Seán O'Connor's Blog, page 6
April 12, 2019
WEEPING SEASON | COVER REVEAL
Welcome toDOWN IN THE DARKA Blog...Epitaph #12
MATADOR PUBLISHING ARE PROUD TO ANNOUNCE COMING FRIDAY THE 13th OF SEPTEMBER 2019 WEEPING SEASON BY SEÁN O'CONNORPREORDER A SIGNED COPY TODAYIn the spirit of Charlie Brooker’s Black Mirror and The Outer Limits comes Weeping Season by Seán O’Connor —A unsettling, suspenseful chiller that leaves you gasping for breath... A group of strangers wake up in a cold isolated forest with no memory of anything before their arrival. Lost, hungry and wandering aimlessly, they are summoned to a campsite by a remote entity who controls their fate through a series of tortuous objectives. Their only hope for survival is either escape from the psychological game reserve, known as Block 18, or face mortality at the hands of its maniacal moderator, who loves nothing more than watch his participants suffer.“Fast, thrilling, and brutal, Weeping Season leaves you gasping for breath. O'Connor's prose is sharp and lean, and he has a great eye for the grisly. Thoroughly recommended.” —TIM LEBBONNew York Times bestselling author of the Relics trilogy “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 CandyArtwork & Cover Design: Boz Mugabe Publisher: Matador Publishing Publishing Date: 13th of September 2019
MATADOR PUBLISHING ARE PROUD TO ANNOUNCE COMING FRIDAY THE 13th OF SEPTEMBER 2019 WEEPING SEASON BY SEÁN O'CONNORPREORDER A SIGNED COPY TODAYIn the spirit of Charlie Brooker’s Black Mirror and The Outer Limits comes Weeping Season by Seán O’Connor —A unsettling, suspenseful chiller that leaves you gasping for breath... A group of strangers wake up in a cold isolated forest with no memory of anything before their arrival. Lost, hungry and wandering aimlessly, they are summoned to a campsite by a remote entity who controls their fate through a series of tortuous objectives. Their only hope for survival is either escape from the psychological game reserve, known as Block 18, or face mortality at the hands of its maniacal moderator, who loves nothing more than watch his participants suffer.“Fast, thrilling, and brutal, Weeping Season leaves you gasping for breath. O'Connor's prose is sharp and lean, and he has a great eye for the grisly. Thoroughly recommended.” —TIM LEBBONNew York Times bestselling author of the Relics trilogy “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 CandyArtwork & Cover Design: Boz Mugabe Publisher: Matador Publishing Publishing Date: 13th of September 2019
March 27, 2019
AN EVENING WITH: TIM LEBBON
Welcome toDOWN IN THE DARKA Blog...Epitaph #11
Greetings, Just one piece of news to spam your inbox with today, so I'll get straight to it. Matt Hayward and myself have decided to form an unholy alliance under the moniker, Uafás Productions (Uafás is the Irish word for Horror!), with the aim of staging author events. And for our maiden voyage we have teamed up with The Artist Podcast to bring to you the following...Uafás Productions in association withThe Artist Podcast with David Merriman are proud to announce and invite you to:An Evening with...New York Times-bestselling, British Fantasy Award & Bram Stoker Award winning authorTIM LEBBONJoin us as we mark the beginning of Samhain for an unmissable and intimate evening with Lebbon as he discusses horror fiction, his latest works and career to date in Ireland's oldest bookstore. Also featuring Readings & Signings from Irish horror authors Matt Hayward & Seán O'ConnorHODGES FIGGIS Dawson Street Dublin City Wednesday The 30th of October 2019 6.30PM Free Admission All WelcomeFor the latest updates on this, please follow, subscribe and bookmark the following websites / social media pages:Tim LebbonFacebook Event PageThe Artist PodcastMatt HaywardSeán O'ConnorThat's it for now. In the meantime, make sure your Netflix account is activated as The Silence (Based on the novel by Tim Lebbon) is being released on April 10th. All the best, Seán.
Greetings, Just one piece of news to spam your inbox with today, so I'll get straight to it. Matt Hayward and myself have decided to form an unholy alliance under the moniker, Uafás Productions (Uafás is the Irish word for Horror!), with the aim of staging author events. And for our maiden voyage we have teamed up with The Artist Podcast to bring to you the following...Uafás Productions in association withThe Artist Podcast with David Merriman are proud to announce and invite you to:An Evening with...New York Times-bestselling, British Fantasy Award & Bram Stoker Award winning authorTIM LEBBONJoin us as we mark the beginning of Samhain for an unmissable and intimate evening with Lebbon as he discusses horror fiction, his latest works and career to date in Ireland's oldest bookstore. Also featuring Readings & Signings from Irish horror authors Matt Hayward & Seán O'ConnorHODGES FIGGIS Dawson Street Dublin City Wednesday The 30th of October 2019 6.30PM Free Admission All WelcomeFor the latest updates on this, please follow, subscribe and bookmark the following websites / social media pages:Tim LebbonFacebook Event PageThe Artist PodcastMatt HaywardSeán O'ConnorThat's it for now. In the meantime, make sure your Netflix account is activated as The Silence (Based on the novel by Tim Lebbon) is being released on April 10th. All the best, Seán.
February 5, 2019
THE MONGREL | SPLATTERPUNK AWARD NOMINATION
Welcome toDOWN IN THE DARKA Blog...Epitaph #10
It gives me great pleasure to announce that The Mongrel has been nominated for a 2019 Splatterpunk Award in the category of Best Novella.
To put it simply - I am honored, humbled and thankful to all of those involved with this decision and to my fellow nominees for all of the 2019 Splatterpunk Awards, I wish you a hearty congrats and the very best of luck.Wrath James White and Brian Keene, founders of the Splatterpunk Awards, which recognize superior achievement in the sub-genres of Splatterpunk and Extreme Horror, are pleased to announce the nominees for the second annual awards, honoring works published in 2018.BEST NOVEL A Gathering of Evil by Gil Valle (Comet Press) Camp Slasher by Dan Padavona (Independently Published) Full Brutal by Kristopher Triana (Grindhouse Press) Last Day by Bryan Smith (Independently Published) Rabid Heart by Jeremy Wagner (Riverdale Avenue Books) Ring of Fire by David Agranoff (Deadite Press)BEST NOVELLA 1000 Severed Dicks by Ryan Harding and Matt Shaw (Independently Published) Cockblock by CV Hunt (Grindhouse Press) Dead Stripper Storage by Bryan Smith (Grindhouse Press) Kill For Satan by Bryan Smith (Grindhouse Press)* The Mongrel by Seán O’Connor (Matador) The Writhing Skies by Betty Rocksteady (Perpetual Motion Machine Publishing)BEST SHORT STORY Diabolicus Interruptus by Christine Morgan (Forbidden Futures #1) Fistulas by Mame Bougouma Diene (Dark Moons Rising on a Starless Night) Rebound by Brendan Vidito (Nightmares In Ecstasy) The Seacreator by Ryan Harding (Splatterpunk Forever) Seersucker Motherfucker by Jay Wilburn (Beautiful Darkness) Virtue of Stagnant Waters by Monica J. O’Rourke (Splatterpunk Forever)BEST COLLECTION Dark Moons Rising on a Starless Night by Mame Bougouma Diene (Clash Books) DJStories by David J. Schow (Subterranean Press) Nightmares In Ecstasy by Brendan Vidito (Clash Books) The Very Ineffective Haunted House by Jeff Burk (Clash Books) Walking Alone: Short Stories by Bentley Little (Cemetery Dance Publications)BEST ANTHOLOGY The Black Room Manuscripts Volume 4 by J. R. Park and Tracy Fahey (Sinister Horror Company) Monsters of Any Kind by Alessandro Manzetti and Daniele Bonfanti (Independent Legions Publishing) Splatterpunk Forever by Jack Bantry and Kit Power (Splatterpunk zine) Welcome to the Show by Doug Murano and Matt Hayward (Crystal Lake Publishing) Year’s Best Hardcore Horror Volume 3 by Randy Chandler and Cheryl Mullenax (Red Room Press)In addition to these nominees, publisher and author David G. Barnett will receive the J.F. Gonzalez Lifetime Achievement Award for his contributions to the field. The nominees were selected by readers, fans, professionals and the jurors. The final ballot will be voted on by this year’s jury: Regina Garza-Mitchell, Gabino Iglesias, Tod Clark, Gerard Houarner, Jason Cavallaro, and Garrett Cook. The awards will be presented during a ceremony at the 2019 Killercon Convention, taking place August 16th through the 18th in Austin, Texas. For more information, click here.
It gives me great pleasure to announce that The Mongrel has been nominated for a 2019 Splatterpunk Award in the category of Best Novella.To put it simply - I am honored, humbled and thankful to all of those involved with this decision and to my fellow nominees for all of the 2019 Splatterpunk Awards, I wish you a hearty congrats and the very best of luck.Wrath James White and Brian Keene, founders of the Splatterpunk Awards, which recognize superior achievement in the sub-genres of Splatterpunk and Extreme Horror, are pleased to announce the nominees for the second annual awards, honoring works published in 2018.BEST NOVEL A Gathering of Evil by Gil Valle (Comet Press) Camp Slasher by Dan Padavona (Independently Published) Full Brutal by Kristopher Triana (Grindhouse Press) Last Day by Bryan Smith (Independently Published) Rabid Heart by Jeremy Wagner (Riverdale Avenue Books) Ring of Fire by David Agranoff (Deadite Press)BEST NOVELLA 1000 Severed Dicks by Ryan Harding and Matt Shaw (Independently Published) Cockblock by CV Hunt (Grindhouse Press) Dead Stripper Storage by Bryan Smith (Grindhouse Press) Kill For Satan by Bryan Smith (Grindhouse Press)* The Mongrel by Seán O’Connor (Matador) The Writhing Skies by Betty Rocksteady (Perpetual Motion Machine Publishing)BEST SHORT STORY Diabolicus Interruptus by Christine Morgan (Forbidden Futures #1) Fistulas by Mame Bougouma Diene (Dark Moons Rising on a Starless Night) Rebound by Brendan Vidito (Nightmares In Ecstasy) The Seacreator by Ryan Harding (Splatterpunk Forever) Seersucker Motherfucker by Jay Wilburn (Beautiful Darkness) Virtue of Stagnant Waters by Monica J. O’Rourke (Splatterpunk Forever)BEST COLLECTION Dark Moons Rising on a Starless Night by Mame Bougouma Diene (Clash Books) DJStories by David J. Schow (Subterranean Press) Nightmares In Ecstasy by Brendan Vidito (Clash Books) The Very Ineffective Haunted House by Jeff Burk (Clash Books) Walking Alone: Short Stories by Bentley Little (Cemetery Dance Publications)BEST ANTHOLOGY The Black Room Manuscripts Volume 4 by J. R. Park and Tracy Fahey (Sinister Horror Company) Monsters of Any Kind by Alessandro Manzetti and Daniele Bonfanti (Independent Legions Publishing) Splatterpunk Forever by Jack Bantry and Kit Power (Splatterpunk zine) Welcome to the Show by Doug Murano and Matt Hayward (Crystal Lake Publishing) Year’s Best Hardcore Horror Volume 3 by Randy Chandler and Cheryl Mullenax (Red Room Press)In addition to these nominees, publisher and author David G. Barnett will receive the J.F. Gonzalez Lifetime Achievement Award for his contributions to the field. The nominees were selected by readers, fans, professionals and the jurors. The final ballot will be voted on by this year’s jury: Regina Garza-Mitchell, Gabino Iglesias, Tod Clark, Gerard Houarner, Jason Cavallaro, and Garrett Cook. The awards will be presented during a ceremony at the 2019 Killercon Convention, taking place August 16th through the 18th in Austin, Texas. For more information, click here.
January 22, 2019
WOLF MOON
Welcome toDOWN IN THE DARKA Blog...Epitaph #09
The moon last night in Irish skies has been dubbed a SUPER WOLF BLOOD MOON as it was the first full moon in January - and a super moon! In ancient times, people believed that this moon signaled an apocalypse! Unfortunately for me, clouds covered the sky and I didn't get to see it...But, I’m viewing it as an end to the promotional side of things for The Mongrel...It’s been a busy few months online and behind the scenes. The Mongrel has received all sorts of reviews from Ireland, UK, Canada and the United States. I found the difference in opinions and feedback fascinating! Overall, I am blown away by the Horror community, from readers, reviewers and fellow scribblers, all of whom deserve a massive amount of praise for what they do. Creative work is good for the soul.I’m eager to press ahead with some big plans for this year. If you’re into novels, writer events and convention appearances? Then I can’t wait to reveal more in the coming weeks...Photo credit: @bookishmommy - Follow and Support Ashley’s IGSigned Hardback and Paperback copies are available to buy at my webstore.
The moon last night in Irish skies has been dubbed a SUPER WOLF BLOOD MOON as it was the first full moon in January - and a super moon! In ancient times, people believed that this moon signaled an apocalypse! Unfortunately for me, clouds covered the sky and I didn't get to see it...But, I’m viewing it as an end to the promotional side of things for The Mongrel...It’s been a busy few months online and behind the scenes. The Mongrel has received all sorts of reviews from Ireland, UK, Canada and the United States. I found the difference in opinions and feedback fascinating! Overall, I am blown away by the Horror community, from readers, reviewers and fellow scribblers, all of whom deserve a massive amount of praise for what they do. Creative work is good for the soul.I’m eager to press ahead with some big plans for this year. If you’re into novels, writer events and convention appearances? Then I can’t wait to reveal more in the coming weeks...Photo credit: @bookishmommy - Follow and Support Ashley’s IGSigned Hardback and Paperback copies are available to buy at my webstore.
January 5, 2019
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Welcome toDOWN IN THE DARKA Blog...Epitaph #08
Happy belated New Year, folks. 2018 was an excellent year for me as I finally got my debut book out into the big bad world. Thanks to everyone who has bought, read, reviewed and supported my work. I'm delighted with the feedback so far and now I can look at 2019 with excitement.Over Christmas, I received a lot of private messages from people asking to buy the directly from me. After having a think about this, I've decided to launch my own webstore, where readers can now buy signed copies of my books and also get cheaper shipping rates than what are currently on offer from Amazon, etc. My webstore can be found by clicking the STORE button my website.The Mongrel was reviewed by the Night Worms and all of them reviews can be read over on The Mongrel's Goodreads page. The guys provided some great insights and opinions on the book that I appreciated and enjoyed. Be sure to follow them on social media!Looking forward at 2019... I can reveal the title of my new novel:WEEPING SEASONThe publisher has been decided and the book cover artwork is almost complete. Feedback from my BETA reader team has been really positive, so, I can not wait to share more about this in the coming weeks when the promotional campaign gets underway. Cover reveal, pre-ordering and giveaways... Watch this space!
Happy belated New Year, folks. 2018 was an excellent year for me as I finally got my debut book out into the big bad world. Thanks to everyone who has bought, read, reviewed and supported my work. I'm delighted with the feedback so far and now I can look at 2019 with excitement.Over Christmas, I received a lot of private messages from people asking to buy the directly from me. After having a think about this, I've decided to launch my own webstore, where readers can now buy signed copies of my books and also get cheaper shipping rates than what are currently on offer from Amazon, etc. My webstore can be found by clicking the STORE button my website.The Mongrel was reviewed by the Night Worms and all of them reviews can be read over on The Mongrel's Goodreads page. The guys provided some great insights and opinions on the book that I appreciated and enjoyed. Be sure to follow them on social media!Looking forward at 2019... I can reveal the title of my new novel:WEEPING SEASONThe publisher has been decided and the book cover artwork is almost complete. Feedback from my BETA reader team has been really positive, so, I can not wait to share more about this in the coming weeks when the promotional campaign gets underway. Cover reveal, pre-ordering and giveaways... Watch this space!
December 21, 2018
THE MONGREL | REVIEWED BY GINGER NUTS OF HORROR
Welcome toDOWN IN THE DARKA Blog...Epitaph #07If there’s one thing I love more than horror fiction it’s a good auld gothic tale. The Mongrel by Seán O’Connor is a satisfying (Irish) stew of terror, atmosphere, and monsters of the four-legged kind!A disapproving father, disillusioned husband and, a naïve pregnant young woman. This could be any Victorian period drama set in the wild moors of England. But the setting for this horrific tale is a modern-day Ireland in the beautiful but unforgiving Wicklow Mountains....To continue reading, the full review can be found here- Martina Locke
November 30, 2018
THE MONGREL | REVIEWED BY KENDALL REVIEWS
Welcome toDOWN IN THE DARKA Blog...Epitaph #06The Mongrel was reviewed by Steve Stred at Kendall Reviews.You can check it out on their website HERE
