#HookedOnPoetry: Erik Hofstatter Brings Us Original Soul-Searching MicroPoetry #poetry #micropoetry @erikhofstatter

Welcome to another week of the #HookedOnPoetry project! We’re in our third week and today is the first of a four day feature run this week here and on Kendall Reviews. Thank you so very much to those who are supporting it and sharing the features! It’s all in support of these amazing poets and authors… and to bring awareness to the art of poetry.

Today I’m featuring Erik Hofstatter, who is a published author. Erik’s words and worlds have always taken on a emotional, deep, fantastical feel that’s lyrical and smooth, poetic amid the prose. When he reached out to me to submit his micropoems for the project, I immediately fell in love with them. They are so beautiful. I hope you agree. And I believe these are Erik’s first published poems and I’m so proud to bring you his original micro work below.

If you aren’t familiar with micropoems, micropoetry is a genre of poetic verse which is characterized by its extreme brevity. Micropoetry is described by micropoetry.com as a collective term for a variety of different forms of short poetry. As a poetic artform, it doesn’t really have any rules. Although it does consists of certain forms of short poetry with fixed rules such as haiku, tanka, senryu and gogyohka.

There are also no real character length limitations either. The limits are set by the medium with which they are being shared, and also that invisible line where micropoetry becomes a regular length poem.

So now that we have that lesson out of the way, I’ll let Erik have the floor! My only recommendation is read them slowly taking a moment in between to capture their full flavor.

Erin

___________________________________

Micropoems by Erik Hofstatter

a chameleon dressed
in your eyelashes
gave birth to a
red star

_____________________

singing pale
breaths to
a drowning
anchor
he sank
like martyred
daughters

______________________

she wrote
ruby-clad
scars
on the
torn
parchment
of
his skin

_______________________

a jellyfish spurned
and floating
in hidden tears
below
lamenting lost
lovers
like he did

_______________________

Red stone
skimming across
the rust-kissed
surface of
my soul

_______________________

Mist of lost
orphans
veiled her
abandoned
eyes

________________________

She was a heart
note in
the
perfume
of swan
tears

_________________________

Leviathan’s tongue
skewered
by a broken
rib
her eyes
like wet scales
in a sea of
eternity

__________________________

Tumbling emotions
in an iris of blue
changing
fading
ghosts of you

___________________________

A febrile crow
and unspoken oaths
lonesome
nights
a vortex of delirious
memories

___________________________

I slept on a raft of snakes
echoes of obstinate words
barring me
from the warm blue waters
of your eyes
my haven

____________________________

Your lips
coloured like
morganite
welcoming alcohol
with
mad urgency

____________________________

Stray raindrops
tap against
my cold window
pleading

____________________________

Pale tears
and broken
heartstrings when
she sang

____________________________

Eskimo kisses
in
a porcelain
glow

____________________________

Like a rogue tribe
of fire-tinged stones
she rolled down
my heart

_____________________________

her eyes
smudged with seduction
and
enigmatic
blue

____________________________

frost gods
whispered perversions
thawed
by
time

____________________________

the sleeping sun
below
his feet
dreamed of black
rain

______________________________

stillborn firestars
burned
like choleric
sinners

______________________________

lyrics of violent death
painted scarlet
letters into
the
midnight
sky

_______________________________

Weren’t they beautiful?

Erik Hofstatter, Biography –

Erik Hofstatter is a dark fiction writer, born in the wild lands of the Czech Republic. He roamed Europe before subsequently settling on English shores, studying creative writing at the London School of Journalism. He now dwells in Kent, where he can be encountered consuming copious amounts of mead and tyrannizing local peasantry.

His work appeared in various magazines and podcasts around the world such as Morpheus Tales, Crystal Lake Publishing, The Literary Hatchet, Sanitarium Magazine, Wicked Library, Manor House Show, and The Black Room Manuscripts Volume IV. Other works include Katerina, Rare Breeds, The Crabian Heart, and Toroa.

Contact – 

Website

Twitter: @ErikHofstatter

Instagram: @ErikHofstatter

Facebook 

Erik’s latest story is from Sharp Shock books –

Isidora’s Pawn US link

UK link

_____________________________________

To read the poetry and essays on writing poetry from last week, head HERE. Stay tuned tomorrow for another poet and poem I’ve chosen to feature over at Kendall Reviews.

Don’t forget to follow and share using #HookedOnPoetry hashtag!

Photography Credit for Raindrop photo: Greg Rosenke on Unsplash

#HookonWiHM: Horror Writer/Poet Sara Tantlinger Interviews Horror Writer/Filmmaker Kourtnea Hogan

Today in the #HookonWiHM series, the poet/author Sara Tantlinger has graciously interviewed Kourtnea Hogan, a horror writer who also currently attends school at The George A. Romero Film Program where she just finished working on a project with Tom Savini! I personally was not acquainted with either of these ladies prior to Sara contacting me and turning in this interview, so I’m very glad she did!

I’m taking interviews by men and women with women in horror, as well as guest articles, throughout the month of February, but will schedule throughout the year too in order feature women in horror all year long. You can find information on this at the bottom of the post. Take it away Sara – we are anxious to learn about Kourtnea!

You recently had your wonderfully sick story “Mantis” published in the Year’s Best Body Horror 2017 Anthology, can you tell us more about the inspiration for that story and about the influence and importance of women writing body horror?

I’m not sure where the inspiration came from, really. I’m fascinated by the mixing of sexuality and violence. I sound like a psycho, but I think about how to mix those ideas a lot. I think it’s important for women to be involved in any and every kind of horror. Women are such a large part of the horror fan base and it’s unfortunate how little of it is really aimed at us. Women have a different perspective and I would love for more of their voices to be heard. I think it would be especially lovely to see more women in body horror. I mean, we do have a pretty close connection to it.

You’re currently studying at the George A. Romero Film Program, what’s been your favorite part of that experience so far and what are you currently working on?

I love absolutely everything about the program. I’ve had an opportunity to be on a few really fantastic sets and work with some amazingly talented people. Everything is hands on, so you’re actually getting trained in what you’re learning, you aren’t just reading things out of a book. I am currently working on getting a small web series up and running called Antique Freakshow with some friends. Solo wise I am currently working on a short film about vore (which is a fetish about being eaten alive) that should be done by the end of March.

Is your creative process with writing and film work similar, or very different? Does working in both areas influence how you write or film something? 

I honestly don’t feel much of a difference at all. I think that being involved in writing short stories and novels for so long has really helped me in the film-making process. I’m used to creating entirely new worlds for my writing, so I feel it helps build a stronger script and visual style to come from that background. I also think that studying literature and really looking for the deeper meaning in things has helped me think of what messages I want to get across in film and how to intertwine a message with a story. I always see a movie in my head when I’m writing anyway. I think that’s every writer. I don’t know that I’ve ever been able to really separate the two.

In regard to feminism and horror, what would you like to see happen more often in the genre, or how can we continue to promote feminist horror?

I think we should continue to push for more representation in every aspect. I want more writers, producers, directors, and everything in between to be women. I feel that more women in powerful high-up positions leads to more women in every position below that. I think women are abysmally under-promoted in the art world and that really needs to change. We shouldn’t have to go out of our way to find women in horror when there is an abundance of them. I personally write my scripts with women in mind. I write very few male characters and intend on making my background actors predominantly female as well. And in my writing my women are strong and in control of their situations. I think when we see more women writing about women we’ll see a lot less of the damsel in distress.

What’s your advice to other women in the horror field? 

My advice is to just keep going. Reach out to other women and ask for help or input. You can do this–I believe in you.

Kourtnea Hogan, Biography—

Kourtnea Hogan is a gore-hound from the Midwest. She holds an MFA in Creative Writing and Education from Seton Hill University. She currently attends school at The George A. Romero Film Program where she just finished working on a project with Tom Savini. You can read her short story “Mantis” in The Best Body Horror of 2017 anthology. Her novella, Consume, will be available in 2019. You can follow her on instagram at kourtnea_z_h and will be able to find more of her short films at her YouTube channel Kourt Zin.

You can pick up The Best Body Horror of 2017 anthology on Amazon.

Sara Tantlinger, Biography—

Sara Tantlinger resides outside of Pittsburgh on a hill in the woods. She is the author of the dark poetry collection Love For Slaughter, and her most recent publications appear in Abyss and Apex and in 100 Word Horrors: An Anthology of Horror Drabbles.

She is a contributing editor for The Oddville Press, a graduate of Seton Hill’s Writing Popular Fiction MFA program, and an active member of the HWA. She embraces all things strange and can be found lurking in graveyards or on Twitter @SaraJane524 and at her website. 

Watch for more to come in the #HookonWiHM series….

February is Women in Horror Month! Though I agree women should be celebrated on the same level as men every day of the year, I like to partake in Women in Horror projects as a catalyst for spreading the good news and works of women in the genre in hopes that it will carry on throughout the year. It’s time to celebrate and show off what we got! For those of you reading, men AND women both, make an effort to read and watch more horror produced by women this year.

For the #HookonWiHM, or Women in Horror Month at Hook of a Book, we’ll be hosting interviews conducted by men and women with other women in horror. Watch for those spread throughout the month, and if you want in, contact me! Find more info HERE.

#HookonWiHM: Focus on Author Gwendolyn Kiste Via Calvin Demmer

February is Women in Horror Month! Though I agree women should be celebrated on the same level as men every day of the year, I like to partake in Women in Horror projects as a catalyst for spreading the good news and works of women in the genre in hopes that it will carry on throughout the year. It’s time to celebrate and show off what we got! For those of you reading, men AND women both, make an effort to read and watch more horror produced by women this year.

For the #HookonWiHM, or Women in Horror Month at Hook of a Book, we’ll be hosting interviews conducted by men and women with other women in horror. Watch for those spread throughout the month, and if you want in, contact me! Find more info HERE.

Now, without further wait, I’d like to introduce Calvin Demmer who has enthusiastically interviewed the amazing author Gwendolyn Kiste! I am more than pleased to say that I share a TOC with them in the Unnerving anthology Hardened Hearts and very much enjoyed both their stories. Further, I was excited to recently find out that Gwendolyn is originally from Ohio, where I currently live!

Take it away, Calvin – enjoy!

INTERVIEW WITH HORROR AUTHOR GWENDOLYN KISTE –

Was it difficult to select which stories to include in your debut collection And Her Smile Will Untether the Universe (Published by Journalstone)?

Overall, it wasn’t too terribly difficult, though it was so important to me not only to select the right stories but also to curate them in the absolute best order. This definitely took some time, and I was lucky to have my editor Jess Landry there to help me. All fourteen of the stories that I submitted to her for the collection made the cut for the book, but she helped with the order, opening with the avian horror story, “Something Borrowed, Something Blue,” and closing with the darkly romantic body horror tale, “The Lazarus Bride.” She felt both of those pieces focused similarly on themes of death and rebirth, and worked well in conversation with each other, and I couldn’t have agreed more.

As for other considerations in putting together the collection, several of the previously published stories are available for free online, so I felt it was important to offer readers something completely new. That’s what led me to including five stories original to the collection. Now that’s it been almost a year since publication, it’s interesting to take stock of the table of contents again and realize that I can’t imagine a different order or different stories.

These fourteen tales definitely cover all of my favorite themes: body horror, fairy tales, sisterhood, twisted romantic relationships, and of course, otherness and the role of the outsider in pushing back against the confines of society. I’m so grateful every day to Jess and JournalStone for releasing this book. It’s completely changed my career and brought me to so many more readers, which is the only thing that a writer can ever truly want for their career.

How did you find the process from writing short stories to writing your novella Pretty Marys All in a Row (Broken Eye Books)?

It was a really wonderful—as well as daunting—experience to make the leap from short fiction to a longer form. In some ways, my approach to short fiction is a bit more free-flow: because the projects are shorter by design, I let them evolve much more naturally and then go back and edit the stories if I find that I ultimately didn’t need certain details or subplots. However, with a novella or any longer fiction, that free-flow approach can become more problematic. What’s easy to edit when it’s only 5,000 words can quickly become a nightmare for a 30,000-word story.

So I would say the main difference for me is how much more planning goes into my longer works. For example, prior to even starting the first draft of my novel, The Rust Maidens, I wrote out an 11,000-word outline. Almost none of those words ended up directly in the novel, but I knew every single direction the book was going to take. Every character, every setting, every scene. There were no surprises at all, which made drafting the book much smoother.

I took a similar approach with Pretty Marys All in a Row, though the outline was a little more informal with a page or two of notes for each chapter that included locations, character goals, and specific starting and ending points for all the scenes. Part of me really loves the spontaneity of letting a story evolve like I do with my short fiction, but when the moment comes midway through a longer project that it starts to become a bit of a struggle, I’m incredibly grateful that I’ve planned ahead. It’s definitely what’s helped to keep me going so far with my longer works.

You collaborated with Emily Cataneo for the novella In Her Flightless Wings, a Fire (which will appear in Chiral Mad 4). How was the experience working with another writer?

I’d never collaborated with another writer before, especially on such a big project, so I had no idea what to expect when we started. Fortunately, Emily and I quickly worked out a good system for how to make the collaboration dovetail with both our visions. Once we had the basic elements for the story—ballet, sisters, witchcraft, turn-of-the-century Europe—we each crafted a point-of-view character, and wrote our alternating sections from our character’s perspective. Then we came together and worked to smooth out any inconsistencies and create a cohesive whole. Ultimately, In Her Flightless Wings, a Fire ended up in novella-length territory, and we were both very excited with how it turned out. When editors Michael Bailey and Lucy A. Snyder accepted it for Chiral Mad 4, I imagine you could hear Emily and I both squealing for joy for a several-mile radius.

Your debut novel, The Rust Maidens, will be published this year. Can you tell us a little about it?

Well, first off, I’m insanely excited and a little nervous about it! Obviously, it’s a big moment for every author to have a novel, but it’s so wonderfully terrifying too. And of course, you want to be sure that it’s the right book for your debut. Fortunately, I think I found a good balance with The Rust Maidens, since it at once includes elements from my short fiction while expanding upon my work in a number of ways that I hope readers will enjoy.

Based primarily in 1980, the book follows one Cleveland, Ohio neighborhood as the economy starts to unravel at the same time that the local girls begin transforming into something otherworldly. I’ve been describing it as David Cronenberg’s The Fly meets The Virgin Suicides. Lots of body horror, gruesome transformations, and coming-of-age themes in the Midwest, which is where I grew up. I never thought I’d “go back home,” so to speak, in my fiction, but once I came up with the concept for this book, I knew it was definitely a direction I was always meant to take. I wanted to write something about the economic losses so many people in the region have dealt with over the years, as well as the ecological disasters that have plagued Lake Erie for decades. To be honest, once I started writing about the Rust Belt, I realized just how much horror haunts the everyday recesses of the area, so it seems very naturally situated for a darkly supernatural novel.

We don’t have an official release scheduled yet for The Rust Maidens, but that date should be coming very soon, so definitely watch my website and the Trepidatio Publishing social media pages for those details!

Who are some of the female horror authors you believe people should be reading?

Honestly, there are way too many to list here, but I will do my best. I’m a huge fan of Farah Rose Smith, Brooke Warra, and Eden Royce in particular. We already mentioned Emily B. Cataneo, but her name certainly deserves to be repeated as well. My editor at JournalStone/Trepidatio, Jess Landry, is also a writer and a fantastic one at that.

Of course, I could go on and on: Lori Titus, Anya Martin, Nadia Bulkin, S.P. Miskowski, Denise Tapscott, Sumiko Saulson, Catherine Grant, Scarlett R. Algee, Rebecca Allred, Carrie Laben, Kenya Moss-Dyme. I usually focus on fiction, but in terms of horror poets, Christina Sng and Saba Razvi are two names everyone should definitely seek out. Truly, there are so many wonderful female horror authors working today, and it’s such an honor to be among their contemporaries

Gwendolyn Kiste, Biography –

Gwendolyn Kiste is the author of And Her Smile Will Untether the Universe, her debut fiction collection from JournalStone, as well as the dark fantasy novella, Pretty Marys All in a Row, from Broken Eye Books. Her short fiction has appeared in Nightmare Magazine, Shimmer, Black Static, Daily Science Fiction, Interzone, LampLight, and Three-Lobed Burning Eye as well as Flame Tree Publishing’s Chilling Horror Short Stories anthology, among others. A native of Ohio, she spends her days hanging out on an abandoned horse farm outside of Pittsburgh where she lives with her husband, two cats, and not nearly enough ghosts. You can find her online at gwendolynkiste.com.

Book Purchase Links –

And Her Smile Will Untether the Universe

Pretty Marys All in a Row

Thanks so much to Calvin Demmer for highlighting Gwendolyn!

Calvin Demmer, Biography –

Calvin Demmer is a dark fiction author. His work has appeared in Broadswords and Blasters, Empyreome Magazine, Mad Scientist Journal, Ravenwood Quarterly, Switchblade, and others. When not writing, he is intrigued by that which goes bump in the night and the sciences of our universe. You can find him online at www.calvindemmer.com.

Women in Horror Month (WiHM) is an international, grassroots initiative, which encourages supporters to learn about and showcase the underrepresented work of women in the horror industries. Whether they are on the screen, behind the scenes, or contributing in their other various artistic ways, it is clear that women love, appreciate, and contribute to the horror genre.

 

 

 

 

 

SLUSH, a Collection of Works by Glenn Rolfe, and Edited by Me, Releases Today!

It’s almost Halloween! But, for now it’s LAUNCH DAY for SLUSH, the collection of horror works by Glenn Rolfe  for which I had the honor of serving as EDITOR! Glenn and I had sooooo much fun working on this together. Late nights, early mornings, evenings, weekends, and we pulled it all together in just a month!!

It’s a collection that will make you cry, cringe, and maybe freak out, but it’s so worth reading. Some of the short stories have been previously published, but updated, some are short pieces such as a poem or a micro-work, but most share a similar theme. Many either take you back in time to teenage years or deal with death and grieving, but all truly make you feel something. I was so pleased that I got to write the foreword to kick off the collection, so you’ll read all my thoughts there….

Oh, also just in time for Halloween, there is a cool new story never before published towards the back with a nod to the season, it’s creepy enough for late night ghoulish reading.

We hope you consider purchasing and let us know if you liked it by leaving an honest review! The cool cover is by graphic artist Jason Lynch.  So psyched, check it out!

Amazon Purchase Link

ANNNNDDDDDD……..

Also, get Glenn Rolfe’s The Haunted Halls, his debut novel, on sale!

Amazon Purchase Link

Glenn Rolfe, Biography~

Glenn Rolfe is an author, singer, songwriter and all around fun loving guy from the haunted woods of New England. He studied Creative Writing at Southern New Hampshire University, and continues his education in the world of horror by devouring the novels of Stephen King and Richard Laymon. He and his wife, Meghan, have three children, Ruby, Ramona, and Axl. He is grateful to be loved despite his weirdness.

His first collection, SLUSH, will be available for Halloween 2014.

His novellas, ABRAM’S BRIDGE and BOOM TOWN, will be published by Samhain Publishing in 2015.

His debut novel, THE HAUNTED HALLS, available now from James Ward Kirk Publishing.

Look for his punk rock band, The Never Nudes, on Amazon and Facebook.

National Bestseller Mrs. Poe, by Lynn Cullen, Will Leave You Mesmerized

PAPERBACK RELEASE! Review~

Making a huge splash in the literary world last year, and now a National Bestseller, Lynn Cullen’s Mrs. Poe is now available in paperback for your collection or for all the first time readers who have been waiting patiently. Now is no time to waste, this book is definitely worth your money! I was so excited when this book first came out, as I am a huge Edgar Allan Poe fan since high school. I can feel the depth of his soul in his writing and I couldn’t wait to see what Lynn Cullen would bring to light with her novel. Which is where my review today comes in….

If you like the time period of the late 1800s and dabbling in stories of creative types of people known for art, writing, music, plus their drama and intrigue, then you’ll want to be fully swept away in Mrs. Poe very soon! It is a pretty consuming novel. That means, the story will consume you.

Mrs. Poe will certainly suck you in from the initial chapter, as we immediately feel connected and sympathetic for Mrs. Osgood, as well as a little proud of her writing accomplishments (well, I was proud, as a fellow female writer) in a time when women were fighting heavily for equal rights. I was quick stepping right in line with her pursuits as a strong, independent woman struggling to keep her social class and station during a horrid marriage, raising children, and getting her writing acknowledgements beyond writing for children. I think Cullen, as a children and young adult author herself, could probably relate to her desire, even in this more modern age.

I loved how our eyes are inquisitive as we begin this book, just like Mrs. Osgood to her surroundings and what is being read and published.  When she alights upon the poem “The Raven,” which paved E.A. Poe quite some road to fame when it was published in The Mirror in New York City in 1845, she becomes insistent on writing similar work in order to gain readers. During this pursuit, her social circles allow for a meeting between her and the moody poet. Both are married, yet both seem to have troubled marriages.

Cullen explores the hypothesis in Mrs. Poe that Osgood and Poe begin a love affair. Her characterization of Poe makes him quite the leading man (and ladies man) of his time and we begin to see past the brooding, unsmiling, mysterious macabre writer of black and photos and into the possibility that Poe had a sensitive and alluring heart. It was quite stirring and I found myself barely able to put down the book or to stop flipping through the pages. I was enthralled in Cullen’s prose, her details, her sometimes rhythmic and rhyming phrases and her eloquent dialogue and character thoughts and movements.

It doesn’t get much better to me, if I read any romance at all, for an author to put together suspense, mystery, intrigue, dark, speculative, and forbidden love/lust, coupled with a history of art or writing. I especially enjoyed Cullen’s independent character of Mrs. Osgood and am always a fan of showcasing women in history who were feminists and forging new grounds and overcoming obstacles. It left me guessing, wondering, thinking, and feeling and provided quite an escape from the stresses of life by immersing me in an even more depressing and gut-wrenching story.

Not only did it remind me of the horrors of loss that people endured in the latter 19th Century in New York, but it gave great knowledge and enlightenment as to possible real events of Poe, his wife Virginia, Osgood, and all those surrounding them.  In the end, Cullen’s story was so well-researched that I’ll come full-circle back to say that maybe this should be considered an option for a historical biography of his life and his love for two women and a daughter. Some might still disagree with me for various reasons, but Cullen certainly spent enough time putting pieces of the puzzle together that it’s at least viable. It’s realistic, yet highly entertaining and absorbing.

Was Poe really mad, did his childhood trauma, his consuming love, stress of his marriage all compile to make him crazy? Was his death unnatural? Was his name smeared after his death? These are common questions at Poe and they all surround the people associated with him as well. Cullen writes their story up to a point and ends it with what seems like hope. Yet, we know the demise of them all…maybe Cullen has finally given credence to their souls, their hearts, and kept their hope alive.

It certainly, no  matter what, gives Frances Osgood back her rightful place in history. She was quite a poet and writer herself, becoming one of the most amazing female writers of the 19th century. I adore Cullen’s book for this, as though they enduring such hard lives and died too young, women like Osgood are indelibly remembered when a book like hers is published, becomes a bestseller, and is passed down through the years.

I absolutely loved this book. I highly recommend it readers and lovers of historical fiction that showcases artists, writers, creative people of the past. If you like eloquent novels that leave you wondering and breathless, then this one should be next on your list.

Mrs. Poe, Synopsis~
Paperback Publication Date: April 1, 2014
Gallery Books/Simon&Schuster

READ AN EXCERPT.

Great Reads of 2013 –NPR
Books That Make Time Stand Still –Oprah.com
Editor’s Pick—The Historical Novels Review
Best Books of 2013—Atlanta Magazine
Indie Next List Pick

A vivid and compelling novel about a woman who becomes entangled in an affair with Edgar Allan Poe—at the same time she becomes the unwilling confidante of his much-younger wife.

It is 1845, and Frances Osgood is desperately trying to make a living as a writer in New York; not an easy task for a woman—especially one with two children and a philandering portrait painter as her husband. As Frances tries to sell her work, she finds that editors are only interested in writing similar to that of the new renegade literary sensation Edgar Allan Poe, whose poem, “The Raven” has struck a public nerve.

She meets the handsome and mysterious Poe at a literary party, and the two have an immediate connection. Poe wants Frances to meet with his wife since she claims to be an admirer of her poems, and Frances is curious to see the woman whom Edgar married.

As Frances spends more and more time with the intriguing couple, her intense attraction for Edgar brings her into dangerous territory. And Mrs. Poe, who acts like an innocent child, is actually more manipulative and threatening than she appears. As Frances and Edgar’s passionate affair escalates, Frances must decide whether she can walk away before it’s too late…

Set amidst the fascinating world of New York’s literati, this smart and sexy novel offers a unique view into the life of one of history’s most unforgettable literary figures.

Praise for Mrs. Poe~

“Is it true that Edgar Allen Poe cheated on his tubercular, insipid young wife with a lady poet he’d met at a literary salon? Cullen makes you hope so.” –New York Times

“This fictional reenactment of the mistress of Edgar Allan Poe escorts you into the glittering world of New York in the 1840s…A bewitching, vivid trip into the heyday of American literary society.” –Oprah.com, Book of the Week

“Vivid…Atmospheric…Don’t miss it.” –People

“Nevermore shall you wonder what it might have been like to fall deeply in love with Edgar Allen Poe… Mrs. Poe nails the period.” –NPR

“A page-turning tale…Readers who loved Paula McLain’s The Paris Wife will relish another novel based on historical scandal and romance.” –Library Journal, starred review

“Immensely engaging…Set upon the backdrop of a fascinating era…this is not only a captivating story of forbidden lovers but an elaborately spun tale of NYC society.” –The Historical Novels Review

“A must-read for those intrigued by Poe, poetry and the latter half of nineteenth-century America.” –RT Book Reviews (4 stars)

Buy the Book

Amazon (Kindle)
Amazon (Paperback)
Barnes & Noble
Books-a-Million
IndieBound
iTunes
Simon & Schuster

Author Lynn Cullen, Biography~

Lynn Cullen grew up in Fort Wayne, Indiana, the fifth girl in a family of seven children. She learned to love history combined with traveling while visiting historic sites across the U.S. on annual family camping trips.

She attended Indiana University in Bloomington and Fort Wayne, and took writing classes with Tom McHaney at Georgia State.

She wrote children’s books as her three daughters were growing up, while working in a pediatric office, and later, at Emory University on the editorial staff of a psychoanalytic journal.

While her camping expeditions across the States have become fact-finding missions across Europe, she still loves digging into the past. She does not miss, however, sleeping in musty sleeping bags. Or eating canned fruit cocktail. She now lives in Atlanta with her husband, their dog, and two unscrupulous cats.

Lynn Cullen is the author of The Creation of Eve, named among the best fiction books of 2010 by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and as an April 2010 Indie Next selection. She is also the author of numerous award-winning books for children, including the young adult novel I Am Rembrandt’s Daughter, which was a 2007 Barnes & Noble “Discover Great New Writers” selection, and an ALA Best Book of 2008.

Her novel, Reign of Madness, about Juana the Mad, daughter of the Spanish Monarchs Isabella and Ferdinand, was chosen as a 2011 Best of the South selection by the Atlanta Journal Constitution and was a 2012 Townsend Prize finalist. Her newest novel, MRS. POE, examines the fall of Edgar Allan Poe through the eyes of poet Francis Osgood.

For more information please visit Lynn Cullen’s website and blog. You can also connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, and Pinterest.

 See all the reviews, interviews, articles and giveaways here:

Tour Schedule with Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours~

http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/mrspoevirtualtour

Tour Hashtag: #MrsPoeBlogTour

Aaron Dries: Author, Filmmaker, Artist! Meet at Virtual Party for Release of A Place for Sinners

It’s the new wave!! Virtual parties!! For an author, it lets them reach all their friends and fans internationally!! How cool is that to be able to party across the miles??

In this upcoming case, for instance, of award winning horror author Aaron Dries who is from Australia, we all can’t pile in a car, a plane, a boat, and well….go for a two hour book signing party can we? We could, but that might get rather expensive.

So, we’ve got a fun VIRTUAL party you can drop by for on Hook of a Book Facebook page to help congratulate and celebrate Aaron’s new release from Samhain Horror, A Place for Sinners! We’ve got some books and an original piece of Aaron’s artwork to giveaway also, courtesy of Aaron. THANKS AARON!!

Here is the awesome cover, isn’t is gorgeous? Don’t be fooled, the book is SCARY and will leave breathless.

You can read more about Aaron and his new book after the party details…..

DETAILS ABOUT PARTY

The virtual party sponsored by Hook of a Book (www.facebook.com/HookofaBook) page takes place on the actual wall of the Facebook page (not on the invite wall if you have a FB invite) from 9-11 p.m. US EST or 1 p.m. Australian time. The cool thing is that we’ll be talking across two days….I’d come just to say you accomplished being in Friday and Saturday at the same time….though you’ll leave which much more, like getting to know Aaron!

Attendees are able to ask Aaron any questions they want by PRE-ASKING or asking during the party via an email submission which will then be posted by the moderator to the Hook of a Book wall. Attendees can see questions answered and be able to comment.

Aaron is a wealth of knowledge on books, TV, film, art…..you genuinely don’t want to miss this chance to pick his brain. You’ll learn a lot and get some great opinions!

HOW TO ASK QUESTIONS

Please pre-ask questions using email listed below or Erin will also take limited questions during the party which will go in a queue to be asked in order received. Email Erin at hookofabook@hotmail.com (subject: Dries question). Again, emailing a question enters you or you can email just to enter to win.

The night of the event you can also inbox message Erin Al-Mehairi on the Hook of a Book Facebook page (below) if you can’t email and it will go into the queue.

Please, NO attendees should post questions to the wall of the party just because it gets too confusing. If questions appear on the wall, Erin will put in to the queue and then re-post the question as a status. Authors won’t answer those, but will wait for them to be re-posted and then answer. However, you can post to the wall to say congratulations and authors can comment on that too.

GIVEAWAY

We’re giving away some books too! Copies of choice of his books in e-format will be up for grabs. All that ask questions will have a chance to win or you can email to enter!

For the grandprize, the award is a signed paperback copy from Australia PLUS his original black and white artwork piece he drew for A Place for Sinners. That is a HUGE prize, right??!!

ARTWORK GIVEAWAY

The giveaway of the original painting created by Aaron, which is titled “They Closed In,” can be seen at the link. It’s black and white watercolors on paper. It depicts a scene from the first chapter of the book. See all his promo art for the book at the link…

http://www.aarondries.com/apps/photos/photo?photoid=189540354

“Amity was trapped, her back flat against the cave wall. The dogs glared at her with candle-flame eyes, flickering with the potential to burn and cause pain. The dogs had claimed her as their own. Coveted her. Her blood was a sweetness they found favorable, and they were desperate for more.” – A PLACE FOR SINNERS by Aaron Dries

REFRESH YOUR BROWSER!

Please remember that refreshing your browser is very important to see all questions and answers ongoing during the event. Also remember to be patient. The moderator, Erin, is constantly working in the background and will be taking your emails, inbox messages, posting questions, and monitoring the party all at once.

You can RSVP or see more about the event here:

https://www.facebook.com/events/629992483758374/

You also have to “like” the Hook of a Book page here: www.facebook.com/HookofaBook

About Hook of Book Facebook Page

Like the Hook of a Book Facebook page at www.facebook.com/HookofaBook! We post reviews and interviews from this site there, but it also gives us the opportunity to talk books with you more, feature upcoming covers and releases, post free or discounted books, discuss literature, and showcase books we have on list to review.

Oh, for the Hook of a Book! Blog is an extension of Hook of a Book Services of Addison’s Compass Public Relations. We do book publicity, editing, proofreading, developmental consulting, media relations, press releases, and more.

A PLACE FOR SINNERS, SYNOPSIS

Sometimes, survival is a sin.

Amity Collins has been deaf since she was seven. That was the day the wild dogs attacked, fighting for her bones. The day her father died. This trip to Thailand is exactly what Amity and her brother, Caleb, need—freedom… As their boat slits through saltwater, Amity, Caleb and the other passengers are having the time of their lives. They watch the island emerge on the horizon. Its trees twitch, as though impatient or hungry. Within its shadows, secrets best kept hidden will be unearthed. Sacrifices will be made. Terror will reach out to grasp Amity, as real and frightening as what’s lurking in the dark.

AARON DRIES, BIOGRAPHY

In 1984, Wes Craven unleashed Freddy Krueger on the world. That year also saw lonely children riding Luck Dragons in “The Neverending Story”. And somewhere between these two pop culture events, there was the (relatively) unnoticed birth of a ginger-haired child. Aaron Dries.

Raised in a small New South Wales town in Australia, the former video store clerk, pizza delivery boy, retail specialist, aged-care nurse, document scanner, video editor, commissioned artist and amateur filmmaker always had a strong interest in creating stories. Were it hand-drawn X-Files comic books or home-made movies starring himself and his family (the best of which had Aaron running over a friend with a lawnmower, followed closely by a remake of “Scream” starring his brother as Drew Barrymore), there was always something in the works.

Aaron graduated from the University of Newcastle with a Bachelor of Communication under his wing, majoring in creative writing and video production. As a filmmaker, he won a number of awards for his short films at home and abroad, including Best Film at the Newcastle Film Festival for “Placebo,” coinciding with the publication of his earliest stories in literary magazines.

His first novel, HOUSE OF SIGHS was originally written under the title “Disunity” for the Leisure Books / Rue Morgue/ Chizine Publications FRESH BLOOD Contest. The premise of the novel stemmed back to a local murder that took place in Aaron’s adolescence. A mother on his pizza delivery route shot and murdered her husband and children before turning the gun upon herself. As was the case with everyone who read about the incident, Aaron’s mind churned with questions of morality. Why do bad things happen to good people? What is the origin of evil? What makes apparently sane people do insane acts? These questions would become the genesis for HOUSE OF SIGHS some years later.

When he is not writing, Aaron Dries is thinking about writing, or upcoming film projects. He is also an avid traveler. The first draft of his debut was written over a three month period on a borrowed semi-functional laptop whilst living in overseas hostels.

People often ask Aaron, “Why horror? Why aim to terrify and disturb people?”

To this he has very little justification. “I guess I write horror because it pays better than jumping out from behind doors and scaring people- although I’ve got no plans to stop doing this either.” Aaron’s second book was the highly-acclaimed THE FALLEN BOYS, which was voted as one of the Best Horror Novels of 2013 by Fearnet.com, alongside works by Stephen King and Joe Hill. Also available is AND THE NIGHT GROWLED BACK, a disturbing novella set in the Icelandic wilderness. His third novel is A PLACE FOR SINNERS, which is garnering glowing praise.

Drop Aaron a line at www.aarondries.com. He won’t bite. Much.

BOOK TRAILERS

Here is the link to his Youtube channel, which is where all of his book trailers and multimedia are kept. AND THEY ARE AWESOME!!!
http://www.youtube.com/user/aarondriesdisunity/videos

BUY LINKS

Samhain store Aaron Dries purchase link: http://store.samhainpublishing.com/aaron-dries-pa-1699.html

Get on discount in e-book and paperback for limited time!

Amazon author page with purchase links: http://www.amazon.com/Aaron-Dries/e/B008GXNU64

Like Chilling Horror? Cheer for Giveaways? Virtual Book Launch Party for David Bernstein and Adam Cesare!

You’re most likely strolling through Facebook in the evening right? Posting your favorite book, cartoon, and chatting with friends in between watching a cool show or settling down for the evening? We’ve got a fun VIRTUAL party you can drop by for as well to help congratulate and celebrate horror authors David Bernstein and Adam Cesare’s newest releases! We’ve got some books to giveaway also so be sure to enter to win, courtesy of David and Adam!

DETAILS ABOUT PARTY:

The virtual party sponsored by Hook of a Book (www.facebook.com/HookofaBook) page takes place on the actual wall of the Facebook page (not on the invite wall if you have a FB invite) from 9 to 11 p.m. EST, on Thursday, Jan 16, 2014.

Attendees are able to ask David or Adam any questions they want by PRE-ASKING or asking during the party via an email submission which will then be posted by the moderator to the Hook of a Book wall. E-mail to me at hookofabook@hotmail.com.  Attendees can see questions answered and be able to comment. These two authors are fun and interesting so you won’t want to miss the action.

HOW TO ASK QUESTIONS:

Again, please pre-ask questions using email listed below or Erin will also take limited questions during the party which will go in a queue to be asked in order received. Email Erin at to hookofabook@hotmail.com (subject: Dave or Adam question).  Emailing a question enters you or you can email just to enter to win.

The night of the event you can also inbox message Erin Al-Mehairi on the Hook of a Book Facebook page (below) if you can’t email and it will go into the queue.

Please, NO attendees should post questions to the wall of the party just because it gets too confusing. If questions appear on the wall, Erin will put in to the queue and then re-post the question as a status. Authors won’t answer those, but will wait for them to be re-posted and then answer. However, you can post to the wall to say congratulations and authors can comment on that too.

We’re giving away 10 books, one print copy of Amongst the Dead from David and The Summer Job from Adam and four e-books from each, your choice of their titles! All that ask questions will have a chance to win or you can email to enter! Or just hang out and have conversation in the comments.

REFRESH YOUR BROWSER!

Please remember that refreshing your browser is very important to see all questions and answers ongoing during the event. Also remember to be patient. The moderator, me (Erin), is constantly working in the background and will be taking your emails, inbox messages, posting questions, and monitoring the party all at once.

You can RSVP or see more about the event here:

https://www.facebook.com/events/629267487136823/

You also have to “like” the Hook of a Book page here: www.facebook.com/HookofaBook

About Hook of Book Facebook Page~

Like the Hook of a Book Facebook page at www.facebook.com/HookofaBook! We post reviews and interviews from this site there, but it also gives us the opportunity to talk books with you more, feature upcoming covers and releases, post free or discounted books, discuss literature, and showcase books we have on list to review. We’ll talk about the book, publishing and writing industry. We’ll probably also talk grammar tips and ask lots of questions, as well as post interesting historical articles, art, photos, and other things we find intriguing.

Oh, for the Hook of a Book! Blog is an extension of Hook of a Book Services of Addison’s Compass Public Relations. We do book publicity, editing, proofreading, draft consulting, media relations, press releases and more.

If you are interested in your own Facebook Launch Party at Hook of a Book, please e-mail!

ABOUT David and Adam~

David Bernstein, Biography

David Bernstein is a dark fiction/horror writer who lives in NYC, but is originally from upstate NY and loves the countryside. His novels and novellas include The Tree Man, Damaged Souls, Amongst the Dead, Tears of No Return, Machines of the Dead, and the Bizarro title Fecal Terror.

He writes like a madman and this year (2104) has books coming from the Samhain Horror line—Witch Island and Apartment 7C, and from DarkFuse, the titles Relic of Death and Surrogate, and from SeveredPress, the third installment of the Machines of the Dead trilogy. He loves hearing from his readers, so drop him a review, send him an email, or contact him on Facebook.

You can check out his blog and information at http://davidbernsteinauthor.blogspot.com/

The Tree Man, Synopsis—

Can two kids alone stop a monstrous evil?

Women and children have been mysteriously disappearing from Evan’s town. And now Evan may know why. He was climbing a tree in the woods when he saw a decrepit old man toss a helpless woman into the mouth of a hideous tree-like creature.

Evan knows he can’t stop the man and the creature by himself, but he also knows no one will believe a kid with such a wild story. Only his best friend, Peter, can help him confront this terrifying evil. But if they aren’t careful, they will soon be missing too.

Samhain Purchase:

http://store.samhainpublishing.com/The-Tree-Man-p-73164.html

Amazon Purchase:

http://www.amazon.com/The-Tree-Man-David-Bernstein-ebook/dp/B00H54X8IK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1389674777&sr=8-1&keywords=the+tree+man

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Adam Cesare, Biography~

Adam Cesare is a New Yorker who lives in Philadelphia. He studied English and film at Boston University.

His books include Video Night, The Summer Job and Tribesmen. His nonfiction has appeared in Paracinema, Fangoria, The LA Review of Books and other venues.

You can check him out at: http://adamcesare.wordpress.com/

The Summer Job, Synopsis—

Welcome to Mission, Massachusetts. Praying won’t save you, but it couldn’t hurt.

Claire is an alternative girl looking for an alternative. Her post-college prospects have fizzled and she’s looking for a new job, a new town, a whole new life. A summer position at a remote hotel may be just what she needs.

Very soon, though, she begins to suspect the hotel may have decidedly sinister motives. At the same time she falls back into her old wild ways with the young people of the town, a radical group totally at odds with the sinister leaders of a local cult. Caught between two worlds, Claire has to plot her escape while spiraling deeper into a nightmare of ritual sacrifice and killer parties.

Samhain Purchase:

http://store.samhainpublishing.com/the-summer-job-p-73163.html

Amazon Purchase:

http://www.amazon.com/The-Summer-Job-Adam-Cesare/dp/1619218127

You can also order books from the info detailed in the notes section on the Facebook page during or anytime after the party (30% off at Samhain link there for a limited time) or enter the giveaways.

Kristopher Rufty Delivers Suspense and Horror in the Creepy Town of Oak Hollow

Did you like Ira Levin’s 1967 book Rosemary’s Baby, which is now a vintage horror tale known for its satanical and cult ritual plot? If so, you’ll want to consider the modern tale of Oak Hollow, by Kristopher Rufty, that takes a similar theme to the back road swamps of small town southern America. It’s out for purchase on Tuesday, August 6, 2013!

With so many books in the horror genre, both from the past as well as the influx of current titles, it’s always hard to tell just what “type” of horror book you might be getting into when you chose one. Having read two other recent novellas of Kristopher Rufty’s that were violent, highly carnal, and the last a downright bloodbath, just months before digging into Oak Hollow, I didn’t know what to expect. Just as I was starting to think that as an author he was only raw, blunt, and splatter, I had a feeling he might switch it up for me with the full-length novel Oak Hollow.  He didn’t disappoint.

As a disclaimer, I am not a die-hard horror genre cult participant that has read a library of back titles I might compare Rufty to (as some do).  I am a more stream-lined horror gal. However, I will say with this new book, Oak Hollow, he had tones of the accomplished horror author Edward Lee, who also writes various types of the horror genre.  Both Rufty and Lee like to put explicit sex bluntly on the page, just trying to push the inhibitions of your mind and showcasing the rawness of the people they have created. I enjoyed Rufty’s character development as he brought that rawness to the page, with the meandering pace and painstaking details he added…you know, almost intrusive, much like we get with some Stephen King novels……those extra rambling details you don’t really need, but seem to pull you in any way and make you wonder why you feel so absorbed?

I was leery at the very beginning of the book about where he was going with the novel from a supernatural context, but then he slightly started to intertwine the weirdness that was the too tiny town of Oak Hollow. While reading, we get to see his characters real-life dilemmas, their small town mindedness and dealings, their bored lives, and their messed up circumstances. The characters were real and emotional. So much so, that when the oddness came in, you almost felt like it crept up on you.

Rufty delivered circumstances in a natural way that seemed rather almost ordinary on the outside, but were really hiding what true evil was manifesting on the inside.  The supernatural forces in Oak Hollow have a hold over the town’s residents so that they are living in hell on earth, and hell inside themselves.

Rufty’s protagonist, pregnant teen Tracey, has the key to their escape, but does she also have the key to their salvation? I don’t want to give away any spoilers. I will say, however, that after the amazing amount of carnal lust and expenditure (a way to spread the curse maybe?) in this novel, I also have never seen this amount of spiritual allegory and guidance in a horror novel. This would be a book for anyone who is going through what they feel is like hell, or at their rock bottom, to read and see for themselves why selfish and immoral behavior just creates more hell. But if you aren’t religious, that shouldn’t scare you away either by any means, it’s a classic tale of an evil entity and its cult followers in a fight to consume everything that is good only for themselves.

Beyond the well-thought out plot and meaning that he made an effort to put into this novel, Rufty embeds us in the tale of a supernatural back woods location whose residents are not what they seem. It’s like a mixture of a zombie plague, the profanation of the succubi, the damning of a hellacious cult, the bane of being vain, and the proverbial fight between good and evil. It’s an ever-increasing thrill ride that is authentic, suspenseful, and substantive.  You’ll be pulling so hard for Tracey and her baby to overcome the evil that ensues that you won’t want to put this book down.

I highly recommend this for any follower of Kristopher Rufty as one of his top books, but also to any horror readers.  I’d recommended this one to mainstream readers as well that like supernatural books and can handle an R-rating for sexual content, as this is more character and supernatural driven rather than blood and gore. For me, that was a win as I liked the supernatural suspense and the climactic and amazing ending! The creepy cover is perfectly fitting for the diabolical prose that lurks inside its pages.

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This book was purchased by me in paperback. All opinions are my own honest observations, thoughts, and opinions.

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Oak Hollow, Synopsis~

Paperback: 296 pages
Publisher: Samhain Publishing (August 6, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1619213516
ISBN-13: 978-1619213517

The town of Oak Hollow is very eager to welcome Tracey…and her baby.

Soon after seventeen year old Tracey Parks found out she was pregnant, she was sent off to live with her grandmother in Oak Hollow.  It was a painful transition, but she learned to love the quaint town and the people who live there.  But now, as the birth of her son gets nearer, the once-friendly town seems much more ominous. Could it be that the residents of Oak Hollow have been waiting for her—and her unborn baby—all along?  And what role will her baby play in this macabre nightmare?

Kristopher Rufty, Biography

Kristopher Rufty is the writer/director of the movies Psycho Holocaust, Rags, and Wicked Wood, and also the author of Pillowface, Angel Board, The Night Everything Changed (short story prequel to The Lurkers), The Lurkers, A Dark Autumn (novella), Last One Alive (novella), and Oak Hollow.

He also hosts Diabolical Radio, an internet radio show devoted to horror fiction and film. The show has been online for nearly five years now and has developed quite an archive list and following.

He is married to his high school sweetheart and is the father of two insane children that he loves dearly, and together they reside in North Carolina with their 120 pound dog Thor and a horde of cats. He is currently working on his next novel, script, or movie.

For more about Kristopher Rufty, please visit his Website www.lastkristontheleft.blogspot.com.   He can also be found on Facebook and Twitter for more updates.

One Killer Interview with Author Hunter Shea, Master of the Paranormal Horror

Today on the site we have one of my most favorite authors ever–the never elusive, extremely funny, and all around great guy Hunter Shea!!! Let’s see how much he tries to scare our socks off this time. He told me he has revealed more in this interview than anywhere before…..and I’m kicking myself for not asking him even MORE questions! If you like paranormal, creepy, horror, and the like, then you’ll want to check out what Shea has to say.

Or maybe start with a kiss……

Hi, Hunter! So happy to have you stop by the blog today so I can infiltrate your monster of a mind. 🙂 One of my favorite times on the blog is when you are hanging out…

Hunter: Thanks Erin. Glad to see you lifted the restraining order so I can come around again. I’ve tried to stir up all the cranial beasties and spirits, just for you!

Erin: You sure know how to rub a girl the right way….! I’m anxious to ask you some questions to let readers get to know you and your writing better, as well as catch up on your news for 2013!

Q: When did you first start writing? Have you always had a love affair with the pen?

A: I started writing with the aim of doing more than just killing time in the mid 1990’s. I was in a dead end job and my friend Norm who sat next to me was working on a book whenever he had some down time in the office. I was going through a tough time and Norm both inspired and coached me along the way. I thank him every chance I get (and dedicated my book, Swamp Monster Massacre to him). As a kid and a teen I used to write zombie poems and dystopian stories littered with tough guys who said inane things and battled creatures. Then college came and writing only became something you did to get a good grade on a paper…or writing flyers for wing night or free keg. It wasn’t until my mid-twenties when the bug burrowed under my skin and became a passion. And boy, it only grows with each passing year.

Erin Comments: “My friend Norm” sounds like a Cheers episode. Boy am I glad your friend Norm was writing novels and not just tipping back beers. Otherwise you’d be a drunk not an author….lol! Now I’m wondering what happened to Norm and if he published anything….

Q:  Your writing is pretty polished. You have a nice tone to your writing voice. How did you perfect this over the years?

A: Now you’re making me blush. Lots of practice, trial and colossal error. I didn’t even attempt writing a novel in my favorite genre, horror, until I’d been working on short stories and novels in other genres for almost 8 years. My very first full length book was a romantic comedy, of all things, but the voice wasn’t quite mine. It was hard getting the voices in my head to translate onto the page. I realized early on that everything I was writing was not solid gold. I have a vampire novella in a file that induces nausea quicker than a shot of Ipecac. I learned from my mistakes on that one and moved on to another that was slightly less horrible. I just kept at it until I was comfortable with my voice and style.

Erin Comments: Would love to see a vampire novel from you! And I can see why’d you write comedy, you’re so funny.

Q: Where do you come up with all the evil stories you churn out? What gives you inspiration?

A: I was raised a good Irish Catholic altar boy. I know evil when I see it! I thank God that my father let me watch horror and sci-fi flicks from day one on this big blue marble. We had a drive-in theater by our house so I got to see all these wonderfully awful B movie monster and biker flicks. We had Chiller Theatre on TV and this new writer called Stephen King giving everyone nightmares. I’ve loved horror for as long as I can remember and I was blessed with an overactive imagination. Now I get to put it to work!

Erin Comments: It’s always those preacher kid and good little altar boys isn’t it? Ha!

Q:  When following a creative lead, how do you write? Outline first or just write what comes into your head?

A: I’ve heard other writers talk about their process and I guess I fall into the ‘organic’ category. I despise outlines. I did too many of them in school. Whenever I think of doing one, I get the feeling there’s an angry Brother behind me tapping a ruler in the palm of his hand. I develop a basic idea for a novel and kind of let my subconscious turn it around for a few months. If I still want to do it months later, I’ll start research (on locations or events or people), then pick a day to sit my ass down and start typing. I let the story kind of write itself and I’m always surprised by how my novels and characters end up. It’s pretty cool. Kind of like a medium and automatic writing, except it’s just the dark recesses of my demented brain doing all the heavy work.

Erin Comments: Knowing you, I am determined you just press your finger to the screen and say download. I don’t know how you write so fast….but glad you do.

Q: Who are some of your favorite authors?  Who inspires you? I think you are unique in your writing style, an original. Would you say so, or are you compared to any certain novelists in how you approach your stories?

A: I’m sure there are bits of every author I admire in my work. I do make a conscious effort to not sound like anyone else, but it’s hard to keep all your influences and loves at bay. I re-read several Hemingway books every year. If you want to learn brevity and the power of words, you have to study him. For horror, aside from the master, King, I’ve devoured everything by Robert McCammon, Brian Keene, Richard Matheson and Bentley Little. Oh, and I can’t forget my pal Norm Hendricks.

Q:  I know you are a huge video and film buff. What are some of your favorite all-time movies? Why?

A: Me likey movies. Hell, I started the Monster Men podcast with my bud Jack Campisi because we both loved scary movies so much. For my money, Alien is the best horror and the best sci-fi movie of all time. I mean, holy cow. There is nothing scarier than that creature, especially when Dallas was going through the air ducts with the flame thrower and they can see the alien on the radar coming up on him and he can’t! I still get chills.

The Big Lebowski is my #1 favorite movie. Nothing, and I mean nothing, is funnier. The Hunter abides. I love Excalibur and its grandiose story, music and action. King Arthur kicks some serious ass. The Haunting (the original, not that abomination of a remake) is proof that you can make a terrifying ghost movie without special effects. Rosemary’s Baby is just plain creepy, as is The Sentinel. I could go on forever (and you can all see Jack and I pontificate at The Monster Men…and it’s all free!).

Q:  What movies are you looking forward to this year?

A: I haven’t been too thrilled with movies the past few years. I really can’t think of anything I feel like I absolutely have to see in 2013. I’m sure something will come out of the blue and surprise me. Of course, I’ll watch anything with Salma Hayek. Hence my ponying up money to see Here Comes the Boom. I’m so shallow.

Erin Comments: Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter was awesome!!

Q:  What books are you looking forward to reading this year?

A: I have a whole wish list of books from other authors at Samhain that I can’t wait to dive into. I’m finally going to get around to reading NightWhere by John Everson. I hear it’s kinky and twisted. John is a super nice guy. Hard to imagine that coming from him…that is, until I went to one of his short story readings. He’s a sick puppy, alright! I also can’t wait to read The Narrows by Ron Malfi, another awesome dude and Tumor Fruit by bizarro master Carlton Mellick. Carlton is an acquired taste, but he hooks you like a drug. I’m also looking forward to reading The Lawgiver by Herman Wouk. My Amazon wish list is about 60 books long. I’m hoping to get through all of them this year.

Q:  How did you begin to take a turn with your writing in regards to being published or publishing your work?

A: I wrote my first horror novel, Forest of Shadows, with the intention of sending it to editor Don D’Auria who was at Dorchester/Leisure horror at the time. I was an avid fan of the entire Leisure line and wrote my book to make sure it fit in with the tone and style they were looking for, which was also the style I enjoyed writing. I submitted it only to Don and waited…for 3+ years. Then, out of the blue, I got an email from Don saying he wanted the book. For the first time in my life, I was speechless. Before I could sign the final contract, though, Dorchester went under. Luckily, Don signed up with Samhain a few months later and asked if I wanted to head up the new horror line. It’s all been wonderful since then.

Q:  I know you set out for Evil Eternal to be a comic book.  Why do you describe it as such?  Do you still have hopes of it becoming drawn? 

A: I grew up loving comic books and have always wanted to write one. Evil Eternal is so over-the-top, so visual, so gory, I still hope we can get this in graphic comic form some day. It doesn’t read like anything else I’ve written. The characters are larger than life and dammit, they need to be drawn! 🙂

Erin Comments: Yes, it does and the cover is awesome. You can see my review HERE.

Q:  Have you written any other comic stories? Movie scripts? Tell us a little bit about what other writing you do besides on your novels.

A: Over the years I’ve written tons of stories in all genres except romance. I’ve never read a romance novel and I feel you can’t write something you have never read. Just a rule of mine. I also wrote a darkly comedic suspense novel back in 2000.

My one experience with script writing was, in hindsight, a funny disaster. A friend of mine met the head writer of a very, very popular crime show on network TV. He told him about my desire to be a writer and the guy asked me to write an episode of one of the top comedies on TV at the time. I spent 2 weeks watching every episode to get the characters, cadence and overall flavor down. Then I spent another 2 weeks writing and polishing the script. Turns out I did a good job, because the script was stolen by a staff writer and pitched to the producers. I didn’t get credit, but I did learn some valuable lessons about protecting my work, especially in a script/screenplay environment.  

Erin Comments: That sucks!! But glad you take it as a compliment.

Q:  Where is the best place for you to write? Do you make set times to do so, or try to do it wherever and whenever the muse strikes?

A: I have a corner of my bedroom that is my writing cave, but I’ve learned to write wherever I can. That could be in the kitchen, in the living room surrounded by my family, in libraries, my car, airports, hotels, you name it. When I’m knee deep in a project, I make sure I write at least 6 days a week and you can’t always do it in the place or the time you want, so you make do with what you have and where you are. You know what they say, “If you can’t be with the one you love, love the one you’re with.”

Erin Comments: Remember the post about writing in the kitchen….read HERE.

Q:  I know you have a Monster Men podcast and I enjoy listening to some of them. How did this come about? Can you tell us more about it?

A: Jack Campisi and I worked together for many years and discovered that our childhoods intersected but we’d somehow never met. We have the same sensibilities, likes, and passion for movies and horror. We’d always said we should just do a show where we talk about the things we love, like watching us sit at the bar and debate the state of the zombie as a genre.

When my first book, Forest of Shadows, was picked up, Jack decided it was time we put our money where our mouths are so I could also use the show as a way to promote my books. This summer we’ll have been doing it for 2 years and it gets better and better (and funnier). We say we have a lighthearted approach to dark topics. I do think we take a unique angle when it comes to talking about movies, books and the paranormal. It’s all about having fun.

Erin Comments: JACK is the MAN!!

Q: Tell us about your previous novels/novellas first, then let us know what is upcoming for you this year. What will be published?

A: My latest novella is Swamp Monster Massacre, a sweaty slog through Florida’s Everglades with a pack of vicious skunk apes on the trail of a group of shipwrecked tourists led by a crook named Rooster. It’s non-stop, relentless fun, and a chance for me to give some love to Bigfoot’s wet, smelly cousin. People have really taken to it and it’s my most successful book to date (as of January 2013).

In April, Samhain released my next novel, Sinister Entity, and a short story that precedes it, The Graveyard Speaks. Both are sequels to Forest of Shadows and center around a 19 year old ghost hunter with nerves of steel and unknown paranormal abilities of her own. She’s joined by the descendant of famed spiritualist D.D. Home and together they go up against angry poltergeists, malevolent spirits and the terrifying doppelganger of a young girl.

They’ve hit top selling lists on Samhain’s website and TGS has hit a top list on Amazon. The Graveyard Speaks is still free, for now, and introduces my ghost hunter. It takes the reader right into Sinister Entity and should give folks a chill or two up their spines.

Erin Comments:  You can read reviews of Forest of Shadows HERE, The Graveyard Speaks HERE, and Sinister Entity HERE.

Q: What are you currently working on? What is on the horizon for Hunter Shea?

A: I started my next novel already, as a matter of fact and have a first draft done to turn in at the end of the month. I don’t want to give away much, but I will say it’s set in Wyoming in the early 1900s and Teddy Roosevelt will be a minor character. And no, he’s not hunting vampires or killing zombies. That’s already been done. It’s going to be a unique story with a lot of true history behind it. I also completed a novella that is based on the actual paranormal events my wife and I went through over a decade ago. More on that to come…

Erin Comments: I can’t wait, sounds amazing!

Q:  Your favorite movie snack?

A: Popcorn, without a doubt. I could eat the stuff for breakfast, lunch and dinner. And theaters, don’t give me that pre-popped in a giant bag crap. Pop it fresh. It’s not that hard to do.

Erin Comments: Mine too, extra butter! It’s how I keep a nice round butt!

Q:  How can readers and fans connect with you?

A: The best place to find me is on my web lair at www.huntershea.com. There you can read my blog, excerpts of my books, free short stories, every Monster Men podcast and more. You can find the Monster Men on our You Tube channel, Monster Men 13. I also have a Facebook fan page (Hunter Shea, of course) and you can follow me on Twitter at HunterShea1.

Erin:  Thanks so much for joining me. It was a lot of fun, as always, to talk to you.  You’re a great writer with a friendly side.  Your books scare me more than you do. *wink*

Hunter:  Thank you for having me. I love what you’ve done with the place. And sure, you say my books scare you more now. Wait till I visit and stay for a week. Then you’ll see. *wink*

Author Hunter Shea, Biography~

I’m the product of a childhood weened on The Night Stalker, The Twilight Zone and In Search Of. I don’t just write about the paranormal. I actively seek out the things that scare the hell out of people and experience them for myself.

My novels, Forest of Shadows, Evil Eternal , Swamp Monster Massacre and Sinister Entity are published through Samhain Publishing’s horror line. I live with my family and untrainable cat close enough to New York City to get Gray’s Papaya hotdogs when the craving hits.

I’m also proud to be be one half of the Monster Men video podcast, along with my partner in crime, Jack Campisi. Our show is a light hearted approach to dark subjects. We explore real life hauntings, monsters, movies, books and everything under the horror sun.

Feel free to contact me any time at huntershea1@gmail.com. Writing is lonely work.

Our Fabulous Fantastic Trip to the Samhain Horror Hang-out at HorrorHound Cincinnati Convention!

This Friday, Tim and I drove three hours to Cincinnati for FearNet.com’s HorrorHound Magazine Convention to see some of our favorite author friends who were there signing books with their publisher Samhain Publishing/Horror.

For those of you not familiar with HorrorHound, it’s primarily a horror film festival that’s gravitated from a film focus into so much more. It’s a weekend long event with big film and television draws such as this year’s Walking Dead cast, director John Carpenter (Halloween, Christine), Robert Patrick (Terminator 2, X-Files), the real 1958 Plymouth Fury that starred as the car Christine (Stephen King), and the list goes on (check out www.horrorhoundweekend.com). Vendors, music, and even a Zombie ball entertained people during the event; many stand in line for hours to pay for photos with their favorite TV stars like Norman Reedus.

It was such a draw in fact that they had unforeseen numbers for their opening day of Friday. Thousands lined-up to get in a get a glimpse at some of their favorites. We waited in line for over three hours, but oh, it was worth it!!  Thank goodness there was a little sun, as just a few days later we’ve had a snow blizzard!

Here’s a cool Instagram (follow me…Erin Al-Mehairi) that I took, with a view of a case with all Christine book covers that have been created over the years…..

Samhain Publishing , an established romance publisher, launched its Horror line of books several years ago and is now a major sponsor. With that, some of my favorite dark fiction and horror writers and directors came in for the weekend to sign their items at the Samhain Horror booth.

Those amazing authors who were there on Friday were Brian Moreland, Jonathan Janz, and Kristopher Rufty. David Searls, also from near Cleveland, Ohio like us, was there on Saturday afternoon. In this post, I’d like to highlight each of them, some of whom have new releases coming up. Then, I’ll note some deals and dates you might be interested in as we wrap-up the post! Read to the end and get a coupon for a free book!

And here’s a photo of me and the guys (L-R: Jonathan Janz, Brian Moreland, me, Kristopher Rufty)… of course I keep look toward JJ and laughing……

We had a blast hanging out and talking with them on Friday night. People who don’t always read horror may generalize or stereo-type that word sometimes, but these guys are not only amazing people who are very kind, they are great spinners of their craft…writing the tales we sometimes see in our heads and creating entertainment for the dark recesses of our minds that give us break from all our worldly stress.

Brian, Jonathan, and Krist have been extremely important inspirations to me as a person, a writer, a journalist, and as an aspiring author. All with varying personalities, they’ve shown me support and/or given advice that is priceless to me. And they’ve made me love to read horror!!

We also had a great time meeting Meli Hooker, who writes for Dreadful Tales! What an amazing mind in a tiny little body! Meli is super fun and seemed to take in everything as a newbie to her first horror con. 🙂

So a little about these authors, their books, and upcoming releases….

Brian Moreland is the author of Shadows in the Mist and Dead of Winter. I’ve known Brian for a few years now, ever since Samhain opened its horror line.  Though we’ve talked numberous times, it was great to see him in person and he’s just as friendly and endearing in the flesh.  Brian writes for the screen, so with his books you find a cinematography you might not expect that is extremely gratifying.  He writes very visually and you’ll feel drawn in to the story.

You can read some of my past posts with Brian on my site, such as my review of Dead of Winter by clicking HERE, which is one of my favorite books of EVER, an interview I did with Brian HERE, and a guest post about Shadows in the Mist HERE, a book which has had years of extreme success that was re-released this year from Samhain Publishing/Horror.

And here is an Instagram photo of Brian holding the artwork my two daughter’s ages 9 and 5 made for him….they tried to make him scary photos but they still included flowers of course!! LOL!

Coming in July and August 2013, Brian has several items publishing this summer called The Girl from the Blood Coven (July 2013 – free short story prequel) and The Witching House (August 2013 – novella).  And Brian created his own covers!!

Then, The Devil’s Woods (novel) is coming out in December of 2013, all from Samhain Publishing’s Horror line. I hope he won’t mind me saying, but I was able to read a first version of his novel last summer and I absolutely loved it. I can’t wait to publicly announce that it will be on my Top Favorites Ever list along with his other book.  He’s made some really great updates to it since then and it will be a hit for fans of Native American legends and spooky happenings in isolated forests.  Want a sneak peek at The Devil’s Woods, you can go here:  http://brianmoreland.wordpress.com/2012/09/16/excerpt-of-the-devils-woods-coming-2013-10-2/.  You can find more on Brian at his website at www.brianmoreland.com or find him on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.

Jonathan Janz is the author of The Sorrows, House of Skin, and the soon-to-be released The Darkest Lullaby (novel – coming April 2, 2013 –  I’m the new proud owner of a signed copy from HorrorHound) and Savage Species, a serial horror novel first for Samhain Publishing that’s coming June 4 and hitting every couple of weeks until end of July, 2013!  You can pre-order to download the first installment right now, for FREE by going to:  http://store.samhainpublishing.com/night-terrors-p-7384.html.

He’ll also have Dirt Devil (a vampire western!!) coming out in February 2014 from Samhain.  You can read my review of The Sorrows HERE and our interview HERE. I LOVED the fun time I had reading The Sorrows, it’s superb!!

I’ve gotten to know Jonathan well over the past year, after he launched The Sorrows and I was one of the first to interview him. It was wonderful to meet him in person as his energy and aura are certainly contagious.  His writing style is completely nothing like his real life persona. He’s bubbly and sweet, but his writing is tough, dirty, intelligent, and emotional.

This weekend at a separate location, Jonathan was recognized with House of Skin as the First Runner-Up in the Darrell Awards, which is a panel in the Mid-South that recognizes authors, or authors with characters from their region, that they feel are the best published in science fiction, fantasy and horror!

You can keep up to date with Jonathan about his life, his writing, and his upcoming books by following his blog at http://www.jonathanjanz.com  and you can see his latest post where he talks about his award, HorrorHound, and yours truly in fact (beaming!) here:  http://jonathanjanz.com/2013/03/24/house-of-skin-named-runner-up-at-darrell-awardshorrorhound-cincinnati-updates-galore/. Jonathan is also on Facebook and Twitter.

Kristopher Rufty is the writer/director of the movies Psycho Holocaust, Rags, and Wicked Wood, and also the author of Angel Board (novel), The Night Everything Changed (novella), The Lurkers (novel and The Night Everything Changed is a prequel to it), A Dark Autumn (novella), and coming in August 2013, Oak Hollow (novel – which I scored a signed print copy of at HorrorHound!!).

I have a review of A Dark Autumn HERE, which is a novella you’ll want to read this year for its visceral content. I dare you NOT to be moved by this piece of work.  I also loved his novella The Night Everything Changed (which you can download FREE now here:  http://store.samhainpublishing.com/night-everything-changed-p-6931.html ) and the first chapter of The Lurkers, which I plan to read in whole soon.

I’ve just gotten to know Krist this year through the other Samhain authors, but I was immediately impressed. His quiet demeanor is not an indication of his writing, which is far from mild.  It’s extremely raw, intense, and in-your-face. I can see why he has such increasing popularity and is already a horror icon. I was so happy to get to meet Krist in person. He’s really a kind and gentle person who pours his heart feverishly into his writing.

You can follow along with Krist at his Last Krist on the Left blog:  http://lastkristontheleft.blogspot.com/ and follow him on Facebook and Twitter. Urge him to tweet or drop him a line. He’s been a mad-man writing machine for months and he has not only a bunch of books already published but quite a few upcoming! Samhain quickly publishes many manuscripts so they are fresh and you can still feel the authors sweat on the page….ok, not literally.

We didn’t get to see author David Searls, who signed books at the Samhain booth on Saturday. However, I want to mention David as he’s from near the Cleveland, Ohio area where we are also from. Tim, in fact, used to work with David and we are happy to support his authorship pursuits! He’s written hundreds of magazine articles, columns and essays, with a byline that has been carried by People Weekly, The Cleveland Plain Dealer Sunday Magazine, USAToday.com, Cleveland Magazine, and many more.

He’s written and published three books, including the horror novel Yellow Moon, which was first released by Warner Books and will be re-released by Samhain Publishing/Horror on June 4, 2013 with an AWESOME new cover.

In 2012, two of his horror novels, Bloodthirst in Babylon and Malevolent, were published by Samhain Horror. I’ll be happy to review these novels as I hear he’s a superb writer, especially in the vampire genre. I also am intrigued by his books having Ohio locales….or maybe since I live in Ohio, that should scare me a little more….

Samhain Publishing did a great job highlighting their authors and had some fun bloody needle pens to giveaway that my daughter just loves using (haha!), red mechanical pencils (I am in love with mine) and of course, having various other titles for sale. They have some great writers on board like one of my favorites, Ronald Malfi, as well as Hunter Shea, Frazier Lee, Bryan Smith, David Bernstein, Damien Walters Grintalis (who is pictured as being at the event but was unable to make it) and many more.

You can find all kinds of book, including horror titles and those aforementioned fabulous authors, at www.samhainpublishing.com or www.samhainhorror.com.  Thank you, Samhain, for letting me report on the event and your fabulous authors!

Happy Reading!