Steve Stred's Blog, page 55

3Q’s – Russell James keeps bringing the darkness!

Today’s 3Q’s guest is a someone whose work I love. Russell James has his hands in a lot of areas – between creature features and dark horror, his work will keep you engaged and excited. I’ve read a number of his books and have really enjoyed his story crafting!

Please welcome, Russell!

Steve: What does your writing time look like? Do you try to write at the same time each day? Do you have a word count you attempt to hit?

Russell: In the summer, I spend Florida mornings doing yard work or wrenching in the garage before it gets unbearably hot and humid. Then I spend the afternoon and its inevitable thunderstorms writing. In the winter, that schedule is reversed to take advantage of the warmer afternoons. (It does get cold in Florida in the winter. Not the Canada cold you deal with, but down into the 30s F.) Anything over 2000 words in one day is a victory.

Steve: If you started a series and for some reason had to have another author finish it, who would you choose?

Russell: I have three series out with Severed Press, the Grant Coleman Adventures, the Ranger Kathy West Adventures, and the new Rick and Rose Sinclair Adventures. All of these have giant monster angles to them. If I had to have someone continue them after my untimely demise, it would have to be Hunter Shea, Master of All Things Monster. He has a plethora of excellent cryptid and monster books out and I would have no qualms about him taking good care of my characters while still placing them in
heart-stopping danger.

Steve: Tell me about your newest release (novel/story/poem/novella) and why someone should read it!

Russell: DEMON DAGGER comes out August 16th from Flame Tree Press. In this story Drew Price has the gift of being able to see the demon within a possessed person, which has set him on the path to be a demon hunter. Archdemon Nicobar, who had been sent back to Hell, returns and possesses a new host. That archdemon is bent on revenge against demon hunters, and the hunter’s family is not exempt from that vengeance. Drew has to master using the demon dagger to slay the archdemon, but Nicobar is always one step ahead, and the stakes keep getting higher. I’m very proud of this latest work and it has gotten a great review at Publisher’s Weekly.

Steve: Bonus Question! If they made a movie about your life, what actor or actress would you suggest they get to play you?

Russell: Anyone better looking, with more hair, and in better shape would be perfect. The key would be to skip the part at the end of the movie where they they usually show pictures of the actual people during the credits. Let the viewers keep the illusion that I look like Hugh Jackman or Bradley Cooper. Thanks for the opportunity!

Thank you, Russell!

To find more of his awesome work;

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Russell-James/e/B006BFIOKQ/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/RRJames14

Website: https://www.russellrjames.com/

Book Review: Midnight Echo Issue 17 edited by Greg Chapman

Title: Midnight Echo Issue 17

Author: Various – edited by Greg Chapman

Release date: August 20, 2022

I’m a huge fan of Greg Chapman. Seriously – he’s ultra talented. Look at his artwork. Look at his written output. Heck, just go read ‘Netherkind.’ You’ll be a fan for life. I’m honored, as I’ll actually have two of my own books coming shortly with covers done by Greg!

So, when Greg reached out to see if I’d be keen to read the latest edition of Midnight Echo, which is the Magazine of the Australasian Horror Writers Association (AHWA), I agreed immediately. I was interested to see what Greg compiled within as Guest Editor. The bonus here is that, within the horror community, folks residing over in the geographical location have been killing it and when you look at the Table of Contents and see the names listed, you know you’ll be in for a good time.

This one featured 15 entries made up of short stories and poetry and the final two stories were included after winning prestigious writing contests!

What I liked: Even though this bad boy states ‘magazine’ on the cover, for all intents and purposes, this is an anthology. The difference here is that it has a statement from the current AHWA President (an author you’ll be familiar with), a note from Greg on editing and within there is artwork and some advertisements. Nothing that distracts or takes away from the reading, but that is the only thing that truly separates this from a traditional anthology.

Each story is solid and the poetry worked really well. The standouts for me were;

‘Feathers’ by Chris Mason. What starts out as a simple ‘expecting mom getting the baby’s room ready’ story morphs and transforms into a horrendously dark piece that has such a brutal ending.

‘The Fruits of Labour’ by Mark Towse. We follow an author who buys an estate in order to sequester himself and write his next novel. But the orchard trees grow fruit, and this writer does enjoy the taste. This goes to a number of places you’ll not expect, but wow was it unflinching.

‘The Tub’ by J. Ashley-Smith. WHAT THE?!?! Two friends are sneaking behind an old business when they discover an old, abandoned tub. You know the kind? Sitting on legs and deep. Well, you’ve never come across a tub this deep before. Loved this one and so, so unnerving.

‘Visitation Rites’ by Matthew R. Davis. I gotta be honest, I loved this story, but I don’t know if I fully liked the reality of the story. It’s hard to say and remain spoiler free. Essentially, this is a unique take on estranged parenting and protecting youth from the truth. Dark and heart-wrenching.

The absolute highlight for me though was the story ‘La Belle Morte Sans Merci’ by Kat Clay. This was just superb from start to finish. It follows a photographer in the 1800’s who becomes obsessed with human decay and trying to capture it on film. They become addicted to it and to the search to find it. Just a phenomenal body horror story and the lengths those will go for satisfaction.

What I didn’t like: As with every grouping of stories – whether a single author collection, or a mixed group in an anthology, some stories just may not connect with the reader. I found I enjoyed everything within, even if a few didn’t hit the boxes for me personally as a reader, but I often suspect those will be other readers favorites!

Why you should buy this: Chapman has put together a really amazing group of stories here. It starts on such a high and never really does back off of let down. I was a bit saddened to see there wasn’t a new short story from Greg himself.

Overall, a truly phenomenal effort of storytelling by a great group of writers. The AHWA should be proud of the work that has been put out here and for those who’ve either never grabbed an edition of Midnight Echo before, or haven’t read any of these authors, this would be a really solid place to dive in.

5/5

3Q’s – Chris Marrs has an Appetite for Destruction!

Super excited for today’s 3Q’s guest!

Chris Marrs is from a small town in British Columbia (like me!) and now lives in Alberta (like me!). We connected a few years back and Marrs’ has been incredibly kind and supportive!

I’m a big fan of her work!

So, welcome, Chris!

Steve: What does your writing time look like? Do you try and write at the same time each day? Do you have a word count you attempt to hit?

Chris: My writing time could be described as chaotic at best. So much so I recently created a schedule of sorts and taped it next to the computer. I’m in between day jobs and found, given the chance to write all day, I was spending too much time falling down various rabbit holes or starting new projects then getting behind on the ones where the submission deadline is looming. The schedule has really helped keep me focused. Having said that, though, I work on two projects at the same time. I’ll swap from one to the other when I get stuck on one. I’m a pantser but also an over-thinker which leads to a sort of writing paralysis if something isn’t flowing right in a story. So switching to the other story lets my back brain noodle the issue without me getting in the way of myself.

Steve: Out of all your releases, do you have a favorite character you’ve written?

Chris: I don’t really have a favorite character that I’ve written but the two I feel closest to are Autumn in PAPER AND PENCIL, SKIN AND INK and Julie in WILDWOMAN. They are both women who lose themselves, a nasty boyfriend in the case of Autumn and bullies and a non-present mother in the case of Julie, and struggle to overcome it, to find themselves again.

Steve: Tell me about your newest release (novel/story/poem/novella) and why someone should read it!

Chris: I’m really excited to have my story, PIECES OF PRUE, included in The Seventh Terrace Publishing’s forthcoming anthology TERRACE V: PENITENT’S GOLD (AVARICE). It’s the third instalment in their excellent Purgatorio series. Lust and gluttony, respectively, were the first two sins covered and I thoroughly enjoyed the stories in both anthologies. Highly recommended.

PENITENT’S GOLD drops November 7, 2022.

Steve: Bonus Question! What is your favorite album?

Chris: Picking an all-time favourite album is difficult as I have a favourite in pretty much all musical genres. I grew up in a small isolated town on the west coast of British Columbia in the 80s, our musical options were pretty limited. When we moved to a larger town, one of the girls I made friends with was into different types of music. She popped Guns’N’Roses APPETITE FOR DESTRUCTION into her tape player and I got chills. Then she popped in Nirvana’s NEVERMIND and the same thing, chills. These were followed by Queen, Ice-T, and others and thus began my quest for music that gave me chills no matter which genre. Which makes it difficult to pick a favourite.

Thanks for having me, Steve! This was a lot of fun!

Thank you so much, Chris!

To find more works;

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/kindle-dbs/entity/author/B01A2XOOQA

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Chris_Marrs

Website: http://hauntedmarrs.zinginc.com/

3Q’s – Paul Tremblay starts a new club!

Man oh man! I am excited for today’s 3Q’s guest.

As some of you may know, I have a favorite author. I love this author’s work and collect all of his work and love posting about his work. Well, today’s author just happens to be THAT author for my book pal, George! Every time I see George posting about his love of today’s guests work, I smile and am so very happy, knowing exactly how it feels like. The one difference – George (at the time of writing this) has actually met his favorite author in person A NUMBER OF TIMES. Son of a bitch.

Without further wait – please welcome Mr. Paul Tremblay!

Paul, welcome and thanks for doing this!

Steve: What does your writing time look like? Do you try to write at the same time each day? Do you have a word count you attempt to hit?

Paul: During the school year I typically write at night, but try to take advantages of free periods if and when I have them. Weekends and days off I prefer to write in the morning. When I’m going good, I aim for 500 words, give or take 100.

Steve: You win the lottery and the only condition is that you need to fund another author’s book to be made into a movie. What book would you choose to be filmed?

Paul: I’d like John Langan’s The Fisherman to be a limited series. It’s too big to be a single film, which means we need more money, enough to keep the producers at bay and enough for all the cocaine that John would require once he goes Hollywood. Seriously though, I’d love to see that book with its tonal shifts and story within a story leading to the leviathan/Moby Dick ending. It’s such a great story.

Steve: Tell me about your newest release (novel/story/poem/novella) and why someone should read it!

Paul: The Pallbearers Club is presented as the found memoir of a Gen Xer who calls himself Art Barbara. The book starts with Art in high school, he’s a loner with no friends but he decides to start a Pallbearers Club: volunteer at a funeral home to serve elderly and homeless that don’t have any living relatives. No classmates stick with the club but a strange older woman, a punk fan he names Mercy, joins. She may or may not be a supernatural figure from New England folklore. Oh, she found the memoir and makes comments at the end of chapters and in the margins. Come for the supernatural ambiguity, stay for the monstrous verbing and adverbing of nouns like Hellrasiered.

Steve: Bonus Question! If you could be an extra on any TV show, which one would it have been and why?

Paul: X-Files. I just loved the show. I could be a creepy tall skinny person hanging out in the shadows randomly. When spotted, I’d bend and stretchy my bendy stretchy fingers in Hellraisered ways.

Amazing! Thank you so much for doing this, Paul! And thanks in advance to George for sharing this when it goes live, lol!

To discover more of Paul’s work;

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Paul-Tremblay/e/B001JRTI1K/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/paulGtremblay

Website: https://www.paultremblay.net/

3Q’s – David Demchuk – young Ryan, old Mary!

Man alive, am I excited for today’s 3Q’s! Today’s guest is the award-winning author, David Demchuk. David’s writing pushes the reader hard and to the extremes, so I was excited to see what answers I’d get back!

Please welcome, David!

Steve: What does your writing time look like? Do you try to write at the same time each day? Do you have a word count you attempt to hit?

David: UGH. I am very slow compared to many other writers, so my first caveat would be: Do not compare yourself and your output to that of other writers. I generally write late in the evening, when I can barely keep my eyes open, usually after 10, sometimes after 11, and I rarely go past 1 a.m. I usually write three or four evenings a week. If I pass 250 words, I’m thrilled. Occasionally I make my way up to 500 words, but if I do it can wipe me out for several days. However I can edit pretty much anytime.

Steve: If you started a series and for some reason had to have another author finish it, who would you choose?

David: This is an interesting question. I wouldn’t normally write a series, but I can easily imagine starting a book and being unable to finish it for one reason or another. In that situation I would probably nominate my husband Chris first (he is an unpublished writer of queer urban fantasy and is very familiar with my work), and if he felt uncomfortable with the task, I would probably suggest Gemma Files, Kelly Robson or PJ Vernon.

Steve: Tell me about your newest release (novel/story/poem/novella) and why someone should read it!

David: My newest release is RED X, published by Strange Light / Penguin Random House. It is a hybrid horror novel / memoir about gay men disappearing from Toronto’s gay village over a period of 200+ years (so back to when the area was a plot of woodland belonging to queer pioneer Alexander Wood), and the friends and family members who begin to suspect that something supernatural is at work. The memoir part involves me, my queerness, my love of horror as a genre, and my conflicted feelings about how queerness has been represented in the genre I love. It is undeniably an experimental novel but I think a very accessible one. And scary!

Steve: Bonus Question! If they made a movie about your life, what actor or actress would you suggest they get to play you?

David: UGH. Actually, RED X has been optioned for film and television. so this question is eerily relevant. Daniel Radcliffe? Tilda Swinton? Maybe Daniel Radcliffe in my youth, and Tilda Swinton in my old age? The reality is it would have to be someone Canadian, so Ryan Gosling in my youth and Mary Walsh in my old age.

Hey! Big congrats and thank you so much for doing this!

To find out more about David’s awesome work – check the links!

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/David-Demchuk/e/B074BWWMKQ/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/spo0ky_dad

Website: https://www.daviddemchuk.com/

3Q’s – Bo Chappell – a super nice guy, From Day One!

Way back when, when I began my writing journey, one of the earliest folks who supported me and encouraged me was today’s guest – the amazing, Bo Chappell. Bo has released some truly outstanding work, so I was so pleased when he agreed to hop on here!

Welcome, Bo!

Steve: What does your writing time look like? Do you try to write at the same time each day? Do you have a word count you attempt to hit?

Bo: I’ve certainly tried to utilize scheduled times and word count goals, but that always leads me to burnout. I find more broad goals like, “Write AT LEAST a chapter this week” gets better results because, if I don’t feel like writing, then the act of doing so (or trying to more often than not) in those moments has a negative impact on my relationship with writing. And that’s what it is. It’s a relationship. If I am forced to say, “I love you” to my other half with each sentence, then those words can lose meaning, even if I mean it. Being aware of that, the love shows when I feel it most. So yeah, I like to keep the structure in the story and off my calendar.

Steve: If you could write a story for another author’s fictional world/series, which would it be and why?

Bo: I cannot express how badly I want to write a Zorro book. I have a really fun story idea ready to go and I’d put everything aside to write it. Unfortunately, while Zorro is a public domain character, he has a messy trademark issue in the US with a very litigious “owner”. The moment that clears up, I’ll have a pen in hand marking Z’s.

Steve: Tell me about your newest release (novel/story/poem/novella) and why someone should read it!

Bo: My last release was FROM DAY ONE which was the omnibus for all three of the YEAR 47 books plus a bunch of bonus content. I put that together to celebrate the 5th anniversary of the post-apocalyptical, survival horror novel that started everything. I never imagined my first novel would lead to where its travelled and allow me to meet so many wonderful people along the way. I think that’s a nice parallel to a story about isolated people expecting the worst and finding the best in others. To never give up.

And the best part was working with so many talented writers over the years who have contributed stories over the last five years. It’s so packed, I literally hit the page limit on the book when I submitted it. You ask, “How many more stories could you have had in there?” and the answer is “None.”

I also got a chance to interview someone I greatly admire for APHOTIC REALM MAGAZINE. Look for that interview when they come back later this year.

Steve: Bonus Question! Do you have a cherished book?

Bo: Honestly, it’s the one I’m (re)reading at the moment. I don’t read as often as I’d like, but when I find myself with a book, I’m gone.

Cheers for stopping by, Bo!

You can find more works from Bo at the links;

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Bo-Chappell/e/B01N8Z39SO/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/infrafan

Website: https://bochappell.wordpress.com/

3Q’s – The Sisters are here to Slaughter you!

Exciting today here in on the site! Today we got the awesome Sisters of Slaughter!

Michelle Garza and Melissa Lason are Stoker nominated writers who keep churning out the darkness!

Please welcome them today!

Steve: What does your writing time look like? Do you try and write at the same time each day? Do you have a word count you attempt to hit?

SoS: We don’t have a set writing schedule or word count. We usually just get together after work 3-5 days a week and work until we can’t see straight, ha ha!

Steve: If you started a series and for some reason had to have another author finish it, who would you choose?

SoS: If we weren’t able to finish a series, there’s a few writers that come to mind to finish it. Ron Kelly, Somer Canon, or Brian Keene.

Steve: Tell me about your newest release (novel/story/poem/novella) and why someone should read it!

SoS: PANDEMONIUM, ARIZONA is our latest novel, released through Journalstone. It’s about a trashy town in Arizona and a demonic force looking to open the gates of Hell. It involves drug cartels, lot lizards, and a curendera. It’s pretty gross and brutal. We loved writing it.

Steve: Bonus Question! If they made a movie about your life, what actor or actress would you suggest they get to play you?

SoS: If a movie was made about us, we’d probably want Elvira to play both of us, ha ha!

Great choice! Thank you both for doing this!

To find out more about the Sisters of Slaughter – check the links!

Twitter: https://twitter.com/fiendbooks

Book Review: Hell Spring by Isaac Thorne

Title: Hell Spring

Author: Isaac Thorne

Release date: September 21, 2022

Some reviews are tougher to write, I find, the longer I’ve been reading and leaving reviews.

I really enjoyed Thorne’s debut – ‘The Gordon Place,’ and loved the location. So much so, that when Isaac reached out to see if I’d be up for reading this one, also set in the same place, I was all over it. There’s something about that singular connectivity that really works to draw a reader in – look at King and more recently, Malerman and Baxter.

I was also really, really intrigued with the setup. Almost a reverse or flipped ‘Mist’ idea – instead of a heavy storm/fog rolling in, the characters are stuff in a General Store in 1955 when a flood occurs. Of course, this is a horror novel and there’s something out there that comes in and this is the main aspect of the entire novel. The discovery of the truth within the confines of the store.

Thorne did a solid job on a number of aspects, but I lament the missed opportunities.

What I liked: As I said, the story takes place predominantly within Beard’s General Store, those lucky enough to escape the deluge and flood waters take stock in their surroundings, but also with the other folks present.

Thorne does a fantastic job of creating a wide cross-section of society, and we see how the residents of this small town are God-fearing people, worried that anything they do will prevent them from eternal bliss in the afterlife. It’s this aspect that really dominates the story and becomes the be-all end-all for survival.

There’s a lot that goes on inside the pages, but at the same time, not a lot. It’s hard to describe and I’ll attempt to dig deeper in a moment, but Thorne does a great job of showing the rapid decay of acceptable behavior in a cramped space between the people.

What I didn’t like: I think this would’ve worked significantly better if this was a novella instead of a novel. There’s sections that have a lot of extreme ‘fluff’ in parts that seemed to take away from the flow of the story as well as the tension and the acceleration.

Additionally, the form that the entity takes (Marilyn Monroe) really drove me crazy. I’m not a big fan of moments like these, as it takes away some of the imaginative aspects of it for me as a reader.

Why you should buy this: Overall, I did enjoy this one, I just didn’t love it. It felt good to return to this place that Thorne is creating and the cross-section of characters was a bonus.

Thorne did a great job of creating some chaotic moments and for that, I was able to get past the extra ‘fluff.’

I think this one will be a love it or leave it book for many people. The meat is there, solidly on the bone, I just wish it had less gristle.

3.5/5

3Q’s – Joe Lansdale was Born For Trouble!

Not gonna lie – when I send out the invites for things (much like when I message regarding blurbs), there’s a few that you send out that A) you don’t expect a reply and B) if they do, it’ll be a thanks, but sorry. Look, life is busy and we have limited time. Some things just don’t slot in and being a small fish like myself, I’m never hurt or offended if someone declines anything I send their way.

Today’s guest, I’ll admit – was in B. Joe’s super nice and while I really wanted to feature him, I know how massively busy he is, so I honestly expected a thanks, but not right now reply. BUT TO MY ABSOLUTE SHOCK – he agreed! So, here we are. Today’s guest is one of the most accomplished and distinguished authors to walk the planet.

Please welcome the amazing Joe Lansdale!

Steve: What does your writing time look like? Do you try to write at the same time each day? Do you have a word count you attempt to hit?

Joe: I write in the morning, three hours. I try and write pretty shortly after I wake up. I try for three to five pages a morning and sometimes get more. Polish as I go. No outlines.

Steve: If you started a series and for some reason had to have another author finish it, who would you choose?

Joe: Probably someone in my family.

Steve: Tell me about your newest release (novel/story/poem/novella) and why someone should read it!

Joe: The newest is BORN FOR TROUBLE and is about my Hap and Leonard characters. Mulholland/Little Brown publishes the novels, but the collections about the characters so far have been published by
Tachyon. I think they’re pretty exciting and funny, and I like to think they’re original.

Steve: Bonus Question! If they made a movie about your life, what actor or actress would you suggest they get to play you?

Joe: We don’t need a movie about my life.

There you have it! Thank you so much, Joe for doing this!

For more info – check the links!

Website: http://www.joerlansdale.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/joelansdale

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Joe-R-Lansdale/e/B000AP8R6Y/

3Q’s – Antonia Rachel Ward pulls the strings!

Hello, hello!!!

Welcome to a fun 3Q’s today! These have all been a blast haven’t they?

Today’s is no different!

Please welcome, Antonia Rachel Ward!

Steve: What does your writing time look like? Do you try to write at the same time each day? Do you have a word count you attempt to hit?

Ward: I usually try to write for at least an hour each day. I’m lucky that I’m in the position to arrange my own work schedule so I fit my writing into the day as and when it suits me. 500 words per day has always been my general rule of thumb, but with my current work-in-progress I’m trying a different approach of alternating writing and planning scenes, so some days are more about planning rather than actual writing. I think at times in the past I’ve focused too hard on hitting specific word counts, and I’ve worn myself out doing that and my writing has suffered as a result, so now I’m trying to pace myself and focus more on quality. Sometimes that means I don’t get a lot of new words written in a day, and that’s ok.

Steve: If you could write a story for another author’s fictional world/series, which would it be and why?

Ward: I’m not sure. I don’t think it’s something I’d particularly enjoy. I much prefer inventing my own worlds and characters, rather than trying to fit into something someone else has come up with. There are definitely authors whose work inspires me, though. With my current novel, I’m trying to capture something of the flavour of 19th century gothic novels like Dracula and Frankenstein.

Steve: Tell me about your newest release (novel/story/poem/novella) and why someone should read it!

Ward: My first novella, Marionette, is out 16th August. Set in fin de siècle Paris, it’s the story of an exotic dancer and ex-prostitute, Cece, who agrees to be the star of an erotic seance. But she becomes possessed by a lustful, vengeful ghost, and has to find a way to break the spell before she becomes lost in the afterlife. It’s supposed to be a bit of fun – plenty of sex and blood – but I also wanted to explore the way contemporary society viewed sexually available women as being dangerous or evil. Read it if you enjoy richly-described historical settings, gothic horror, and something that maybe subverts your expectations a little bit.

Steve: Bonus Question! Do you have a cherished book?

Ward: I have a couple of childhood favourites that I still keep on my shelf, one of which is The Snow Spider by Jenny Nimmo. It’s such a magical, bittersweet story, and Joanna Carey’s illustrations are beautiful and haunting. It’s a book that will always stay with me and is a huge inspiration of mine.

Awesomesauce!

Thank you so much for doing this!

To find out more info about Antonia click the links!

Website: https://antoniarachelward.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AntoniaRachelW1