The Dark Servant Publicity Page

Have you been a good girl or boy, or naughty? Because if you’ve been naughty, I’d hide well Dec. 5, as Krampus might be coming for you!! That’s right, St. Nick’s dark counterpart goes on the rampage on Krampus Nacht, which is Dec. 5. However, if you are GOOD and purchase or read The Dark Servant when it publishes on Nov. 4, you might be saved!! Ha!

The Dark Servant is written by Matt Manochio and published by Samhain Publishing became available Nov. 4.

Thanks for stopping by The Dark Servant Virtual Publicity News and Schedule Page for Matt Manochio! This tour is run by Erin Al-Mehairi and Hook of a Book Media and Publicity. This should be a great place for you to learn all about Matt and his debut novel. Check out the articles, interviews, appearances, and reviews all surrounding The Dark Servant and writing horror! Keep coming back to follow along, and there will be more appearances to be added. If you’d like to join the publicity for Matt and The Dark Servant, just e-mail Erin at hookofabook@hotmail.com

New York Times best-selling author Wendy Corsi Straub said, “The Dark Servant is everything a thriller should be — eerie, original and utterly engrossing.”

The Dark Servant, Synopsis~

Santa’s not the only one coming to town …

It’s older than Christ and has tormented European children for centuries. Now America faces its wrath. Unsuspecting kids vanish as a blizzard crushes New Jersey. All that remains are signs of destruction—and bloody hoof prints stomped in snow. Seventeen-year-old Billy Schweitzer awakes December 5 feeling depressed. Already feuding with his police chief father and golden boy older brother, Billy’s devastated when his dream girl rejects him. When an unrelenting creature infiltrates his town, imperiling his family and friends, Billy must overcome his own demons to understand why his supposedly innocent high school peers have been snatched, and how to rescue them from a famous saint’s ruthless companion—that cannot be stopped.

See what  his hometown paper in New Jersey wrote up about him and his book: Daily Record

Check out this nod in the Examiner Minneapolis!

Tour Stops~

Nov. 4, 2014 LAUNCH DAY

Examiner Interview with Francis X

http://www.examiner.com/article/author-matt-manochio-discusses-his-new-book-the-dark-servant

Nov. 5

Glenn Rolfe / Author of The Haunted Halls and Slush
A review of The Dark Servant on iHorror
http://ihorror.com/matt-manochios-dark-servant-want-krampus-christmas/

Nov. 6

My Bookish Ways
An interview with Matt

http://www.mybookishways.com/2014/11/interview-matt-manochio-author-of-the-dark-servant.html

Nov. 7

David Bernstein / Author
Hosting a guest article by Matt

http://davidbernsteinauthor.blogspot.com/2014/11/the-dark-servant.html

Nov. 11

Cat Cavendish / Author
An interview with Matt

http://www.catherinecavendish.com/2014/11/the-dark-servant-other-side-of.html

Nov. 12

Wag The Fox blog
Hosting an interview with  Matt

http://waggingthefox.blogspot.com/2014/11/krampus-his-style-interview-giveaway.html

Nov. 14

Brian Moreland / Author
Hosting a guest article by Matt

http://www.brianmoreland.blogspot.com/2014/11/guest-author-matt-manochio-and-book.html

Nov. 14

Horror After Dark
Review and Giveaway

http://www.horrorafterdark.com/2014/11/review-dark-servant-bymatt-manochio/

http://www.horrorafterdark.com/2014/11/tour-giveaway-matt-manochio/

Nov. 17

Angela Crawford
A review of The Dark Servant and an interview with Matt

Review: http://horror-web.proboards.com/thread/559/dark-servant-matt-manochio-stars

Interview: http://horror-web.proboards.com/post/1190

Nov. 19

Castle Macabre
Hosting a guest article by Matt

http://castlemacabre.blogspot.com/2014/11/matt-manochios-dark-servant-guest-post.html

Nov. 20

Bookie Monsters
A review of The Dark Servant and a guest article by Matt

http://bookie-monster.com/2014/11/blog-tour-the-dark-servant-by-matt-manochio.html

Nov. 21

Author Hunter Shea
An interview with Matt

http://huntershea.com/2014/11/21/merry-deadly-christmas/

Update: Hunter said: “Thank you Matt Manochio for making Christmas cool! I don’t know how a monster as awesome as Krampus flew under my radar all these years. What a great beast, and a beast of a novel to boot. The Dark Servant is deliciously creepy fun, jammed with mystery and mayhem. An excellent debut novel.”

Sat., Nov. 22

BOOK LAUNCH PARTY!!
6 p.m.
Barnes and Noble, Bridgewater, New Jersey

Matt’s blog about his signing!

http://mattmanochio.wordpress.com/2014/11/24/what-to-expect-from-your-first-author-appearance/

Photo Courtesy of Bob Karp

Nov. 24

Rage Circus Blog / Author Ira Gansler
A review of The Dark Servant

http://ragecircus.blogspot.com/2014/11/book-review-dark-servant-by-matt.html

Nov. 28

Jonathan Janz /Author
Hosting a guest article by Matt

http://jonathanjanz.com/2014/11/30/matt-manochio-on-blurbs-and-the-dark-servant/

Dec. 1

The Horror Bookshelf
Hosting a guest article by Matt

http://thehorrorbookshelf.com/2014/12/01/guest-post-the-dark-servant-author-matt-manochio/

Dec. 2

Mary SanGiovanni / Author
Hosting a guest article by Matt

http://msgwriterslife.wordpress.com/2014/12/02/guest-post-matt-manochio-and-the-dark-servant/

Dec. 3

The Horror Bookshelf
A review of The Dark Servant

http://thehorrorbookshelf.com/2014/12/03/matt-manochio-the-dark-servant-review/

Also…..

Matt’s name and book title is dropped on the Rush Limbaugh show after Matt calls in and talks about how “authors shouldn’t be afraid to ask for what they want…his example, blurbs.” No matter your political alliances, it’s cool, read the transcript here:

http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/daily/2014/12/03/author_the_american_dream_still_exists

Dec. 4

Matt talks on his blog about getting his name dropped on the radio

http://mattmanochio.wordpress.com/2014/12/04/thank-you-rush-limbaugh/

Dec. 5

IT’S KRAMPUSNACHT!! That’s right, I hope you’ve been good, because it’s the night that Krampus looks for all the naughty children!

Dec. 6

Clark Public Library Book Signing Event!

http://www.eventbrite.com/e/clark-library-author-meet-greet-tickets-13445462741

Hopefully Dec. 6

Promote Horror
Hosting a Guest Post
http://www.promotehorror.com/2014/12/guest-aricle-by-matt-manochio-author-of.html

Tour Giveaway!

For everyone! CREATE a PINTEREST board by choosing one of the following themes: Krampus, Old World Legends, Vintage Holiday, Old World Christmas, Christmas Around the World, Traditions and Legends,  Myths, Monsters, and Horror, or something very similar.

Second rule: You must pin Matt’s book cover and Amazon purchase link or Samhain Horror Purchase link. Third Rule: Follow Matt Manochio and Erin Al-Mehairi.

Third Recommendation: Extra points for pinning extra things about Matt, such as tour page, articles, etc.

Your board will be judged on the above PLUS your creativity and effort in the project! Send Erin at hookofabook@hotmail.com your Pinterest page to enter by Dec. 8. Of course you can continue to use it through the Holiday if you wish!

Prize: A “Santa Checked His List and I’m on the Naughty Side” package. This will include your choice of Krampus themed apparel (t-shirt or sweatshirt, men or women, visuals to come) and a signed paperback of the book.

There might be shipping limitations. Check back to tour page before entering if you live outside the U.S. for updated information.

Example:

http://www.pinterest.com/erinalmehairi/its-old-world-christmas/

And a board about Matt:

http://www.pinterest.com/erinalmehairi/the-dark-servant-matt-manochio/

Giveaway for Reviewers!

Anyone on the tour, or outside the tour, who reviews The Dark Servant on Amazon and GoodReads and sends their review link into Erin (Publicist for Matt Manochio) at hookofabook@hotmail.com, now through Dec. 31, 2014, will be entered to win a $25 Amazon gift card.

Matt Manochio, Biography

Matt Manochio is the author of The Dark Servant (Samhain Publishing, November 4, 2014). He is a supporting member of the Horror Writers Association, and he hates writing about himself in the third person but he’ll do it anyway.

He spent 12 years as an award-winning newspaper reporter at the Morris County, N.J., Daily Record, and worked for one year as an award-winning page designer at the Anderson, S.C., Independent-Mail. He currently works as a full-time editor and a freelance writer.

The highlights of his journalism career involved chronicling AC/DC for USA Today: in 2008, when the band kicked off its Black Ice world tour, and in 2011 when lead singer Brian Johnson swung by New Jersey to promote his autobiography. For you hardcore AC/DC fans, check out the video on his YouTube channel.

To get a better idea about his path toward publication, please read hisWriter’s Digest guest post: How I Sold My Supernatural Thriller.

Matt’s a dedicated fan of bullmastiffs, too. (He currently doesn’t own one because his house is too small. Bullmastiff owners understand this all too well.)

Matt doesn’t have a favorite author, per se, but owns almost every Dave Barry book ever published, and he loves blending humor into his thrillers when warranted. Some of his favorite books include Salem’s Lot, Jurassic Park, The Hobbit, Animal Farm, and To Kill a Mockingbird.

When it comes to writing, the only advice he can give is to keep doing it, learn from mistakes, and regardless of the genre, read Chris Roerden’s Don’t Sabotage Your Submission (2008, Bella Rosa Books).

Matt grew up in New Jersey, where he lives with his wife and son. He graduated from the University of Delaware in 1997 with a bachelor’s degree in history/journalism.