Posts Tagged ‘Brian Keene’
Posted by Peter Schwotzer in Books, Latest News, Reviews, Terror Tales with Peter D. Schwotzer on July 22nd, 2010
A Gathering Of Crows by Brian Keene
Brinkley Springs is a quiet little town. Some say the town is dying. They don’t know how right they are. Five mysterious figures are about to pay a little visit to Brinkley Springs. They have existed for centuries, emerging from the shadows only to destroy, to kill. To feed. They bring with them terror and carnage, and leave death and blood in their wake. As the night wears on, Brinkley Springs will be quiet no longer. Screams will break the silence. But when the sun rises again, will there be anyone left to hear?
Brian continues his long list of novels published by Dorchester Publishing with his latest book A Gathering Of Crows. And Brian Keene fans you will not be disappointed.
A Gathering Of Crows is an exceptional book. I read it in two nights, I could have read it in one if I didn’t have to get up for work at 5:00am.
It starts out fast and picks up speed as you feverishly turn the pages to get to the next chapter. As is usual with Brian, his characters stand out amongst the frights, blood and carnage. He populates Brinkley Springs with a diverse group of characters that you come to know and feel for.
Also in A Gathering Of Crows we again meet Brian’s Mr. Fix-It, Levi Stoltzfus For all of you who have read Ghost Walk and Dark Hollow you are familiar with Levi, and what he is and does. I compare him to F. Paul Wilson’s Repairman Jack and James Moore’s Jonathan Crowley. All three are exceptional characters and you should definitely read the books they are in.
Another great thing about A Gathering Of Crows is Brian goes into a lot more detail of the underlying mythos behind his stories. You are finally able to experience The Labyrinth and find out more about The Thirteen. Personally, I can’t wait to delve into more stories about this.
And for all you hardcore horror fans, don’t worry, there is enough blood and carnage to satisfy what you are looking for. The five mysterious figures are evil, bloodthirsty and decadently awesome.
In what seems to be a recurring theme with Brian’s books with me is that I absolutely loved A Gathering Of Crows. Brian’s writing has never been better, his storytelling abilities seem to be endless and most importantly his books are a lot of fun.
Brian in one of our greatest writing talents and there appears to be no end to his fertile imagination and for that we should be thankful.
My advice is to head on over to Dorchester Publishing and pick up Brian’s latest work.
Posted by Peter Schwotzer in Books, Reviews, Terror Tales with Peter D. Schwotzer on February 18th, 2010
“One morning the residents of Walden, Virginia, woke up to find that the rest of the world was gone. Just…gone. Surrounding their town was a wall of inky darkness, casting Walden into permanent night. Nothing can get in, no light, no people, not even electricity or radio or TV signals. And no one can get out. No one who dared to penetrate the mysterious barrier has ever been seen again. Only their screams were heard. But for some of the residents-turned-prisoners of Walden, even the fear of that unseen death can’t keep them from trying to escape this living purgatory. “
Brian Keene’s books continue to amaze me. Darkness On The Edge Of Town is his latest novel and it is exceptional.
Something is keeping Walden, Virginia trapped in a cloak of darkness. No power, no cell phones and no internet. That in itself is probably frightening to the majority of the United States population. Throw in some good old fashioned scares and you have a tale that will keep you on the edge of your seat.
It seems with each book Brian’s characters just keep getting better. The characters he populates this tale with are eminently recognizable as someone you know. And that my friends is what makes for a great story. I can relate to these people and what they are going through and they go through a lot.
Take away people’s toys and gadgets, cut them off from the rest of the world and it doesn’t take long for mob rules to go into effect. Throw a religious nut into the midst and you have a total breakdown and that is when the story starts getting fun.
Brian Keene to me never fails to deliver and with Darkness On The Edge Of Town he shows us that monsters can exist in our neighborhoods and cities and it is us…and that is scary.
If you already are a Brian Keene fan you will want to add this to your collection, if you’re not a Brian Keene fan what the hell are you waiting for.
A special thanks to Dorchester Publishing for supplying the book cover and synopsis.
Posted by Peter Schwotzer in Books, Terror Tales with Peter D. Schwotzer on August 5th, 2009
Leader of the Banned: The Best of Hail Saten, Volume 4
After nearly a decade of skewering politicians, corporations, organized religion, publishers, peers, enemies, friends, and often himself, Brian Keene’s extremely popular “Hail Saten” finally came to an end in 2008. For almost ten years, Keene’s essays were a must-read for both fans and pros. Unfortunately, in a post 9/11 world, they also became a must read for the U. S. Government.
Spanning 2006 to 2008, Leader of the Banned: The Best of Hail Saten, Volume 4 collects the legendary final Hail Saten essays, covering torture porn, writing collaborations, the history of the horror genre, the future of the small press, the media, pop culture, the 2008 presidential race, the Stephen King phenomenon, and more. It also includes the incendiary If I Were President, the fateful entry that landed Keene on the government’s watch list. As an added bonus, it also includes many never-before-published essays, as well as material Keene wrote under a pseudonym that was previously unknown to the public until now.
This book is available in a special Black Voltage hardcover edition limited to 200 copies. It comes with an optional remarque by the artist GAK.
Click here to reserve your copy.
<http://thunderstormbooks.com/hailsaten4.php>
Posted by Peter Schwotzer in Interviews, Terror Tales with Peter D. Schwotzer on July 20th, 2009
Famous Monsters is extremely honored and happy to have with us today horror author, comic book author, playwright, and aspiring movie mogul Brian Keene.
Mr. Keene has been a fixture in the world of horror literature since his debut novel “The Rising“, and with good reason. He is a phenomenal writer.
I have been reading Mr. Keene’s books since his second novel “City Of The Dead.” When I first received that book from Dorchester Publishing I found out it was a sequel to his Bram Stoker Award winning first novel “The Rising.” So of course I ran to the store to buy it, I have been a great fan ever since.
It has been stated that Mr. Keene single handedly revived the zombie genre with these two seminal pieces, with much joy to those zombie maniacs that love all things zombie and much gnashing of teeth from critics and zombie haters. You can’t please everyone.
FM: Hi Brian and welcome to Famous Monsters of Filmland. I have been a fan of your writing since “The Rising” and have read just about everything since. My favorite book of yours is definitely “Terminal“. Though it is not a horror novel per say it really was a great book.
Brian Keene: Thanks! I’m happy to be here.
FM: Your career kind of reminds me of Bela Lugosi. He was forever pigeonholed as Dracula with his epic performance in Tod Browning’s masterpiece. You seem to be pigeonholed as “The Zombie Guy” since “The Rising” and “City of the Dead“, as your fans continually clamor for more zombies.
Brian Keene: Yeah, it’s weird. If I’d wanted to, I could have a pretty comfortable life writing nothing but zombie novels. But I don’t want to do that, you know? I’ve got other stories to tell—other monsters that I want to play with.
At the time of this interview, I’m finishing up my twenty-fourth book. Only four of those books have been zombie-related: The Rising trilogy and the stand-alone novel, Dead Sea. But a lot of folks seem to forget about those other twenty books, you know? (laughs)
That’s okay, though. I’m a zombie fan, too. I’m glad I was able to contribute something to other fans—something they seem to enjoy. That’s all that really matters. If one of my books kept someone entertained for a while, then I’ve done my job. Doesn’t matter if I did it with zombies or vampires or werewolves or giant, carnivorous worms. If I got you through study hall or your lunch break or your commute home, then that makes me happy.
FM: I follow your website and blogs and find that you tell it like it is and are very opinionated on what you believe in, which I find refreshing in this go along to get along society we live in today. This country would be a much better place if more people stood up for what they believed in and their convictions. How has how you approach things affected your writing career?
Brian Keene: It’s made things difficult, in the past. Not that writing is easy to begin with. I’m sure it seems that way—all a writer does is sit behind a computer and make up things and then get paid for it. But the reality is a lot tougher. Writing is a business. It’s a job, and just like any other job, you have to treat it as such. So these days, writing for a living and supporting my family on it, I find that I’m biting my tongue a lot more. I don’t say as much publicly as I did in the past.
But at the same time, I still have my convictions. These days, I’m just more prone to keep them to myself, and live by them privately.
FM: As you know Famous Monsters has a new owner, and is branching out into other areas besides our beloved movie monsters. Were you a fan of Famous Monsters and Uncle Forry growing up?
Brian Keene: I was indeed. I discovered the mag in the Seventies. My Dad used to take me to the newsstand with him once a week. He’d buy a paper and some chewing tobacco, and he’d buy me three or four comic books—stuff like Kamandi, The Defenders, and Man-Thing. The newsstand sold Famous Monsters of Filmland, too. The first issue I ever picked up was #139 with that great Star Wars cover. I guess that must have been around 1976 or 1977, right? I was hooked after that.
And keep in mind—that was a transition decade. We didn’t yet have VCRs (and DVD players were still science-fiction pipe dreams) and a lot of the films covered in Famous Monsters were movies that had been in theaters long before my time. It wasn’t like I had easy access to them. But what was cool was this—I’d read about, say The Legend of Hill House or Doctor Phibes, and then write them down on a list. Once a week, I’d cross-reference that list with the TV Guide. Usually, sooner or later, I could find them playing late at night on one of the local stations. The magazine was sort of my IMDB, I guess. (laughs)
FM: You have diversified yourself very much over the years. You now do comics, movies, collaborations, novels, short stories, plays, chap books, digital work, and you also have written something with your wife. How do all these different types of writing affect your approach to your craft?
Brian Keene: They keep me from getting burned out. Maybe that sounds silly. I don’t know. I guess it’s that way with any vocation.
Trying new things, different ways of telling a story, keeps me interested and recharges my creative batteries, so to speak. When you reach a certain level of success in this business, it is very easy to get burned out. Writing becomes like any other job. It’s fun, and you can’t beat the commute, but at the end of the day, it’s still a job. There are times where you’d much rather play with your son or spend some time with your wife or read a book or go fishing—but you have to go to work. You have to finish that book because the bills need paid.
Except you can’t pay those bills because your publishers haven’t sent the royalty check yet. And then you have to stop writing and play collections agent. And you can’t commiserate with your friends about this, because the truth is, you don’t have a lot of friends. Writing is a solitary act, and the other writers who understand what you’re going through? They’re busy writing and trying to pay the bills, as well.
And then, at the end of the day, you go online to check your email and that novel you just busted your ass on for six months? Somebody is online bitching about it because it doesn’t have any zombies in it. (laughs)
I’m whining, aren’t I? Sorry about that. My point is, this job, while easy in some ways, takes a lot out of you. The hours are long and your personal relationships tend to suffer as a result. It’s very easy to get burned out. So you have to find ways to make yourself fall in love with it all over again.
FM: When you started writing did you envision it this way?
Brian Keene: Hell, no. Like everyone else in my generation, I grew up on King and Koontz. I figured you wrote a novel and it got published and they handed you a check for a million dollars. I thought it was that way for everyone. When I was a young man, I figured that F. Paul Wilson and Richard Laymon and David Schow and Joe Lansdale and all these guys must be incredibly wealthy—writing one page a day and then sitting on the deck for the rest of the afternoon, drinking margaritas. Obviously, I wasn’t a very smart young man.
FM: When can we expect to see a Brian Keene feature film? I think your books would translate well into film in the right hands.
Brian Keene: Well, Dark Hollow is in development for a feature film right now, and things are looking very positive. Ghoul and Terminal are both optioned, but seem to be stalled, currently. While not a feature film, The Ties That Bind just came out on DVD.
FM: How was it to write something with your wife and how important is she to your success?
Brian Keene: She is the reason for my success. I know that sounds cliché, but it’s the absolute truth. I’ve been very lucky. I’ve had a lot of great mentors—authors whom I grew up reading that were willing to lend me a hand or a bit of advice early on. And I’ve been lucky enough to work with some great editors like Don D’Auria of Leisure Books and Shane Ryan Staley of Delirium Books. But my wife is the glue that holds it all together. I’ve been writing professionally for over a decade now, and she’s put up with a lot—going to bed by herself some nights because I’m staring down a deadline, the constant financial uncertainty, staying at home alone some weekends because I’m off at a book signing or a convention, dealing with the occasional crazy or overzealous fan who shows up at our home—she deals with it all, and not once has she asked me to quit. And she could. She certainly could, and I’d do it. But she doesn’t.
FM: You have a young son now. How does he affect your schedules trying to balance quality family time with what keeps the roof over your head and at what age will you let him read your work?
Brian Keene: Schedules went right out the window the day we brought him home from the hospital. Weekdays, I’m still able to write from 7am until around 5pm, but nights and weekends have become a “write five minutes here and ten minutes there” sort of thing.
I’ll let him read my work when he begins to show a genuine interest in it. It was the same with my oldest son. My parents never censored what I read as a kid. They figured if I was old enough to be genuinely curious about it, then I was old enough to read it. I’ve got the same attitude.
FM: How did it come about that you are involved in the horror field? Any particular moments in your life that shaped your love of the darker things in life?
Brian Keene: Again, I’d trace it back to that newsstand. The comics and magazines I gravitated to were the ones with monsters or dark elements. I was very much like the kid in Stephen King’s Salem’s Lot—the one with all of the monster toys and models and books. In fact, as a kid, I think he was probably the first fictional character I ever truly identified with.
FM: Is there anyone person in your life that was instrumental in your chosen profession?
Brian Keene: There have been many. Above all others, though, were my parents, my wife, my high school English teacher, and Richard Laymon. All offered encouragement or advice at a certain point in my development. If they hadn’t, I’d probably still be working in a foundry or something.
FM: Since you are responsible for scaring millions of readers, what are you most afraid of?
Brian Keene: Snakes. Growing old. Flying. Cancer.
FM: As our economy continues to struggle and bad news keeps pouring out of the publishing industry are you finding it more difficult to sell your work than say 2-3 years ago?
Brian Keene: Personally, I’m not. However, I know that many, many of my peers are indeed finding it difficult to find markets. I do find it interesting that a number of horror authors, including myself, seem to be branching out into other forms and genres—be it crime novels or comic books or writing video games. Some of that is to avoid burnout, as I mentioned earlier. Some of it is financially driven. But I imagine some of it is also a covering of the bases, so to speak. “Okay, if this publisher goes out of business or slashes their budget, then I’ve still got this going over here.” Writing for a living in this economy is sort of like a juggling act. You keep at least three balls in the air at all times, and if one falls, you’ve still got two more going.
FM: How do you think the publishing industry is adapting to; first, the economy and second this internet, video game, information right now society that we now live in. And do you think there is more they should be doing to attract new readers and keep readers happy?
Brian Keene: Well, the economy is impacting everyone—not just the publishing industry. We’ll come out the other side. People will always want to read. I hear that a lot. “Kids today don’t read. In twenty years, nobody will be reading anymore.” Well, that’s ridiculous. People will always read. They just might not be reading what you think they should be reading—and they might be reading it through a different venue.
I think the future is electronic. I don’t think we’ll ever do away with hard copy books, but I do think this next generation will get most of their information and entertainment, including fiction, via the future incarnation of the internet and portable electronic media devices. We’re already seeing that with Twitter, the iPhone, Kindle, etc.
And I don’t think that’s necessarily a bad thing, either. All it means is that, as writers, we have to adapt. Adapt or die, you know? It will certainly keep things interesting.
FM: You have put out some digital work, the most recent being “Dark Hearts” with your wife I believe. You are also offering the sequel to “The Conqueror Worms” free (which is awesome in my opinion) on your site. How has the internet affected you in how your approach your writing projects?
Brian Keene: See above. (laughs)
FM: Who were/are your biggest influences in your writing career?
Brian Keene: My top six are Stephen King, Richard Laymon, Hunter S. Thompson, Steve Gerber, Joe R. Lansdale and Elmore Leonard.
FM: What are your favorite books?
Brian Keene: Let’s do top six again: The Stand by Stephen King, The Rum Diary by Hunter S. Thompson, Savage by Richard Laymon, The House on the Borderland by William Hope Hodgson, Boy’s Life by Robert R. McCammon and Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain.
FM: Since this is Famous Monsters of Filmland, what are your favorite horror movies?
Brian Keene: Top six, one last time, with feeling. Session 9, John Carpenter’s The Thing, Jacob’s Ladder, Exorcist III, Dawn of the Dead, and the Dawn of the Dead remake.
FM: Your fans are a very loyal bunch and are part of the F.U.K.U, how and why did this come about?
Brian Keene: I don’t know why they are so loyal. All I know is that I appreciate their loyalty more than they will ever know. I wish I could buy each of them a beer, but that would be impractical (not to mention expensive) at this point. The F.U.K.U. itself, which stands for Fan Uv Keene United, started as a goof. Authors Joe Nassise and Drew Williams thought it up. But damned if it didn’t stick. It’s like the KISS Army now. I’ve got to admit, it’s pretty cool. They have their own regional get-togethers and gatherings at various conventions and stuff—usually organized via my message board. I think it’s awesome that my books are allowing folks to meet other people, make new friends, and in at least a half dozen cases, get married.
FM: You seem to take to heart what your fans want you to write and really try to keep them happy. Does this tend to be overwhelming at times?
Brian Keene: Not really. They’re my employer. If they suddenly stopped buying books, I’d suddenly be out of a job. You have to give the people what they want. However, at the same time, I’m not beholden to any and all demands. If that were true, I’d be writing nothing but zombie novels. I think I’ve reached a point with my audience where they trust me to tell them a good story and I trust them to give it a chance. And that’s a rewarding and enriching experience for us both.
FM: In my eyes you are a very prolific writer. Has there been any one book that really gave you trouble?
Brian Keene: Urban Gothic was difficult, in that during the six months I wrote it, the first three were the last three months of my wife’s pregnancy and the last three were the first three months that our newborn was home. I don’t remember writing much of it. That whole time is just a daze of sleep deprivation.
Usually, I’m working on more than one project at a time, so if one does start to give me trouble, I just switch to something else until it passes.
I do have an unfinished novel called Love and Worms. It’s long. Over 100,000 words and still uncompleted. I’ve been working on it off and on for over fifteen years. In truth, I doubt I’ll ever finish it. It was started as a young man’s novel. The main character is an eighteen year old dealing with his first love. Problem is, I no longer remember what it feels like to be eighteen and in love for the first time, so the novel doesn’t really ring true anymore.
FM: What was your favorite book to write?
Brian Keene: The ones that were the most auto-biographical: Ghoul, Dark Hollow, Kill Whitey, and Terminal.
FM: Do you think you have written the book that will define your career or is that something we can look forward to?
Brian Keene: Truthfully, I don’t know if that’s for me to say. The Rising is often credited (along with 28 Days Later) as kick-starting the resurgence of zombies in pop culture. I don’t know if that’s true or not. If it is, then as a fan, I’m grateful and humbled. A lot of people have told me how Ghoul and Dark Hollow effected them personally. Those two seem to resonate with a lot of readers. A book that defines my career? I’d rather let someone else answer that after I’m gone.
FM: All your books have an underlying mythos that ties everything together. Are there plans to elaborate on that or maybe dedicate a series of books to it?
Brian Keene: There are indeed. But those plans are still a year or two off, and every time I talk about them, people get impatient, so I’ll say no more at this time. Suffice to say, readers will dig it, and long-time fans will especially enjoy it.
FM: We’ll close this interview with one final question. What doe the future hold for Brian Keene?
Brian Keene: Five minutes into the future, it holds another cup of coffee. Beyond that… I don’t know. I’ve had an interesting and varied life. I’ll be forty-two in a few months, and if there is one thing life has taught me, it’s that you can’t predict the future. As long as my loved ones are happy and healthy, and the majority of my readers are still enjoying themselves, then I’ll be content with whatever the future brings.
Although I would like one of those personal jet packs and maybe a trip to Mars. Weren’t we supposed to have those by now? This is the future, right?
I’d like to personally thank Brian for taking the time out of his busy schedule for this interview and to wish him well tomorrow.
Here is a link to Brian’s bibliography. It is much too long to publish here.
Posted by Peter Schwotzer in Books, Latest News, Terror Tales with Peter D. Schwotzer on May 19th, 2009
“Robert Dunbar has the unique personal vision, command of language, and atmospheric style to enrapture you in the wildest, deepest nightmare.”
~ Tom Piccirilli, author of THE COLDEST MILE
“One of my favorite storytellers, Robert Dunbar is a true craftsman – a master of the genre. His writing is rich with style and substance.”
~ Brian Keene, author of GHOSTWALK
From the author of THE PINES and THE SHORE …
MARTYRS & MONSTERS – a collection of short horror fiction by Robert Dunbar – is available in paperback from Amazon Books and Barnes & Noble.
http://www.darkhart.com/
(more…)
Posted by Peter Schwotzer in Books, Latest News, Terror Tales with Peter D. Schwotzer on May 5th, 2009
THE GREAT GOD PAN AND OTHER WEIRD STORIES by Arthur Machen: Edited, with Introduction and Notes, by S. T. Joshi
We are proud to announce the first title in our ARCANE WISDOM imprint. THE GREAT GOD PAN AND OTHER WEIRD STORIES Edited, with Introduction and Notes, by S. T. Joshi.
Each one of the Arcane Wisdom titles will be half bound in exotic cloth and French marbled boards, custom end-papers, color frontis piece, sewn in ribbon marker and either signed by the scholar (on classic titles) who contributed to the edition or author that wrote the piece (if living). We plan on producing four titles a year with this imprint.
Here you will find the most significant contribution of Arthur Machen’s classic tales of dark fantasy and horror. With a forward by Caitlin R. Kiernan and an introduction by S.T. Joshi who also contributes, notes and a complete Machen bibliography. This is a must have for the Machen enthusiast and Weird Tales collector.
The Great God Pan by Arthur Machen was widely criticized by the press as degenerate and horrific due to its profligate style and sexual content, although since his work has since garnered a reputation as a classic of modern horror.
In Supernatural Horror in Literature H. P. Lovecraft praised the novel, saying: “No one could begin to describe the cumulative suspense and ultimate horror with which every paragraph abounds”; he added that “the sensitive reader” reaches the end with “an appreciative shudder.” Lovecraft also noted, however, that “melodrama is undeniably present, and coincidence is stretched to a length which appears absurd upon analysis.”
Contents:
Introduction by S. T. Joshi
Forward by Caitlin R. Kiernan
The Great God Pan
The Three Impostors
Prologue
Adventure of the Gold Tiberius
The Encounter of the Pavement
Novel of the Dark Valley
Adventure of the Missing Brother
Novel of the Black Seal
Incident of the Private Bar
The Decorative Imagination
Novel of the Iron Maid
The Recluse of Bayswater
Novel of the White Powder
Strange Occurrence in Clerkenwell
History of the Young Man with Spectacles
Adventure of the Deserted Residence
The Shining Pyramid
The White People
A Fragment of Life
The Bowmen
Appendix 1: Introduction to The Three Impostors (1923)
Appendix 2: Introduction to The Angels of Mons (1915)
Notes
Bibliography
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DIFFERENT SEASONS by Trever Palmer (Lettered Edition) [Letter B]
Such a perfect place to live….
The residents of the idyllic little mountain town of Pikes Field, Kentucky love their church bingo and fear the hand of God. Everyone knows everyone, and serious crimes are unheard of.
By the light of the first full moon, the terror begins….
January
The first victim is a young man working his way through college. The last bits of his corpse are surrounded by wolf tracks.
February
A rejected woman reaches her final orgasm with the help of a creature that God didn’t spawn.
Now, as each full moon rises, so does the body count. A killer stalks the once-safe streets of Pike’s Field, and it’s up to the local sheriff to stop him.
A werewolf has come to town, and its blood lust will not be sated.
Sideshow Press—publisher of Black Ink Horror—is pleased to announce the first release from our new novella line. Trever Palmer’s Different Seasons is a gore-drenched, erotically-charged homage to werewolf fiction and horror cinema ripe with pitch-black wit non-stop horror carnage. Each edition is lavishly illustrated with full-page art.
LETTERED EDITION
• Original piece of artwork on vellum signed and inscribed by illustrator Tom Moran
• Premium cloth-bound hardcover binding with slip case
• Exclusive story featuring Different Seasons character Sheriff “Mean Joe” Green by Trever Palmer
• Two bonus illustrations
• Signed by author and artist
• Limited to 26 copies
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DELIRIUM 2009 SLIPCASE, VOLUME 1
Delirium slipcase to house volume 1 of its 2009 releases. Bound in the same material to match the books with silver foil stamping on front and spine. Slipcase showcases miniature foil designs matching the 4 books collected in volume 1 of 2009:
New Dark Voices 2 Edited by Brian Keene
Children Of Chaos by Greg F. Gifune
Bloodletting by Michael McBride
Unhappy Endings by Brian Keene
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HOUSE OF FALLEN TREES by Gina Ranalli (Limited Edition)
Two men have the carcass.
From the moment Karen Lewis hears these words spoken over a crackling telephone line, her life begins to change for the worse. Later, she is stunned to learn that she is part-owner of a B&B in the small rural town of Fallen Trees, Washington, the very place her brother went missing from months earlier. She travels to Fallen Trees in hopes of learning the truth about what happened to her brother but instead is cast into a nightmare world that leaves her questioning her own sanity, suspicious of the people who say they loved him most and finally, the exact meaning of those five frightening words:
Two men…have the carcass.
Cover art by Alex McVey
Posted by Peter Schwotzer in Books, Terror Tales with Peter D. Schwotzer on April 22nd, 2009
DARK HEARTS by Brian Keene & Cassandra Keene
Authors Brian Keene and Cassandra Keene present their first collaboration as husband and wife in this digital chapbook, featuring two brand-new horrific stories of love, loss, and revenge.
Table of contents include:
Introduction by Brian Keene
Foreword by Cassandra Keene
“Trust No One”
“Foreshadowing”
This chapbook was released by Delirium Books and is now available for immediate download through the Darkside Digital store.
Download Now
CASTAWAYS by Brian Keene (Lettered Edition)
Great opportunity to secure a Brian Keene lettered edition and Bloodletting Press letter. Those who purchase Castaways will have first rights to secure the letter on our next Bloodletting Press title which is TROLLEY No. 1852 by Edward Lee.
They came to the deserted island to compete on a popular reality television show. Each one of them hoped to be the last to leave. Now, they’re just hoping to stay alive, because one of them isn’t who he seems, and the island isn’t as deserted as it appears. The men will be slaughtered. The women will be kept alive as captives. And before it is over, they will turn on each other. Night is falling, the creatures are coming, and rescue is so very far away…
Brian Keene’s CASTAWAYS… Death is the ultimate reality.
This is a signed leather bound lettered edition hardcover in traycase. Only 26 hand lettered copies will be published.
My review of Castaways.
Posted by Peter Schwotzer in Books, Reviews, Terror Tales with Peter D. Schwotzer on January 28th, 2009
“They came to the lush, deserted island to compete on a popular reality TV show. Each one hoped to be the last to leave. Now they’re just hoping to stay alive. It seems the island isn’t deserted after all. Contestants and crew members are disappearing, but they aren’t being eliminated by the game. They’re being taken by the monstrous half-human creatures that live in the jungle. The men will be slaughtered. The women will be kept alive as captives. Night is falling, the creatures are coming, and rescue is so far away…”
Written as a homage to the late great Richard Laymon, Castaways was originally written as a short story for a book titled “In Laymon’s Terms”. The short story also appeared in Fear of Gravity and as a graphic novel written by Nate Southard called Brian Keene’s Fear. Apparently Mr. Keene’s fans were clamoring for a novel version and as he usually does Mr. Keene fulfilled his fans wishes.
I first discovered Brian Keene when Dorchester Publishing sent me City Of The Dead. I started reading it and found out that this was a sequel to his first novel The Rising which won the Bram Stoker Award for best new novel. Some of Mr. Keene’s other books are, but not limited to; The Conqueror Worms, Ghoul, Ghost Walk, Dead Sea and Dark Hollow. My favorite book though has to be Terminal, not a horror novel per say, but it does contain some supernatural elements. In my opinion Terminal is Mr. Keene’s best book to date.
Brian Keene writes great novels and this is no exception. He takes today’s pathetic reality series genre turns it on its head and infuses it with a generous heaping of terror and blood.
Castaways as you can well imagine is about a reality show with the same name. A diverse group of people get sent to a supposedly uninhabited island and the last one standing gets one-million dollars.
The strong point for me in this book is the characters. Mr. Keene manages to put in a good cross section of society and brings each personality to life. The competition, petty backstabbing, conniving and outright dislike between some of the characters breathe life-like qualities into Keene’s creations.
The pacing is fast, Keene grabs hold of you and drags you into his tropical nightmare right from the very first page. Once you start, you will not be able to put this book down.
The island setting is lush, realistic and terrifying. Keene’s descriptive prose brings the island and its inhabitants to life.
The inhabitants of this so called “tropical paradise” are fully realized and well thought out. From their hairy bodies to their extended lower jaw, to their, as you say, unique aroma, and primitive way of communicating, these creatures are a glorious creation. They are mean, nasty and hungry…and they will eat anything. They are hell bent on filling their stomachs and acquiring new breeding stock (more about this below).
Castaways is a Saturday afternoon horror movie in book form, it is fun, violent and bloody and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
One word of caution, there is a pretty graphic rape sequence in the book. I myself usually frown upon such scenes but it fit the realism and the storyline of the book. Mr. Keene even addresses this at the end of the book.
If you like your horror well written, fast paced and visceral Brian Keene is the author for you.
Again another thank you to our friends over at Dorchester Publishing for supplying the book cover and synopsis.
Posted by Peter Schwotzer in Books, Terror Tales with Peter D. Schwotzer on January 19th, 2009
And so my friends another month has passed, the holidays are behind us and now it is time to look forward to Dorchester Publishing’s new offerings for the coming month:
Castaways by Brian Keene
They came to the lush, deserted island to compete on a popular reality TV show. Each one hoped to be the last to leave. Now they’re just hoping to stay alive. It seems the island isn’t deserted after all. Contestants and crew members are disappearing, but they aren’t being eliminated by the game. They’re being taken by the monstrous half-human creatures that live in the jungle. The men will be slaughtered. The women will be kept alive as captives. Night is falling, the creatures are coming, and rescue is so far away….
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Soultaker by Bryan Smith
Beautiful. Sexy. Inhuman. Jake McAllister knows that his brother Trey’s new girlfriend is a bad influence, but he doesn’t know what Myra’s really after—Trey’s soul. Trey is just one of her new playthings, a pawn in her centuries-long game. One by one, Myra has seduced and enslaved the young men of the town. The women have joined her cult as eager priestesses, lured by promises of sex and power. But Myra’s unholy plan is almost complete. Can one man hope to battle such seductive evil? Will he be able to resist the…
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Now monster fans head over to Dorchester Publishing and grab these new books. While you are over there do yourself a favor and join their Horror Book Club. Two new paperbacks delivered right to your mailbox every month for a mere $10.50…that’s right $10.50 for two paperbacks delivered. You are not going to find a better deal.
And once again a big Monster thanks to Dorchester Publishing for providing cover images and synopsis.
Posted by Peter Schwotzer in Reviews, Terror Tales with Peter D. Schwotzer on January 5th, 2009
“When their car broke down in a dangerous neighborhood of the inner city, Kerri and her friends thought they would find shelter in the old dark row house. They thought it was abandoned. They thought they would be safe there until morning. They were wrong on all counts. The residents of the row house live in the cellar and rarely come out in the light of day. They’re far worse than anything on the streets outside. And they don’t like intruders. Before the sun comes up, Kerri and her friends will fight for their very lives…though death is only part of their nightmare.”
Brian Keene never ceases to amaze and horrify me. His books just keep getting better and better, and Urban Gothic is no exception. It is a glorious blood filled romp that will leave you wishing you kept this book closed, it is that frightening. The fact that it takes place in one house in one night is remarkable.
He piles up the bodies and the blood while reflecting on today’s society and its many problems. The book is bleak, bloody and violent, and also redeeming in the fact that the characters step out of their stereotypes to try a make a difference. He doesn’t preach; he puts it out for each reader to interpret and use as they want.
But make no mistake this is vintage Keene in all his glory. His descriptive prose conjures up a house of horror not seen in many years, the characters come to life within the pages and shine against the desolate and dangerous backdrop of their situation, which is of their own making, well at least one of them. To me he is the voice of our generation, and this book speaks volumes if you will only listen.
If you have followed Brian’s career, his website and blogs, you know that he is outspoken and genuine. You know where he stands and what he feels. In my opinion the world would be a much better place if more people stood up for their beliefs like he does.
What does that have to do with horror you ask? Well, everything in my opinion. His writing reflects the realism he feels. He interjects his stories with real people in unreal situations that are believable. His characters are not perfect by any means and that is the way it should be. We all have flaws, it is what we do to overcome them that makes us what we are.
If you have lived in a cave for the past few years and have not yet heard of Brian Keene or read any of his work, Urban Gothic is a great place to start and I highly recommend it.
Again a big thank you for our friends at Dorchester Publishing for the book art and synopsis.
Posted by Peter Schwotzer in Books, Terror Tales with Peter D. Schwotzer on January 1st, 2009
July is upon us, though to those of us in New England it seems like we are still stuck in April. The rain has been incessant while the sun seems to have grown a bit shy this year.
Nonetheless, now is the time to put your thoughts ahead to what you plan on reading in August. Well friends, I have good news for you. I just happen to have links and descriptions for Dorchester Publishing’s August horror releases.
You are in luck, two of horror’s brightest stars are releasing new books in August. I have read both books and I can guarantee that they will bring a little darkness into your sunny summer. Well, I can’t guarantee that the rest of the summer will be sunny, but these are two very scary books.
So stop everything you are doing, follow the links and pre-order these fabulous books today. That is an order.
Urban Gothic by Brian Keene
“When their car broke down in a dangerous neighborhood of the inner city, Kerri and her friends thought they would find shelter in the old dark row house. They thought it was abandoned. They thought they would be safe there until morning. They were wrong on all counts. The residents of the row house live in the cellar and rarely come out in the light of day. They’re far worse than anything on the streets outside. And they don’t like intruders. Before the sun comes up, Kerri and her friends will fight for their very lives…though death is only part of their nightmare.”
Click Here for my review of Brian Keene’s latest horror masterpiece.
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Far Dark Fields by Gary A. Braunbeck
“More than three decades ago high-school senior Andy Leonard snapped. When he stopped shooting, thirty-two people were dead. But not little Geoff Conover. Andy spared Geoff for reasons no one ever knew. Now, all these years later, tragedy has struck again. Bruce Dyson too has gone on a murder spree, leaving nine dead in his wake. Even though they never met, there’s only one person Dyson will speak to—Geoff Conover. And what he tells Geoff will shake him to his core. With one word, Dyson will reveal that he knows the dark truth behind the legendary bogeyman used to terrify local children for years, the deformed creature known as Hoopsticks…and the final, shocking secret of Cedar Hill, Ohio.”
Click Here for my review of Gary A. Braunbeck’s latest Cedar Hill entry.
And once again a big thanks to our friends over at Dorchester Publishing for supplying the book cover images and synopsis.
Posted by Peter Schwotzer in Books, Latest News, Terror Tales with Peter D. Schwotzer on November 20th, 2008
Author: Shane Staley
What’s been the hot seller at Horror Mall for the past few weeks? By a long shot it’s the new Necro Publications anthology just announced.
This limited edition hardcover set for release in early 2009 is edited and Illustrated by Gak and includes an all new short novel, The Senary, by Edward Lee.
It also features all original short fiction from:
John Shirley
John Everson
Brian Keene
Charlee Jacob
Maynard and Sims
Gerard Houarner
Bryan Smith
This book is signed by all contributors.
When I say we’ve sold a lot, I mean a lot. So if you’re one who’s interested, please get your order in before they’re gone, which should be real soon.
Information provided by The Horror Mall
