Seán O'Connor's Blog, page 3

THE BLACKENING - AVAILABLE TO PRE-ORDER

Greetings! It's been a while since my last update...I have been busy behind the scenes getting THE BLACKENING ready for launch. And tonight, I'm happy to announce that the pre-order link for signed & inscribed paperback copies is now live!PRE-ORDER HEREOrders will begin shipping worldwide from Monday the 16th of November 2020. (Please allow for delays due to Covid19 restrictions)For eBook fans, unfortunately, you'll have to wait until the official release date... This is due to me making a mistake with Amazon and now have been suspended from using pre-ordering for 12 months. Stupid, but it is what it is. When it can be ordered, I'll be sure to spread the word via my newsletter and social media.Advanced Review Copies have begun going out into the wild... I'll post reviews as they come in, but for now, if you still need some convincing on whether you'll like this book, maybe these blurbs will do the trick.“I’ve been scared of the dark before but never my own shadow… until now!The Blackening will leave you empty.”— Glenn ParkerDoes The Dog Die In This Podcast★★★★★“I enjoyed the well-drawn characters, people with real flaws and fears, and loved the setting around the caves of Vik, Iceland. If you like traditional horror, stories that are scary, fun and even a bit pulpy, The Blackening is for you!” — Michael Griffin Author of Armageddon House & Shirley Jackson Award Nominee“A feast of good old-fashioned horror, with conflicted characters, a gooey monster, and plenty of blood and guts.” — Tim Waggoner Bram Stoker Award-winning author“From the literal monsters that lurk inside dark Icelandic caves, to the monsters of our pasts haunting our daily lives, the darkness stalking the pages of The Blackening claw at you from chapter one, dragging the reader on a journey of unrelenting horror and never letting go until the very end. A book that will definitely make you think twice about ever giving spelunking a try.” — Marie McWilliams Author of Broken Mirrors

PHANTASMAGORIA MAGAZINE

Happy to announce my story “Wolf Hill” will be in the next edition of Phantasmagoria Magazine, which also featuresRichard Chizmar, Randy Broecker and Ramsey Campbell.Available from Forbidden Planet Belfast and Amazon next month.

ON TWENTY TWENTY...

Greetings!Decided it was time to post a new blog entry and blow off some vented-up frustrations that I've been experiencing this year. 2020 started of great with so many projects to look forward to, including StokerCon UK, The Dublin Writers Festival and launching a new book... Obviously with the global pandemic kicking in, all author events came to grinding halt. And the sudden stop to all of these things was compounded for me with Matt Hayward dropping off the writing map...All of this took my feet out from under me and has left me in a bit of limbo regarding writing and the pursuit of a career within it...Is it worth it anymore? Is the reward worth the effort that goes into it?I couldn't answer those questions, so during this summer, I've sat back and watched the Bookstagram / Horror Fiction scene act out in front of me and have come to the final realisation of something I always knew deep down... It's all a load of shite.There is far too much drama and self-promotion from writers that I feel ultimately makes the whole place nothing more than a toxic bubble of narcissism. The constant posting on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, has left me feeling unwell and to be honest, I'm at a point now where I just don't want to engage anymore – especially when I see people much older than myself post and do some of the things they have done.I've since cancelled all scheduled appearances I had lined up for podcasts, magazine interviews and online events. While I understand the importance of these things to "advance" my career and "build awareness" for my work (especially since I've decided to run down the Indie road), I just don't believe the mental sacrifice of putting myself out there is worth it in exchange for a few "likes" and generic comments and book sales.In my view, I believe some of today's up and coming writers need to social media less and write more – with a focus of bettering their work with every release. I've read some books this year and got the vibe it's author was distracted, lazy and even to a point where these "books" wouldn't pass a basic exam at primary school level, but these writers are getting all the "likes" and engagements on social media and it really makes me wonder. It's not good enough from those who set up their online presence as announce to the world that they are a writer...And that is what I'm going to do in an attempt to reconnect and enjoy the craft again. Because if I can't reignite the spark and passion for writing fiction, then I will retire my pen and find something else to escape the harsh reality of life... maybe a return to martial arts or music? Unlikely as that would involve mixing with other people... so who the fuck knows... because at this point, all I know is, book promotion on social media is a load of crap and "brand building" is nothing more than a fancy corporate-like term for having an self-inflated ego that screams... "Look at me, I'm important."In summary, I believe going media mute is the way forward for me and I will put that into practice from this point onwards. If you have an interest in my books, that's cool – my three social media accounts will remain open so I can keep readers posted on things like that. I realise that's contradictory to everything I've been giving out about, but it's a necessary evil – it's how certain people use it that bothers me. In addition, any real media work such as podcasts, interviews and events will be no more because I simply could not be bothered wasting time on these things taking bollocks about myself in attempt to sell you something and make myself look great. Anyway, that's all from me for now.Seán.

THE BLACKENING | COVER REVEAL

Greetings, Following on from it's reveal by the Night Worms earlier this week, I'm delighted to share the front cover from my new cosmic horror novella, The Blackening...Available from Friday the 13th of November 2020eBook & PaperbackForeword by Philip FracassiArtwork from Boz MugabeSYNOPSISWhen a young woman goes missing near the sleepy Icelandic village of Vík, police inspector John Ward wants to cancel the Northern Lights Festival after his sole witness describes the kidnapper as a “Shadow”. However, police commissioner Kári Ingason overrules him, fearing the loss of tourist revenue will cripple the village. Scientist Rakel Atladóttir and her peculiar assistant Rúnar offer to help Ward investigate the disappearance, plunging the trio into a fight for survival, with the fate of humanity in jeopardy against a malevolent cosmic horror…“A feast of good old-fashioned horror, with conflicted characters,a gooey monster, and plenty of blood and guts.” — Tim WaggonerAuthor of The Forever House & Bram Stoker Award Winner★★★★★“I enjoyed the well-drawn characters, people with real flaws and fears, and loved the setting around the caves of Vik, Iceland.If you like traditional horror, stories that are scary, fun and even a bit pulpy, The Blackening is for you!” — Michael GriffinAuthor of Armageddon House & Shirley Jackson Award Nominee★★★★★“I’ve been scared of the dark before but never my own shadow… until now!The Blackening will leave you empty.” — Glenn ParkerDoes The Dog Die In This Podcast ★★★★★Pre-order links to follow soon...

THE MONGREL - NEW EDITION COVER REVEAL

On Friday the 5th of June, there will be a full moon – beneath it, the Uafás Press edition of The Mongrel will come into the world. Originally published in 2018, this new (and revised) edition will be available in both Kindle eBook and paperback, which features stunning new artwork from Boz Mugabe.As a bonus… the paperback edition will include a story set in the same universe called; Wolf Hill.“Vivid, unflinching, evocative, and original, O'Connor's work heralds the arrival of an important voice in horror fiction, one to which you would do well to listen.” — Kealan Patrick Burke Bram Stoker Award-winning author of The Turtle Boy, KIN and Sour Candy“O’Connor has given us a story full of life, love, hope, and fear, which takes us to the darkest chambers of our hearts. A bold new voice in horror fiction that shines like a diamond in a midnight sky above a dark sea of mediocrity. He gives me hope for the genre.” — Ben Eads Author of Cracked Sky and Hollow Heart“The Mongrel is fast, creepy, tense. This is a no-brainer five star read that acts as a reminder of the continuous stream of literary talent Ireland has to offer.” — Ginger Nuts of Horror ★★★★★SYNOPSISStranded deep in the mountains, Erin Greene finds herself in a battle for survival against the extreme cold. Heavily pregnant and alone, the clock is ticking and giving birth isn’t her only fear, for there is something sinister lurking in the dark hills... And it is hungry…PRE-ORDER YOUR2019 SPLATTERPUNK AWARD NOMINATEDBOOK NOWKINDLE eBOOKPAPERBACK

THE BLACKENING

Greetings,Before we get started, I hope these words find you well and you are keeping safe during these strange days. It's funny how a global pandemic brings communities together and I hope all readers and writers within my small sphere are keeping safe, staying indoors and riding out this virus.It's been a while since I've done a writing update and with the aforementioned pandemic currently in full swing, my plan for this year has been completely turned on it's head. Events have been cancelled. Book releases pushed back and worst of all, I haven't been writing... I suppose the sudden loss of routine, anxiety and a fear for loved ones played a major role in that... however... during self-isolation, I have managed to get a few projects organized and now plan to release two books this year through my own publishing imprint; Uafás Press.THE BLACKENINGForeword by Philip FracassiFirst up... I'm delighted to announce the title of my new Icelandic horror novel. Cover artwork and pre-order details for both paperback and eBook will be posted during the summer months, with a release date set for sometime during Winter 2020.Synopsis:When a young woman goes missing near the sleepy Icelandic village of Vík, police inspector John Ward wants to cancel the Northern Lights Festival after his sole witness describes the kidnapper as a “Shadow”. However, police commissioner Kári Ingason overrules him, fearing the loss of tourist revenue will cripple the village. Scientist Rakel Atladóttir and her peculiar assistant Rúnar offer to help Ward investigate the disappearance, plunging the trio into a fight for survival, with the fate of humanity in jeopardy against a malevolent cosmic horror…I'm hoping readers of cosmic and Lovecraftian horror enjoy this one. More updates in the coming weeks...THE MONGRELNext up is The Mongrel. I'm re-issuing my 2018 novella in the coming weeks. Both paperback and eBook editions will include new artwork and a bonus short story which takes place in the same universe as the novella and will pave the way for The Mongrel: Part II(which is set for release in 2021). If you haven't read The Mongrel yet, I would recommend waiting for the Uafás Press edition to get introduced to my Splatterpunk Award nominated spin on werewolf fiction.“O’Connor has given us a story full of life, love, hope, and fear, which takes us to the darkest chambers of our hearts. A bold new voice in horror fiction that shines like a diamond in a midnight sky above a dark sea of mediocrity. He gives me hope for the genre.”— Ben EadsAuthor of Cracked Sky and Hollow Heart“The Mongrel is fast, creepy, tense. This is a no-brainer five star read that acts as a reminder of the continuous stream of literary talent Ireland has to offer.”— Ginger Nuts of Horror★★★★★GIVEAWAYAnd finally... I'm happy to announce my latest giveaway. I'm offering a signed, hardback copy of my novel, Weeping Season. To be in with a chance to win, all you have to do is post a link to this blog post on either your Facebook, Twitter or Instagram (make sure to tag me so I can add you into the draw) and let your followers know about The Blackening. As always, those who have signed up for my newsletter are automatically entered into the draw, which will take place on Saturday the 18th of April and the winner will be announced on my website.That's it for now, stay safe and stay at home.-Seán.

INDEPENDENT BOOKSHOP SUPPORT

Greetings,Following on from last night's message from the Irish government, it is believed that Covid-19 will cause serious economic damage to many communities and businesses around Ireland and the fall out will be massive. As I writer, I want to help independent book shops in Ireland as much as possible during this challenging time. So, if the shop management / owners are interested; I'd be happy to provide paperback copies of my books with all profit from sales going to the shop in an effort to help recover, keep stores open and kick start local communities. I will also offer to make an in-store reading to help boost sales. Fell free to contact me through my website or any of my social media accounts if this is of interest -- It's the least I can do at this time. Stay safe & Sláinte, Seán.

LOCKDOWN - COVID-19 UPDATE

Greetings,As I'm sure you are all aware, we are currently in the middle of a crisis. COVID-19 has spread around the globe and is now on our doorsteps with governments and health services struggling to contain the outbreak. Sporting events and St. Patrick's Day parade have been cancelled here in Ireland and it's looking likely now that workplaces and schools will be ordered to close in the next few days. As a result of this outbreak, I believe every individual has a personal responsibility to ensure that they take preventative measures from spreading the virus around their communities. While for healthy people, it seems, the worst of it will come in the form of a very bad flu, but others who aren't as healthy, may not recover from it and the spreading of the virus to the vulnerable people in society is something we all need to avoid...So, with that in mind, I've decided to limit my social interactions and I will not attend StokerCon in the UK next month. My apologies to anyone who was planning on coming along to my Reading scheduled for the Saturday – I'm sure there will be another opportunity at some point in the future.In the run up to StokerCon, I had planned to release my new book.This has been postponed until a future date later in the year.For now, look after each other. Check in on the elderly in your community, be informed, and don't add to the hysteria. Keep your hands clean and coughs contained. How to protect yourself and others information is available on the HSE website here.All the best, Seán.P.S – To those looking to make profit on hand gels and toilet paper, you are scum.

THE SLEEPING SHAMAN

Greetings...As some of you know, before I ventured into the world of writing fiction, I played bass in a band called, Venus Sleeps... During this time (around 2015ish...) I also wrote album reviews for The Sleeping Shaman. The Shaman was my go to place over the years for the newest releases, festival updates and all things heavy and thankfully the Shaman has risen from the ashes...I'm delighted to announce that I have rejoined the Shaman's tribe of learned brethren to help spread the word of rock. I'm looking forward to reviewing, interviewing and writing articles for my favorite webzine.If you're a fan of heavy music and all that goes with it, I suggest you follow The Shaman on social media and keep an eye out for my first review to land... I'm currently spinning their record (And lovin' it!) -- if you like heavy-prog flavored doom rock, then this 4-piece powerhouse from Boston, Massachusetts might be right up your street...

STOKERCON 2020 | AUTHOR READING

It gives me great pleasure to invite you all to my reading at StokerCon 2020 in the United Kingdom.Please, come join me as I manifest into physical form to read some new fiction in The Grand Hotel's Quiet Room at 5pm on Saturday, April 18th.For the full event programme, visit:STOKERCON 2020