And the Coffin Hop 2012 Winner is…

The names have been brought together and the entries given to the spirits who live in the random drawing thing on-line.  Each name flutters around and all of them cry out to be the lucky one, the chosen name.  After a moment, a winner is revealed…

But first, this short break.

I want to thank everyone who stopped by on the Coffin Hop 2012!  I had a lot of fun and I hope everyone did too.  The Hop is a great way to meet new authors and win some cool prizes.  Go and buy some of the great work from the Hoppers and stay scared all year until we meet again on this path next year.  Remember, Halloween is a way of life and not a holiday.  Live it and love the whole year (and go buy In Memoriam, help a brother out with his first solo work).

So until next time,

Oh yeah, the winner…

Jason Darrick!  He wins the signed paperback of In Memoriam and the Coffin Hop EP, but since Jason is in the full Coffin Hop anthology, there is another winner for the EP and that person is bn100!  I will contact both of you so we can get the prizes out!

Goodnight…

Coffin Hop 2012: Scream Time

Happy Halloween Coffin Hoppers!  This is the final day for the Hop and the last day to get your comments in to be registered for the signed copy of my novella In Memoriam and the Coffin Hop: Death by Drive-In EP sampler.  Go to any Coffin Hop post on the blog to be registered!  To check out the other Coffin Hop locations go to http://coffinhop.wordpress.com and take a trip around the graveyard for more prizes and authors who want to scare the crap out of you.

Earlier, I listed my favorite horror-themed songs and tonight I’m going to do a quick run down of my top 5 scary movies and books that make my skin crawl.

Silver Screen Scares List-

1.  A Nightmare on Elm Street- The original, the non-remake, and the one that made me sleep with the lights on when I was a kid.  Freddy and his burnt visage, slashing through the nightmares of teens.  Of course, he was justified, their parents did light him up like a torch and left him to die.  I love this one more because, while Freddy’s humor is fun in later installments, he is more serious and wicked in this first time out.  Always in my top lists.

2.  Event Horizon-  An experimental space ship disappears while on a test to travel to another galaxy by bending reality.  The ship vanishes and reappears years later.  A group is sent to investigate where the Event Horizon went and what happened to the crew.  The movie is darkly disturbing and has the ability to get under your skin.  An often overlooked gem that everyone needs to see.

3.  In the Mouth of Madness-  John Carpenter’s ode to H.P. Lovecraft is the story of an investigator sent to find missing author Sutter Cane who has gone missing before a big book release.  He finds himself on a downward spiral in a very Lovecraftian way.  This is one film that sticks in your head and makes you wonder what would happen if someone asked you, “Do you read Sutter Cane?”

4. Halloween- Carpenter again lands on the list with the best slasher flick ever made.  Michael Meyers is a killing machine with no remorse who returns home to wreak havoc on Halloween night and to finish some family business.  I do also like the Rob Zombie versions of Halloween.

5.  Night of the Living Dead- While I enjoy the original, the remake from the early ’90′s is my film of choice here.  When the dead rise and all looks lost just remember, “They’re coming to get you Barbara.”

The Bloody Book Shelf-

1.  IT (Stephen King)-  I read this book in 6th grade and it forever forged my destiny… and it freaked my reading teacher out.  Really, what kind of 11-year-old throws a 1k page book down on his desk for ‘free reading’?  This guy…

2.  Ghoul (Brian Keene)- Following the themes of childhood, this is by far the book from Keene that sticks in my heart the most.  I know people who mirror characters in the book and it makes it more personal.  If you haven’t read Keene or think he is just a zombie guy, give this book a read and be drawn into a world of monsters outside and those within.

3.  Vampyrrhic (Simon Clark)- A tightly woven vampire tale that returns the vamps to their natural state…ugly and blood thirsty.  The opening sequences of the book are Clark’s creepy descriptions and will leave you wanting to leave the light on.

4.  Salem’s Lot (Stephen King)- Another King book I read as a kid and about 3 times since.  I can’t say enough about how good the depictions of small town life and gossip get turned on its ear when the old ‘haunted’ house is bought.  Author Ben Mears returns home to the ‘Lot and is drawn in to the battle against the undead and his own ghosts.

5.  Night Chills (Dean Koontz)- Some have hounded me for liking Koontz, but the man can tell one hell of a story.  This novel isn’t straight-up horror, but when subliminal messaging is used to control a town, things turn ugly.  The scary part of the book has to do with losing control of yourself and being forced to do something against your will, even if you don’t know you’re doing it.

Well, this was short I admit.  However, I am bust preparing some other things and I hope everyone had a terrifying Coffin Hop 2012!  See you next year (although I’d rather you stay around and follow my adventures and misadventures in my quest to continue my writing career).

Goodnight…

Coffin Hop 2012: Ghost Hunting

Welcome back to the Coffin Hop.  If you new to the game or if you need to check out the other blogs on the bloody trail head over to the Official Home of the Coffin Hop and get to hopping!

I took a day off and partied a bit.  Downed some Absinth, met some new friends, and found someone who is going to make sure all the things I have planned for my NaNoWriMo attempt are accurate.  The town of White Creek will have its past explored and the ramifications from its founding are going to come to the light.

The moon hangs silent in the night sky as we arrive at Willard Library.

Friday night, it was decided to take part in a ghost walk at Evansville, Indiana’s Willard Library.  During the Hoosier Horror Hop I took place in during the first week of October, I did a short piece about the library and its famous ghost, the Grey Lady.  To read more about the library or to check out the Ghost Cam, you can visit the library’s site and the Ghost Cam site. The first stop on the tour after a brief history of the ghost, we descended down the large beautifully carved wooden stairs to the basement.  The basement is where the ghost was first glimpsed and is also the home of the children’s room.  The large group sat in the room and heard tales of ghostly deeds.  The ghost likes to take every fourth book and pull it out from the shelf and has been known to toss a book on the floor from time to time.

The second stop was the second floor which is the next place the ghost frequents often.  Once the stories were told and the group filed out to the stairs, three of us stayed behind.  I noticed two girls taking some pictures and then quickly looking at the pics they took.  We began discussing the two large mirrors on top of the book shelves to help the librarian watch the room.  One sat totally still and the second was waving back and forth.  The mirror is held by two thick metal poles and there was not any air flow around the mirror.  We backed up and snapped some more pictures.  The new pictures around the mirror showed two orbs floating in the air around the mirror that could not be seen with the naked eye.  Dust on the lens?  We don’t know, but the orbs being around the shaking mirror is suspect.

After the tour, five of us returned to the basement to investigate further.  My son and I went to the children’s room and the others went to check out the hallway where the bathrooms are located.  Going into the children’s room , we felt the air change.  It became heavy and dense.  The hair on the back of neck rose and I felt her.  When something of that nature is around, I can feel its presence.  I asked my son if he smelled something and he told me he did.  The sweet-smelling aroma tickled my nose and I thought about the lilac scent that is present when she is near.  I snapped some pics in the dark, but without a flash, nothing showed up.  We bid her good night and left to go back upstairs.

I want to spend more time there to check things out further.  Since I need to do some research about the old TB hospital and the state hospital for some novel work, I plan on doing a little poking around the library in hopes of seeing the Grey Lady.

Goodnight…

Sitting on the second floor in the chair the Grey Lady has been known to manifest in or around. This about five minutes before the mirror incident.

Some people have pointed out the strange looking thing above my head in the picture. It is circled for you to see. I think it is from the window, but who knows…

The Coffin Hop 2012 Main Event…Tim Lebbon!

Tim Lebbon, myself, Christopher Golden, and James A. Moore hanging out at Horrorfind 2011.

Good evening Coffin Hoppers!  Wait, I can’t hear you.   I said, GOOD EVENING COFFIN HOPPERS!  Ok, much better that time around.  I interrupt this year’s Coffin Hop to bring you the Main Event.  Tonight, author Tim Lebbon steps into the ring and faces off with the “10 Questions”.  Tim Lebbon is hands down, one of the best writers in the game today.  His work has been a great influence and I hope to one day be half as good as the three guys I’m standing with in the picture.  At Horrorfind 2011, I was a new author and arrived full of dreams and my first con reading slot.  The weekend became a validation for me choosing to pursue writing.  Before the con and during, I had the opportunity to speak with Tim a bit about the craft, the Hollywood horrors he’s encountered, and drink some beers. I’m going to stop blabbing and get on with what you all hopped over here for.  Ladies and gentlemen, Tim Lebbon. (Note: The interview is from a few days ago and not from 2011)

TIM LEBBON is a New York Times-bestselling writer from South Wales.  He’s had almost thirty novels published to date, as well as dozens of novellas and hundreds of short stories.  His most recent releases include Coldbrook from Arrow/Hammer, London Eye (book one of the Toxic Citytrilogy) from Pyr in the USA, Nothing as it Seems from PS Publishing, and The Heretic Land from Orbit, as well as The Secret Journeys of Jack London series(co-authored with Christopher Golden), Echo City, and the Cabin in the Woodsnovelisation.  Future novels include Into the Void: Dawn of the Jedi (Star Wars)from Del Rey/Star Wars Books.  He has won four British Fantasy Awards, a Bram Stoker Award, and a Scribe Award, and has been a finalist for International Horror Guild, Shirley Jackson, and World Fantasy Awards.

20th Century Fox acquired film rights to The Secret Journeys of Jack London series, and he and Golden wrote the first draft of the screenplay.  He has a TV series in development in the USA, and he’s also working on new screenplays, both solo and in collaboration with Stephen Volk.

Current books include the apocalyptic thriller COLDBROOK, first book in the Toxic City trilogy LONDON EYE, huge collection from PS Publishing NOTHING AS IT SEEMS, and fantasy novel THE HERETIC LAND.

Find out more about Tim at his website www.timlebbon.net

1.      Your work expands across many genres.  There are entries in horror, fantasy, and now science fiction.  Which genre has been your favorite to write in and why?

I don’t really have a favourite, as genre is never forefront in my mind when I’m writing (although see below…).  I write what interests me at the time, what floats my boat, and I’m never consciously reminding myself, ‘Oh, this is a science fiction book’ or ‘Oh yeah, this is for a fantasy publisher, needs more elves’.  I’m always aware when I begin of how the book is going to be published — for instance, The Heretic Land for Orbit was always going to be a fantasy novel — but once I have the germ of the initial idea, I always let my imagination run wild, and rarely stay within any particular boundaries.  Coldbrook could be a horror, could be science fiction, could be dark fantasy.  And it’s a love story, too.  With zombies.  Although fear not … they’re not doing the lovin’. 

2.      You have written numerous books with Christopher Golden (Jack London series and the Hidden Cities to name a few).  What can we expect from the two of you in the future concerning these series and is there anything else you two are cooking up?

We’re working on a new novel proposal right now, something quite different and very exciting.  We’re also talking about some TV series ideas, hoping we’ll get a chance to pitch them.  We work so well together –– we’re very good friends, and we seem to fire the creative spark in each other –– so we’ll always have something bubbling away.

3.      Noreela, what was the genesis for your fantasy world and are the tales from here complete?

I’d love to write more Noreela stories, but I doubt I’ll write another novel.  The name itself is an anagram of my daughter Eleanor’s name.  It was my first alternate-world fantasy novel, and the original idea for DUSK came from musing upon the magic used in many/most fantasy novels … I wanted to write one where the magic no longer existed.  The world, as you can imagine, was built gradually over the course of four novels and several novellas and short stories, and I’d love to visit again.

4.      The next genre you are taking by storm is science fiction.  I am a huge Star Wars fan and when it was revealed you were going to write a book in the series, I was surprised (in a good way).  How did the “Star Wars: Dawn of the Jedi” book come about and what was it like working in the galaxy far, far away?  How did writing in an established universe compare to writing a movie adaptation?

It came about because an editor I’d worked with on an original Hellboy novel moved to LucasBooks, and they were looking for someone to write the first Dawn of the Jedi novel.  Very flattered that they chose me.  It was, I have to admit, a complete joy writing a Star Wars novel, and I enjoyed it more than any other tie-in novel I’ve done (originals in Hellboy and 30 Days of Night universes, and a couple of novelisations).  There were constraints, of course, but I created my own characters and story within those guidelines, and had a wonderful time doing so.  I’d love to visit the universe again.  We’ll see.

And actually, I’d have to say that I consider Star Wars as fantasy, not really science fiction.  Of course there are spaceships and other worlds, but it’s a fantasy galaxy, not our own –– it’s not a projection of how we might advance.  Maybe that’s why I loved writing it so much … I was world building again, creating monsters and lands and societies.  Great fun!

5.      Christopher Golden, Simon Clark, and Gavin Williams are a few of the authors you have worked with in the past.  What was it like co-authoring a book and how did the process with each author vary?

Processes are always slightly different.  I love collaborating, it makes writing not a lonely business, and two collaborators create a unique voice distinct from their own.  A fascinating process.  I’ll always collaborate … with Chris, of course, but there are always other projects being talked about, both screenplays and novels. 

6.      People are clamoring for follow ups to the “Assassin” series and the third act of “Naming of Parts” and “Changing of Faces”.  Are there any plans for these in the near future?

Yes, the third PS novella is contracted and I’ll be working on it soon.  As for the Assassin series, I was thinking about that only today, and I’d love to continue it.  Need to find a publisher first now that Necessary Evil Press seem to have gone away.  Watch this space!  Hmmm …. maybe I should look into Kickstarter?  

7.      Which book did you have the most fun writing and why?

Honestly don’t think I can choose one.  Maybe I should say it’s the one I’m going to work on next.

8.      How did you get started in the writing profession and what was the toughest lesson you had to learn?

I started in the same way most genre writers start … selling to the small presses (my first check was for £2.50), improving, learning my craft, getting better, finding more success, seeing my first novel published, and then year by year things better and better.  Mostly they still do.  You learn a lot about the business as you move on, and as you become more known, more things start to happen.  You have to work your ass off, of course.  And strive to keep getting better.  If ever I thought, ‘Well, I’m as good as I can get,’ that’d be time to switch off the laptop and become a plumber.  I work hard to better myself and feel that a writer’s craft is never complete.  There’s always more to learn.    

9.      “White”has been rumored to be coming to the screen numerous times as well as the Jack London books.  How have your dealings with Hollywood been and is there anything getting close to becoming a reality?

White is still in the background, and it might happen one day.  Similarly with Jack London, that’s still under option to 20th Century Fox.  I’ve had maybe a dozen other options that reached varying stages before … going away.  That’s what usually happens.  But there is some exciting news I can’t reveal yet about a potential TV series … so keep an eye on my website and Facebook for an announcement soon.

10.  Pimp yourself here.  Where can people go to find out more about Tim Lebbon?

I waste many hours on Facebook and Twitter, you can always find me there.  But best place for announcements etc is http://www.timlebbon.net

Bonus Question (This question is optional):  “War Pigs”. Where do you and Brian Keene stand on getting this going or is it dead for now?

Ha!  That one’s never dead.  We talk about it every time we meet up.  Maybe one day …

Thanks again Tim, I really enjoyed having the opportunity to sit down and pick your brain.

Thanks, Brent!

Coffin Hop 2012: Melodies of Maddness

 

Today I wanted to focus on what my favorite horror themed songs are.  I love music and my tastes run to the hard and heaviest of metals.  The tunes I listen to help me go to those deep , dark recesses in my mind when I need to write the down and dirty stuff.  No bunnies, rainbows, and bubble gum here kiddos.  I had tons of problems paring it down to ten and I almost went with twenty.

10.  Abigail- King Diamond:  I usually am not a big King Diamond fan, but the lyrics and vocals to this song sends shivers down my spine even in the summer.  It is dark and haunting.  Great song to irritate the neighbors with if you break your windows in the process.

9.  Dance of Death- Iron Maiden:  All time favorite band and this song about rituals with the dead can “chill the bones”.

8.  House of 1000 Corpses- Rob Zombie:  The title song from his directorial debut is a knockout, drag-out violent throw down.  The opening is jarring due to the music being off-key and the verses introducing you to the Firefly family are great pieces of horror fiction.

7.  Roses on White Lace- Alice Cooper:  From the Raise Your Fist and Yell album, this song is part of a story told within the final tracks about a killer.  The start of the chorus says it all, “In my eyes blood drops look like roses on white lace”.

6.  Nightcrawler- Judas Priest:  The creature is approaching the village while a storm rages in this Priest song from the Painkiller disc.  The song tells the tale of the people who try to hide and escape the beast when it enters the town to, “feast on flesh and blood”.

5.  Alone in the Dark- Testament:  One of the under-rated metal bands to come out of the ’80′s (along with Overkill) featured this song about evil and spirits on their debut album The Legacy.

4.  Dead Skin Mask- Slayer:  A story about murder and perversion in this nice song from Slayer’s Seasons in the Abyss album.  The child’s voice in the beginning and the scream in the end messes with your mind.  Listen close to the final cry and how the pitch changes from hurt to unholy anger.  Great song to blare driving down the street.

3.  On a Wicked Night- Danzig: Not scary or bloody, just a good song about love and evil women.

2.  Black No. 1- Type O Negative:  Love this ode to goth chicks and the whole bad is hot vibe.  This is the one song I’ll find myself constantly humming while I’m writing.  I’ve also been known to grab my bass next to my desk and play the bass line from it to help me get my focus back to the story at hand.

1.  Fear of the Dark- Iron Maiden:  The top spot is the haunting tribute to the horror genre and things that go bump in the night from the Maiden guys.  Did I mention they are my favorite band?  The opening riff is amazing and the way Bruce Dickinson belts out the opening lines are superb.  A great song to listen to any time.

The bands above are also mainly what I listen to when pounding out tales of death and destruction.  I also throw in some Megadeth, High on Fire, Anthrax, Metallica, Amon Amarth, All That Remains, and other heavy bands.

So, what are your fav horror songs or bands you write with in the background?   Drop a comment below and discuss the horror side of music.

Goodnight…

 

Halloween is Near, So Let Us Coffin Hop!

Here we are again kiddies, the baddest of bad, the scariest of scary, the Coffin Hop 2012.  Last year I wrote several posts about authors I dig that you should be digging too.  In my “10 Questions” feature I have from time to time, John Everson , Nate Southard, and Jeff Strand entered the arena and survived their battles.  This year I want to take it back a bit.  There is one guest lined up to step in the arena and as soon as the interview comes back, you’ll be in for a treat.  The other days, I want to focus on what music, movies, books, and such influence me and my work.

Before I begin however, there are some housekeeping things to tend to.  First, to see what other amazing authors are on the Coffin Hop go here and hit the Linky Link 2012 button, to check out the Scavenger Hunt at Melissa Smith’s website visit here, and to support the upcoming Coffin Hop anthology to benefit literacy programs by picking up some sweet Coffin Hop swag drag your mouse this way and click here.

For those who have found me here for the first time, hello.  I want you to step inside and get comfortable.  Fire up a cigar and pop open a beer.  Kick your feet up on the table, hell I don’t care.

But once you settle in and feel like everything is going to be ok, I’ll plunge you down into the dark depths of humanity and the evil lurking in the shadows of our very minds.

No, really…I’m glad your here and please feel free to roam around the site (nothing will bite…much).  This year is new to me because before I only had anthologies to promote, but this year I have my controversial novella In Memoriam.  A signed copy is part of this year’s prize package as well as an electronic copy of the Coffin Hop Anthology E.P. ( a short preview of next year’s full anthology), and a few nice paperbacks from some of my favorite horror authors.  To be entered in the drawing, you must make a comment on any blog post this week during the Coffin Hop or sign up to follow the blog (comment once-comment often).  You can earn extra entries by following me on Twitter or “liking” my fan page on Facebook (links are over on the side).  Already signed up for all the social media places to find me?  That’s fine, just comment and you’ll be entered!

Well, that does it for today.  Tune in Wednsday for the top 10 albums that haunt my dreams and me scream when I write and on Friday night, author Tim Lebbon stops by to answer the “10 Questions”!

Goodnight…

The Journey: Novella Thoughts- The End

Here we are friends.  We have arrived at the end of the journey for my first novella, In Memoriam.  The writing and re-writing have been completed.  The edits are finished and the formatting is done.  Now, ready for the world to read is my tale of love, revenge, and hate.

Being done is really bittersweet.  Getting this story finished and out there has consumed two years of my life and countless hours behind my keyboard pounding away on Andi’s story.  Looking back, it was worth every moment.  I have prepared myself for some negative comments and the such from the book however.  One does not simply write a book about abortion and vengeance minded fetus spirits without expecting some outrage.  It was how the story came out and for that I make no apologies.  If you get offended by the book, please stick around.  I’ve gotten the controversial book out of my system for now and I promise the stuff in the pipeline is more appealing to the masses.  It is now out for your Kindles here and in paperback here for your reading pleasure.

Since I’ve been working on this project and Southern Devils so hard, I’ve been lax in sending shorts out to other places.  There is some news on that front.  This past week, I had four drabbles (stories of exactly 100 words) released in KnightWatch Press’s Little Tales for the Smallest Room.  Right now it is here on Kindle, but will be in paperback soon.  To check out the eBook go here and read 197 of the smallest tales ever.

Next October, I will have my story “The Midnight Rider” published in an anthology to benefit reading programs.  I have seen the art that will go with my story and I like it.  First time I’ll have art with a short story.  This will be released next year for Halloween and I’ll remind you readers when the date approaches.  The book is packed with over 20 authors in the indy horror scene and an electronic “EP” preview of the book will one of the prizes in the Coffin Hop next week.  That is correct, I will once again be a stop on the Hop to Hell! 

So things are ramping up and I’ll hang out with you later, there are some people to kill on the page…   

October’s Wrath

I haven’t had a post lately, but that is because I’ve been busy putting the finishing touches on In Memoriam and getting set to flip the calendar to October. 

And then it gets real scary.

During the month, I will be on a blog tour promoting In Memoriam, being a stop on two blog hops, and doing a handful of interviews and a podcast.  The cherry on top will be the release party/book signing on the 20th at Comics Unlimited in Evansville, Indiana from 4-7 pm with my brother from another mother (and great writer) Wesley Southard.  The signing is the first official signing for both of us and we hope to see everyone come down and hang out with us.  There might even be a surprise or two for you fiends brave enough to attend!

Once the dates for events get closer, I’ll let you know.  I can tell you now the first blog hop I will be on is from October 1st thru the 5th and from then on till Halloween I’ll be a whirling dervish of terror on the web.

So beware the ghosts and goblins, leave the nightlight on, and prepare for the invasion.

You’ve been warned…

Happy New Year and the Best Books of 2011

First off faithful readers, Happy New Year!  Things are already looking up for 2012 (except for my book buying ban for part of the year).  I hope everyone has a good year and we don’t die on December 21st like the crazies think we are.  I will prepare myself and consume mass quantities of rum the day before just in case, you can’t watch the world end sober can you?  My resolutions for the year are to make a writing regimen I can stick to.  There are some days I just don’t feel it, but the problem is the day becomes plural.  So to combat that, I have set some benchmarks for the novel and the novellas for the year.  If I can stick to those, this should be a very productive year. 

Enough about me…so how about the list of the 10 best books from 2011?  To qualify, the book had to be released in 2011.  I read about 90 books last year and this is only for 2011 release books.  The number means nothing.  The number 1 is not the best, but just where it got listed.  I know Jeff Strand was happy to be number 4 on a list of mine earlier in the year, but look at it a list of the 10 books you should have on your shelf or books you need to get and throw on the ‘To Be Read” pile.  Let us draw back the curtain and here we go…

1.  11/22/63 by Stephen King – This book did not excite me when the synopsis was revealed and I dreaded reading it.  I will be the first to admit, I was wrong.  This novel is up in my top 5 of King’s books.  He weaves the tale of a man out of time and on a mission to kill Lee Harvey Oswald into a sometimes heart wrenching story of love and loss.  The end is one of his best and shows that the man once considered a hack writer is indeed the king of modern literature.

2.  Sacrifice by Wrath James White – Wrath is known for being extreme with the subject matter in his books.  I found this story of two detectives investigating a series of bizarre murders to be rather tame by his standards… and I liked it better that way.  The violence is there, the sex is there, and the naughty language is there but it is toned down and I think it allowed the story to flow better.  I don’t know if I am just over the extreme stuff or not, but I liked Sacrifice better over his other new release Pure Hate (which is still a good read).  The characters from another book that appear blew my mind and left me wanting more (I just have to wait).

3.  Entombed by Brian Keene – Set in the Dead Sea world, survivors of the zombie apocalypse hole up in a bunker beneath a hotel.  Brian touches greatly on my favorite part of the zombie mythos and that is the breakdown of man as a social animal.  When the society we know is gone and the fabric of our world are ripped apart, how do we as animals react?  The book is less about the zombies and more about the breakdown of the social order within the bunker.  The book also features his story White Fire from the Hell Followed With Them anthology from a few years ago.  Both are outstanding reads.

4.  The Pumpkin Man by John Everson – A dark and brooding story about a legendary murderer who carved pumpkins and kids alike.  This book hands down featured the best use of a Jack ‘O Lantern ever.  It is fast paced and was a super book.  The hardcover is sold out, but during my interview with John during the Coffin Hop 2011 Tour, he informed me that the trade paperback from Leisure has added material (still need to read that).

5.  Fangboy by Jeff Strand – A heartwarming tale of a boy named Nathan who was born with really big and sharp teeth.  We are treated to his high points and his low points while he tries to find his place in the world.  There are nice places, bad orphanages, and an evil circus that makes us stand up to root and cheer for poor Nathan Pepper.  Jeff’s comedic style is on full display and needs to warm your heart this winter.

6.  Back From the Dead by J.F. Gonzalez – Nothing ever good comes from messing with spells to raise the dead and this books highlights the main reasons why.  A superb novel about the secrets towns can keep and how the evil that permeates the ground can act when provoked.  Every book J.F. comes out with gets better and better.  A box in the mail with a book from him is a good day indeed.

7.  Waiting Out Winter by Kelli Owen – A short novel about the problems arising from messing with the natural order of nature.  Flies released to combat a worm infestation has  unintended consequences in the bleak winter months.  The book is full of tension and it introduces us to a world I hope she returns too in the future.

8. Samson and Denial by Robert Ford- Bob wrote one of the most fun books I read all year.  He shows us how the world can go to hell when you buy a mummified skull, cross a cult of hot woman, and try to deal with the city of Philly.  The book is well written and is amazing to hear when he reads from it. 

9.  The Floating Staircase by Ronald Malfi – A thick book, but it is so well plotted and executed that it reads at a lightning fast speed.  The book is moody, suspenseful, and full of sorrow.  A writer who returns to his hometown becomes obsessed with the story of a boy and the up-ended dock in the lake dubbed the ‘floating staircase’.  I became really wrapped up in the story and surprised myself by how emotionally invested I became in the story as it unfolded.  Stop reading, go to a website with books, and buy it.  Now…I’m waiting!

10.  This Little Light of Mine by Nate Southard – A chapbook about people caught in a parking garage collapse.  They have no cell signal, no idea what is going on, and only limited sources of light.  When the darkness falls, something is with them, and their light is running out.  I loved the story and I hope Nate will one tell us the extent of what happened in the world outside the garage.

Well, there you have it.  Those are the 10 favorites of mine from 2011.  There are some books I didn’t get a chance to read yet from last year (notably Ray Garton’s Meds and Trailer Park Noir).  So, I might add-on at a later date.

Goodnight and keep reading…

Coffin Hop 2011 Winner and Some Things to Ponder

In honor of the winner, I shall use the big ass banner.  It is a shame to retire it, I rather liked it.  All of you lucky visitors have been placed into the Cubs hat (yes, the Cubs) and the name has been drawn for the Coffin Hop 2011 winner from my site.  And the winner is…Rose!  I will get in touch with her and Jeff so we can get everything set up!  Congratulations to you again and thanks to everyone who stopped by and I hope everyone comes back to visit and check for more news and release information.  Year one was a blip on the radar, year two rocked some serious ass, and year three will find me kicking the door in and taking names.  So join me as I enter 2012 with some big plans and other fun.

Pondering… A few posts ago, I reported that the anthology featuring my first accepted story had been cancelled.  This morning I found out it still has been set to be printed at some point in 2012.  I thought it was toast, so I brushed up the story (hey, I’ve learned a lot since it was written) and sent it out again.  I would rather have it come out from the original publisher from the standpoint of I’ll make more and I am not 100% comfortable with a foreign publisher.  If taken by the foreign publisher, it would be out faster, but is all about the speed?  If I withdraw the foreign submission and take the deal for more but it comes out later, am I just greedy?  I find myself on a fine line, I want the better deal, but I also want the story to get out there in the wild.  I’ll let everyone know later when I figure it out myself.

Good night!