at a picnic and involves a telescope.

Tom Andry is the Associate Editor of Audioholics.com and host of the AV Rant podcast. He’s been writing mostly reviews but has lately returned to his prose roots. He has written many unpublished short stories, poems, and a few screenplays that may still be produced. Tom the father of three boys, is happily married, and currently resides in Perth, Australia. His background is in drama, creative writing, and research psychology which basically means his kids are in for a pretty rough time. His wife, Tanel, doesn’t have it so easy either. His first work for public consumption is an eBook titled Bob Moore: No Hero. The followup, Bob Moore: Desperate Times, is scheduled for release October 2011.

Follow him at:

www.tomandry.com

http://www.audioholics.com/Members/tom

http://www.avrant.com/?page_id=9