Nick Cato's Blog, page 4

My Top 6 Horror Books of 2016

I only managed to read 37 books this year (I usually average 65 or more), but a busier than usual writing schedule kept my reading in check. I had a hard time with a top 10, as I found a lot of "ties," so here are my 6 faves from 2016:





1- THE LAST DAYS OF JACK SPARKS by Jason Arnopp: A perfect blend of horror and humor, paranormal and possession, with guest appearances from real life film directors and footnotes from the protagonist's brother, at times this feels like serious non fiction. Arnopp's novel was the most difficult for me to put down this year. So. Damn. Good.




2- A LONG DECEMBER by Richard Chizmar: Question: How many collections of this size (35 tales) can feature so many consistently solid stories? Answer: very few. A fantastic career-spanning door-stopper of a book you'll surely be revisiting.



3- STRANDED by Bracken Macleod: Arguably the scariest read of the year, MacLeod's arctic chiller brings both THE THING and SURVIVE! to mind yet has plenty of weird tricks up its sleeve. A genuine page turner highlighted by some spectacular prose.



4-THE SADIST'S BIBLE by Nicole Cushing: After blowing my mind last year with her incredible novel MR. SUICIDE, Cushing's follow up novella is every bit as disturbing, thought provoking, and eerie as you'd expect. Excellent.



5- BLISTER by Jeff Strand: Easily my favorite Strand novel since his 2006 thriller PRESSURE, this quirky creeper dealing with a man on a forced vacation who meets a hideously disfigured girl is as charming as it is bizarre. Wow. First time I ever referred to a horror novel as charming, but, hey...



6 -RETURN OF THE OLD ONES: APOCALYPTIC LOVECRAFTIAN HORROR edited by Brian M. Sammons: I'm as tired of the "Lovecraftian" subgenre as I am of zombies, but editor Sammons has assembled a fantastic collection here, sectioned into three eras (before, during, and after the Old Ones return). One of the finest anthologies of the year regardless of your feeling toward the HPL Mythos trend. A great blend of veteran and newer authors.

~~~~~~~~~~~I also read a lot of non fiction this year, most as research material for my novel in progress, and I found myself reading an alarming amount of rock music biographies. The one that has stuck with me the longest is:

STICK IT! MY LIFE OF SEX, DRUMS, AND ROCK 'N' ROLL by Carmine Appice (with Ian Gittins): From his time with Vanilla Fudge and proto-grunge band Cactus, to his breakout rock stardom playing with Rod Stewart and Ozzy Osbourne, Carmine's bio is full of some legendary stories you may have heard rumors of, and a lot of new stories shared here for the first time about his upbringing in Brooklyn, NY. Carmine partied as hard if not harder than the best of them, yet never let the booze and weed affect his drumming skills or overall professionalism. His fame caused him to get kicked off Ozzy's Bark at the Moon tour, yet he bounced back with several other projects. One of the more intriguing bios of any musician out there.

Writing Updates

I was invited to be part of an anthology that will pay tribute to the 1984 horror film C.H.U.D. It is to be edited by Eric S. Brown (of BIGFOOT WARS fame) and already has an impressive roster of authors. It's also open for submissions if you're a fan of this cult classic: Crystal Lake Pub
It's kind of surreal something like this is actually happening. I saw the film the night it opened way back in 1984, and could've never imagine something like this, let alone being a part of it. Pretty cool. Naturally I recently re-watched it and I've come up with a prequel story...
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My novel LOVERS is now around 55K and is mentally kicking my ass. Can't wait to finish the first draft, let it sit for a short while, then hit my second draft before firing it off to my editor.
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My first non fiction film book, tentatively titled NICK CATO'S SUBURBAN GRINDHOUSE, is slated for a late 2017/early 2018 release. I recently landed a nifty interview with one of the stars of the trash classic BLOOD TIDE (1982) and it's looking really good. More news and publisher reveal soon.
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A couple of novellas I had started a while back, CHEW TOYS and CHANNEL 79, are both haunting me to finish them. I plan to have them both done by the end of January, 2017.
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My 4th exploitation novella for Dynatox Ministries, DEATH WITCH, is slated for a 2017 release. It's basically DEATH WISH meets THE CRAFT. Be scared...
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A new short bizarro story, REVOLT INTO STYLE, is nearing completion. It deals with a gangster who hijacks a new, suped-up popemobile. I'm having an absolute blast with it and hope to begin shopping it around soon.
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Anxiously waiting word back on two short story submissions...
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I've also edited an old school cult film fanzine titled THE MIDNIGHT GRIND, featuring all new articles from several fanzine legends and a couple of new comers. Release date in a couple of weeks. This is my first print-zine since 2003, and my first print film zine since 1991. I'll have ordering info here shortly...

Comic Geek Update

I haven't done a "Comic Geek Update" in over 2 years (!) but a recent title caught my eye and the first two issues were simply fantastic.


Dark Horse Comics begins a fresh Conan saga with CONAN THE SLAYER, written by Cullen Bunn (of X-Men and Deadpool fame) with artwork by Sergio Davila (Red Sonja, Green Lantern). We catch up with Conan in the first issue as he is chased across the desert by a couple of assassins who he quickly turns to chop meat, although one of them manages to spear our favorite Cimmerian in the side. Conan barely makes it to a small village, where he is taken in an nursed back to health. The camp is run by Mykylo, who has two sons (Taraslan, who is overlooked by a strong warrior woman named Oksana, and Kyrylo, who is mad his father has accepted Conan into their tribe). A trio of Turanian hunters comes to the camp looking for Conan, and Kyrylo can't understand why his father didn't turn the barbarian over to them. He is convinced his father is no longer fit to be their leader.

The stage is set for some family schism, and this first issue features classic, brutal barbarian action. Lee Bermejo's beautiful cover art is also the most METAL comic book cover of the new millennium! (Crank up some MANOWAR or AMON AMARTH as you read these issues for maximum affect!).


The second issue begins with Kyrylo making a deal with a zombie-looking mystical being, then back at camp, Conan shows young Taraslan that he has much to learn about being a warrior. After some of the camp's scouts go missing, Mykylo sends Conan off to find them with Taraslan and Oksana and a couple of soldiers, but they run into a Turanian hit squad in a brutal sword / bow and arrow battle near the seashore. The issue ends when two huge monsters rise from the deep after knocking Conan out cold.

So far, Cullen Bunn's script has been a fine blend of classic Conan barbarian goodness and a supernatural subplot. And while I'm enjoying Sergio Davila's artwork, it seems at times he puts more into the side characters and villains than he does Conan...but that's a small complaint and not really a complaint at all (just the thoughts of an anal retentive life-long Conan fan).

Great stuff and I'm eagerly awaiting the 3rd issue, that features this amazing cover by Admira Wijaya:

78th "Suburban Grindhouse Memory" Now LIVE...

The 78th column in my SUBURBAN GRINDHOUSE MEMORIES series takes a look at a screening of Abel Ferrara's 1981 classic MS .45. Check it out here: MS .45

New film column up

The fine folks at YESCLASH have asked me to vent on some films. Here's the first column:

Armageddon vs. ARMAGGEDON

Updates

I've been quite busy since my last entry, which is a good thing. Now if they could just add another 15 hours to each day I'll be in business...


Submitted a story to an anthology titled FORSAKEN, which I was invited to be part of. Not sure of the release date but I can say it's from one of the biggest of the small presses and so far has a fine line up of authors, not to mention two fantastic editors. More news to follow...

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My first non fiction film book,tentatively titled NICK CATO'S SUBURBAN GRINDHOUSE, has been sold. Contracts have been signed, but an official announcement will not be made until the end of 2016 when the final draft has been approved by the publisher. The book is slated for a late 2017 release, and will be brought to you by my favorite film book press. To say I'm stoked about this is an understatement. Am currently collecting several rare ad mats and a couple of additional interviews to be included.
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Am about 3/4 of the way done writing my 4th "exploitation" novella for Dynatox Ministries, this time a supernatural rape-revenge tale titled DEATH WITCH. What happens when 4 rural jocks mess with the wrong woman? Plenty, but wait until you see what happens when 4 rural jocks mess with the wrong woman who has ties to the underworld...
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The second edition of my 2009 debut novel DON OF THE DEAD is still in the process of being formatted. The original file used by the first publisher has been lost, so I am slowly putting it back together. Below is the updated cover design by the great Matthew Revert, who has done outstanding work on two of my novellas from Grindhouse Press. This second edition will be released through my own press, Novello Publishers

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My second novel, LOVERS, is my first turn at a full length "serious" horror tale, about an EMT worker who becomes infatuated with a young woman who dies on his watch. It has been kicking my ass emotionally and psychologically, but I intend to have the first draft done sometime this summer. It is currently at 48,000+ words and more than halfway done. Below is a mock cover design, something I do when working on stories to psyche myself up:

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HUGE ANNOUNCEMENT: While I will be partially vague here, about a year or two ago I contacted one of my favorite recording artists about doing a biography. I'm a big fan of "rock docs" and felt the time to tell her story (or at least the first part of it) was way overdue. Yadda yadda yadda, I was contacted a couple weeks ago by said artist saying she was finally ready to roll with the project. I'm now in the prep stages of my first biography, which will require some lengthy interviews with (said) artist, her band mates, and several others in the business. This is a dream project for me and one I will be working meticulously on to shine.
In the meantime, enjoy this amazing song:Amazing Song...
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New readers, please check out some of my books right here: Nick Cato's Amazon Page

CHEERS...

DON OF THE DEAD (second edition)

I recently had the rights to my 2009 debut novel DON OF THE DEAD returned to me and I'll be re-releasing it in a second edition through my own press, Novello Publishers. Below is the new cover design by Matthew Revert (who also did the covers for my Grindhouse Press novellas THE LAST PORNO THEATER and THE ATROCITY VENDOR). I asked him if he could give it the look of a used 70s paperback, and he delivered pure perfection! Hoping to have this available as a trade paperback and eBook by the end of May.

TALE OF TALES review

Once in a while I go off of my Suburban Grindhouse Memories  column over at CINEMA KNIFE FIGHT and look at a new film. Here's my review of TALE OF TALES, the latest from Italian director Matteo Garrone: TALE OF TALES review

Writing Updates / The "HATE" Diet

My current Works in Progress are:


- LOVERS (novel...39,000 + words)
- DEATH WITCH (novella...8,000 + words)
- CARBURETOR PUPPY MILL (short story...just over 3,000 words. Currently editing)


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THE "HATE" DIET
On Wednesday, April 6th, 2016, I woke at 4:30 AM and hit the snooze button until 5:00 when I rose and jumped in the shower as I do each weekday morning. By 5:25 I started getting dressed. As I bent down to tie my shoes, I felt incredibly uncomfortable and realized I was gasping for breath. It had been building for a while, but this particular day was intense and freaked me out. Call it an epiphany. Call it whatever you'd like. I call it a life-changing eye-opener, especially now that I'm 48 years old and have seen far too many friends die due to health related issues over the past 10-15 years.
I am 5'11" tall and have had a bit of a "beer" gut since just after high school (sometime around 1986-7). Since my mid teenage years, my weight had always been around 180 pounds, until I quite smoking way back in 1991. Since that time, I've maintained a 200 pound level, give or take a few pounds. Not too bad, but not great either for my height. But when I went downstairs two weeks ago after gasping due to a shoe-tie attempt, I stepped on the scale to reveal a horrifying truth: I had tipped the scale the highest I ever had in my life. I was 220 pounds. TWO HUNDRED AND TWENTY DAMN POUNDS. And my gut had become so big it was causing back pain (not to mention co-workers pointing to my stomach and asking me when the blessed date was).
It was time for a change.
Since Thursday, April 7th, 2016, I have been hellbent on losing weight, primarily on losing my gut. I can handle the jokes and what not, but the difficulty breathing while trying to do an everyday mundane task? Nope. Just not going to let that happen. Italian heritage be DAMNED. Shit had to change. Two weeks later, it has.
I am now down to 206 pounds (that's a whopping 14 pounds in two weeks), and even after the first week I felt 100% better. The breathing is almost back to normal, although my gut hasn't visibly changed too much. But that will happen in due time, of this I am sure, because as I've mentioned, I am HELLBENT on doing this. A lot of guys lose 12-15 pounds the first two weeks during a crash diet, and I understand losing more isn't going to be so easy. The hard part is just beginning. But I'm committed.
Here's what I use for inspiration:
There are a couple of people in my life (no names will be mentioned here or in private so please don't ask) who I absolutely can't stand. They're not only out of shape, but do nothing to change the deadly course they're on. I refuse to become one of them. SO: when I have my breakfast (no longer a cream cheese-filled bagel, but a banana or an orange) and my lunch (no longer leftovers from dinner or hero sandwiches, but an orange and an 8 oz Ensure drink or 11 oz Fit & Active drink), I eat slowly and think of these people who I can't stand mentally or physically, who I don't want to become. WHO I WILL NOT BECOME. (I should note here that I don't "hate" anyone because of their appearance. These assholes just happen to be out of shape, and on my current diet, it gives me more mental fuel to go on. Agree or disagree with this technique, but know I probably love you, the reader).
I think of these people clutching their chests, or laying down on the floor due to extreme back pain, or passing out due to exhaustion from walking up a mere half flight of stairs (I have actually witnessed some of this in my workplace). I think of these things not only as I eat my reduced meals (which is a MAJOR lifestyle change for me), but also when I get the munchies, which is usually thirty minutes after I have a reduced meal. Instead, when the desire to go off my diet gets too strong, I slap on my headphones, find a private spot, and crank three back-to-back songs from NAPALM DEATH. For those not familiar, NAPALM DEATH is one of the first "extreme" metal bands who are still alive and kicking 30 years since their first album was released. For those not familiar, they probably sound like a wall of sonic noise. And that's fine. The point is, when I crank up these three songs*, I use the raw power they emit to satisfy my hunger. And guess what? For me, it actually works. I keep the power and force of the music in my heart and mind for the rest of the day, and when I get home at night, dinner has never tasted so damn good.
Yes, it's difficult eating a balanced dinner (and only having one helping after living on fruit and nutrition drinks all day with no snacking inbetween), but after these past two weeks it's starting to not only get easier, it's becoming addictive. Walking around work all day (and around the neighborhood at night with my dogs) has never felt better. And my breathing has almost returned to normal when I put on and take off my shoes.
As "they" say, Your Mileage May Vary. This particular system (which is basically the old "Slim Fast" diet) is the way I have chosen to kick start my gut loss. Once my stomach stops looking like a spare tire, I will begin to eat small, healthier meals. I am re-learning how to eat (difficult for anyone, let alone an Italian who was raised with some of the best food on the planet at his disposal on a daily basis).
I feel great. I might go deaf in the process, but that's the gamble I am taking. A little loud death metal and fantasizing about crushing-in certain people's heads?
Let's. Do. This...
THE "HATE" DIET is on...


(DISCLAIMER: I don't actually "hate" the people mentioned in this article. Well, one of them I do. But my point here is to do whatever it is you have to do to accomplish your goals, as long as it's legal and no one gets hurt in the process. Again, I most likely love you, the reader).
(* My mini NAPALM DEATH playlist, for those interested, are the songs "Silence is Deafening," "Lowpoint," and "Breed to Breathe." Listen at your own risk and without a nutrition drink in your hand).

Appearances / Writing Updates / Other Projects

At the 2016 KRALLCON, to be held April 1-3 2016 (this time in Summit, NJ at the beautiful Grand Summit Hotel), I'll be performing an acoustic death metal song with Christopher Ropes, giving an introductory lecture on the films of Herschell Gordon Lewis, and I believe I'll even be squeezing a reading in somewhere (all will happen on the 2nd). Either way this is a great little convention for fans of weird literature, music, art, and films. Hope to see some of you there. More info here: KRALLCON 2016

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My second novel, LOVERS, is currently at the 34K mark, and I'm simultaneously working on my 4th exploitation novella for Dynatox Ministries titled DEATH WITCH, a supernatural rape-revenge tale (picture I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE meets MS .45 with a dash of BLACK SUNDAY).
Just signed a contract with one of my favorite presses for my first non-fiction book. More news soon...
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As some readers may know, I published a semi-influential horror film fanzine from 1981-1991 titled STINK. This October of 2016 I will be launching an all-new, similar "old school" styled fanzine titled THE MIDNIGHT GRIND, which will feature contributions from many new and old zinesters. Should be a lot of fun, and if you're interested in contributing leave a message in the comments below. Aiming to do this annually so if you're reading this after June, 2016 it will probably be to late to be part of the first issue.
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I was recently asked to be part of a metal/hard rock/hardcore music podcast by my old buddy Nick D. Yadda yadda yadda, IRON FIST RADIO was born. We're two shows in and have a bunch of people (both known and unknown) in the music business on tap for interviews. Check out the first two casts here: Iron Fist Radio