The 100 Scariest Horror Novels of All Time per Horror Novel Reviews

If you haven't guessed, I'm a huge horror buff and I can't get enough of the stuff, much to the joy and irritation of my boyfriend.

The horror themed website Horror Novel Reviews has compiled a list of their top 100 scariest horror novels and I'm pleased at some of the titles on the list, especially Penpal by Daniel Auerbach. I haven't read the full novel but I've read his reddit posts and they're genuinely unnerving to read. The Stepford Wives made the list as well, much to my joy. Granted our society isn't at the level where we could replace people with lifelike robots, but the horrifying thing is that I can still imagine that a good many would willingly ship their spouses (male and female both) off to a factory to get "upgraded".

I'm also pleased that it doesn't fall predominantly in any one direction. Granted there are more recent books than old-old ones, but they aren't going for any one specific theme or direction. If you're looking for something to read this summer like I am, this is a good place to start.

Further reading:

• The 100 Scariest Horror Novels of All Time

Coming soon to an e-reader near you: The Ouija Trials by Fiona Dodwell

If you've seen any of my other posts, you'll know that I'm a fan of Fiona Dodwell's work. It's not always an easy read, given that she's unafraid to tackle tough subjects like domestic abuse, but I've always found her work to be exciting and captivating.

Her newest piece is another short story called "The Ouija Trials" and it's slated to release next month in the US and UK, on June 13. Here's the synopsis:

SIX STRANGERS. ONE BOARD. WHAT CAN GO WRONG?

When three students decide to make a documentary about the Ouija board, they think it'll be an easy project. What can go wrong? They invite six strangers to attend a séance, and what unfolds during the course of filming their project changes their beliefs - and lives, forever. 

Will they survive the night with their sanity intact - will they survive at all? 

The Ouija Trials is a chilling story that explores the subject of spirit communication - and highlights the negative outcome it has for many.

This sounds freaking amazing, in my opinion and you can pre-order the book on Amazon US and Amazon UK for only one dollar.

Review: Juniper's Shadow by Fiona Dodwell

Available on Amazon and Amazon UK.

If you've ever followed my reviews, you'll know that I'm a fan of Dodwell's work. I've become friends with her via my coverage of her books (full disclosure) and I have to say, she's only getting better.

Lately she's been on a short story spree, as "Juniper's Shadow" was preceded by the very excellent "The Redwood Lodge Investigation". She's been doing well with this format, as short stories lend themselves very well to horror, and I'm excited to see what she will come up with next.

When Leighton Banks finds an extremely rare record at a music fair, he is thrilled with his find. However, after hearing the legends and creepy stories associated with the music, he beings to wonder if the record is cursed. 

Thrown suddenly into a dark world where even music can put lives and souls at risk, Leighton soon learns that he must find a way to put a stop to a centuries long curse, or become victim to it himself.

Juniper's Shadow takes a little while to get started since much of its horror derives from Leighton's imperfect relationship with his pregnant wife Jessica, as the two constantly quibble about his dream to own a record store. She's supportive, but he feels like he's a failure since she's almost the main breadwinner. Leighton wants so desperately to succeed that it'd make sense that he'd jump on something that'd make a huge profit - a record by Victor Marlowe, a musician whose music has left a dark legacy. A legacy so dark that there have been efforts to eradicate all remaining recordings of his work.

This is where the horror comes in, because as the story progresses there's this increasing sense of dread. From the start Leighton is warned against purchasing the album (although the seller isn't that reluctant to let it leave his grasp), however he's lured in by its background and the idea of raising a large sum. He quickly grows obsessed with researching the record and if you're familiar with Dodwell's writing style then you know that what Leighton is going to find will be dark indeed.

Overall I was rather pleased with this story. It's not perfect, but that's mostly because this is something that I think would have worked far better as a longer piece, maybe as a novella or full novel. We're left with far too many questions at the end of this and while some don't need to be answered, I was just intensely curious as to the album's background. This next part is a mild spoiler, so I'll try to post it far enough down that those who want a spoiler free review can avoid it. It does somewhat pertain to the piece as a whole and it's not a major spoiler, if you're afraid of it giving away any large reveals.

If you're wondering if you should try this out, I say go for it. It's available for free for Kindle Unlimited readers and while $2.99 is a little pricey for a short story, I greatly enjoyed it.

4/5 stars

Reader copy provided by the author

(Thar be spoilers)

(seriously, there are spoilers)

\

This isn't going to be a major spoiler, but I couldn't help but wonder what the motivations were for the old man selling the record. He was somewhat reluctant to sell Leighton the record, but not so reluctant that he wouldn't have sold it. There's this nasty sort of cat-and-mouse interaction where you can tell that he's baiting Leighton, who likely wouldn't have otherwise shown any interest. There are more revelations at the end of the story that I won't divulge here, but this was the main reason why I felt that this would work exceedingly well as a longer piece. There's a dark, nasty and entirely human force at work here along with the supernatural ones, which is what makes Dodwell's work so horrifying, because a large portion of the misery and darkness in her work comes from how people treat one another. If you look back at her other work, you'll see that while the supernatural does come into play, it's only there because the involved humans invited it, even if inadvertently. I think that this is why I continue to really enjoy her work, since I maintain that how humans treat one another is almost always the most terrifying aspect of horror. It's why books and films like Richard Matheson's Hell House (later adapted into the wonderful The Legend of Hell House) work so well - it has supernatural horror but most of it is a direct result of human interactions. 

Press Release: IDW Brings Chasing the Dead This November

New supernatural thriller based on novel by Joe Schreiber San Diego, CA (September 4, 2012) – IDW Publishing is pleased to announce an all-new horror mini-series,CHASING THE DEAD, written by Matthew Scott and Tim Westland, based on a novel by author Joe Schreiber(Red Harvest, Death Troopers). Coming in November,CHASING THE DEAD is a fast-paced, ferociously tense supernatural thriller. Artist Dietrich Smith will provide captivating interiors and cover art for the series. “I was immediately struck by Schreiber’s ability to create amazing suspenseful situations that contained subtle elements of horror lurking in the corners. This is a zombie road trip done in a whole new way with a unique supernatural mythology and a fun twist at the end,” saysScott. “As soon as I finished the book, I knew we had to bring this to graphic novel.” The debut issue tells the story of a stranger who has kidnapped Sue’s daughter, Lily. But he doesn’t want her money, only her suffering – and he will kill Lily if Sue doesn’t follow his every command. With detailed instructions, the faceless abductor leads Sue into a blinding snowstorm on the longest night of the year to a place she has not traveled to since childhood. The voice on the other end of her cell phone somehow knows Sue’s deepest, most chilling secret – an ominous incident from her past, buried long ago... From the twisted mind of Star Wars horror novelist Schreiber, with skillful adaptation by Scott andWestland, and compelling art by Smith, this eerie series will be sure to bring chills down your spine! CHASING THE DEAD #1 ($3.99, 32 pages, full color) will be available in November 2012. Diamond order code SEP12 0364. Visit IDWPublishing.com to sign up for updates and learn more about the company and its top-selling books.

About IDW IDW is an award-winning publisher of comic books, graphic novels and trade paperbacks, based in San Diego, California. Renowned for its diverse catalog of licensed and independent titles, IDW publishes some of the most successful and popular titles in the industry, including: Hasbro’s The TRANSFORMERS and G.I. JOE, Paramount’s Star Trek; HBO’s True Blood; the BBC’s DOCTOR WHO; Nickelodeon’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles; Toho’s Godzilla; Wizards of the Coasts Magic: The Gathering and Dungeons & Dragons; and the Eisner-Award winning Locke & Key series, created by best-selling author Joe Hill and artist Gabriel Rodriguez. IDW is also home to the Library of American Comics imprint, which publishes classic comic reprints, and Yoe! Books, a partnership with Yoe! Studio. IDW’s critically- and fan-acclaimed series are continually moving into new mediums. Currently, Jerry Bruckheimer Films and Disney are creating a feature film based on World War Robot, while Michael Bay‘s Platinum Dunes and Sony are bringing Zombies vs. Robots to film.

Book Review: The Pumpkin Man by John Everson

Title: The Pumpkin Man

Author: John Everson

Publisher: DP

Release Date: 09/15/2011

ISBN: 1428512128

If you're familiar with the pulp horror books of the 80s and 90s, you'll be well prepared for this book. If you're not, then the best I can equate them to are the equally campy-yet-fun movies of that era. (Think 976-EVIL style camp.)

After her father’s gruesome murder, Jenn needed a place to get away from it all with some friends, to take her mind off her grief. The empty seaside cottage she inherited seemed perfect. Jenn didn’t know that the cottage held arcane secrets, mysteries long hidden and best left alone. She didn’t realize until it was too late that the old books and Ouija board she found there really do hold great power. And it was only after her friend’s headless body was discovered that she knew the legend of the local bogeyman was no mere legend at all. An evil has been unleashed, a terrifying figure previously only spoken of in whispers. But now the whispers will become screams. Beware…THE PUMPKIN MAN

As someone who cut her horror lit teeth on various pulps carried by the local libraries, I was pretty excited to dive into this book. The premise of this takes me back to an era where horror didn't have to be slick and put huge new spins on everything, it just had to entertain. Everson manages to capture the feeling and general intent of these books for the most part.

The story's beginning was pretty strong and managed to keep my interest. I'll admit that the characters are woefully underdeveloped but I wasn't really expecting a lot of depth here, so that's OK. There's a lot of great shock and titillation scenes that made up for this.

Where the book stumbled was in the last half of the book where things just seem to fall apart. Everson tries to shift the plot somewhat and as a result it just loses some of the momentum that made the earlier part of the book so much fun. We're given revelations and introductions that just seem a little out of left field. I can't help but think that if we were introduced to these specific characters earlier, the plot twists they brought about would have been a little more gasp-worthy and held the plot together better.

Overall this isn't a bad read and I'd heavily recommend it to fans of camp horror. It's the book equivalent of watching a horror movie along the lines of Night of the Demons, so it's perfect for the Halloween season. As long as you don't expect too much from it you'll enjoy the ride. I just wish that it'd been a little more polished than it ended up being. Either way, I'm going to check out some of Everson's other works.

3.5 out of 5 stars

(ARC provided by Netgalley)

Book Review: The Corn Maiden and Other Nightmares by Joyce Carol Oates

Title: The Corn Maiden and Other Nightmares
Author: Joyce Carol Oates
Publisher: Grove/Atlantic Inc
Release Date: 0802126022
ISBN: 0802126022







I'll admit outright that I'm not overly a fan of Oates' writing style, but dangit... she knows how to write. Even as I asked myself why I'm reading the stories since I wasn't really digging them, I couldn't help but admire how well she managed to keep me turning the pages despite that.

"The Corn Maiden" is the gut-wrenching story of Marissa, a beautiful and sweet, but somewhat slow, eleven-year-old girl with hair the color of corn silk. Her single mother comes home one night to find her missing and panics, frantically knocking on the doors of her neighbors. She finally calls the police, who want to know why she left her young daughter alone until 8:00 o’clock.

Suspicion falls on a computer teacher at her school with no alibi for the time of the abduction. Obvious clues—perhaps too obvious—point directly to him. Unsuspected is Judah (born Judith), an older girl from the same school who has told two friends in her thrall of the Indian legend of the Corn Maiden, a girl sacrificed to ensure a good crop.

The trusting Marissa happily went to a secluded basement with the older girls, pleased to be included, and is convinced that the world has ended and that they are the last survivors. Remaining an unaware hostage for days, she grows weaker on a sparse diet as Judah prepares her for sacrifice.

The seemingly inevitable fate of Marissa becomes ever more terrifying as Judah relishes her power, leading to unbearable tension with a shocking conclusion.

“Helping Hands,” published here for the first time, begins with an apparently optimistic line: “He came into her life when it had seemed to her that her life was finished.”

A lonely woman meets a man in the unlikely clutter of a dingy charity shop and extends friendliness, which soon turns to quiet and unacknowledged desire. With the mind-set of a victim, struggling to overcome her shyness and fears, she has no idea what kinds of doors she may be opening.

The powerful stories in this extraordinary collection further enhance Joyce Carol Oates’s standing as one of the world’s greatest writers of suspense.

First off, I just have to repeat the statement that Joyce Carol Oates knows how to keep someone reading. I really didn't like the writing style that the first story was written in but I just had to keep reading purely because I had to, no needed to know how it all ended. The titular story (Corn Maiden) is just one of many stories in this book, all of which delivered that same "gotta know how it ends" tension and suspense.

Out of all of the stories, I have to say that Helping Hands grabbed me the most. Some of the stories, such as Beersheba, piqued my curiousity and kept me thinking, but it was Helping Hands that really made me keep reading. All of the stories here deal with a very human and realistic evil, but HH was the far more realistic of all of them, which I liked. The "evil" in this story was all the more heartbreaking for the situations all of the characters were in.

While I do have to give JCO props for drawing me in, some of the stories seemed a little too much at times. Either they were drawn out a little longer than they should have been or they just didn't grab me like their counterparts did. I know that there are some here that I'll want to re-read but there's just as many that I don't really care to pick up again.

This was a good Halloween read and one that JCO's fans will want to grab as soon as the books hit the shelves, but for the rest of us I recommend it as a library read. This is one of the books I would recommend reading regardless of your personal tastes, but it might be a good idea to check it out at the library instead. In the end it's JCO's ability to keep me reading that makes me give it as many stars as I have.

4 out of 5 stars

(ARC provided by Netgalley)

Check it Out: Darren Pillsbury

Hi everyone! It's time again for me to introduce you to a new author! Today I have Darren Pillsbury, author of Peter and the Vampires! He was kind enough to answer some questions for me, so here goes:

Have you always loved horror? What are some of your favorite horror books & movies?

Yeah, I’ve pretty much always loved horror novels. Mostly because of Stephen King, and partly because he was ‘forbidden.’ I grew up in a pretty conservative, religious household, and while my father read King’s books (because my dad did whatever he wanted to), my mom forbade me to even look at them. So I remember sneaking into the grocery store book aisles when I was nine and ten and reading ‘the good parts’ of books like SKELETON CREW and PET SEMATARY.

I never saw horror movies growing up because I couldn’t see anything Rated R. When I finally went off to college, I never really gravitated towards horror movies that strongly, especially not slasher films or overtly gross ones. I vastly prefer being creeped out and frightened rather than disgusted. That’s what I shoot for in PETER AND THE VAMPIRES and its sequels (PETER AND THE WEREWOLVES and PETER AND THE FRANKENSTEIN).

As far as books, PET SEMATARY is my favorite horror novel of all time. And I’d say SEVEN is my favorite horror movie, although you could just as easily call it a thriller. I also like THE RING quite a bit.

Is anything in your book true to life? There's obviously some creative license involved, but is anything in the book based on real people or experiences? If not, what's your favorite ghost story?

Oh yeah, there’s a ton of stuff I take from my own life. Mostly small plot details or characters. The most obvious one is that Peter has a two-year-old sister named Beth who is a terror. She’s just hellacious. And she’s taken directly from my own real-life sister, down to details like they both wore a Strawberry Shortcake bathing suit over their regular clothes in the wintertime. (My sister now is very nice and sweet, and since she doesn’t remember how bad she was as a toddler, she always thinks we’re lying when we tell stories about her at family gatherings.)

As far as spooky stuff, no, I've never encountered anything supernaturally creepy in real life. My favorite ghost story is about a woman who goes into a deserted church late at night. She sits down near the front and notices a silver platter on the altar - and in it she sees the reflections of a bunch of skeletons in the pews behind her. They claw at her as she runs out the front door, and she barely escapes with her life. Nobody in the village believes her until they find her shredded scarf lying in front of the empty church. I like that story so much I actually stole it and put it in the book! Anybody who reads PETER AND THE VAMPIRES will recognize that scene immediately, even in its modified form.

What age group would you say your book is for?

Everybody. No, I’m serious! Like the Harry Potter series, PETER AND THE VAMPIRES has young protagonists, but the stories are definitely entertaining for older audiences. Ten-year-old kids will enjoy PETER, but I blogged the series for three years, and most of my fans are in high school, college, and their 20’s and 30’s.

Wait – you blogged these books for three years?

Yup! I wanted to try to build up an audience first by blogging the stories for awhile. ‘Awhile’ turned into three years and four novels (PETER AND THE MUMMY will probably be out in Fall 2011). I took down the blog posts, but I made some Youtube videos that are still around. Just google ‘Peter And The Dead Men video.’

Do you have any specific inspirations & muses or do you pick up ideas randomly?

Mmmm…I’d say that I get core ideas from simple images, and I build off of those through a lot of daydreaming. Usually I see something interesting and I think, “Hey, what if…”


For instance, in "Vampires," the image in my head was of a little girl in a rainstorm, calling up to a window in a faint, creepy voice. And then, when the lightning crashes, she’s gone. Who was she? Why was she there? That's fairly typical of how I'll start a new story.

I notice that you're active with charities. Any specific one that you really love that you want to mention here on the blog?

Yes, thank you for mentioning it! SaveThe Children is a great charity that helps impoverished kids throughout the world. If you want to donate, they’re a wonderful organization.

Writer's block: the author's worst bogeyman. What do you do to slay this horrendous beast? Any suggestions for other authors?

The hardest part of writing every day is the first ten minutes. Every day it’s a struggle to get started. Then once you warm up and you’re in the zone, it’s fun. So just start, and it gets a whole lot easier after that. When I begin writing for the day, I go back and revise the last page from the previous session, and that usually gets me into the frame of mind for putting down new material.


The other thing is I don’t write nearly as much as I daydream. For most of the stories I write, I’ve already daydreamed a movie in my head with all the major plot points. I usually have A, B, E, J, M, P, Q, and Z. I just have to fill in all the other letters so the story’s complete. (That’s a big ‘just,’ by the way.) So as long as I make it through that first ten minutes, knowing what big scene is coming up next helps me stay on track and away from writer’s block.

Do you have any news I can dish out for you?

Let’s see…go buy PETER AND THE VAMPIRES (99 cents!), PETER AND THE WEREWOLVES ($2.99), and PETER AND THE FRANKENSTEIN ($2.99)! Available on Kindle, Nook, and Smashwords!


I eventually plan to put out paper versions, but it might take a year, and they’ll be a whole lot more expensive.


PETER AND THE MUMMY (Volume 4 of the series) will hopefully be out in Fall 2011.


I also have another book, IMAGINARY FRIENDS (about a single dad who can see his two little boys’ imaginary friends), that is currently available in paperback on Amazon. It should be out as an ebook at the same time as MUMMY.

What made you want to write? Was there a specific moment in your life that made you realize this is what you wanted to do or did you always know?

I think I always knew. It crystallized a bit more when I started reading Stephen King – “I wanna do that when I grow up!” – but I always made up stories in my head, from the earliest I can remember. There weren’t many kids in my neighborhood growing up, so I came up with all sorts of imaginary stories and worlds to pass the time. More than anything, I think it was that need to entertain myself that eventually led me to writing. Now hopefully I can entertain other people, too!

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Curious to read Darren's books? You can find them on Amazon, Smashwords, & Barnes & Nobles!

Book Review: The Banishing by Fiona Dodwell

Title: The Banishing
Author: Fiona Dodwell
Publisher: Damnation Books
Release Date: 02/27/2011
eISBN: 9781615723515

When Melissa first notices the change in her husband - subtle at first - she thinks it may be the stress of moving into their new home. Or working long hours. But soon he turns into something far darker, far more sinister. Who or what is the dark shadow living beneath her husband? What is haunting him? Melissa must quickly find the answer to these questions, because Mark is changing, and fast. Soon her fight will be for her life, as well as for her marriage.The Banishing is a dark, disturbing novel exploring the world of demonic possession, spiritual oppression and domestic abuse.

Intense.

If I had to sum this novel up in a word, that would be what I’d use. When I first read this book I wasn’t really aware of what I was getting myself into. I assumed that it was just another “woman against evil being” book similar to the ones that abound in the horror genre.

I have to admit, I was pretty impressed by this book. It does have a few flaws to it, such as character developments that happen a little too quickly, but overall I liked how fast paced the book was. It’s such a quick & addicting read that I found myself burning through the pages & finishing it within a matter of hours. I just couldn't stop reading!

Then I got to the ending, which I won’t elaborate on for obvious spoiler reasons. I wasn’t expecting it so when the big finale happened I was taken by surprise to say the least. I have to admit that I was sad to see this end- I really hope that Fiona writes a sequel somewhere down the line since this idea is too good for just one book.

This book gave me the shivers, which is a good thing. It's reminded me of what I used to really love about reading horror, which I hadn't felt in a while. This just creeped me out & that's a good thing. If you love mainstream horror then by all means, read the mainstream stuff- nothing wrong with that. But when you're ready for something good off the beaten path, read this book as well.

4 out of 5 stars

(Review copy provided by the author)

Check it Out: Tim Marquiz

Hi everyone! I'm here to give you lucky readers your second dose of authors to check out for the day!


In this post I'm happy to introduce you (or re-introduce you, as the case may be) to Tim Marquitz, author of Skulls. Tim has a pretty interesting past. Not only has he worked as a grave digger, but he's also been LARPing since he was 15! (Live action role playing, if you're not familiar. It's the ultimate in RPGing.)

Tim has agreed to answer my round of questions, so here we go!

What made you decide to write? Did you always know that you wanted to be an author or was there an “aha!” moment in your life where you suddenly knew that this was what you wanted to do?

TM: I’ve always loved to write, but I don’t think I knew what I wanted to be until just recently. A buddy showed me a novel he’d written and it sparked something in me that made me want to try my hand at it. As I learned more about the process it just made me more interested.

What inspires you? Do you have a muse that you tap into each time you write or does your imagination respond to different things, like seeing an apple & suddenly deciding to write a story about an apple farmer?

TM: I’ve always been inspired by the darker side of life. Since I was young, I’ve listened to heavy metal and watched horror movies, and that’s stuck with me. As I grew older, I sought out darker themes and have experienced aspects in life that have fed into my writing.

As for a muse, I don’t really have one. I have all these ideas spinning around inside my head and whichever one screams the loudest, comes through the clearest is the one I go with. I’m actually pretty reactive when it comes to the world around me so I try to avoid letting that seep into my work too much.

How do you come up with the titles for your books? These can often be amongst the hardest things for authors to settle on, so how & when in the process do you start coming up with titles?

TM: Titles are the worst for me. Most times, I have a title in mind before I even have a story. Those books end up being the easiest to write because I have a better connection to the idea. If I don’t have a title early, I struggle, both in the writing and the naming.

Are any of the experiences in the book based on someone you know, or events in your own life? Obviously the more fantastical aspects come from your imagination, but have you ever drawn on anything that you’ve seen or done (or anyone you’ve known) in real life & used it in part of your story?

TM: I draw from my life a lot, but it’s like looking at my experiences through a distorted mirror; nothing is quite the way it really is. For me, my writing has to be grounded in reality, in my life, to create a strong story. If I can’t relate to the characters, can’t know some small part of what they’re supposed to be feeling, I can’t write them as fully as they need to be.

In some instances, I’ve taken pieces of people I know and made characters from that template. With others, people that have inspired me in some way are included in my stories.

Do you have any latest news I can dish for you?

TM: Certainly. My latest book, a young adult horror story entitled Skulls, was released April 1, by Damnation Books. Also, the second book in my dark/urban fantasy series Demon Squad comes out June 1, 2011, also from Damnation Books.

You can check out the amazing covers by Jessy Lucero, and get more information on my books at my web site: http:www.tmarquitz.com

Who are some of your favorite authors? Have they helped inspire your writing by reaffirming your decision to write or by indirectly giving you ideas for various stories?

TM: First and foremost, Clive Barker. While there are more obvious influences, such as Jim Butcher and Stephen King, Clive’s level of ability is the goal I’m reaching for every day. I want to write my own, Great and Secret Show or Imagica. I certainly don’t want to imitate Clive, but I would love for my prose to flow as smoothly as his, as brilliantly. (Reviewer's note: Clive Barker is the awesomeness! Now if only I could move time forward so I can read the newest Abarat!)

Do you have any advice for new writers?

TM: Sure. Stick to it and don’t get discouraged. Writing is a hard business to get into, especially if you’re looking to be published beyond the vanity, small indie, or self-pub route. You’re going to get rejected a ton, even when it’s clear to the blindest monkey on the street that your work is better than some of what’s being signed to million dollar deals.

Perseverance is the key. Practice, practice, practice, until your fingers bleed, and don’t let anyone take your dream away.

What is the hardest thing about writing for you? Everyone’s got that one part of writing that seems to stick with them.

TM: For me, it’s making the next book even better than the last. I set a standard with each story I write, but it’s never good enough. I need my next story to be darker, grander, better written, better plotted, simply better at everything.

I’m pretty comfortable with my story writing and confident in my ideas at this point, so for me it’s all about stretching my abilities to the next level.

In the light of recent infamous responses to negative reviews, how would you recommend responding to negative reviewers?

TM: Ignore them publicly, and take what you can from them privately. With writing, you’re putting yourself out there and risking ridicule each and every time. It’s part of the deal. There’s always going to be someone who hates what you’ve written, but you can’t take it to heart. You can’t please everyone so don’t try. Write your stories to the best of your ability; that’s a writer’s only job.

What do you like on your pizza? (Not book related but everyone’s got a favorite topping!)

TM: This is a tough one, because I’m easy. I’d probably say jalapenos, being the southwest. ☺ A little bit of spice makes the pizza taste much better.

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I don't know about you guys, but I'm having a blast posting all of this for you! If you guys are curious about Tim's work then make sure to enter the ebook giveaway for a free ebook copy of Skulls! The giveaway ends on the 25th, so make sure to enter!

If you can't wait that long or you're curious about Tim's work, you can buy these books via amazon, Barnes & Nobles, as well as through Damnation Book's website & any other major book retailer! You can also keep up to date on Tim's work via his website as well as through twitter!

Check it Out: Leonard Hilley

Hi everyone! It's time again for another series of blogs where I'll mention several different authors that you should definitely check out!

Today's author to check out is Leonard Hilley (seen here with an awesome car), author of Predators of Darkness, Beyond the Darkness, & The Game of Pawns! His stories mix science with horror, giving us monsters that'll be far more frightening than Dracula or Frankenstein. What's more horrifying than than things that might be of our own design?

Leonard was nice enough to answer some questions I set out for him so you the reader can know a little bit more about the author behind the book!




Q: What made you decide to write? Did you always know that you wanted to be an author or was there an “aha!” moment in your life where you suddenly knew that this was what you wanted to do?

A: I’ve always wanted to write novels. I wrote my first novel at age 11. I drew my own comics and wrote a lot of short stories. I was reading at age 3 and always loved reading.

Q: What inspires you? Do you have a muse that you tap into each time you write or does your imagination respond to different things?

A: My writing seems to come to me as if I’m watching a movie unfold and I’m sitting there with the characters. If I can see the action, I can write it and vice versa. However, Predators of Darkness: Aftermath came to me with the opening line: “Dropping a cat from the top of a ten story office building wasn’t the best way to remain hidden, it was necessary.” I didn’t have a plot, characters, or any idea where that would lead. I am currently working on the fourth book in the series. And the cat is a shifter and survives the fall.


Q: How do you come up with the titles for your books? These can often be amongst the hardest things for authors to settle on, so how & when in the process do you start coming up with titles?

A: Book titles aren’t usually difficult for me, but for Predators of Darkness, it did take some time to find one that fit. The next books came fairly easily.


Q: Do you have any latest news I can dish for you?

A: Ann Linden and I have almost completed the screenplay for Predators of Darkness: Aftermath and will soon be seeking a film production company to see this made into a movie. After Hollywood gets it, who knows what they will do to it, so read the book first! We all know books are generally better than the movie, right? (Interviewer shudders while recalling the movie treatment of The Relic.)

Q: Who are some of your favorite authors?

A: I’m a huge fan of Dean Koontz and Stephen King.


Q: Have they helped inspire your writing by reaffirming your decision to write or by indirectly giving you ideas for various stories?

A: My ideas generally come on their own, but I tend to like darker fiction. As a kid, I loved the scary comics—Witching Hour, The House of Secrets, etc. (I can personally thank my dad's stash of comics for getting me into HoS.)


Q: Do you have any advice for new writers?

A: Keep reading books, writing, and revising. Books do not write themselves. You have to plant yourself in your seat and hammer out the words. Write, write, write.


Q: What is the hardest thing about writing for you?

A: Everyone’s got that one part of writing that seems to stick with them. There are days when you just don’t want to write. Or there are days when you think everything you’ve written is bad. All writers experience this. I have doubted some scenes in my novels, especially in the third novel, The Game of Pawns. I didn’t know how readers would react to the characters, but so far all the readers who have contacted me loved what I almost left out of the book.

Q: In the light of recent infamous responses to negative reviews, how would you recommend responding to negative reviewers?

A: Bite your tongue, keep your dignity, and say nothing. It’s difficult, but not everyone is going to like your novel. And sadly, there are people out there who love to slam authors, regardless of how good a book is.


Q: What do you like on your pizza? (Not book related but everyone’s got a favorite topping!)

A: Mushrooms and extra cheese.


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Most of Leonard's books are available on Amazon, although the first book is currently unavailable. That's no problem though, as you can win a copy of it in the ebook giveaway that's currently running!

Check it Out: Joel Arnold & Stavrogin!

Hi everyone! I'm back, bringing you two new authors to check out!



The first is Joel Arnold, author of several books including one of his latest, Bedtime Stories for the Apocalypse. You might have seen his work in publications such as Weird Tales or on podcast sites such as Pseudopod.org, where you can download several of his short stories for free! Here's the description of Bedtime Stories for the Apocalypse:

A man journeys with a pregnant stranger, while unseen aliens deal out punishment from above. A priest's skin oozes a healing elixir. A self-absorbed husband monitors the end of his existence over the internet. A teenager digs through a deep crust of waste and bone to win his freedom. These, plus 5 more stories from Joel Arnold, are your perfect companion as the earth falls apart around you.

Joel lives in Minnesota (also home to the MST3K home, for all you MSTies out there) with his wife and two kids, a dog, cat, rat, and three fish. He also makes a mean coffee cake.

You can check out Joel's book along with several of his other stories on smashwords as well as on amazon.com for the kindle! (Click on the picture above for his amazon page & here for his smashwords page.)

My other author spotlight is a mysterious author known only to me as Stavrogin. Stavrogin's work Ljubljana Witch is a haunting tale of a mystery, dark arts, & zines. There's no way to describe this book any better than the publisher's page does: (click on the picture to be taken to the book's amazon page)

‘Come to Ljubljana. Stay with me forever.

D’

Bermondsey, London: Building sites not building anything, ill-looking grass, five muggings in the same tunnel in the last month. Billy wants out. But how? All he has is a zine that no one reads, and his best friend Jay telling him the harsh reality of things.

But then…an e-mail. From Ljubljana, a place he can’t even spell. ‘Come stay with me forever,’ it tells him.

Weird, but okay, thinks Billy. Why not?

With Jay along for the ride, and others picked up along the way, Billy arrives in Ljubljana and quickly finds that things are a lot stranger than he could’ve possibly imagined. An art commune run by a man in a bear costume. A castle surrounded by continual snow, with ancient gods and 80s board games, famous writers and forbidden rooms.

And Daisy…his beautiful, unpredictable host.

Who is this woman? Why won’t she let him go outside? What’s inside the room at the top of the spiral stairs? And what happens when he can no longer write for her?

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Don't forget that you still have time to enter the ebook giveaway for a chance to win a copy of one of Jim Bernheimer's books! (Click here for more info.)

Book Review: Unthinkable by Shirley Duke

Title: Unthinkable (Night Fall)
Author: Shirley Duke
Publisher: Lerner Publishing
ISBN: 076136157X
Release Date: 08/01/2010








The Night Fall series seems to be channeling a multitude of sources in Unthinkable. On one hand it's similar to Goosebumps (as one goodreads reviewer put it) but it also bears many similarities to series such as Fear Street as well as the slew of similarly themed books that abounded during the late 80s & early 90s. And I'm comparing them in a good way.

Unthinkable follows Omar, an aspiring young writer who spends much of his time writing short stories to post on his facebook account. He's already garnered over 1,000 fans & it's a good way to pass the time without Omar having to think about how his father deserted him & the rest of the family. When one of his latest stories- one featuring a girl being strangled in the woods- comes true, Omar's little stories start getting some big attention in a negative way. Then more stories start coming true & the talk shifts even further from public adoration to horror. Is Omar really causing these stories? And if so, how can he make them stop when his writing seems to control his every action?

This story started with a bang, which is a very good thing considering that it's such a short story. The pacing of this is incredibly fast paced & the author does an incredibly good job of keeping the reader interested in the story. Unfortunately that's where the book hits a bit of a snag. While the story is fleshed out enough to make it as a short story, the tale begs for at least another 50-100 pages so it can be complete. Some of the events in the book just happen a little too quickly. Many readers will wish for just a little more time & description inbetween events, just so when the big stuff hits there will be enough time for them to have settled down from the last surprise & so the next big development will have the punch it deserves. (Although I think this was something required by the publisher rather than a decision by the author herself.)

Now don't take that to mean that the book is bad. No, far from it. This story was awesome & as a series in the vein of Goosebumps & other series aimed for a younger audience, this is perfect. Not only is the book short enough for those in that "inbetween" stage (where you want more than a 40 page book but aren't ready for longer stories), but it's also age appropriate for the younger readers. There's death, but no gore or sex. The book's projected age range is 11-18, an ambitious range but one that it does accomplish for the most part. There was enough here to keep someone well out of that age range spellbound so if I liked it then you can be sure that the teens will as well.

This was an enjoyable book to read & something that I know will thrill a pretty wide variety of readers. This is only one book in what is currently a 6 book series with more to come, so to get the wider picture you'll have to get the other books. (Which I am now putting in my "to find & read" list.)

(ARC provided by NetGalley)

Take Book Chick City's Horror & Urban Fantasy Reading Challenge 2011!

Love reading horror? Urban Fantasy? Both?

Why not try Book Chick City's book reading challenge? All you have to do is try to read 24 books in this genre in 2011! Here's the details: (taken directly from BCC's website)

Challenge Details

Timeline: 01 Jan 2011 - 31 Dec 2011

Rules: To read TWENTY FOUR (24) horror & urban fantasy novels in 2011 (24 is the minimum but you can read more if you wish!)

You don't have to select your books ahead of time, you can just add them as you go. Also if you do list them upfront you can change them, nothing is set in stone! The books you choose can crossover into other challenges you have on the go.

You can join anytime between now and the later part of next year.

At the beginning of Jan 2011, you will find a link to add your reviews.

You don't have to have a blog to join in - for those without a blog just FILL IN THIS FORM and I will add you to the list - just join the discussion in the comments section to let us know when you've read a book and what you thought of it! :)

Book Review: Savannah Grey by Cliff McNish

Title: Savannah Grey
Author: Cliff McNish
Publisher: Lerner Publishing Group (under the Carolrhoda Lab Imprint)
Release Date: 04/01/2011
ISBN: 9780761370253






This book has been my second foray into Carolrhoda Lab's library & I have to admit that I'm pretty impressed. These guys really do have a great eye for titles that are not only readable, but don't fall into the normal cliches of YA fiction. (As a heavy reader of YA, I can say that there's a lot of titles that tend to follow the same formulas.)

A monster's out there... Only one girl can stop it. But will love get in the way?

It's a difficult time for fifteen-year-old Savannah Grey - she's settled into her latest foster placement, but her body is acting oddly. Then other strange things begin to happen. Birds behave erratically; gusts of wind blow leaves so fiercely they seem to lure people away. And Savannah discovers she has supernatural powers.

Only new boy Reece Gandolfo thinks Savannah's powers are a special gift. No wonder she's attracted to him. But there's another force that wants to lure Savannah from safety into danger...

Readers who are looking for a little something above & beyond the usual "girl with powers" fare will rejoice in this book. Not only does McNish try to build a deliciously slow build up to a huge showdown, but he also gives us great character interactions & a twist that you'll enjoy. Also something to praise is the mixture of science & fantasy/horror- there's definite horror to this, but all of it can be seen through a scientific point of view. It's well mixed in to the point where many readers might not even notice it, which is the sign that it is also done well.

While I loved the slow buildup to the finale, people who are looking for nonstop action & huge fight scenes to be interspersed throughout the entire book might be a little disappointed. This isn't that type of book.

Overall, this is a great book & I'm pretty impressed by McNish's writing style. Want a sneak peek? You can read an excerpt of Savannah Grey at McNish's website!

(ARC provided by Netgalley)