Steve Stred's Blog, page 88
October 4, 2019
What’s coming!
Happy Friday!
WHO THE HELL CAN BELIEVE IT’S ALREADY OCTOBER!!
Well – everyone who is excited for Halloween!
I’m gonna keep this short and sweet like past weeks!
If you’ve been following me lately, you’ve seen a number of acceptance tweets/posts. Lately, I’ve really focused on drabble submissions and seem to be connecting with the editors. I have three I can fully share and another that is out now.
Kevin J. Kennedy Presents 100 Word Horrors 3.
This release is out now in ebook and paperback! I have two drabbles in here, but look at the table of contents! Chad Lutzke, Mark Matthews, Evans Light, Andrew Lennon, The Sisters of Slaughter, RJ Roles, Justin M. Woodward and excitedly – Ron Davis’ first published works!
If you haven’t – snag a copy!
Reanimated Writer’s Presents: 100 Word Zombie Bites.
I have two drabbles in this one, which will be up for ebook preorder on the 24th and releasing on the 31st!
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Forest of Fear: Volume 1
Another one where I’ll have two drabbles featured! This one has such a great cover.
I’m stumped at the moment for when this will release, but I’ll keep you updated!
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Japanese Fantasy Drabbles from Insignia
I actually just received my acceptance this morning for this release. I’m not 100% sure of the final title yet and haven’t seen artwork! Once both come around, I’ll share!
Additionally, I’ve been involved in the ongoing author novel from Don Gillette. This was a book that he’s putting together that has 30 authors each write a chapter and we see how the story unfolds. There are only a few chapters left, so we’ll be finding out how this saga ends and then what the plans are for release after that. I contributed chapter 3 and it was a lot of fun.
Finally, and yes this is vague tweeting, but I was able to cross off a bucket list item for writing recently. I can’t wait to share what this is and once I get the go ahead to announce it, OH BABAY!! WILL I EVER!
Ritual
Of course I want to give a huge thanks and shout out to everyone who has already snagged Ritual and read it. To those who’ve reviewed is as well – THANKS!
It’s a perma $0.99US ebook and paperback is live, so if you want super dark, depraved and horrific in your life – go get it!
Music:
As always, I’m all over the map!
Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers – Walls
I’ve always been a massive Tom Petty fan. I’ve started devoting some time to a novel that I’m co-writing with David Sodergren and Mr. Petty and The Heartbreakers is perfect mood music.
Madeon – All My Friends
Really love the sunshine of this song. Makes me smile and feel happy when I hear it.
The Ghost Inside – Engine 45
After their stunning live return after all of their injuries, surgeries and trauma, to see them announce they will be doing some more live dates is absolutely amazing and frankly, this should be the music story of the year.
Nine Inch Nails – Wish
I’m currently working on a brutal short story for possible submission. Nine Inch Nails Broken EP has been the back bone for all of those writing times.
What I’m Reading;
Been a bit since I’ve done this!
One by One – D.W. Gillespie
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https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/48270279-one-by-one
50% into this and just stunning. Gillespie is setting this tale up to be a scare fest. Really loving it and the Alice character really shines.
7 Sins of the Apocalypse Anthology
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https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/48252559-7-sins-of-the-apocalypse
I’m buddy reading this with my pal Becca (my first buddy read ever!) and the first few stories were a bit lacking for me. It’s definitely picking up and hoping to see how strong this finishes!
A Place for Sinners – Aaron Dries
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https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/45433777-a-place-for-sinners
I was kindly sent this digital ARC from Poltergeist Press and I’ve neglected it. I’m 20% in and need to buckle down and get rolling. So far it’s been good, but I’ve heard Dries turns this into great in short work.
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https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42175983-wolf-land
As most of you know, I do almost all of my reading on my Kindle. I still like to have one physical book on the go now and I snagged this beauty on Flametree Press’s Fourth of July Mega Sale! I have maybe 20 pages left to get through so hopefully I can finish that this weekend, but so far I’m loving this werewolf story!
All right! I’m done!
See you all next week!
Steve
September 27, 2019
Ritual & Piece of Me
Hey friends!
Another quick blog post this week!
Gonna fire it off fast and lean!
Ritual – holy hell! I ultimately put it up for preorders on the ebooks – I just wanted to make sure it was live on Amazon for October 1st and the response has been amazing! Thinking the $0.99 price point definitely helps!
Check it out here if you want – paperback is live now!
Piece of Me – I’ve sent this one out to a few folks already!
Piece of Me will arrive December 1st. I’ve sent it off to Sodergren for final edits, but if you want to take an early look at a book I am super proud of – send me a message.
Synopsis: Over a decade ago, Kari’s husband and son went hunting and never returned.
As she prepares for another long winter she longs for their return.
Then one day things change. The night creatures who live in the dark have visited the day and a mysterious figure who arrives may hold the key to reuniting her with her family.
For Kari, the question becomes – just how far will she go to be reunited?
This is set in the same world as For Balder Walks!
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/48264016-piece-of-me
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The cover art is outstanding – Mason McDonald adapted a picture taken by my father in law, Peter and it just really captures the emotions of the story.
100 Word Horrors 3 – just a reminder, I have two drabbles featured in this release! Ebook only while the paperback gets formatted for release! A stunning collection of authors.
Music;
I didnt do this last week – so here’s some tunes I’m jamming
Phantoms – Designs for You
Really dig this song from Phantoms. Great beat and love the textures!
ARTY feat April Bender – Sunrise
Love, love, love this song! This one brings a smile everytime!
Thy Art Is Murder – New Gods
Off their newest album – this thing crushes.
Sepultura – Attitude (Live in studio, 1996)
What a band this used to be. I dig the new version, but god does this slay.
Ok – that’s all I got this week. I’ll be giving some more information in the next few weeks about some other stuff, but for now – enjoy your weekend!
Steve
September 20, 2019
Here comes Ritual
I’m back! After missing last week due to the trip down to Canmore for the companies 40th Anniversary Celebration, I return for my regular Friday Blog Post Update Thingy!
This will be a super quick romp through some stuff;
Here we go!
Ritual – comes out October 1st, 2019 – no ebook preorders officially, but I’ll be getting the files together next week and will have the date up for Oct 1st. If you want to snag it when it’s live, have at it! If not – no worries!
THIS ONE IS A THANK YOU! – the ebook will be a perma $0.99. This story is super dark, super vicious and depraved. Someone who has read it asked if I’d read Woom from Duncan Ralston as the depravity reminded them of it. Duncan was honoured.
Ebook and paperback available.
The Night Crawls In – thank you all! Carina Bissett was announced as the recipient of the 1st Annual LOHF Writer’s Grant and I’m just waiting on Paypal to smarten up so I can send her the funds! She’ll also be receiving a special hardcover copy of The Night Crawls In as a thanks! Reminder – all sales of this will now be going towards the next grant!
Lastly to close this one up;
While I was in Canmore, I was able to have breakfast with Jennifer Sullivan and her husband Jeff. I can’t recall when me and Jennifer connected through social media, but we did and stayed in touch. It just so happened that they were doing a western Canada anniversary trip and as fate would have it – we were both going to be in Canmore on the same day! We had a fantastic breakfast and it was like catching up with an old friend. It was great meeting Jeff. I had dragged my friend/co worker Walter along as we were driving back after meeting them and the four of us could’ve been confused with people who have known each other our whole lives. Love when that happens.
Even more amazing – Jennifer brought me a gift. She has a friend who is friends with my fav author, Andrew Pyper.
Check out this amazing picture of Mr. Pyper’s bookshelf Demon research section! What a gift. I was in shock then and as it’s sitting four feet to my left, I’m in shock still when I look over at it!
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Blown away.
Anyways – that’s all I got. Wanting to keep this one quick and short.
Hope you all have a great weekend!
Steve
September 6, 2019
Now What?
Welcome back friends!
This update is going to be waaaaayyyy shorter than last weeks super colossal mega insanely huge update!
Let’s dive in!
The Night Crawls In
My collection – The Night Crawls In arrived September 1st! It was released specifically to fund the 1st Annual LOHF Writers Grant. Preorders went swimmingly and I’ve been so amazed at how many folks have already purchased a physical!
So here’s a few follow ups/FAQ’s if you well
#1 – none of the sales go to me. On September 15th, the first winner will be announced and I’ll be sending them their Grant! They’ll also receive a special Hardcover edition of The Night Crawls In!
#2 – all sales from release date and here on out go towards future Grants from The Night Crawls In. Us Indie Authors have incredibly detailed sales reports at our disposal. So when I get paid out my royalties, whatever sales from TNCI are from that will be put into the paypal account for it.
#3 – the book is set up for Matchbook, which means if you buy a physical copy, you get the ebook for free!
#4 – there is a three cent difference between proceeds from the ebook and physical. The ebook produces $2.08 while the physical produces $2.11.
#5 – the physical and ebook files have been updated. So an apology to Alex aka findingmontauk1 as I someone missed adding his name to the LOHF team. That has been updated. I’ve also updated it because as of September 1st, the LOHF team added Audra, so I’ve added her there as well! I wasn’t aware of this at all before hand! So both are now listed!
So if you haven’t snagged it yet;
100 Word Horrors 3 Anthology;
You may have seen me post about this, but Kevin Kennedy’s 100 Word Horrors 3 Anthology is now available as an ebook, with physical coming shortly. I have two stories in there, but just look at the list of authors on that table of contents! Go snag it!
Ritual:
October 1st is now coming fast, crazy I know! My depraved novella Ritual will see the light of day then! As I mentioned before, no preorders for this but I’ll keep you posted about when everything is live!
Tunes:
First up my latest Tunes From the Crypt over on Kendall Reviews was featured;
This one focuses on Roadrunner and heavy tunes. Good stuff.
As for what I’m jamming;
Killswitch Engage – The Signal Fire feat Howard Jones
BOTH KSE SINGERS ON ONE SONG! YES PLEASE! I’ve always preferred Howard’s voice, but Jesse is coming around. This song rips.
Above & Beyond with Seven Lions – See the End
Great new track from A&B. They keep delivering such emotionally catchy EDM. Love it.
Nasty – Realigion
I recently discovered this band Nasty. Hardcore/Punk/Thrash. Heavy stuff. Hard to really define their genre. I’ve been jamming this album daily, really dig it. So here is the full album stream.
My Facebook Author Page;
RIP to my Facebook Author Page. As most of you know, Facebook is making it harder and harder for pages to be seen. If you’re not paying FB cash to boost the post, it’ll often get buried. I don’t do much marketing and I’ve never been a massive self promoter, so the page just kind of sits there and then on Friday’s I share the blog. If you’re friends with me on Facebook you’ll see the blog anyway and I share it on Twitter and Instagram.
It just feels like a massive overkill to have this whole other page. At one point it made sense to have it, as my athlete page when I was sliding. I was sharing pics and videos of training and behind the scenes stuff that folks never really see.
Now – not so much. I do have a private readers group that I’m going to keep. If you want to join, I’ll be sharing a link on the authors page or just DM for it. I’m going to do some exclusive stuff just for the readers group, but it won’t be like a patreon thing.
By the end of September the author’s page will be gone.
If you’re wanting to stay updated and that’s the page you follow – if we’re not, send me a friend request on FB, or follow the readers group!
Next Week;
Wrapping this up – next week will be blog free. I’m away at a work thing from Friday to Sunday.
So, I’ll see you here again on the 20th!
Cheers
Steve
August 30, 2019
End of Summer HUUUUGGGEE Wrap Up!
Hey all! Happy Friday!
This one’s gonna be a fun summer wrap up and as Auryn says; “IT’S GONNA BE HUUUUUGGGEEEE!!!!!”
First things first – Promo plugs
The Night Crawls In
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The collection drops on SEPTEMBER 1ST!
Pre-order links are up and running – have you preordered yet? The paperback version is now live and also able to be ordered!
US Link
Canada link
UK link
Pre-orders have picked up nicely!
Remember – this is to support the 1st Annual LOHF Writers Grant!
There is still time to apply;
OK – Fun stuff!
Writing Update;
Ritual – release date October 1st, 2019
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Completely finished and has already had some reviews coming through. This novella is brutal, brutal, brutal. I’ve had one reviewer call it depraved, one called it perverted and one person messaged me and said it reminded them of the hellish places Woom from Duncan Ralston went. I won’t be doing any pre-orders on this one, so watch for it October 1st!
Piece of Me – release date December 1st, 2019
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I am 75% done my final read through/writing updates before sending it to Sodergren for copy edits. This thing is a crazy beast. Dark, sad, cold, and dare I say – a love story with hope? YUP!
Scott: A Wagon Buddy Tale – release date TBA 2020
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My awesome friend, Becca kindly hosted the cover reveal for this as well as why I decided to write it. If you did miss that, check it out here;
Guest Post: Steve Stred Discusses Why He Wrote Scott: A Wagon Buddy Tale + Cover Reveal!
As for where I’m at with it, it’s off with a few beta readers and I’ve had some feedback returned already. Think this one’s gonna surprise some folks!
The Window in the Ground – release date TBA 2020
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Similar to Scott, this ones with a few beta readers. Excited to hear what they think about this one.
The One That Knows No Fear – release date TBA 2020
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I haven’t really given this one any love recently. Originally it was going to be co-written by me and Mason McDonald (my frequent cover designer) but at some point Mason said for me to just finish it up as he wouldn’t have the time to fully dedicate to it. So Mason will supply an introduction instead. I need to finish re-writes and then off to a few beta readers. This one is a lot of fun and features a stunt man who just doesn’t die.
456 Blatchford Drive – release TBA 2020
I’ve previously written about this gruesome haunted house story told over a number of decades. Originally it was an idea I had where each decade would be written by a different author. Sadly all three authors who originally jumped on board have all had to step away. So earlier this year I decided to write it myself. Cover art is almost complete and I’ll share it once done.
I’ve decided to make this a collector’s edition. There will be some physical copies for family, close friends and my super supporters who always buy my stuff. Then there will be 5 hardcovers and 15 paperbacks available and that’s it. No ebooks. I’ll give more details as it gets closer to finishing, but at this time, if this is something you think you’ll be wanting to snag – message me and I’ll get you on the list.
Sodergren/Stred Project – release TBA possibly 2020, possibly 2021
We’ve alluded to this project and it is quietly in the background noise. I’ve written about 7500 words on it, but its been sitting for a bit now. I’m not sure where David’s at, as we’re focused on different parts of the same story, but me and him chat most days and it’s occasionally mentioned haha! It’ll happen, but I can’t guarantee when.
YA/Fantasy Project – release TBA 2020
This is the first I’m mentioning this in public – I’ve discussed it in private with my usual folks. I’m 10,000 words into it already, and just loving it. Loving it. I came up with an idea to do this YA release specifically for my nieces, nephews and son. The stuff I normally write is far too gory for them to read for many years. So this is a collaboration between me and all of them. They all gave me specific bits and they’ll all be credited as writers with me, so this is going to be fun. I think folks who read YA/Fantasy stuff will also dig it.
Mason has created an amazing cover, I just have asked for one thing to be tweaked and once that is, I’ll be sharing it, as well as a full synopsis.
Daisy Doll – short story, release TBA
I’m currently about 1500 words into a fantastically grotesque short story. I’m only mentioning this because it’ll be hopefully featured in an “author sampler” release that I’ve been chatting with someone about. If that doesn’t pan out – you know you’ll get it at some point here!
Contest – so there’s still a few days left to go enter this amazing contest that my buddy Glenn aka thehellbound_heart on Instagram is hosting. I’ve donated a bunch of ebooks for this – so if you are on Instagram – go find his account, find this photo and enter! Contest ends at the end of the month!
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Tunes;
This weeks jams are brought to you by indie folk love. At least that’s what I consider this music. These four tunes are also songs that have deeper emotional meanings for me.
First up is two from Canadian band The Strumbella’s.
We Don’t Know
This is simultaneously the saddest song but also the most uplifting song for me. Really dig it. It has a very ‘Arcade Fire’ feeling.
Spirits
I think this is The Strumbella’s best know song/most popular song, but again, I find this song so uplifting and just makes me smile while I cry.
Phillip Phillips – Home
I think this dude was on American Idol? Maybe? Sure – google says he was. I’ve never watched American Idol, although my really good friend Shane was on Canadian Idol when it first started. I used this song in a video I made back in the day for an update on our dog OJ, after he was paralyzed. It just felt so perfect and fit really well.
American Authors – Best Day of My Life (Dog Edition)
It was recently National Dog Day, so I felt it was timely to use this song with this version for our feel good tunes. I used it also at one point for an OJ update. I can’t believe the big goof ball turns 10 in a month!
Summer update!
Ok, so wrapping this HUUUUUUGGGGEEEE update up with a brief run through of what we did this summer. We try to have fun when we can, and with Mr. Man having just turned 3 (!!!!!) and starting play school on Tuesday, here’s some of what we did!
New Pool
His Pop’s (it’s what he calls grandpa Peter) got him a new pool! It has an elephant snout which is perfect for spraying!
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Poppa’s Memorial Trip
My grandpa passed away at the end of last year, but his memorial was in the summer to make travel easier. We drove back to Nakusp, staying in Trail at my sister’s, Nakusp and then stopped in Radium on the way back to visit my wife’s cousin. It was a fun trip, even it was a bit rushed.
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(Auryn telling me to walk deeper into the water. This was at the cabin we stayed at on the Arrow Lakes.)
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(Me, my nephew Layne and Auryn being sprayed by my sister, Jodi. Good times!)
Big Machines!
Of course we spent a lot of time playing with big machines!
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(My wife snagged these for free off of an upcycle page!)
Dinosaurs!
We went to a massive Dinosaurs Alive thing here at the Expo Centre!
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(Auryn wasn’t too keen on riding the dinosaurs)
Zoo!
For his third birthday we hit up the zoo. It was our first time back since the renovations had been completed!
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(Pops and Auryn watching the reindeer. Auryn was very intrigued that they were fighting.)
Birthday!
So this past Monday, the 26th was Auryn’s 3rd birthday. It’s so surreal to have a kid, and watching him grow and develop is amazing.
As you’ve seen before, he’s big time into big trucks, fire trucks etc etc. He’s a huge fan of Paw Patrol and every time he sees the massive Marshall Fire Truck at Walmart or anywhere he stops to admire it. So we knew that would be the perfect gift for him for his birthday.
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This is the exact moment of the box opening and he fully realizes just what was inside!
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And this is him trying to get me to hurry up and open the box already!
Cupcakes!
So lastly on the birthday front – Auryn absolutely HATES the happy birthday song.
Here he is last year on his 2nd birthday.
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In this first picture you can see he is just realizing what song is starting to be sung.
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Photo #2 here shows his full enjoyment of this beloved birthday jingle.
BUT WAIT!
This year my wife made delicious cup cakes and when we brought them out, with some candles for him to blow the out already lit, he was… EXCITED!
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(Actual photo evidence!)
He thought it was awesome! He even blew out the candles!
So there we have it. My HUUUUUUGGGGEEEE summer wrap up post.
Big things coming friends! Hope the summer has treated you well and fall brings smiles and great memories!
Steve.
August 23, 2019
Hellboy turns 3!!
Happy Friday friends. Today is a special post for me.
Our son Auryn turns 3 on Monday! Now – I’m doing this blog specifically for him. You see, we’ve already made him an email address, and we signed him up to get my posts. So some day, he’ll be scrolling through this and it’ll essentially be a neat time capsule for him!
So today’s post will be focused on what he’s reading, music he’s loving and a brief run through of his short life.
As many of you know – Auryn arrived with a bang. More precisely – no vitals for 6 minutes. That meant no oxygen, no blood pressure etc etc. Same with my wife.
Both were brought back from the beyond, so we’ve dubbed him Hellboy and one day maybe he’ll laugh at our dark, dorky humour.
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*This was his first photo in the NICU.
Oddly enough – just yesterday I saw a friend on FB post about an almost identical experience from when their daughter arrived. I couldn’t believe it. I reached out and we chatted for a bit. Blew me away that someone else had experienced the same thing I did. I gave me a surreal sense of calmness and solitude that I wasn’t alone.
Since his arrival, Auryn has been a goofball. Loves to play jokes and scare people.
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** Portrait of a contemplative 1 week old. Photo by my sister, Jodi.
What’s become very evident is his love of boy stuff. Motor bikes, construction stuff, big machines. When I get home each day he has to tell me everything he’s seen; “I saw two garbage trucks, a dump truck, a fire truck – in my alley!” He is one of the most animated conversationalists you’ll ever meet.
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** His most popular picture. 8 months old. Look at that hunk.
He has always had a love of music, but HATES when other people sing. When we still lived in Calgary, I’d put him in his little bouncy chair and put on some music and see what he liked. He has developed a love of almost all genres! You’ll see that below in the selections.
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** 1st birthday party! It was Where the Wild Things Are themed!
He has also always loved animals. He loves his dog OJ, but also adores his grandma’s two dogs, Bailey and Rosie. We had a zoo pass in Edmonton for a bit which he really loved! We’ll be spending a lot of time at the zoo again, now that the construction and renovations are complete!
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** Being kissed by the sea lion at West Edmonton Mall.
Currently he has a number of favourite activities; loves playing Monster Trucks, going for walks to see big machines and buses, planting and gardening with mom and nan, building stuff with pops, playing with play dough, playing Paw Patrol, playing in his sand table with his big machines. He’s always on the go!
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** Cheeky grin as he runs at the park!
We’ve been reading to Auryn since birth and in that time we’ve accumulated quite the library for him! You’ll see some of this current fav books here in a minute. But first another picture!
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** The two of us at the (new then) Nakusp Pride crossing. Note the silly face he insisted on making!
What He’s Reading:
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One of his favs – Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site features big machines working hard before going to sleep.
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Bulldozer’s Shapes is another one in frequent rotation. He’s always so proud when he names all of the shapes.
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Of course his favourite machine is Excavator’s – so this one is a big time fav. He’s getting really good with counting.
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And of course Dump Truck’s colors! He loves dump trucks almost as much as garbage trucks, so this one is always a hit.
We also read a lot of super hero books (prefers Batman) and Paw Patrol stuff. Lately we’ve also begun to read some Blaze and the Monster Machine books.
Music:
Me and my wife listen to a really wide variety of music which has really helped Auryn develop the same love of pretty much every genre.
Above & Beyond
Auryn loves EDM and this Vegas EDC set from 2015 is bookmarked on our computer. He comes running as soon as the music starts.
Raise Your Glass – Memoir
My wife watches a few reality shows and one of them is called Vanderpump Rules. Auryn loves the theme song and will bust out of his play room when the song starts and then rush back in once it’s over.
Macklemore feat Skylar Grey – Glorious
My wife is a big Macklemore fan, and as such Auryn has developed a love of his music as well. I’m not sure if this is his fav Macklemore song, but it’s the one I hear played the most!
Knocked Loose – Mistakes Like Fractures
I’m a big Knocked Loose fan and as it’s frequently played on Sirius Liquid Metal, Auryn has heard this song a bunch. I even posted a video a while back of him head banging to this song.
Deez Nuts – Tonight We’re Gonna Party (Like There’s No Tomorrow)
As I’ve said before, I’m a massive DN fan. Me and him will listen to this tune and I’ll pick him up and start our own two man mosh pit in the living room!
Gecko’s Garage – Eric the Excavator
Not surprisingly, when he’s loving the kids stuff it’s usually about big machines!
Blippi – The Excavator Song
Auryn loves Blippi – a kids entertainer who teaches kids all about a ton of stuff. Of course the song about an excavator is the one we watch the most.
Alright. Well, that’s enough of that.
I can’t believe our little guy will be three and starting play school soon!
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So to close this out – one day, when you end up seeing this post, just know me and your mom love you to the moon and back!
And clean up your room, put your toys away and eat your dinner!
Love,
Dad.
PS – when you finally read this – just remember, I wasn’t always this old!
**Baby Hellboy was downloaded from Deviant Art and was created by ChocolateFrizz89
August 22, 2019
Scott: A Wagon Buddy Cover Reveal
Hey all – I always hate doing click through links, but I’m away from my usual computer to do updates, so I’ll add the link here.
The always amazing Becca kindly had me over to her blog for a guest post. Today I share a bit about writing Wagon Buddy as well as why I decided to write a sequel. Click the link to get the cover reveal for Scott: A Wagon Buddy Tale coming out next year, as well as the reasons for these two existing!
Guest Post: Steve Stred Discusses Why He Wrote Scott: A Wagon Buddy Tale + Cover Reveal!
August 16, 2019
August 16, 2019
Hey all! Another Friday is upon us! If you read last week’s blog post – you’ll get the tongue-in-cheek joke of the blog title!
I’m gonna keep this succinct today.
We are almost exactly two weeks away from September 1st, 2019.
That day is a big one. Why?
Well, not only does The Night Crawls In release, but that closes off applications for the 1st annual LOHF Writers Grant! From what I’ve heard the application response has been amazing, and truthfully I’m equal parts excited but equal parts saddened. Why?
Well – I’m excited that so many authors have applied and it shows that the LOHF gang both has a far reach but also that the number of horror/dark fiction/speculative fiction etc etc Female Authors out there is vast! That’s a great thing and can only get better.
I’m saddened though, because if you know me – I always want to help and do more. So I’m sad that we can only offer one grant. I’ve begun reaching out to some old contacts from my athlete days to see if they have any contacts for good fits for companies that might even be able to come on board for year two and beyond, to try and offer more grants for more authors. Fingers crossed.
As for pre-orders. I’m typically an upbeat person, but this has also been a bummer. Stalled since last week. So if you haven’t and are thinking about it – please do! And please understand that ALL proceeds from pre-orders will be going to this years winner and all further sales after release date will be going to future writing grants!
As for the content in the collection – I’ve been blessed recently to have a number of blogs host guest posts which have all featured drabbles and poems that will be featured in the collection. I’ve compiled all of the links together – so take a minute to click the links, check out the content and please also follow those pages! All are ran by outstanding people!
Link 1: https://stevestredauthor.wordpress.com/2019/08/02/the-night-crawls-in-preview/
Link 2: https://themisadventuresofareader.com/2019/08/12/guest-post-steve-stred/
Link 4: https://www.highfeverbooks.com/reviews/guest-post-the-night-crawls-in-by-steve-stred
As for pre-order links, you can find those here on the site under collections!
https://stevestredauthor.wordpress.com/collections/
Also today, I’m featured over at author Erin Casey’s site! Erin invited me some time ago to be interviewed, so some of the answers to the questions are a bit older, but give it a read!
https://www.erincasey.org/author-interviews1#/steve-stred
Lastly today, I’m going to share some tunes I’ve been jamming this week and call it a day!
Nevermore – And the Maiden Spoke
Nevermore is one of my personal favourite bands and I think their album ‘This Godless Endeavor’ is perfection. The follow up album ‘The Obsidian Conspiracy’ was stellar and featured the song ‘And the Maiden Spoke,’ which may very well be the best ghost story song ever written.
Lacuna Coil – Layers of Time
My wife used to be a fan of Lacuna Coil, though I never have been. Their singer Cristina used to get a ton of press in Revolver, but that magazine stopped being sold up here in Canada for a while, so I’m not sure if she’s still featured in it or not.
Saying that – the new single they’ve released ‘Layers of Time’ is an outstanding piece of heavy music. I was shocked at how much I dug it and I think this’ll garner them some love from old fans and make some new ones.
Motionless In White – Thoughts & Prayers
I don’t mind MiW. I wouldn’t call myself a fan, but they’ve had some solid songs. Maybe after this song I should take the time to delve into their discography? I don’t know. Maybe. Anyways, I’m digging this song, so check it out!
Sepultura – Sepulnation
Early this week I tweeted about the two distinct versions of Sepultura – Max vs Derrick. I personally don’t have a preference as I do view them as two different entities.
Sepulnation is a great track from a great album and really encompasses just how different of a vibe the singer change had on the band.
As for life – well, how insane is this;
3 years ago today we did our maternity shoot!
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We had no idea just how insane life would be after this. Auryn arrived 10 days later and six months after this, we’d be moving to Edmonton and I’d be starting a new job. I can’t believe we’ll have a 3 years old in 10 days and I can’t believe he’ll be starting playschool in September.
Speaking of Auryn – yesterday was a pretty big day for him.
Him and Pops (his grandpa) went for a walk and saw A FIRETRUCK! Other than excavators and dump trucks, fire trucks are the be-all, end-all for Auryn. He got to sit in the driver seat and even pretend to put out a fire!
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When I got home I got to hear all about it!
Well that’s all I got. Have a great weekend!
August 12, 2019
Book Review: Dead Mountain: The Untold True Story of the Dyatlov Pass Incident by Donnie Eichar
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Dead Mountain: The Untold True Story of the Dyatlov Pass Incident by Donnie Eichar
Length: 288 Pages
Release Year: 2014
Rating: 5/5
In 2013 I stumbled upon a movie on a now defunct horror streaming website called “The Dyatlov Pass Incident.” While the movie was low budget compared to the summer blockbuster extravaganzas we are used to seeing, the cinematography was outstanding, the acting was great and the story was phenomenal. It’s one of the rare movies that I’ve actually watched several times.
Watching it though triggered a lot of memories from when I used to read my Grandma Hankins copies of Weekly World News. I had heard of the 1959 incident where 9 experienced hikers, led by Igor Dyatlov, went missing and then were found dead.
Due to numerous reports that trickled out over the years, the incident developed a lore and a number of “reasons” have been put forth as too just what caused these hikers to perish.
Then last year I stumbled upon JH Moncrieff’s wonderful “Return to Dyatlov Pass.” Twitter and Bookstagram were yelling at me that I needed to read it, so I did and I loved it. For some reason I gave it four stars, but when I think back I don’t know why. That was such a great read, it should have been a five star rating from me. The book also renewed my interest in Dyatlov Pass and this book; Dead Mountain: The Untold True Story of the Dyatlov Pass Incident was recommended over and over.
Donnie Eichar followed a similar path to the Pass as myself. But where I decided to read about it, he decided to full on tackle the subject and took several trips himself to Russia and to Dead Mountain itself.
This is a great non-fiction read, each chapter alternating back and forth between the known facts of the tragedy in 1959; from the planning of the trip, to the group heading to the area and up to the day of them dying, and then back to Donnie’s present day search for answers. From meeting with the president of the Dyatlov Pass Society to connecting with the tenth hiker, a hiker who had to turn back early in the trip due to chronic medical issues.
Eichar doesn’t leave a single stone unturned and researches each possible cause of death to its fullest, finally coming across a plausible cause and then doing his due diligence by connecting with world leading researchers on the subject.
Whether you read this and book and agree or disagree with what Eichar ends up postulating is up to each reader, but what can’t be overlooked is that Eichar’s writing throughout is superb and the story flows incredibly well.
I ended up taking some time reading this, only because I would read one chapter a night or every other night. Each time I picked it back up I was immediately returned to the cold of the Kholat Syakhl slopes and I was excited every single time.
I thoroughly enjoyed this, as much as I’ve enjoyed “Into Thin Air” by Krakauer and I think this book has reinvigorated my love of non-fiction survival tales.
If you want to check this out yourself, please click on the link!
August 9, 2019
Some things about stuff!
Hey friends! God, I suck at trying to think about what to title these posts! How lame would they be if it was just August 9th, 2019.
Sheesh.
ANYWAYS.
This week’s a usual post of stuff. So let’s dive in!
LIFE:
I haven’t done a what’s been going on bit here for a few weeks at least. So, last night we had a massive thunderstorm over our house. LIKE DIRECTLY OVER OUR HOUSE.
Power went out for about thirty minutes.
Auryn starts playschool (which is essentially pre-preschool) in September and good grief does that blow my mind. To think he’ll be three in a few weeks just isn’t rational in my brain.
Overall, we haven’t been getting up to much. Hoping to hit the zoo here again one of these weekends! How’s your summer been?
LOHF Writer’s Grant:
I’ll be plugging this until the 1st of September when the deadline closes for applications! But seriously – I’ve heard the response has been amazing. If you haven’t yet, please apply!
For full details;
As, I’ve said – I’m launching The Night Crawls In to help fund this thing. Pre-orders have dried up completely. So if you haven’t yet – I’d love it if you would order it. Links are in the collections tab on my page here!
All pre-orders go towards funding year one. Every sale after goes to funding year two!
What I’m Reading;
FOE – Iain Reid. You may have seen my post about finding this book at Dollarama. Brand new hardcover for $3. I couldn’t leave it behind. This book has been on my list for some time. Well I finally started reading it and WOW!!! I’m about 75% in and so much is done with so little. I highly recommend you check this out.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/37510662-foe
Dead Aware: A Zombie Journey – Eleanor Merry. If you’ve been reading any of my reviews, you’re probably aware of my personal distancing from anything Zombie related. I find the genre to be over saturated and I typically won’t seek out a Zombie book if I don’t have too. Saying that – I know just how friggin’ hard it can be to get your first book reviewed/featured and even harder when you are a female horror writer. I connected with Eleanor over on Books of Horror on Facebook. When she was looking for some reviewers for her first book, RJ Roles tagged me in her post and I readily agreed. So far so good. It’s a really nice take on the Zombie trope and while some similarities have to creep in from other books/TV shows etc, Merry’s voice shines through. If you are a reviewer, I’d love for you to reach out to Merry if you can fit it in. It comes out on the 23rd and the book can be read in a single sitting. I would have finished it in sitting #2 last night if it wasn’t for that storm, I would’ve finished it last night.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/47549927-dead-aware
Ugly as Sin – James Newman. Uhhhh a story about an ex-professional wrestler who has to help his daughter out. Yes please!
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34129438-ugly-as-sin
Flora & Jim – BP Gregory. I’ve only made it about 15% into this story, but so far it’s super intriguing. A bit post-apocalyptic, but the snow aspect always is enticing for me!
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35014869-flora-jim
Dead Mountain – Donnie Eichar. I should’ve had this finished like a month ago, but I’ve been reading one or two chapters a night after my main reads. The retracing of the expedition is outstanding. This will easily be put into my top 10 all time fav non-fiction reads.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18881732-dead-mountain
Books of Blood Vol 1 – Clive Barker. Yup, I have 6 books on the go. I’ve been trying to read one story a week from this tome, but lately have let it slip. The stories are absolutely outstanding, so I should get through 2-3 more stories this weekend.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11412801-books-of-blood
This weeks tunes!
This week I’ve been listening to a bunch of hardcore and heavier stuff. Actually, that’s every week, but this week I’ve been wanting to listen to stuff that’s just full on throat punching heavy.
Kublai Khan – The Hammer
You want heavy? Look no further than Texas based Kublai Khan. Good lord do they make my rib cage thrum.
Betraying the Martyrs – Parasite
The new BtM song is a nice, quick slab of thick metal. These dudes recently suffered a fire that destroyed their equipment trailer. Not a fun thing to see! Glad no one was hurt.
Devildriver – Clouds Over California
Devildriver is a go to band for me for metallic, heavy-groove. They have a few misses in their catalog of releases, but when they hit, there’s no one better at getting the head banging and the wind-mills chopping.
Deez Nuts – Binge/Purgatory
Deez Nuts has been one of my fav hardcore bands since I saw them live. The name is misleading, as there’s no joking around here. They deliver time and time again.
Alright, well that’s all I got for this week.
If you are on Instagram – keep a watch out. I’m currently involved with one giveaway with my buddy @thehellbound_heart.
I believe a second contest I’m involved with will be announced today!
Cheers!
